Episode Transcript
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Reggie Ponder, The Reel C (00:00):
Don't do longer.
(00:03):
All right, here we go.
Hey, I'm Reggie Ponder the RealCritic, and this is the Real
Critics Network.
Hanya Woods is my co-host.
How are you?
How are you?
How are you?
Kathia Woods (00:15):
I am fantastic now that I'm back home and, out of,
airport Chronicles.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Criti (00:21):
I got a couple of things that I
want to touch base with quickly.
We not gonna stay on thesethings for a long time, so you
gonna have to be like, hit itand quit it.
The first thing.
That's good.
The first thing I wanna touch onis that you told us in the prior
episode about Happy Gilmore too,and I haven't seen the movie
yet.
Have you seen it?
Kathia Woods (00:40):
Yes, I have.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Cri (00:42):
All right.
I know we can't talk about ityet, right?
'cause they're still in embargo,correct?
Kathia Woods (00:45):
No, no, no.
We can talk about it.
It's out today, on Netflix.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Crit (00:49):
Is out today.
Kathia Woods (00:50):
Yep.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel C (00:50):
Okay.
When we get to the moviesegment, I want to talk about it
but the reason I want to bringit up is that Adam Sandler seems
like just a fun, fun guy.
Now, I might be wrong becausesometimes you meet these people
and they are not as fun as theyseem.
In fact, he might be really,really serious because he'd be
(01:12):
about his money.
I just need you to tell me justa little something, something
about Adam Sandler.
Kathia Woods (01:17):
We bonded over sports.
We bonded over sports.
'cause I asked him in theinterview right as you saw me
schwartzen in it, and peoplewere like, oh, is it hot?
I'm like, it's a Pope Catholic.
Stop asking them questions.
It's been a hot summer and wewere outside in the golf club.
Yes, it's the, was it hot?
Duh.
(01:37):
Anyhow, so he.
So I asked him, I said, now how?
Why as a, because I know he's asports guy, right?
I says, as a diehard New Yorker,what's with the Boston Bruins?
I said, I know there's somepeople in your family.
You meet a circle where well,what's happening sir?
Because I know he goes to theKnicks games and he said that,
(02:01):
because of they moved to NewHampshire and that the Boston
guys that he grew up around,that he just seemed like the
type of guy that had that typeof anger and was very serious
about sports.
That he figured that he wouldjust be, he had to be a Boston
Brewers.
But he said, me, Adam, I'm a NewYork guy across the board.
(02:24):
He goes, I'm a diehard Rangersfan, right?
He goes, now, he's like, do youlive in?
I said, no, I moved.
He goes, but you brought theteams with you.
I said, absolutely.
I said, oh no, I said we justsaid, especially eels, like that
flyers.
I go, yeah, absolutely.
And then, so that was our chatand that's when I knew that, I
got him.
But he was lovely.
(02:44):
And the fact that, before werolled, he was like are how are
you?
He asked me about me andChristopher McDaniels, who plays
scooter.
Mcgruder is equally like loving.
Like I love interviews likethat.
I love justice.
Where that talent is like, let'shave a good day instead of like,
(03:05):
and you're like, oh God,
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Criti (03:06):
I love that too.
And so I'm gonna recount, whichI've told you this before, but
I've had a couple of situationsand I won't mention the names
here'cause where the interviewwas terrible.
And that the person really,really, really didn't want to be
there.
I'm not trying to to be put somelove on Philadelphia people, but
(03:29):
seriously, your guy, ColemanDomingo is just absolutely
lovely.
Absolutely lovely because he, inmy opinion, took attention or
paid attention to every personwho came into the room and had a
discussion with him.
He did not blow them off or tryto do it in a short form, and I
(03:56):
really, really appreciated thatversus somebody else, blah,
blah, blah that I was trying totalk to.
And they were like, no I don'treally want to do this.
I, and you could tell theydidn't want to do it.
So the answers.
The questions were short, theyweren't engaging.
(04:17):
And sometimes that might be onme'cause sometimes it is on you.
I
Kathia Woods (04:21):
don't think it's you.
I mean I have two names.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Cri (04:25):
Oh, you gonna spell a t?
Kathia Woods (04:27):
I'm not gonna give the names, but I have two names
that own the do not resuscitatelist.
And people are always shockedwhen I mention the one because
this person has this persona ofbeing bubbly and I was like, I'm
good if I never interview themagain.
I'm so okay.
(04:47):
Not everybody is for everybodyand not everybody mixes with
everybody.
And I have just come to theconclusion that me and this
person, we have run the course.
