You love lists and Look to the Cookie doesn't do nearly enough of them. So here are the rankings and reasons for the fourteen released DC Extended Universe films as determined by every African-American staff member at LTC. Warner Bros. 14. Suicide Squad 3.8/10 Suicide Squad and Fantastic Four (2015) share the dubious distinction as the only modern superhero films that I have not watched a second time. Suicide Squad wins the award for the Best Trailer-Worst Movie combo. I've rarely cared so little for characters or a story. In case you forgot: 1) civilians became putties from Power Rangers; 2) the mission/B villain was Waller; 3) the actual villains were a temporary team member and the weird guy you forgot; 4) someone important died immediately; 5) only the marquee names mattered--Robbie, Smith, Leto, Davis--the other 18,000 cast members became background; 6) except for Diablo who could have been cool if the filmmakers knew anything about storytelling or character development. This movie sucked. 13. Birds of Prey 5.3/10 The world's first big budget woman-powered 80s-action movie got released in 2020. And it would have been cool if they leaned into the ridiculous cheesiness of this thing. But it felt like they took themselves seriously. They also apparently live in the same world, universe, DCEU as Superman, Batman, Shazam . . . . It doesn't feel like these movies, characters, and actors could share an egg sandwich, much less a planet. I don't know how DC Films can look at Marvel Studios' stuff and keep cranking out crap.  12. Shazam! 5.4/10 Arya Stark is super cute in this, and perfect in the role. But whycome a really mature 14-year-old would magic into a 30-year-old with the mind of a 10-year-old? For all of the color, and humor, and action, it's kind of obvious and snooze-festy. Maybe Disney should make DC movies. Photo: DC/Warner. Bros11. Wonder Woman 1984 5.4/10 It's always a bad sign when the audience only gets excited for the mid-credits scene. At the end of the film a dude stood in the front of the theatre, turned around, looked at all of us, shrugged, then spread his arms like a dying Christ, but clearly communicating: "well they tried." Patty Jenkins seemed so confident all year; I believed in her. Even ignoring the . . . conceit? of the whole film, everything happens . . . because the film needs or wants it to happen. It's a mess. DC sucks at live-action movies. 10. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice 5.5/10 The longer cut is better. Basically, they attempted to make an intelligent, dark, and gritty film. They failed. You never attempt to do a thing. You're intelligent or you're not. You can't feign intelligence, you'll look like a fool, i.e. this film. 9. Aquaman 5.9/10 It was fun but lacked heart and soul. They got so much right--BLACK MANTA, Ocean Master, the visuals, and use of tech/science and magic. And after all of that, I could've had a V8. 8. Black Adam 5.9/10 In no universe could the People's Eyebrow do this character justice. But this was unique. It was entertaining. They may have gotten the power levels right. And that obvious end-credit cameo was as good as they get. 7. The Suicide Squad 6/10 The MCU had sex with a made-for-TV movie, and nine months later I saw The Suicide Squad. This is much, much, better than that awful first attempt.  But if you want to see the real Suicide Squad, the real Task Force X, watch the fourth episode of the second season of Justice League Unlimited OR Batman: Assault on Arkham, OR Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay. 6. Wonder Woman 6.5/10 PERFECTION right through the complete obliteration of that long-held German line. Beyond that, the film fizzles. Steve Trevors' motley crew didn't humor, scare, endear, or anything. And Steve dulled much of Diana's shine. Aries did not impress, in appearance, performance, or overall villainy. Wonder Woman, and all of Themyscira, saved what was otherwise a mediocre film. 5. Justice League 6.9/10 I don't get the hate. I somewhat loved this film. Like Thor 2: The Dark World, my only complaint is that it's too short. There's too much to get done in such a small amount of time. But considering the limitations provided, they got EVERYTHING right. EVERYTHING. (maybe I didn't like blaxploitation Aquaman, but everything else) UPDATE: after seeing this four times, I am looking forward to The Snyder Cut. 4. Shazam: Fury of the Gods 7.5/10 I know. I don't get it either. This was supposed to be awful. It was supposed to be the end of the worst chapter in film history. But somehow, it's a really, really good start. How could anyone possibly make a family of children with Superman's powers interesting? They did it. I don't what to say. This movie was supposed to be awful. But I enjoyed almost every second of it. Even if you hate it, trust me, they could not have done better with these characters in these two worlds. And again, here, the end credit scenes really matter.  3. The Flash 7.7/10 I knew this would be good because no matter how many bodies pile up in Ezra Miller's backyard they wouldn't cancel this film. The early humor falls flat, but the second half of this film is as good as it gets. A top Flashpoint story. A good time travel film. Best Kryptonian action in live-action. The best multiverse movie OR best use of the multiverse in a movie. Supergirl was amazing. It loses 0 points for annoying little Flash or the fact that the ultimate baddie and solution were always obvious. 2. Man of Steel 8/10 Here's the deal, you want your Superman to be a corny-ass Boy Scout. I guess I have to respect that. But I think I like the DCEU Superman because he relays that a person that isn't perfect, that makes mistakes, that gets angry, that looks a little rough, can still be a hero. This is me as Superman. It's every minority, most women, people with disabilities, people with criminal records, people who made a mistake--we still have value. We too can still save the world. 1. Zack Snyder's Justice League 8.7/10 TL; DR, the Movie. Almost Avenger's-level excellence. Snyder proved his point. All of his trademark annoying touches are there. But he's a damn good storyteller and filmmaker. This movie is by far the best of the DCEU. This story needs to continue. Thank you.

You love lists and Look to the Cookie doesn't do nearly enough of them. So here are the rankings and reasons for the thirteen released DC Extended Universe films as determined by every African-American staff member at LTC. 13. Suicide Squad 3.8/10 Suicide Squad and Fantastic Four (2015) share the dubious distinction as the only modern superhero films that I have not watched a second time. Suicide Squad wins the award for the Best Trailer-Worst Movie combo. I've rarely cared so little for characters or a story. In case you forgot: 1) civilians became putties from Power Rangers; 2) the mission/B villain was Waller; 3) the actual villains were a temporary team member and weird guy you forgot; 4) someone important died immediately; 5) only the marquee names mattered--Robbie, Smith, Leto, Davis--the other 18,000 cast members became background; 6) except for Diablo who could have been cool, if the filmmakers knew anything about storytelling or character development. This movie sucked. 12. Birds of Prey 5.3/10 The world's first big budget woman-powered 80s-action movie got released in 2020. And it would have been cool if they leaned into the ridiculous cheesiness of this thing. But if felt like they took themselves seriously. They also apparently live in the same world, universe, DCEU as Superman, Batman, Shazam . . . . It doesn't feel like these movies, characters, and actors could share an egg sandwich, much less a planet. I don't know how DC Films can look at Marvel Studios stuff and keep cranking out crap.  11. Shazam! 5.4/10 Arya Stark is super cute in this, and perfect in the role. But whycome a really mature 14-year-old would magic into a 30-year-old with the mind of a 10-year-old? For all of the color, and humor, and action, it's kind of obvious and snooze-festy. Maybe Disney should make DC movies. Photo: DC/Warner. Bros10. Wonder Woman 1984 5.4/10 It's always a bad sign when the audience only gets excited for the mid-credits scene. At the end of the film a dude stood in the front of the theatre, turned around, looked at all of us, shrugged, then spread his arms like a dying Christ, but clearly communicating: "well they tried." Patty Jenkins seemed so confident all year; I believed in her. Even ignoring the . . . conceit? of the whole film, everything happens . . . because the film needs or wants it to happen. It's a mess. DC sucks at live-action movies. 9. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice 5.5/10 The longer cut is better. Basically, they attempted to make an intelligent, dark, and gritty film. They failed. You never attempt to do a thing. You're intelligent or you're not. You can't feign intelligence, you'll look like a fool, i.e. this film. 8. Aquaman 5.9/10 It was fun, but lacked heart and soul. They got so much right--BLACK MANTA, Ocean Master, the visuals and use of tech/science and magic. And after all of that, I could've had a V8. 7. Black Adam 5.9/10 In no universe could the People's Eyebrow do this character justice. But this was unique. It was entertaining. They may have gotten the power levels right. And that obvious end-credit cameo was as good as they get. 6. The Suicide Squad 6/10 The MCU had sex with a made-for-TV-movie, and nine months later I saw The Suicide Squad. This is much, much, better than that awful first attempt.  But if you want to see the real Suicide Squad, the real Task Force X, watch the fourth episode of the second season of Justice League Unlimited OR Batman: Assault on Arkham, OR Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay. 5. Wonder Woman 6.5/10 PERFECTION right through the complete obliteration of that long-held German line. Beyond that, the film fizzles. Steve Trevors' motley crew didn't humor, scare, endear, or anything. And Steve dulled much of Diana's shine. Aries did not impress, in appearance, performance, or overall villainy. Wonder Woman, and all of Themyscira, saved what was otherwise a mediocre film. 4. Justice League 6.9/10 I don't get the hate. I somewhat loved this film. Like Thor 2: The Dark World, my only complaint is that it's too short. There's too much to get done in such a small amount of time. But considering the limitations provided, they got EVERYTHING right. EVERYTHING. (maybe I didn't like blaxploitation Aquaman, but everything else) UPDATE: after seeing this four times, I am looking forward to The Snyder Cut. 3. Shazam: Fury of the Gods 7.5/10 I know. I don't get it either. This was supposed to be awful. It was supposed to be the end of the worst chapter in film history. But somehow, it's a really, really good start. How could anyone possibly make a family of children with Superman's powers interesting? They did it. I don't what to say. This movie was supposed to be awful. But I enjoyed almost every second of it. Even if you hate it, trust me, they could not have done better with these characters in these two worlds. And again, here, the end credit scenes really matter.  2. Man of Steel 8/10 Here's the deal, you want your Superman to be a corny-ass Boy Scout. I guess I have to respect that. But I think I like the DCEU Superman because he relays that a person that isn't perfect, that makes mistakes, that gets angry, that looks a little rough, can still be a hero. This is me as Superman. It's every minority, most women, people with disabilities, people with criminal records, people who made a mistake--we still have value. We too can still save the world. 1. Zack Snyder's Justice League 8.7/10 TL; DR, the Movie. Almost Avenger's-level excellence. Snyder proved his point. All of his trademark annoying touches are there. But he's a damn good storyteller and filmmaker. This movie is by far the best of the DCEU. This story needs to continue. Thank you.

You love lists and Look to the Cookie doesn't do enough of them. So here are the rankings and reasons for the 31 released Marvel Cinematic Universe movies as determined by the entire LTC staff that wears glasses and has dark skin . . . named Germar. 31. (30) Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 5.9/10 This. Is not good. The Illuminati and all of the multiverse were wasted here. It's a cartoonish, contrived, and poorly presented fan-service fanmade YouTube indie, written by someone that just finished their first film class. Even that ridiculous third eye looked ridiculous. Is this supposed to be horror or horrible? What happened to the Marvel haha? A waste. 30. (29) The Incredible Hulk 6.5/10 This film works on just about every level. It ranked poorly solely because the field is stacked. Bringing in the Abomination for a show-stopping city-smashing finale was genius. Seeing hints of the Leader was cool. Edward Norton did what he does; he killed it. Some parts drag, but it's about as good as a live-action Hulk film could be outside of The Avengers. 29. (28) Ant-Man and the Wasp 6.5/10 THIS. This is what people are talking about when they say that "superhero movies aren't good" and that "they're all the same" and that they "hate Marvel movies." The best scene takes place mid-credits. Yes, it's sci-fi or fantasy or something, but they break all the rules they made. It's not very funny. And they should have just called it Ant-Man 2.  28. (27) Eternals 6.6/10 Not a bad film, but no one bats 1000 forever. The post-Thanos MCU is looking real mediocre. Great characters. Awesome power sets. But also, slow-paced with mostly ho-hum action. [UPDATE: the final fight/set piece is phenomenal.] 27. (26) Captain America: The First Avenger   6.6/10 Updated Opinion: I've fallen asleep to this many times.  Surprise motherf*cker! (that's a Dexter reference) Honestly, I can't even get through this now, but I remember what it meant then. I'm not a Captain America fan. This film made me care about him. They poked fun at him. He was a guy and not an Uncle Sam poster (except for when he clearly was, but that wasn't by choice). Most importantly, my female non-nerd friends thought this film was dope and not just because the Human Torch starred in it. 26. (25) Thor  6.7/10 Updated Opinion: This is the worst version of Thor. But it's not a bad intro to a damn good trilogy.  The only movie on the list that is absolutely awful. Whenever I hear someone say they liked Thor, I want to punch them in the face very hard. I watched this awful film twice because my ex's sister-in-law convinced the family that it was good. They all hated it. I feel like Thor was the most cartoony or comic-y of the movies. If you liked this movie, you're probably a Thor fan or hardcore comic fan, or you have absolutely terrible taste, or you want to feel my fist. 25. (24) Thor: Love and Thunder 6.7/10 Just no. They attempted to pack too much of what may be the MCU's best story into two tiny hours. Recut this. Leave out the Guardians, and add more Jane, or remove Jane. Add more Valkyrie. Add more Gorr. Remove the jokes that don't land and add more battles that do land. Maybe the MCU on the big screen has run its course. 24. (23)  Iron Man 3  6.7/10 Initially, I liked this more than most. But for some reason, I cannot fathom sitting through it again. Ughhhhh. I loved the Mandarin thing, but was this really an Iron Man movie? I appreciated the Mandarin ruse because we weren't ready for the actual Mandarin yet.  I understood the stuff with the kid, but really? There were two iron men that rarely got to suit up. Annnd the weird fire volcano people . . . . Annnnd Pepper became Iron Man and Fire Lady . . . .  Annnnnnd how did this get ranked so highly? Oh, there were lots of suits fighting at the end--that was cool. Although it was wise of the writers, I never bought RDJ's portrayal of PTSD 23. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania 6.7/10 This . . . was a miss. It's just not the story that they should've told. The idea of the hidden universe is amazing. Kang always conquers. But the galactic alien feel didn't hit the right notes. And if you paid close enough attention, the answers were obvious. It's another MCU film where the seconds of credit scenes top the movie. 22. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings 6.7/10 This entire era of movies follows a similar cadence: 1) deep and often explosive beginning; 2) giant, but thin final battle; and 3) uhhh the middle ummm uhhh slower, expository ummm bridge to the final battle. Shang-Chi features amazing characters and decent lore. The story is hopefully one that will prevent MCU critics from saying, "they're all the same movie." It's Awkwafina's best. And still, I wanted more. 21. Black Widow 6.7/10 Everyone will think this should be higher, but again, every movie can't be their best. And they've put out some damn good picture shows. Serious knocks here for being very predictable right down to who would appear in the post-credit. But this is the best action-movie action in a woman-led and dominated action movie ever.  Photo: Jay Maidment 20. Doctor Strange 6.7/10 Ok, MCU fans stahp it. Every next film cannot be their best film. This was a good film, but mediocre in this collection. They've perfected the genre, and now they can crank them out in perpetuity. But Doctor Strange lacked the team dynamic and history that recent entries contain. And while the movie remained active, it wasn't the action of "Winter Soldier," "Ultron," or "Civil War." Yes, magic, but still. Dormammu ending perfect. 19. (18)  Iron Man 2  6.7/10 Updated Opinion: It bores me. No one liked this film, but me; I understand that. But hey, I have a sense of humor. Drunken Iron Man dancing and fighting, stolen suits, HAMMER and weapon malfunctions, the bird, the Widow . . . c'mon!!!  18. (17) Spider-Man: Homecoming 6.7/10 I was wrong. This is good. Maybe I just hit that age where cutesy teen movies lose their charm. If I have, this is a sad sad time for me. Michael Keaton can do no wrong. And Marvel's actually inspired inspiring casting excites me--sexually (so many shades of brown). This version of Spidey is the most realistic, which often means boring. Tobey > Tom > Andrew 17. (16) Spider-Man: Far From Home 6.7/10 Because I initially hated Homecoming, this movie seemed flawless in comparison. It's fine. All of that Spidey building in Captain America, The Avengers, and that awful first movie finally paid off. This is fun and MCU connective and logical and different from the other twenty-something films. If you know Mysterio, then you knew the story. Still, the spectacle, the possibilities, and the performances made it all worthwhile anyway. 16. (15)  Captain America: The Winter Soldier   6.8/10 Somehow this average flick fooled the world. It wasn't nearly as clever as you think.  It did, however, make Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. a much better series. The action, especially between Cap and Bucky dwarfs the other non-ensemble films. This rendition of Falcon fits nicely. The Winter Soldier appeared as he might in my dreams and nightmares. Oddly, I enjoyed it more the second time.  Expectations? Hype? 15. (14)  Ant-Man  6.9/10 I found this film to be the least "Marvel-y," which is fine. Because it wasn't a typical Marvel film, it was American film-making 101 and quite predictable. If you like mediocre movies, you will LOVE this. That said, they did pull this off well. 14. (13)  Thor: Ragnarok 7/10 Updated Opinion: It wasn't as silly as I remembered. I get it now. I like it now. Watching the three "Thors" back to back to back really helps this entry. Comedy is fine, but comedy in every single line of dialogue for an hour straight is weird. This is the first movie EVERRRR where every actor played the role of comic relief. Beyond that, it was somewhat amazing--beautifully shot, amazing performances, and CGI excellence. They get bonus points for a decent villain, an Executioner sighting, and a Planet Hulk nod. 13. (12)  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 7/10 They almost did it again. Odd that this film isn't more connected to the Avengers part of the universe. It was hilarious, but almost not a movie. The typical conflict and tension were non-existent. The twists were predictable in a typical way. The B-villain and story were laughable. But to be fair, how do you follow one of the biggest films of all time--the biggest, most universally loved, surprise hit since The Matrix? They almost did it.  12. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 7.2/10 Not quite T'Challa and Killmonger, but still worthy. The culture(s). The Black girl magic. Mutants. War. Wakanda forever.  11. (10)  Thor: The Dark World   7.5/10  Yes, I appreciate this film more than most of you, but that's because I get things and stuff. Yes, the bad guy was weak, unimportant, and not memorable, but so what. They took a big cue from The Avengers, and made a film that was fun, funny, action-packed, and included a beginning, middle, and end. I only hated that it was so short. 10. (9)   Avengers: Age Of Ultron   7.5/10 Updated Opinion: And now that the Infinity Saga is done, this is a good film. Not a good film, but a HUGE film. They attempted to pack too much into one film. Ultron and Spader dominated. Why do Ultron, and later the Vision, exist and how? . . . not that important really. They attempted an attempt at explanations all over this thing. Nothing made sense, but it was a wild and fun ride. 9. (8) Avengers: Endgame 7.7/10 Like its portioned-prequel, this is more of an experience than it is a film. Unlike Infinity War, this isn't very good. It is a somewhat perfect--albeit predictable--conclusion. But most importantly, this IS the biggest film event ever. 8. (7) Captain Marvel 7.8/10 Updated opinion: I let one scene, expectations, and the lack of a super-powered ensemble ruin what was otherwise a damn good movie.  First of all, women are superior to men in every way. Secondly, I prefer women-led movies. Room (starring Captain Marvel herself) is the best film of the last five years. And Captain Marvel is not a very good movie . . . like at all. It may be an important movie (not on Black Panther's level, or Wonder Woman's but important). But importance does not equal entertainment. This should've been better. 7. Spider-man: No Way Home 7.9/10 The number one DON'T SPOIL THIS MOVIE of all time did not disappoint. It went as expected. But the music. the feels. the redemption. Not a great film, but a top moment in pop culture history. 6. Iron Man   8/10  I never understood why you feel so strongly and positively about this film. I re-watched it. It's solid, and really solidly establishes the entire universe. I had far more fun with 2 and maybe even 3, but this is a far superior film. 5. Black Panther 8.4/10 Update: This film may be the best by Marvel Studios. Deep. I have no jokes here. Even though this wasn't the best film or my favorite film, it is by far the most important. Had it been less predictable, with a T'Challa that was cool and mysterious like in Civil War, it's a 10/10. 4. The Avengers   8.5/10 Updated Opinion: Post-Infinity Saga and after seeing most of these films multiple times, the champ has tumbled. But still, long live the king.  Nailed it. THIS is what I want to feel every time I pay $50 for popcorn, soda, and Raisinets. What can I say that hasn't been said before? The most balanced movie I've ever seen, if you forget that Hawkeye is also sort of an Avenger.  3.  Captain America: Civil War 8.7/10 #TeamIronMan all day! This IS actually "Avengers 3: Civil War," but it doesn't lose points for that. Marvel Studios does an unbelievable job of adding characters, combining worlds, and progressing their universe. It's very well-balanced. It loses points (and me) in some of the more verbose scenes. The dialogue wasn't too complex, just too much. The conflict was simple and obvious--show us more of that. Spider-man was flawless. Black Panther was more flawless.  2.  Guardians of the Galaxy  9/10  People that don't include this in their top two also get punched in the face.  80s references "never go over my head" because "there ain't no thing like me but me" whore. The flick's fairly flawless.  1. Avengers: Infinity War 9.1/10 No, this isn't a movie, but it's THE best movie-going experience unless you get down like Pee-Wee Herman. I saw it 2.5 times, in theaters, because I just needed to see Hulk get dat ass beat one mo' time.  