We did what we could and we kepta pushing because.
It just is what it is.
And again, we all know peoplethat get on this app and on the
(05:08):
social medias and be screamingblack excellence, but don't
really make time for blackjournalists and black outlet.
But oh, and the whole team bewhite.
I say the whole team be white.
I mean everybody like, but forsure that the person that even
gets the water ain't black.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Crit (05:25):
So what I'd like for you to do is
to just shout out one of yourother than I'm sorry, other than
Adam who came.
Lovely.
Say someone else that you like.
Kathia Woods (05:40):
You said one of my favorite people, Coleman
Domingo, who I just adore, who'sjust adore.
I recently had a good one withSam Rockwell and Craig Ferguson.
We had, when I tell you.
We had ourselves a good timewith the bad guys too.
We were kiking at Upper Storm.
When I tell you I laughed sohard, oh my God.
(06:03):
It was like I, Craig Fergusonlived up to everything.
That I, excuse me, GregRobinson.
Sorry.
He lived up to everything that Ithought he was in my head
better.
And Sam Rockwell rockstar.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
I gave him, like at the end Isaid, sir, and congratulations
(06:25):
on your work and the white lotusoutstanding.
He said, thank you.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel C (06:30):
Well, you and I are always having a
issue about Chicago and Philly,but now I think that you can't
really root for Philly anymorebecause you're not a
Philadelphia person.
Oh,
Kathia Woods (06:44):
no, no, no.
The only team I cheer for inAtlanta are the Braves.
Everybody else came with me,including, I think it's, I think
it's sacrilegious very tiresomewhen trying 76ers and
Philadelphia Flyers.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Criti (06:58):
I think it's, I'm in to be going
to Atlanta, taking thisPhiladelphia garb with you and
putting it on and walking aroundPhiladelphia pride.
I just don't think that's theway it should rock.
However, the reason I mentionour beef between Chicago and
Philadelphia.
Is because I did not know thatyou spoke with one of the great
(07:21):
comedians from Chicago, whichhis name is Craig Robinson.
So I'm just saying if you had agreat interview with him, that's
because that Midwestern charm,that Chicago love that.
(07:42):
Hey Craig, what's going on?
I'm really glad that you got toexperience how Chicago, how we
do it.
Kathia Woods (07:50):
I just wanna say this since we're having a thing,
I need people, since we'rehaving our Philadelphia sports
conversation.
Craig is amazing, but I needpeople to leave QB one alone.
Leave who alone?
Jalen hurts alone.
And I'm just like the vitriol,you would've thought he was Doc
Prescott.
I said what I said as cowboyfans.
(08:10):
It just is crazy, but it isjust, but hey, in the words of
QB one, keep the main thing themain thing.
And I cannot wait for him toreally tap dance up in that.
And Saquon too.
Let's get it.
When I tell you last season wasso much fun that, oh,
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Criti (08:31):
I can't hear you.
I'm sorry.
Look, I
Kathia Woods (08:33):
know because it's, I know it's rough because it's
been a minute of Chicago.
I, since your Bears did anythingworth talking about?
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Criti (08:39):
I can hardly you, but I do want,
the stadium
Kathia Woods (08:41):
is legendary, but the playing inside the stadium
has not been legendary.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Criti (08:45):
I do want to.
Mention one other person that Ihave the utmost respect for on,
on a serious note as it relatesto talking to the press.
I will not be in Toronto thisyear, unfortunately.
Kathia Woods (09:02):
Oh,
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Cri (09:03):
and yeah, I don't think I'm gonna
make it.
No, but my last time
Kathia Woods (09:07):
we're not getting it.
We're not getting part two ofthe outfits.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Crit (09:11):
My last time in Toronto, I was
standing outside trying to getan interview and they had 67
outlets and I was probably 61.
Kathia Woods (09:25):
Oh.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Cri (09:26):
And by time this person got to, to
me, they pulled him off the redcarpet to go in and do what they
do, talk to, introduce theirfilm and talk to this person.
Said, I will be back.
Don't worry, we waited about anhour.
'cause they had to go in, do allthe stuff that they needed to do
(09:46):
and this person came back nice.
And when they came back, theyspoke to everybody who was left.
I felt I'll always tip my headhat to that person.
And that was Ben Stiller.
Ben Stiller went and talked toeverybody and he took his time.
(10:08):
He wasn't being rushed by hispublicist.
I think that, and there wereother people who did not come
back in that same movie.
Kathia Woods (10:18):
I will say this.
And Ben still isn't happyGilmore too, by the way.