 You love lists and Look to the Cookie doesn't do enough of them. So here are the rankings and reasons for the 30 released Marvel Cinematic Universe movies as determined by the entire LTC staff that wears glasses and has dark skin . . . named Germar. 30. (29) Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 5.9/10 This. Is not good. The Illuminati and all of the multiverse were wasted here. It's a cartoonish, contrived, and poorly presented fan-service fanmade YouTube indie, written by someone that just finished their first film class. Even that ridiculous third eye looked ridiculous. Is this supposed to be horror or horrible? What happened to the Marvel haha? A waste. 29. (28) The Incredible Hulk 6.5/10 This film works on just about every level. It ranked poorly solely because the field is stacked. Bringing in the Abomination for a show-stopping city-smashing finale was genius. Seeing hints of the Leader was cool. Edward Norton did what he does; he killed it. Some parts drag, but it's about as good as a live-action Hulk film could be outside of The Avengers. 28. (27) Ant-Man and the Wasp 6.5/10 THIS. This is what people are talking about when they say that "superhero movies aren't good" and that "they're all the same" and that they "hate Marvel movies." The best scene takes place mid-credits. Yes, it's sci-fi or fantasy or something, but they break all the rules they made. It's not very funny. And they should have just called it Ant-Man 2.  27. (26) Eternals 6.6/10 Not a bad film, but no one bats 1000 forever. The post-Thanos MCU is looking real mediocre. Great characters. Awesome power sets. But also, slow-paced with mostly ho-hum action. 26. (25) Captain America: The First Avenger   6.6/10 Updated Opinion: I've fallen asleep to this many times.  Surprise motherf*cker! (that's a Dexter reference) Honestly, I can't even get through this now, but I remember what it meant then. I'm not a Captain America fan. This film made me care about him. They poked fun at him. He was a guy and not an Uncle Sam poster (except for when he clearly was, but that wasn't by choice). Most importantly, my female non-nerd friends thought this film was dope and not just because the Human Torch starred in it. 25. (24) Thor  6.7/10 Updated Opinion: This is the worst version of Thor. But it's not a bad intro to a damn good trilogy.  The only movie on the list that is absolutely awful. Whenever I hear someone say they liked Thor, I want to punch them in the face very hard. I watched this awful film twice because my ex's sister-in-law convinced the family that it was good. They all hated it. I feel like Thor was the most cartoony or comic-y of the movies. If you liked this movie, you're probably a Thor fan or hardcore comic fan, or you have absolutely terrible taste, or you want to feel my fist. 24. (23) Thor: Love and Thunder 6.7/10 Just no. They attempted to pack too much of what may be the MCU's best story into two tiny hours. Recut this. Leave out the Guardians, and add more Jane, or remove Jane. Add more Valkyrie. Add more Gorr. Remove the jokes that don't land and add more battles that do land. Maybe the MCU on the big screen has run its course. 23. (19)  Iron Man 3  6.7/10 Initially, I liked this more than most. But for some reason, I cannot fathom sitting through it again. Ughhhhh. I loved the Mandarin thing, but was this really an Iron Man movie? I appreciated the Mandarin ruse because we weren't ready for the actual Mandarin yet.  I understood the stuff with the kid, but really? There were two iron men that rarely got to suit up. Annnd the weird fire volcano people . . . . Annnnd Pepper became Iron Man and Fire Lady . . . .  Annnnnnd how did this get ranked so highly? Oh, there were lots of suits fighting at the end--that was cool. Although it was wise of the writers, I never bought RDJ's portrayal of PTSD 22. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings 6.7/10 This entire era of movies follows a similar cadence: 1) deep and often explosive beginning; 2) giant, but thin final battle; and 3) uhhh the middle ummm uhhh slower, expository ummm bridge to the final battle. Shang-Chi features amazing characters and decent lore. The story is hopefully one that will prevent MCU critics from saying, "they're all the same movie." It's Awkwafina's best. And still, I wanted more. 21. Black Widow 6.7/10 Everyone will think this should be higher, but again, every movie can't be their best. And they've put out some damn good picture shows. Serious knocks here for being very predictable right down to who would appear in the post-credit. But this is the best action-movie action in a woman-led and dominated action movie ever.  Photo: Jay Maidment 20. Doctor Strange 6.7/10 Ok, MCU fans stahp it. Every next film cannot be their best film. This was a good film, but mediocre in this collection. They've perfected the genre, and now they can crank them out in perpetuity. But Doctor Strange lacked the team dynamic and history that recent entries contain. And while the movie remained active, it wasn't the action of "Winter Soldier," "Ultron," or "Civil War." Yes, magic, but still. Dormammu ending perfect. 19. (18)  Iron Man 2  6.7/10 Updated Opinion: It bores me. No one liked this film, but me; I understand that. But hey, I have a sense of humor. Drunken Iron Man dancing and fighting, stolen suits, HAMMER and weapon malfunctions, the bird, the Widow . . . c'mon!!!  18. (17) Spider-Man: Homecoming 6.7/10 I was wrong. This is good. Maybe I just hit that age where cutesy teen movies lose their charm. If I have, this is a sad sad time for me. Michael Keaton can do no wrong. And Marvel's actually inspired inspiring casting excites me--sexually (so many shades of brown). This version of Spidey is the most realistic, which often means boring. Tobey > Tom > Andrew 17. (16) Spider-Man: Far From Home 6.7/10 Because I initially hated Homecoming, this movie seemed flawless in comparison. It's fine. All of that Spidey building in Captain America, The Avengers, and that awful first movie finally paid off. This is fun and MCU connective and logical and different from the other twenty-something films. If you know Mysterio, then you knew the story. Still, the spectacle, the possibilities, and the performances made it all worthwhile anyway. 16. (15)  Captain America: The Winter Soldier   6.8/10 Somehow this average flick fooled the world. It wasn't nearly as clever as you think.  It did, however, make Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. a much better series. The action, especially between Cap and Bucky dwarfs the other non-ensemble films. This rendition of Falcon fits nicely. The Winter Soldier appeared as he might in my dreams and nightmares. Oddly, I enjoyed it more the second time.  Expectations? Hype? 15. (14)  Ant-Man  6.9/10 I found this film to be the least "Marvel-y," which is fine. Because it wasn't a typical Marvel film, it was American film-making 101 and quite predictable. If you like mediocre movies, you will LOVE this. That said, they did pull this off well. 14. (13)  Thor: Ragnarok 7/10 Updated Opinion: It wasn't as silly as I remembered. I get it now. I like it now. Watching the three "Thors" back to back to back really helps this entry. Comedy is fine, but comedy in every single line of dialogue for an hour straight is weird. This is the first movie EVERRRR where every actor played the role of comic relief. Beyond that, it was somewhat amazing--beautifully shot, amazing performances, and CGI excellence. They get bonus points for a decent villain, an Executioner sighting, and a Planet Hulk nod. 13. (12)  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 7/10 They almost did it again. Odd that this film isn't more connected to the Avengers part of the universe. It was hilarious, but almost not a movie. The typical conflict and tension were non-existent. The twists were predictable in a typical way. The B-villain and story were laughable. But to be fair, how do you follow one of the biggest films of all time--the biggest, most universally loved, surprise hit since The Matrix? They almost did it.  12. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 7.2/10 Not quite T'Challa and Killmonger, but still worthy. The culture(s). The Black girl magic. Mutants. War. Wakanda forever.  11. (10)  Thor: The Dark World   7.5/10  Yes, I appreciate this film more than most of you, but that's because I get things and stuff. Yes, the bad guy was weak, unimportant, and not memorable, but so what. They took a big cue from The Avengers, and made a film that was fun, funny, action-packed, and included a beginning, middle, and end. I only hated that it was so short. 10. (9)   Avengers: Age Of Ultron   7.5/10 Updated Opinion: And now that the Infinity Saga is done, this is a good film. Not a good film, but a HUGE film. They attempted to pack too much into one film. Ultron and Spader dominated. Why do Ultron, and later the Vision, exist and how? . . . not that important really. They attempted an attempt at explanations all over this thing. Nothing made sense, but it was a wild and fun ride. 9. (8) Avengers: Endgame 7.7/10 Like its portioned-prequel, this is more of an experience than it is a film. Unlike Infinity War, this isn't very good. It is a somewhat perfect--albeit predictable--conclusion. But most importantly, this IS the biggest film event ever. 8. (7) Captain Marvel 7.8/10 Updated opinion: I let one scene, expectations, and the lack of a super-powered ensemble ruin what was otherwise a damn good movie.  First of all, women are superior to men in every way. Secondly, I prefer women-led movies. Room (starring Captain Marvel herself) is the best film of the last five years. And Captain Marvel is not a very good movie . . . like at all. It may be an important movie (not on Black Panther's level, or Wonder Woman's but important). But importance does not equal entertainment. This should've been better. 7. Spider-man: No Way Home 7.9/10 The number one DON'T SPOIL THIS MOVIE of all time did not disappoint. It went as expected, but the music. the feels. the redemption. Not a great film, but a top moment in pop culture history. 6. Iron Man   8/10  I never understood why you feel so strongly and positively about this film. I re-watched it. It's solid, and really solidly establishes the entire universe. I had far more fun with 2 and maybe even 3, but this is a far superior film. 5. Black Panther 8.4/10 Update: This film may be the best by Marvel Studios. Deep. I have no jokes here. Even though this wasn't the best film or my favorite film, it is by far the most important. Had it been less predictable, with a T'Challa that was cool and mysterious like in Civil War, it's a 10/10. 4. The Avengers   8.5/10 Updated Opinion: Post-Infinity Saga and after seeing most of these films multiple times, the champ has tumbled. But still, long live the king.  Nailed it. THIS is what I want to feel every time I pay $50 for popcorn, soda, and Raisinets. What can I say that hasn't been said before? The most balanced movie I've ever seen, if you forget that Hawkeye is also sort of an Avenger.  3.  Captain America: Civil War 8.7/10 #TeamIronMan all day! This IS actually "Avengers 3: Civil War," but it doesn't lose points for that. Marvel Studios does an unbelievable job of adding characters, combining worlds, and progressing their universe. It's very well-balanced. It loses points (and me) in some of the more verbose scenes. The dialogue wasn't too complex, just too much. The conflict was simple and obvious--show us more of that. Spider-man was flawless. Black Panther was more flawless.  2.  Guardians of the Galaxy  9/10  People that don't include this in their top two also get punched in the face.  80s references "never go over my head" because "there ain't no thing like me but me" whore. The flick's fairly flawless.  1. Avengers: Infinity War 9.1/10 No, this isn't a movie, but it's THE best movie-going experience unless you get down like Pee-Wee Herman. I saw it 2.5 times, in theaters, because I just needed to see Hulk get dat ass beat one mo' time.  

 You love lists and Look to the Cookie doesn't do nearly enough of them. So here are the rankings and reasons for the twelve released DC Extended Universe films as determined by every African-American staff member at LTC. 12. Suicide Squad 3.8/10 Suicide Squad and Fantastic Four (2015) share the dubious distinction as the only modern superhero films that I have not watched a second time (now includes, oddly, Black Panther). Suicide Squad wins the award for the Best Trailer-Worst Movie combo. I've rarely cared so little for characters or a story. In case you forgot: 1) civilians became putties from Power Rangers; 2) the mission/B villain was Waller; 3) the actual villains were a temporary team member and weird guy you forgot; 4) someone important died immediately; 5) only the marquee names mattered--Robbie, Smith, Leto, Davis--the other 18,000 cast members became background; 6) except for Diablo who could have been cool, if the filmmakers knew anything about storytelling or character development. This movie sucked. 11. Birds of Prey 5.3/10 The world's first big budget woman-powered 80s-action movie got released in 2020. And it would have been cool if they leaned into the ridiculous cheesiness of this thing. But if felt like they took themselves seriously. They also apparently live in the same world, universe, DCEU as Superman, Batman, Shazam . . . . It doesn't feel like these movies, characters, and actors could share an egg sandwich, much less a planet. I don't know how DC Films can look at Marvel Studios stuff and keep cranking out crap.  10. Shazam! 5.4/10 Arya Stark is super cute in this, and perfect in the role. But whycome a really mature 14-year-old would magic into a 30-year-old with the mind of a 10-year-old? For all of the color, and humor, and action, it's kind of obvious and snooze-festy. Maybe Disney should make DC movies.Photo: DC/Warner. Bros9. Wonder Woman 1984 5.4/10 It's always a bad sign when the audience only gets excited for the mid-credits scene. At the end of the film a dude stood in the front of the theatre, turned around, looked at all of us, shrugged, then spread his arms like a dying Christ, but clearly communicating: "well they tried." Patty Jenkins seemed so confident all year; I believed in her. Even ignoring the . . . conceit? of the whole film, everything happens . . . because the film needs or wants it to happen. It's a mess. DC sucks at live-action movies. 8. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice 5.5/10 The longer cut is better. Basically, they attempted to make an intelligent, dark, and gritty film. They failed. You never attempt to do a thing. You're intelligent or you're not. You can't feign intelligence, you'll look like a fool, i.e. this film. 7. Aquaman 5.9/10 It was fun, but lacked heart and soul. They got so much right--BLACK MANTA, Ocean Master, the visuals and use of tech/science and magic. And after all of that, I could've had a V8. 6. Black Adam 5.9/10 In no universe could the People's Eyebrow do this character justice. But this was unique. It was entertaining. They may have gotten the power levels right. And that obvious end-credit cameo was as good as they get. 5. The Suicide Squad 6/10 The MCU had sex with a made-for-TV-movie, and nine months later I saw The Suicide Squad. This is much, much, better than that awful first attempt.  But if you want to see the real Suicide Squad, the real Task Force X, watch the fourth episode of the second season of Justice League Unlimited OR Batman: Assault on Arkham, OR Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay. 4. Wonder Woman 6.5/10 PERFECTION right through the complete obliteration of that long-held German line. Beyond that, the film fizzles. Steve Trevors' motley crew didn't humor, scare, endear, or anything. And Steve dulled much of Diana's shine. Aries did not impress, in appearance, performance, or overall villainy. Wonder Woman, and all of Themyscira, saved what was otherwise a mediocre film. 3. Justice League 6.9/10 I don't get the hate. I somewhat loved this film. Like Thor 2: The Dark World, my only complaint is that it's too short. There's too much to get done in such a small amount of time. But considering the limitations provided, they got EVERYTHING right. EVERYTHING. (maybe I didn't like blaxploitation Aquaman, but everything else) UPDATE: after seeing this four times, I am looking forward to The Snyder Cut. 2. Man of Steel 8/10 Here's the deal, you want your Superman to be a corny-ass Boy Scout. I guess I have to respect that. But I think I like the DCEU Superman because he relays that a person that isn't perfect, that makes mistakes, that gets angry, that looks a little rough, can still be a hero. This is me as Superman. It's every minority, most women, people with disabilities, people with criminal records, people who made a mistake--we still have value. We too can still save the world. 1. Zack Snyder's Justice League 8.7/10 TL; DR, the Movie. Almost Avenger's-level excellence. Snyder proved his point. All of his trademark annoying touches are there. But he's a damn good storyteller and filmmaker. This movie is by far the best of the DCEU. This story needs to continue. Thank you.

by Germar Derron "Hey, indie music." "Hey Germar, what's up?" "We are not in Kansas anymore." I used to produce indie music. It never sounded like this. It's hard to think of this as "indie." And yes, I understand that "indie" doesn't equal not good. But this sounds like a song teachers play, in a production or songwriting class, as an example of what radio-ready commercial music should sound like. It's a "comp track." The professor might say something like, "if your track doesn't sound like this, then you're not done yet." "Surrender" is predictable in the best sense. I sang along, on the first listen, before I'd heard a single lyric. That aural predictability ties to logic and structure--comfort. It's comfortable. And we crave comfort. The lyrics are relatable. I appreciate the increasingly rarer legitimate chorus included here. He's not afraid to tell his story through rhyme, melody, and repetition (i.e., with lyrics--song). The mix, production, and arrangement are all 5-star. The vocal is tucked into the track just enough to cut through while also maintaining an aural equity with the other instruments. Someone behind the glass really respects all of the many pieces of this craft. The message here feels real. Churchill isn't merely singing. This isn't acting or pretense. He believes these lyrics and needs an audience to believe them too. That desperation is most evident on the ending lyrics, over mellow keys and strings or pad, "you can change if you want to." The song clocks in at over five minutes. That's long for radio destined popular music. But somehow, here, it feels brief. It seems cliffhanger-ish: "what happens next?" The runtime works because of a subtle and pleasant continuing variation in rhythm, vocal style, chords, and melody. Ultimately, Churchill shows us more than enough on "Surrender" to leave no doubt about the beautiful experience to come on his new album, Greater Than.

by Germar Derron Are those crickets? The music video for "Nothing's Gonna Get You Back" thoughtfully explores its theme through image, rhythm, melody, and soundscape. For a more stripped-down, pristine, studio version, the single also exists untethered from video. But even before I watched the video, the song pushed a visual--night, solitude, a journey, light that obfuscates, and dreams. This song, mix-wise, goes hard against the grain, and triumphs unscathed. The instrumental portion is produced and mixed dry and straightforward. The vocal is heavily treated, wet--dreamy. Here, Bel-la reminds me of every Dido song. I love Dido. Typically, this split, or contrast, in styles produces a track that is disconnected. The vocals usually seem to sit on, or ride on, top of a backing track--like a clumsily produced home recording. But here, it works. It adds to the solitude. It's not at all distracting or unappealing.  I compare the content of the song to "One Sweet Day," by Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey. Of course, the tone and genre share little resemblance. But Day began as two different songs. I believe Boyz II Men had a song about the murder of their road manager. Carey's song lamented a lost romantic relationship. Even as a young child, I could feel the push and pull in that track, before I knew the story behind why. Here again, on "Nothing's Gonna Get You Back," I feel both senses of loss. But there is no push and pull, there's a painful agreement. Beyond the mid-point of this track, a guitar solo replaces the vocals of Bel-la. It's the first time that an instrument takes lead or takes on the dream, or dreamy quality. And when the vocal returns, the entire track is somehow even more cohesive. And that cohesiveness feels like consolation, relief, release--a resolution. Similar to Dido's "Here With Me," Bel-la's "Nothing's Gonna Get You Back" would do very well as the theme song on a hit television show.

You love lists and Look to the Cookie doesn't do enough of them. So here are the rankings and reasons for the 29 released Marvel Cinematic Universe movies as determined by the entire LTC staff that wears glasses and has dark skin . . . named Germar. 29. (28) Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 5.9/10 This. Is not good. The Illuminati and all of the multiverse were wasted here. It's a cartoonish, contrived, and poorly presented fan-service fanmade YouTube indie, written by someone that just finished their first film class. Even that ridiculous third eye looked ridiculous. Is this supposed to be horror or horrible? What happened to the Marvel haha? A waste. 28. (27) The Incredible Hulk 6.5/10 This film works on just about every level. It ranked poorly solely because the field is stacked. Bringing in the Abomination for a show-stopping city-smashing finale was genius. Seeing hints of the Leader was cool. Edward Norton did what he does; he killed it. Some parts drag, but it's about as good as a live-action Hulk film could be outside of The Avengers. 27. (26) Ant-Man and the Wasp 6.5/10 THIS. This is what people are talking about when they say that "superhero movies aren't good" and that "they're all the same" and that they "hate Marvel movies." The best scene takes place mid-credits. Yes, it's sci-fi or fantasy or something, but they break all the rules they made. It's not very funny. And they should have just called it Ant-Man 2.  26. (25) Eternals 6.6/10 Not a bad film, but no one bats 1000 forever. The post-Thanos MCU is looking real mediocre. Great characters. Awesome power sets. But also, slow-paced with mostly ho-hum action. 25. (24) Captain America: The First Avenger   6.6/10 Updated Opinion: I've fallen asleep to this many times.  Surprise motherf*cker! (that's a Dexter reference) Honestly, I can't even get through this now, but I remember what it meant then. I'm not a Captain America fan. This film made me care about him. They poked fun at him. He was a guy and not an Uncle Sam poster (except for when he clearly was, but that wasn't by choice). Most importantly, my female non-nerd friends thought this film was dope and not just because the Human Torch starred in it. 24. (23) Thor  6.7/10 Updated Opinion: This is the worst version of Thor. But it's not a bad intro to a damn good trilogy.  The only movie on the list that is absolutely awful. Whenever I hear someone say they liked Thor, I want to punch them in the face very hard. I watched this awful film twice because my ex's sister-in-law convinced the family that it was good. They all hated it. I feel like Thor was the most cartoony or comic-y of the movies. If you liked this movie, you're probably a Thor fan or hardcore comic fan, or you have absolutely terrible taste, or you want to feel my fist. 23. Thor: Love and Thunder 6.7/10 Just no. They attempted to pack too much of what may be the MCU's best story into two tiny hours. Recut this. Leave out the Guardians, and add more Jane, or remove Jane. Add more Valkyrie. Add more Gorr. Remove the jokes that don't land and add more battles that do land. Maybe the MCU on the big screen has run its course. 22. (21) Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings 6.7/10 This entire era of movies follows a similar cadence: 1) deep and often explosive beginning; 2) giant, but thin final battle; and 3) uhhh the middle ummm uhhh slower, expository ummm bridge to the final battle. Shang-Chi features amazing characters and decent lore. The story is hopefully one that will prevent MCU critics from saying, "they're all the same movie." It's Awkwafina's best. And still, I wanted more. 21. (10) Black Widow 6.7/10 Everyone will think this should be higher, but again, every movie can't be their best. And they've put out some damn good picture shows. Serious knocks here for being very predictable right down to who would appear in the post-credit. But this is the best action-movie action in a woman-led and dominated action movie ever.  Photo: Jay Maidment 20. (19) Doctor Strange 6.7/10 Ok, MCU fans stahp it. Every next film cannot be their best film. This was a good film, but mediocre in this collection. They've perfected the genre, and now they can crank them out in perpetuity. But Doctor Strange lacked the team dynamic and history that recent entries contain. And while the movie remained active, it wasn't the action of "Winter Soldier," "Ultron," or "Civil War." Yes, magic, but still. Dormammu ending perfect. 19. (18)  Iron Man 3  6.7/10 Initially, I liked this more than most. But for some reason, I cannot fathom sitting through it again. Ughhhhh. I loved the Mandarin thing, but was this really an Iron Man movie? I appreciated the Mandarin ruse because we weren't ready for the actual Mandarin yet.  I understood the stuff with the kid, but really? There were two iron men that rarely got to suit up. Annnd the weird fire volcano people . . . . Annnnd Pepper became Iron Man and Fire Lady . . . .  Annnnnnd how did this get ranked so highly? Oh, there were lots of suits fighting at the end--that was cool. Although it was wise of the writers, I never bought RDJ's portrayal of PTSD 18. (17)  Iron Man 2  6.7/10 Updated Opinion: It bores me. No one liked this film, but me; I understand that. But hey, I have a sense of humor. Drunken Iron Man dancing and fighting, stolen suits, HAMMER and weapon malfunctions, the bird, the Widow . . . c'mon!!!  17. (16) Spider-Man: Homecoming 6.7/10 I was wrong. This is good. Maybe I just hit that age where cutesy teen movies lose their charm. If I have, this is a sad sad time for me. Michael Keaton can do no wrong. And Marvel's actually inspired inspiring casting excites me--sexually (so many shades of brown). This version of Spidey is the most realistic, which often means boring. Tobey > Tom > Andrew 16. (15) Spider-Man: Far From Home 6.7/10 Because I initially hated Homecoming, this movie seemed flawless in comparison. It's fine. All of that Spidey building in Captain America, The Avengers, and that awful first movie finally paid off. This is fun and MCU connective and logical and different from the other twenty-something films. If you know Mysterio, then you knew the story. Still, the spectacle, the possibilities, and the performances made it all worthwhile anyway. 15. (14)  Captain America: The Winter Soldier   6.8/10 Somehow this average flick fooled the world. It wasn't nearly as clever as you think.  It did, however, make Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. a much better series. The action, especially between Cap and Bucky dwarfs the other non-ensemble films. This rendition of Falcon fits nicely. The Winter Soldier appeared as he might in my dreams and nightmares. Oddly, I enjoyed it more the second time.  Expectations? Hype? 14. (13)  Ant-Man  6.9/10 I found this film to be the least "Marvel-y," which is fine. Because it wasn't a typical Marvel film, it was American film-making 101 and quite predictable. If you like mediocre movies, you will LOVE this. That said, they did pull this off well. 13. (12)  Thor: Ragnarok 7/10 Updated Opinion: It wasn't as silly as I remembered. I get it now. I like it now. Watching the three "Thors" back to back to back really helps this entry. Comedy is fine, but comedy in every single line of dialogue for an hour straight is weird. This is the first movie EVERRRR where every actor played the role of comic relief. Beyond that, it was somewhat amazing--beautifully shot, amazing performances, and CGI excellence. They get bonus points for a decent villain, an Executioner sighting, and a Planet Hulk nod. 12. (11)  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 7/10 They almost did it again. Odd that this film isn't more connected to the Avengers part of the universe. It was hilarious, but almost not a movie. The typical conflict and tension were non-existent. The twists were predictable in a typical way. The B-villain and story were laughable. But to be fair, how do you follow one of the biggest films of all time--the biggest, most universally loved, surprise hit since The Matrix? They almost did it.  11. (10)  Thor: The Dark World   7.5/10  Yes, I appreciate this film more than most of you, but that's because I get things and stuff. Yes, the bad guy was weak, unimportant, and not memorable, but so what. They took a big cue from The Avengers, and made a film that was fun, funny, action-packed, and included a beginning, middle, and end. I only hated that it was so short. 10. (9)   Avengers: Age Of Ultron   7.5/10 Updated Opinion: And now that the Infinity Saga is done, this is a good film. Not a good film, but a HUGE film. They attempted to pack too much into one film. Ultron and Spader dominated. Why do Ultron, and later the Vision, exist and how? . . . not that important really. They attempted an attempt at explanations all over this thing. Nothing made sense, but it was a wild and fun ride. 9. (8) Avengers: Endgame 7.7/10 Like its portioned-prequel, this is more of an experience than it is a film. Unlike Infinity War, this isn't very good. It is a somewhat perfect--albeit predictable--conclusion. But most importantly, this IS the biggest film event ever. 8. (7) Captain Marvel 7.8/10 Updated opinion: I let one scene, expectations, and the lack of a super-powered ensemble ruin what was otherwise a damn good movie.  First of all, women are superior to men in every way. Secondly, I prefer women-led movies. Room (starring Captain Marvel herself) is the best film of the last five years. And Captain Marvel is not a very good movie . . . like at all. It may be an important movie (not on Black Panther's level, or Wonder Woman's but important). But importance does not equal entertainment. This should've been better. 7. Spider-man: No Way Home 7.9/10 The number one DON'T SPOIL THIS MOVIE of all time did not disappoint. It went as expected, but the music. the feels. the redemption. Not a great film, but a top moment in pop culture history. 6. Iron Man   8/10  I never understood why you feel so strongly and positively about this film. I re-watched it. It's solid, and really solidly establishes the entire universe. I had far more fun with 2 and maybe even 3, but this is a far superior film. 5. Black Panther 8.4/10 Deep. I have no jokes here. Even though this wasn't the best film, or my favorite film, it is by far the most important. Had it been less predictable, with a T'Challa that was cool and mysterious like in Civil War, it's a 10/10. 4. The Avengers   8.5/10 Updated Opinion: Post-Infinity Saga and after seeing most of these films multiple times, the champ has tumbled. But still, long live the king.  Nailed it. THIS is what I want to feel every time I pay $50 for popcorn, soda, and Raisinets. What can I say that hasn't been said before? The most balanced movie I've ever seen, if you forget that Hawkeye is also sort of an Avenger.  3.  Captain America: Civil War 8.7/10 #TeamIronMan all day! This IS actually "Avengers 3: Civil War," but it doesn't lose points for that. Marvel Studios does an unbelievable job of adding characters, combining worlds, and progressing their universe. It's very well balanced. It loses points (and me) in some of the more verbose scenes. The dialogue wasn't too complex, just too much. The conflict was simple and obvious--show us more of that. Spider-man was flawless. Black Panther was more flawless.  2.  Guardians of the Galaxy  9/10  People that don't include this in their top two also get punched in the face.  80s references "never go over my head" because "there ain't no thing like me but me" whore. The flick's fairly flawless.  1. Avengers: Infinity War 9.1/10 No, this isn't a movie, but it's THE best movie-going experience unless you get down like Pee-Wee Herman. I saw it 2.5 times, in theaters, because I just needed to see Hulk get dat ass beat one mo' time.  

You love lists and Look to the Cookie doesn't do enough of them. Plus, Germar's life has shifted from music, to film, to . . . stage. And because he sees so many theatrical productions, he will rate and rank them here. Additionally, you're going to click this link because you want to know where your production ranks.  And remember, a score of 5.5 does not equal 55% failure. It means that the show was better than 55% of all shows. Photo: Josh Sisk 39. Silent Sky (the 2020 pandemic, Michiana) 6/10 This is the toughest entry. People involved in this production will think I'm a hater. But a large component of the scores is "rewatchability." And even though this show may be better technically than "Mermaid" or "Wonka," it's not something you'd watch again and again. And that might not be fair, because we sing along to the hits from "Wizard of Oz," "Mermaid," and "Rock of Ages." But rules is rules. To justify this ranking, I'll include quotes from audience members: "the leads lacked chemistry" "I didn't get the set" "where were they supposed to be" "it didn't really catch me" "I didn't get the lights" "why are those stairs so big?" COVID-era shows are tough.   38. The Wizard of Oz (2013, Southern Arizona) 7.2/10 Monkeys flew, witches melted--an all-around technical achievement. But it was also three hours long and you know how it ends. 37. It's a Wonderful Life (2018, East Central Indiana) 7.2/10 The leads dazzled. But you really have to love this era of storytelling, to love this show, in 2018. 36. Willy Wonka (2019, East Central Indiana) 7.2/10 It's always all about the Oompa Loompas! It was Wonka . . . wacky and colorful and kid-friendly. 35. The Wizard of Oz (2021, East Central Indiana) 7.2/10 One of the best family-fun summer experiences imaginable. Great performances, but a super non-traditional show. 34. Black Super Hero Magic Mama (2022 Baltimore, north) 7.2/10 These stories, writers, and performers are important. As a loud proud Black man, I love this. But I've never really loved Black "message" stories. In part, "we" tell them a lot. And I lived it, so I understand its import and accuracy. But as an audience member, I'm unfortunately always a choir member (where writer/director is a preacher). A few special performances and fun tech made this well worth the price of admission.  33. Bakkhai (2022, Baltimore Center) 7.2/10 Stellar performances, perfect light design, classic story, but maybe not the best fit for the current climate. 32. 2 Across (the 2020 pandemic, Michiana) 7.2/10 Pandemic plays = smaller shows, smaller casts, smaller sets, smaller audiences, smaller applauses, smaller laughs. Two people talking on a train is a tough sell, even when it's perfect. 31. The Complete History of America (Abridged) (the 2020 pandemic, Michiana) 7.2/10 Tough to believe that three non-professionals (cast members) could pull this off--but they did. 30. The Little Mermaid (the 2020 pandemic, Michiana) 7.2/10 Full disclosure: Germar works on most of these productions. He failed this production. Amazing performances, but inconsistent tech and art direction. #maskup   29. Harvey (2020, Central Indiana) 7.2/10 Each cast member played their part to perfection. Also, see above: It's a Wonderful Life. 28. A Musical Christmas Carol 7.3/10 (the 2020 pandemic, Farmland Indiana) The same perfect performances that we now take for granted from this production company. BUT a really poor technical outing. Me thinks "the -VID" strikes again. 27. The Hunchback of Notre Dame 7.3/10 (2021, Farmland Indiana) "Hunchback" is one of the oddest shows that people absolutely adore. Great performances and decent tech, but overall inconsistent. 26. Is Edward Snowden Single? 7.3/10 (2022, Baltimore, in the city) The story . . . ummmm is maybe the worst one on this list. But then it does pull together nicely at the end, and I appreciate that. The production was about as good as any on this list. It was immersive and technically creative. The co-leads performed perfectly. And the venue played its part superbly.  25. Julius Caesar (2022, North of Center Baltimore) 7.3/10 "So it's like Hamilton?" Well, the cast is Black and the hip-hop influence is flawless. But it's good because it's good, not because it's the next Hamilton. 24. Mamma Mia! (2021, East Central Indiana) 7.3/10 This theatre consistently does the biggest best most-crowd-pleasing-fantastical-colorful-creative-imaginative shows of all community theaters. Mamma Mia! definitely kept that streak alive. 23. Mamma Mia! (2019, Michiana) 7.3/10 This Sophie SANGS. Beautiful cast. The director and choreographer put professional stamps all over this thing. 22. Tarzan (2019, East Central Indiana) 7.3/10 They used a real baby! They swung on vines and climbed trees. Go-ril-las stole the show.  21. Scrooge: The Musical (2017, East Central Indiana) 7.4/10 Classic and timeless tale, done by a big diverse cast. Costumed fun. 20. Into the Woods (2019, Central Indiana) 7.4/10 Talented cast. The set designers and builders optimized, and creatively utilized, a tight space. 19. The Music Man (2019, Michiana) 7.5/10 The best ensemble performance ever.  18. West Side Story (2018, East Central Indiana) 7.5/10 Every time Maria was on stage was the best thing you've seen on a stage. Rosalia . . . Anita . . . . Tony. 17. Now and Then (2019, Michiana) 7.6/10 Casual and modern. And by the end of the show, it's life-changing. 16. Cinderella (2018, Tour) 7.6/10 Beautiful set, world-class dancing, but no soul. 15. Into the Woods (the 2020 pandemic, Farmland Indiana) 7.6/10 Pitch perfect ensemble singing.  14. The Little Mermaid (2018, East Central Indiana) 7.6/10 Ariel nailed it. And the magic of the sea was felt throughout the performance. 13. Big River (2019, East Central Indiana) 7.7/10 I can't decide if the show is a story about:   1) two cons on the run; 2) crazy Tom Sawyer; or most likely 3) a love story between a white boy with a heart of gold and a runaway slave. Five outstanding performances made this a tough call. 12. First Date (2020, Michiana)  7.7/10 A show for people born after 1984, who would rather see a movie than a play. A home-run from the director. 11. Of Mice and Men (2019, East Central Indiana) 7.7/10 Tough tough show, made better and worse by excellent performances.     10. Animal Farm (2012, Southern Arizona) 7.9/10 Beautiful, moving, and important. When those pigs started walking around in their overalls, you couldn't help but feel the hopelessness of the cycle.  9. Peter and the Starcatcher (2018, East Central Indiana) 8/10 Odd. And one of the best stagey mcstage plays of all time. And who doesn't love Peter Pan? 8. Sister Act (2019, East Central Indiana) 8.5/10 F.U.N. Also, it's sexy (or it could be), funny, and colorful. Everyone in the cast got a chance to shine. 7. Glitterus: Dragon Rising (2022, Baltimore, downtown) 8.6/10 A world premiere. It's an inclusive "Wizard of Oz/Wiz," by and for millennials. Tech knocks this down a bit. "Community theatre" production, professional-level singing. 6. Matilda (2020, East Central Indiana) 8.7/10 Story? Weak and common. Writing? Random and superfluous. 8000 kids dancing in perfect sync, and singing in perfect harmony with perfect pitch in perfect Harry Potter accents? Nailed that shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii 5. My Fair Lady (2017, East Central Indiana) 9/10 The perfect Eliza. Perfect direction. 4. [title of show] (2021, Michiana Indiana) 9.1/10 Four people. Four chairs. No set. These emeffers pulled it off. Good choreography and sick vocals made this an instant classic.Photo-David DuFour 3. Rock of Ages (2018, East Central Indiana) 9.3/10 If you like the 80s, or listen to the same 10 songs on some whack work FM stations, you'll love this. Plus, it's sexy and makes no sense. 2. Annie (2018, East Central Indiana)  9.5/10 THIS is cheating. Cute little girls, performing classic choreography, to Jay Z's most popular song. 1. Beauty and the Beast (2019, Farmland Indiana) 9.6/10 Everyone sang everything like Whitney sang The Star-Spangled Banner. Plus, they DANCED--DANCING in a show, in Indiana!!! I guess when you collect a check, you get the steps right.

by Germar Derron On Brighter Days, Blunda presents a pleasant mix of moods via a musical journey. A central mode drives the project, but a light blending of a few genres makes this unique. Beyond the style of music, here, Blunda also manages the tiniest bit of a journey through time.  Pieces of Brighter Days feel familiar because it's a modern sound (where modern means the last twelve years of indie or alternative pop and rock). And some tracks evoke that similar familiar feeling by connecting to sounds and songs of thirty to forty years ago.  Each method is equally effective. Overall, here, Blunda seems unafraid to do whatever they want. Vocals. No vocals. Synth. Guitar. Pop. Rock. And at least on "Beginning," . . . audio scene.  Much of this project sounds bigger than music alone. It does not lack without the connection, but it's easy to imagine landscapes, or scenes from television or movies. So learning that Blunda composes for television and film comes as no surprise. This mood feels ripped right from the soundtrack of forty years of popular media. Beginning with "Beginning" is risky. It sets a tone, a scene that's not necessarily the tone and scene of the project. But it's also announcing that this project is all about tone, mood, and scenes. On "Beginning," listeners are immediately transported to a beach, or rainforest--somewhere barefooted, wet, and peaceful.   On the very next track, "Lost Without You," all of the distinct energy of "Beginning" is immediately tossed in favor of something that is more traditional, perfectly balanced . . . lyrical. But beyond the immediate shock that the quick switch causes, it too is pleasant--another fun listen. And that's my takeaway. This album is fun, produced well, and mixed well--an aural and emotional cleansing.  Very well done.  

 by Germar Derron This is good, real good.  I thought of Radiohead well before I read that Radiohead creative director, Dilly Gent, provided some guidance on the project. And though comps are not everyone's cup of tea, a favorable comparison to many serious artists' favorite band is always a compliment. Light Roars goes a step beyond Ellis and into something bigger, more defined, and maybe more commercial, but not for commercial's sake. Overall, Light Roars presents a master class in production, engineering, and arrangement. To really appreciate it, listen to it on the best sound system that you can access or a really good pair of headphones. This project is not meant for your laptop or smartphone speakers. The EP begins, "In the Beginning." The vocal on the track has that common airy quality done better than is commonly heard. It's hard to imagine how it was recorded because the attacks, consonant sounds, and frequencies seem to have no beginning or end. It's a sort of constantly drifting quality that maintains clarity and spirit. As a former church worker, I cannot help but think of Genesis at the sight of, "in the beginning." That is the vocal feel--of something forming and moving, not quite solid, but also beautiful. The drums' soft, subtle, perfection marries that vocal. The quality of stereo composition on the drums is better than any similar attempts typically heard in indie music. And somehow the toms ring without the sound of the attack of a stick. This track soothes and moves.  "Pushing Away," like every track here, fits the sonic aesthetic of the EP well. But somehow the guitar POPS, while still fitting tightly. The guitar here sounds more present, grating, rough, and raw, but not at all out of place. Like on Ellis, every track here exploits each instrument as much as the vocal. And that's maybe most evident on "Dead Wood" where the melody seems to be shared between vocals and what must be a guitar. The split between the two instruments is so evenly matched and paired that on the first listen I did not realize when the vocals stopped. On "Give Up The End" the drum sound mimics that guitar role on "Pushing Away," which is also present here on GUTE. While listening to this track, I realized that these choices are purposeful beyond "let's make a great record." Serious thought has gone into the sonic composition of each track as an individual song and as a part of this whole. At the end of the EP, "Planter" introduces a new style and feel that again somehow ties perfectly to the overall aesthetic. It feels faster or more driving--but . . . it's not. But it is the right feel at the right time to stave off monotony and get a party started. This is really good.

You love lists, and Look to the Cookie doesn't do enough of them. So here are the rankings and reasons for the 34 modern comic-based super-powered television series (Marvel and DC). The list is updated as seasons conclude and series premiere. 34. (33) Batwoman 4.0/10  So far, no good. She's flawed; that's good. The villain is her sister--ummm--okay. The diversity is nice. And I really mean that. But the show's just not very interesting . . . yet? And then an antagonist was gay, and somehow that diminished her extreme villainy . . . . Ruby Rose is out; Javicia Leslie is in. Black bat also bores. 33. (32) Inhumans 5/10 Years of optimism, anxiety, and backtracking resulted in this, universally agreed upon, worst part of the MCU. Scott Buck may be MCU's kryptonite. Please, Marvel, don't let him ruin another series (e.g., Iron Fist).  32. (31) Agent Carter 6/10 Yes, I hosted the show about the show, but it always felt like a lukewarm Marvel offering. The pieces fit snugly, and Hayley Atwell shined, but did anyone even watch the second season? 31. (30) Iron Fist 6/10 No one likes this show. And no one fears the surfer dude-voiced, Ramen noodle-haired, prince of privilege no matter how many times he says he beat a dragon or calls himself "immortal." Colleen Wing and Bakuto almost saved this atrocity. And I almost worked at Fox Sports. Cue that Brandy song. And then he improved slightly in Defenders and season two of "Cage." And the second season of Iron Fist was almost fire because they decided to focus on all of the amazing women while diminishing the lead. Ultimately, it got the ax anyway.   30. (29) Swamp Thing 6/10 Alec Holland > Swamp Thing. So far it's shaping up to be baddie of the week; that format sucks like when there's no flavor left in the blue Icee. The swamp-Cajun feel is cool. That beautiful doctor drives the show. And it only got worse and is canceled . . . . 29. (28) Gotham 6.1/10 Gotham will probably be really good once it's all on Netflix, and we all finally decide to watch it. The first season got everything wrong--especially allowing Jada Pinkett to perform like an amateur starring in a Spelman College production of Wicked.  28. (27) Legion 6.5/10 Is this a period piece? Style over substance? Maybe, but beautiful still, plus ambitious. It's not a great show yet, but it's better than almost all of the X-men movies. 27. (26) Krypton 6.6/10 So far, so good. They did it. They borrowed from the beautiful Man of Steel opening, and made their own Krypton. The black Zods are awesome and their story has stolen the show. Plus, it sets up Zods better than any previous source. Seg-El is that dude. -.1 for that wack-ass Lobo. 26. (25) The Gifted 6.5/10 This is the best way to realistically represent, on television, the best team of heroes in the history of comics. No, they're not the X-men. But if the X-men X-isted they'd be a lot more like The Gifted than that awesome Saturday morning cartoon. It's inconsistent at best, but there's definitely something there.  And now it's better, but, still somehow, exactly the same. And at the end of season two it found its stride as a show that's not good enough to finish or care for. 25. (24) Black Lightning 6.5/10 It's only the most important show in the history of television in the United States (in season one). They deal with everything, better than most shows deal with anything--race, violence, cops, sex, LGBT matters, relationships, schools . . . and superpowers. "This one's for the streets." So far season two has not matched season one, but they remain "the people's champ." And season two continues to disappoint, but the "racist hicks" story-line was somewhat refreshing. AND season three continues the misses of season two. BUT the story is a powerful and important one. CRISIS. It has an audience, and that's a good thing? 24. (23) Doom Patrol 6.5/10 People love this show if they watch it at all. I'm now with the latter. They're not heroes, like at all. It's hard to call their unique qualities "abilities" or "powers." And whatever they are, they aren't super. But as wacky as this series is, it feels real. It's unique and not for uniqueness's sake. Titans isn't a fluke; DC Universe is coming for Marvel's head. The season one ending was meta af, but ultimately meh. Season two is season one, but somehow more so.   23. (22) Supergirl 6.9/10 When woke goes wrong. Finally, the series finale. But, the ending made up for a questionable final two seasons. It still . . . exists. She got pants now bitchessss! Every week entertains. Each episode plays out like an updated, less whiny, less soap opera-y version of Smallville. The weird episode where she was "kid" Supergirl was weird. Pro tip: Superman is your problem, not your solution. [Each] season [goes] deep on race, LGBT matters, relationships, and it remained a top comic book-based show. Kudos. CRISIS. Post-crisis, this floundered--they all floundered. 22. (14) The Flash 6.9/10 Now, is it over? What is going on? Iris. Still force. Diggle?!? Just bring in King Shark and jump him. Armageddon took Flash back to its super roots. So far, Despero does not disappoint. But why are these people (the characters) so stupid? Why don't they remember the previous seasons? The fans do. This current season could have stayed in the vault. Someone decided that the best path forward was to heal and love each villain. Pass. So maybe skip the second season. And maybe they do the same arc each season. But this is the most pleasant series on the list. It's like a '90s Saturday morning cartoon for grown-ups. This is the team that every Millennial would join if given the opportunity. And I'm in love with little Flash-et junior - sue me. CRISIS. And in season 6? it's more of the same. The Flash may be the new Arrow. 21. Arrow 6.9/10 Arrow has quickly become the can-miss DCTV CW show of the week. But we keep watching. I look forward to its ending, followed by frequent character cameos on the other shows. It started too fast and left little room to grow. Team Arrow was Justice League lite before we got the Legends, Team Flash, or Supergirl. Pacing. And now they may be taking the street justice a little too far OR maybe just far enough. And in its EIGHTH?!?! season, (which may be its last) they're really going for it while staying true to its origins. CRISIS. Thank you to the cast, crew, and especially Stephen Amell.  20. Legends of Tomorrow 7/10 It's still zany fun, with just a touch of heart. What happened? Maybe, the budget was sliced. The Avengers-esque fight scenes are gone, along with most of the characters you know and love. If you don't like this show, you don't like smiles, fun, or good times. Remember when The Avengers was the best thing to happen to the '10s? DC decided to do that with 200th of the budget, but weekly. And now, maybe it's a little too much fun. I'll still ride the wave, but this could fizzle fast. CRISIS. Post-crisis, I don't recognize what was once my favorite DCTV show. 19. Moon Knight 7/10 Not a fan of two people sharing a body, is [he] crazy is [he] not stories. So, never a fan of crazy Marvel Batman. He wears white . . . . But the MCU is a cheat code. Of course, this production is better than almost anything you're watching. 18. Stargirl 7/10 They did not maintain the excellence of the first season. "Summer School" sucked. If they maintain this level of writing, action, effects, and performances over multiple seasons it will be the top superhero show of all time. The cast is legit: Amy Smart, Luke Wilson, and Brec Bassinger as the perfect Stargirl. The diversity gets a chef's kiss. And the gray-area politics presented have us questioning everything. Jace Downs/CW 17. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 7/10 Its debut was a meandering mess. But for the fans that stuck around, Agents of Hydra/Agents of Nothing got good fast. And more recently, we've been gifted the best live-action Ghostrider, top-notch action, intelligent political commentary, and the best possible "what if"-styled virtual world story. Now, Agents is a secret gem. And for this final? season, cue that Huey Lewis track: 16. Ms. Marvel 7/10 Really, really well done. Who's the audience? Couldn't tell you. The color. The art direction. The performances. The direction. All A+. The weird powerset? So far, C-. Overall, an excellent entry into the MCU. 15. (16) Runaways 7.1/10 At the episode three mark, this show is far better than anything on this list. Performances, cinematography, drama, use of powers, relationships, representation--perfection. The problem with being on top . . . is that long tumble down. How will they handle powers or the discovery of the teens' discovery? How will they handle the budding and realistic romances? And is this really the MCU? Did it need to be? (3 months later . . . show was dope) And in the second season so much happened . . . on the way down. Season one was too good. The worst thing about being at the top? There's only one way to go. The sexy non-aging Spanish-speaking dude was super cool though. 14. (15) The Defenders 7.1/10 The first four episodes were the highlight of my year. The Defenders are to the Avengers what the X-men are to the Justice League. They are the heroes we might be, not the gods that save us. They blended four distinct tales better than I imagined possible--style and mythos. To enjoy: 1) ignore the villains' plot; 2) remember that we witnessed an even more annoying Iron Fist earlier. 13. Jessica Jones 7.5/10 Two Js is da realest! She single-handedly saved The Defenders (literally and also from us critics). In her debut, she overcame the #1 true villain in the MCU (twice). She also laid out Luke Cage. And maybe she can fly. And then the second season sucked hard. The former #1 has dropped like the best beat. And the third season redeemed in a way most shows never can. #podcastcomingsoon 12.  Luke Cage 7.5/10 Cage, one of the strongest characters on the list, started weakly and ended weakly. But that midsection does work. Ummmm. Cottonmouth is the King. And if you're black, this should feel like a moment . . . for us . . . because it is. And in the second season, a strong show got stronger. It's a shame this moment is partially wasted on Mike Colter. Bushmaster saved the series and washed the diamond-backed taste from our mouths. Annnnnnnd it's canceled. A record-breaking black-ass show that did impossible numbers for Netflix is gone. 11. Titans 7.5/10 For two seasons, so much went so right. And then they decided to ruin one of the more popular DC storylines--Jason Todd as Red Hood. We saw that corny-ass trailer and scoffed. The first episode wasn't much better. But Titans has become my #1 must-see-TV each week. If this dropped Netflix style, I wouldn't have left the seat. It would've been my first "diaper show." Starting with the Hawk and Dove episode, this is the grittiest, most realistic, non-fantastical fantasy show (read: best) of all time. This is not our Teen Titans (coming soon). It's not like the Titans as seen anywhere before. That black Starfire that you hate is one of the best characters on TV this year. DC should stop making movies. They really get television. And season two is even better. 10. Cloak & Dagger  7.9/10 I want to love the show, in the way that I love its young stars. And I might, if I could stay awake. I think they realize they have superpowers in episode five . . . I think. Who's this show for?--moody-artsy-poetic-horny-virgin 13-year-olds? I'm guessing. They get bonus points for flipping the most common racial stereotypes. And like all of the best things, once it ended, I begged for more. Cloak & Dagger may have something just yet. The second season began like the first, and then something happened--something good. Ish got real, real cultural, real racial, real domestic . . . real. Now, this show matters. CANCELED. 9. Wandavision 8/10 Perfect production, but inconsistent. The modern "real world" scenes often felt dumber than the hex-world. Everything outside of the hex felt like MCU-light. The hex broadcasts were hit and miss. The whole thing was a bit contrived--not good, but damn impressive.  8. Loki 8/10 One episode in. But still, it's Marvel. They have perfected making a TV show feel exactly like their best movies, if those movies were a TV show. And in the end, the Kang who was king, but not Kang, still slayed. 7.  The Punisher 8/10 It's nothing like other shows on this list. They chose to ignore the superhero world setting. It works, but may have worked better as a standalone. Ultimately, it was more predictable than most comic book-based shows because it was a lot like every gritty revenge, PTSD flick we've ever seen. And then in season two, they created one of the most beautiful pieces of art in the history of time. It was not like anything anyone has every seen. There were TWO antagonists, and they both had unconventional, unpredictable, realistic endings. 6.  Daredevil 8/10 Hallway scenes started here. It's a shame they didn't end here. Foggy is as whack as Charlie Cox's accent (both improved by season 3). If you are anti-shadowy fight scenes, then Kingpin kept your interest. This series was redeemed by the Punisher's arrival. Ssssooo many ninjas. And then season three was maybe the best thing I've seen "on TV." Yes, Daredevil season three is "Wire," "Sopranos," "Lost," Breaking Bad"-good. 5. (4) Peacemaker 8.4/10 So far, so much better than all of that live-action "Suicide Squad" garbage. Awesome dude, but Cena is the worst part of this. Again, awesome dude, but leading an ensemble of super-talented actual actors . . . his limitations sparkle. HBO Max 4. (3) Hawkeye 8.4/10 And as the season wraps, it was predictable, and yet still mindblowing. What If? the next great basketball docuseries was about Chicago Bulls legend Stacey King?  See what I did there? So far, Hawkeye, so good. Marvel can't miss. All other studios take note. 4. (5) Superman & Lois 8.7/10 👀 It's still amazing and universally loved. Out of nowhere, this has become CW's can't-miss-show. The drama. The action. The mythology. The heart. This may one day be the best live-action Superman. White Black Lightning, so you'll actually watch this one. Too soon to tell. But so far, so super. 2. Watchmen 9.6/10 It's the best show on television. And like many of our best shows, it deals with race (and in the best way), so you didn't watch it. Go watch it--NOW. And . . . canceled. 1. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier 9.6/10 This isn't fair. This is an MCU movie and sequel, cut into bite-sized TV portions. OF COURSE, it's better than everything else. But do come back after a few episodes (seasons?) have aired.  Disney

 by Germar Derron Timely. I listened to this album after another senseless mass shooting in the United States--the fourth or fifth within just a few short weeks. It helped. Apparently, Anders and O'Bitz are known for their social commentary and immersive moods. I may not be in a place to dissect commentary, but the immersive mood calmed me. None of the nine tracks here sound uplifting in the traditionally bright, loud, or fast sense. And, honestly, sometimes that pleasant plucking can agitate or even infuriate. But even without the smiles and rainbows, something about The Loss We've Won feels hopeful. Somehow, the overall mood of the project appeals to an inner, likely repressed, longing or necessity. They've crafted a feeling more than a sound. A common debate poses this question: do we listen to music that fits our mood, or do we listen to music to change our mood? Somehow, here, Anders and O'Bitz answer "yes" to both questions. Often, when the soul saddens we turn to nostalgia, like the music of our past--a time when life was light and joy-filled. Sometimes we turn to pop or dance--shiny, sparkly things that distract--instant mood boosters. The Loss We've Won fits the mood of this dark moment, while still promoting peace, calmness, and relaxation. While listening to "Family Song," I felt this missing familial love before I read the title or noticed the clearer than glass lyrics.   This perfect immersive experience is not coincidental or even mere serendipity. A well-balanced mixed and carefully considered arrangement bears the weight of all this goodness.  The project is summed perfectly in its title. This is not "The Loss." It's either "the loss we've earned" or "in the losing, we have won." Under either understanding, it is what it is and we experience it all together. 

 by Germar Derron Backyard Astronomy is the sonic equivalent of an academic degree in music. No, listeners will not walk away four years later with a piece of paper, wedding gigs, and students. But here, Chris Forte does mimic four years of musical exploration and progression. The tracks represent a journey through genres, regions, and eras. Forte touches at least six different genres here, but the project could probably be divided fairly into equal and opposing halves. Half of the album could be a jazz combo, recorded live. And that would be a "jazz" combo in the broadest sense: skilled and educated musicians having fun with various genres, standards, tempos, and rhythms. That half of the album sounds rough, raw, and unpolished--mirroring the experience of a combo playing at a recital, coffeehouse, bar, or lounge. The other half of the album sounds just a tad smoother and more polished. It might be called educated easy-listening or elevated elevator music. And I mean easy-listening and elevator music in the most complimentary ways. These tracks would work anywhere, for any audience. And that ubiquity does not diminish the obvious talent, skill, and musical IQ. Even on this more universal half, Backyard Astronomy remains a scholarly pursuit, and without pretentiousness. By including the titles "Covidy Blues" and "Quarantine Coronatones," Forte does not conceal the album's impetus. And pieces of it do recall that period where we all dusted off our horns and keys and wondered and worried about the future. But these aural reminders here are somehow not accompanied by angst or melancholy. These pieces bring a sense of peace and relaxation.  If peace, relaxation, jazz, funk, easy listening, and free education are your turn-offs--"wait, there's more!" Despite its title, "Messed Up World" may be the most hopeful and overall pleasant sounding and inspiring song to come out of the 2020 pandemic. Then later, "Baby Steps" defines cinematic. It's the spy movie worldwide conspiracy theme that 2022 needs. At any other time in our history, I might call this uneven or inconsistent. But today, we get this. It perfectly parallels the past two years, while always looking up and ahead, with hope.

by Germar Derron   Some may say that Talking Loud by Ajay Mathur is by-the-book Americana. It might be. But it is definitively American. From the first note of the first song, it evokes American summers, America in the 80s, American sunshine, American barbecues, and American love. Talking Loud is not annoyingly dated or nostalgic for nostalgia's sake. This is 1987 summertime, summer fling, feel-good American in the best way.  The album feels like when you watch a movie and it opens with a song that you forgot you loved from decades ago.  Beyond the nostalgic warm fuzziness, throughout the album, Mathur displays sweetness and sincerity. Multiple tracks and lyrics present clear messaging that pushes toward positivity but doesn't hint at chastisement or judgment. If Mathur makes a misstep here, it may have been in an area not under his control. Some combination of production, mixing, and mastering may be missing the musical point. Yes, this is indie music. But the lyrics, melodies, and instrumentation are so good that this doesn't need to be "garage" or DIY. Most of the album plays a bit jagged and ragged, where a smooth "sheen" and a bit more vocal processing makes this radio-ready. And that's a positive, even though radio may not be an ultimate goal. A couple of tracks sit adjacent to Dave Grohl on the softer tracks of the Foo Fighters' 2005 double album hit In Your Honor. And I believe that's the ceiling here--a reasonable and achievable goal. Under the American and 80s umbrella of this project, Mathur does tour, or sample from, a few other genres. "Don't Want the Phone to Ring" features classic pop storytelling. And the title track, "Talking Loud," if remixed and released decades ago would top the rap charts. And even today, "Talking Loud" stands out as a special song in this collection.  I never do ratings, but if I did, this earns a solid 3 of 5 stars. 

You love lists and Look to the Cookie doesn't do enough of them. Plus, Germar's life has shifted from music, to film, to . . . stage. And because he sees so many theatrical productions, he will rate and rank them here. Additionally, you're going to click this link because you want to know where your production ranks. This list does not include grade school or "junior" productions. And remember, a score of 5.5 does not equal 55% failure. It means that the show was better than 55% of all shows. Photo: Josh Sisk 37. Silent Sky (the 2020 pandemic, Michiana) 6/10 This is the toughest entry. People involved in this production will think I'm a hater. But a large component of the scores is "rewatchability." And even though this show may be better technically than "Mermaid" or "Wonka," it's not something you'd watch again and again. And that might not be fair, because we sing along to the hits from "Wizard of Oz," "Mermaid," and "Rock of Ages." But rules is rules. To justify this ranking, I'll include quotes from audience members: "the leads lacked chemistry" "I didn't get the set" "where were they supposed to be" "it didn't really catch me" "I didn't get the lights" "why are those stairs so big?" COVID-era shows are tough.   36. The Wizard of Oz (2013, Southern Arizona) 7.2/10 Monkeys flew, witches melted--an all-around technical achievement. But it was also three hours long and you know how it ends. 35. It's a Wonderful Life (2018, East Central Indiana) 7.2/10 The leads dazzled. But you really have to love this era of storytelling, to love this show, in 2018. 34. Willy Wonka (2019, East Central Indiana) 7.2/10 It's always all about the Oompa Loompas! It was Wonka . . . wacky and colorful and kid-friendly. 33. The Wizard of Oz (2021, East Central Indiana) 7.2/10 One of the best family-fun summer experiences imaginable. Great performances, but a super non-traditional show. 32. Black Super Hero Magic Mama (2022 Baltimore, north) 7.2/10 These stories, writers, and performers are important. As a loud proud Black man, I love this. But I've never really loved Black "message" stories. In part, "we" tell them a lot. And I lived it, so I understand its import and accuracy. But as an audience member, I'm unfortunately always a choir member (where writer/director is a preacher). A few special performances and fun tech made this well worth the price of admission.  31. 2 Across (the 2020 pandemic, Michiana) 7.2/10 Pandemic plays = smaller shows, smaller casts, smaller sets, smaller audiences, smaller applauses, smaller laughs. Two people talking on a train is a tough sell, even when it's perfect. 30. The Complete History of America (Abridged) (the 2020 pandemic, Michiana) 7.2/10 Tough to believe that three non-professionals (cast members) could pull this off--but they did. 29. The Little Mermaid (the 2020 pandemic, Michiana) 7.2/10 Full disclosure: Germar works on most of these productions. He failed this production. Amazing performances, but inconsistent tech and art direction. #maskup   28. Harvey (2020, Central Indiana) 7.2/10 Each cast member played their part to perfection. Also, see above: It's a Wonderful Life. 27. A Musical Christmas Carol 7.3/10 (the 2020 pandemic, Farmland Indiana) The same perfect performances that we now take for granted from this production company. BUT a really poor technical outing. Me thinks "the -VID" strikes again. 26. The Hunchback of Notre Dame 7.3/10 (2021 Farmland Indiana) "Hunchback" is one of the oddest shows that people absolutely adore. Great performances and decent tech, but overall inconsistent. 25. Is Edward Snowden Single? 7.3/10 (2022, Baltimore, in the city) The story . . . ummmm is maybe the worst one on this list. But then it does pull together nicely at the end, and I appreciate that. The production was about as good as any on this list. It was immersive and technically creative. The co-leads performed perfectly. And the venue played its part superbly.  24. Mamma Mia! (2021, East Central Indiana) 7.3/10 This theatre consistently does the biggest best most-crowd-pleasing-fantastical-colorful-creative-imaginative shows of all community theaters. Mamma Mia! definitely kept that streak alive. 23. Mamma Mia! (2019, Michiana) 7.3/10 This Sophie SANGS. Beautiful cast. The director and choreographer put professional stamps all over this thing. 22. Tarzan (2019, East Central Indiana) 7.3/10 They used a real baby! They swung on vines and climbed trees. Go-ril-las stole the show.  21. Scrooge: The Musical (2017, East Central Indiana) 7.4/10 Classic and timeless tale, done by a big diverse cast. Costumed fun. 20. Into the Woods (2019, Central Indiana) 7.4/10 Talented cast. The set designers and builders optimized, and creatively utilized, a tight space. 19. The Music Man (2019, Michiana) 7.5/10 The best ensemble performance ever.  18. West Side Story (2018, East Central Indiana) 7.5/10 Every time Maria was on stage was the best thing you've seen on a stage. Rosalia . . . Anita . . . . Tony. 17. Now and Then (2019, Michiana) 7.6/10 Casual and modern. And by the end of the show, it's life-changing. 16. Cinderella (2018, Tour) 7.6/10 Beautiful set, world-class dancing, but no soul. 15. Into the Woods (the 2020 pandemic, Farmland Indiana) 7.6/10 Pitch perfect ensemble singing.  14. The Little Mermaid (2018, East Central Indiana) 7.6/10 Ariel nailed it. And the magic of the sea was felt throughout the performance. 13. Big River (2019, East Central Indiana) 7.7/10 I can't decide if the show is a story about:   1) two cons on the run; 2) crazy Tom Sawyer; or most likely 3) a love story between a white boy with a heart of gold and a runaway slave. Five outstanding performances made this a tough call. 12. First Date (2020, Michiana)  7.7/10 A show for people born after 1984, who would rather see a movie than a play. A home-run from the director. 11. Of Mice and Men (2019, East Central Indiana) 7.7/10 Tough tough show, made better and worse by excellent performances.     10. Animal Farm (2012, Southern Arizona) 7.9/10 Beautiful, moving, and important. When those pigs started walking around in their overalls, you couldn't help but feel the hopelessness of the cycle.  9. Peter and the Starcatcher (2018, East Central Indiana) 8/10 Odd. And one of the best stagey mcstage plays of all time. And who doesn't love Peter Pan? 8. Sister Act (2019, East Central Indiana) 8.5/10 F.U.N. Also, it's sexy (or it could be), funny, and colorful. Everyone in the cast got a chance to shine. 7. Glitterus: Dragon Rising (2022, Baltimore, downtown) 8.6/10 A world premiere. It's an inclusive "Wizard of Oz/Wiz," by and for millennials. Tech knocks this down a bit. "Community theatre" production, professional-level singing. 6. Matilda (2020, East Central Indiana) 8.7/10 Story? Weak and common. Writing? Random and superfluous. 8000 kids dancing in perfect sync, and singing in perfect harmony with perfect pitch in perfect Harry Potter accents? Nailed that shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii 5. My Fair Lady (2017, East Central Indiana) 9/10 The perfect Eliza. Perfect direction. 4. [title of show] (2021, Michiana Indiana) 9.1/10 Four people. Four chairs. No set. These emeffers pulled it off. Good choreography and sick vocals made this an instant classic.Photo-David DuFour 3. Rock of Ages (2018, East Central Indiana) 9.3/10 If you like the 80s, or listen to the same 10 songs on some whack work FM stations, you'll love this. Plus, it's sexy and makes no sense. 2. Annie (2018, East Central Indiana)  9.5/10 THIS is cheating. Cute little girls, performing classic choreography, to Jay Z's most popular song. 1. Beauty and the Beast (2019, Farmland Indiana) 9.6/10 Everyone sang everything like Whitney sang The Star-Spangled Banner. Plus, they DANCED--DANCING in a show, in Indiana!!! I guess when you collect a check, you get the steps right.

 by Germar Derron In my quest to be healthy enough to date grad students until I'm at least 75, I tried six HelloFresh meals. Some were delish. Others were like Del Taco, but not fun and too salty. Below, I've carefully detailed everything you should know about life on HF. 20. Sharpen Your Knives 19. Step One Add Salt, Step Two Add Salt, Step Three Add Salt 18. When it's "spicy," add a bottle of your fav hot sauce. It's still not that spicy. 17. It only takes [double that time]. 16. Wash Your Produce; Pat Dry Your Meat 15.  Olive Oil On Everything 14. Fresh Fruit 13. No Garlic 12. A+ ingredients, A+ instructions, B+ meal 11. Sour Cream is the Secret Ingredient to EVERYTHING 10. Step 4 Butter, Step 5 Butter, Step 6 Butter 9. Medium bowl to the small bowl, with your large bowl. 8. First things first, medium rack at 450. 7. Potatoes - EVERY MEAL 6. Who's washing all these dishes? 5. You do have every type of plate, bowl, pan, and measuring tool ever designed right? 4. Watch those veggies cool, while the meat and taters cook. Mmmmmm? 3. The potatoes still aren't done. 2. Slice everything to 1/2" x 1/2" - good luck - don't eat that piece of thumb. 1. White people food.

 by Germar Derron This . . . is unexpected. Somehow Swansgate's Becoming Someone sounds much like the universe appears from space--infinite and homogeneous. But at the same time, that consistent color and temperature, of the Swansgate space, also contains many distinct sonic galaxies. They collected and combined many subgenres under that bigger umbrella genre called "Swansgate." Watching the video for "Embedded Rhythm," while muted, recalls every video of every band ever. The visual could fit comfortably into a boxed collection of NPR Tiny Desk concerts. The shots include keys, guitars, the batter of a kick, and a familiar mic collecting CO2 and spittle. But the sound accompanying that common sequence is far from ordinary. And the later visuals match that sound. That video eventually includes so much color--deeply saturated tones. Then, a distorted bird's eye shot, warm nirvana-esque smiles, and a cat with a third eye? Pieces of the vocal seem high . . . on harmony. And that fairly accurately represents the sound of Becoming Someone. Overall, the album is peaceful, hopeful, and relaxing, while still managing to depict real musicianship and lyricism.  The earlier notion that the album is consistent while varied also applies to many of the songs. The album is its own audible universe with connected sonic galaxies. And similarly, maybe--sticking with the astronomical analogy--each song represents a super chill galaxy, with varied, but connected solar systems. Okay, I'm done reliving my six semesters of astronomy and physics. Again, every genre is represented here in part, but those parts combine to make a very even whole. On a couple of tracks, the vocal is rhythmic, rhyming, rapping in a modern style that is surprising but not disrupting. At least one track could fit well with our recent electronic obsession. Portions are jazzy in a college school of music + Sade sort of way. "Why Need So..." is somehow old-school nostalgic, sweet, and maybe a bit naive. Then on the very next track, we get a touch of R&B. But that's not so surprising after hearing notes of Janet next to Sade earlier. On "Lines to Us," the instrumental and vocal swap places--and it works. "Becoming Someone" is smooth, beautiful, and often light--arguably atmospheric. But most importantly, like many of my favorite tracks, it feels beach-bred and born. Each track relaxes like the best Californian or Hawaiian vacations. Turn it up. Look up. Drink up.

 by Germar Derron On "Devotion," Nick de la Hoyde remains consistent while also showing tremendous growth. And that growth in no way diminishes his past efforts. I still regularly bump, "By My Side."  On seemingly every song, de la Hoyde portrays a unique ability to sound like the past, present, and future of music simultaneously. And "Devotion" is not an exception. It may be the rule. This song, like many by the de la Hoyde brothers (writers and producers), is genre-blending and time-traveling. The vocal at times sounds like today's biggest hits. At other times the vocal sounds like 2010's biggest hit. That performance and processing--production--push the track into a sort of instant timeless nostalgia. But the blending and era homaging go well beyond a pretty vocal. The instrumental arrangement and mix are equally reminiscent of . . . a lot. It's 40 years of film scores, 20 years of soul, and 15 years of pop. But this proprietary blend of sound is not obsfuscating. It makes the track accessible to everyone, and evergreen. The de la Hoydes are experienced. And that experience is explosively evident all over "Devotion." The sweetest example of the years of writing, recording, performing, producing, and mixing occurs at the end of the song on a single note and word--"you." On a song about devotion to you, falling for you, that includes lyrics "nothing without you. . . ." They understood the assignment. That one final word, "you," is broken, textured, contoured, and still tinged with the track's orchestral tails. This is good.

by Germar Derron Some people may couch Experience as "urban" pop. But it's more accurately described as a journey through four decades of traditional rhythm and blues. The entire project feels old school, once you come to terms with 1987 to 2010 being old school. But it doesn't sound dated or dusty. It sounds updated and eclectic.   Throughout the album, Aries Marquis croons and coos silky smooth and soulful. And on this chrono-journey through all of modern R&B Marquis teases notes of MJ, Donell Jones, Usher, Ginuwine, and even Miguel. One of the facets that forces the nostalgic flavor is content. The vocals here are often sugary sweet, and so are much of the lyrics. In contrast to modern commercial R&B, Marquis's songs lyrically and sonically evoke hope, earnestness, daydreams . . . love. Anyone needing a break from bottles, pills, hoes, and G-wagons needs to look no further. The album's most universal and timelessly appealing track is "A Part of Me." It's the classic hit songwriter-meet-hit singer huge R&B ballad. Think "I Believe I Can Fly," "You Are Not Alone," or any of those Diane Warren penned hits. It's similar to the Warren-written Ginuwine hit "Superhuman," but it's better. As I listened to "Ghost," I had one thought: "he's experienced." And that thought may have led to a better understanding of the title and the project. If that connection is purposeful and not imagined, on Experience Marquis artfully combines a lifetime of studies, performance, and love. If this journey was not planned, it was definitely experienced. Literally, it's Aries season.