I think there are certain peoplethat just makes it endures you.
That just endures you.
And will make you really go outof their way for this person.
But I'm just like, I don't like,again, you and I have seen it
live in 4K.
These people whoop black people,black people, and then we see
(10:41):
them when we go, you are phonyat in a$3 bill.
We see you, sir.
Or they'll st.
Excuse me.
They'll stand in line for amainstream or white owned outlet
right now.
I always say, let's do the mathentertainment tonight, whatever.
These shows are 30 minutes,which means after you take out
the commercial, it's 20 minutesand they have a opportunity to
(11:06):
put on, junior Roberts andJennifer Lawrence or whatever
you have there.
And then there's you, Joe Smith,right?
Who do you think is getting lefton the cutting room for, and
especially with the budget cuts,right?
Which before you at least makethe digital segment.
You are not making themainstream anymore.
It is crazy to me how you don't,understand that, even here in
(11:32):
Atlanta, like for the realHousewives of Beverly Hills, not
Beverly Hills of Atlanta.
Like they ushered them to gospeak to entertainment tonight.
And I, and the publicisthappened to be white and I said,
ma'am, you are in Atlanta, ahella black city with black
media here.
For you to take away these womenand to speak to, especially the
(11:55):
newer housewives where peopledidn't know who they were.
I said to speak to thesemainstream outlet is very
disrespectful when you have ablack publicist.
That's the lead on this, that'stacky.
And she looked at me and I waslike I said, what I said is,
because to me it's it's verylike.
There's certain spaces, butagain, these people will stand
(12:18):
there and wait through in 3000degrees to go speak.
And also, we know, right?
We have colleagues that work atmainstream outlets.
You and I both do and we knowthat.
And I have one who's a producer,right?
Spent, I'm not gonna say whoshe's, but she spent, she works
for a major outlet, spent likefour hours at the Image Awards,
right?
(12:39):
Out of all that video, fourhours at the Image Awards.
Again, that show where she's aproducer on is a half an hour
show.
So you take the commercials out,it's 20 minutes, three people
out of four hours made the newpsych, made the show.
(13:00):
Because although they meansomething to us, to them, first
of all, they didn't know wherehalf these people are.
You'll make it like if you,Carrie Washington, Jamie Fox
Denzel Washington.
If you like David Banner, younot know who that is.
Not gonna make it.
And it is just, there arecertain people that we will love
(13:22):
and we're like, oh, thisperson's on this hit TV show.
They don't care.
They don't even, again, thesesegments used to make it onto
the YouTube channel, but allthat staffing, all the editors
for that are being cut left andright.
They just canceled e-news afterto 32 years on the air.
So I'm just like some of thesepeople, and I'm not saying that
(13:44):
to be shady.
Some of these CD celebrities maywanna rethink how they approach
media because it's getting tightout here.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Crit (14:00):
It is.
And that's why I like to notonly talk about the challenges,
but also talk about those whomeet the moment.
Kathia Woods (14:10):
Oh, absolutely.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Cri (14:11):
And I have found a few people who
have met the moment BlairUnderwood was one for me.
Halle Berry was one for me.
Kathia Woods (14:20):
Blair is wonderful.
I'm so glad you brought up BlairUnderwood.
Like he is, love him.
And I do wanna say I'm not madat any, some cel like Blair
Underwood will be engaging, askyou about you, that type of
stuff, right?
I have David Allen Greer will,you'll key, key with, and I have
no problem with celebrities thatare like, girl, I've been here
(14:43):
for four hours, or I just flewin from the West coast and this
is about to be four hours.
I just want to get through thesequestions and keep it pushing.
I'm fine with that.
I don't think that makes you abad person.
Everybody approaches things.
You don't know what's going on.
Some people might have had a badday.
(15:04):
We're not talking about themfolks.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel C (15:05):
Nope.
We're
Kathia Woods (15:06):
talking about the folks that really be on here
telling y'all a yarn, a lie.
But again, like Reggie said,it's for every one of those
folks.
There are people that, I've hadwonderful experiences with
Lupita, Nyon o other people havehad not so great ones, right?
But I also go in withunderstanding that she wants to
(15:27):
keep it business.
If she wants to open that doorto be a little bit more
lighthearted then we, that'sokay.
But I have no problem being likeKa Woods outlet and let's get to
the business.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Cri (15:39):
All right, so I wanna move on to our
next topic in our segment.
What's on my mind?
And that is I have been, becauseI'm getting at that age where I
need to really see where mymoney is.
I have working a lot onfinancial planning.
I don't want to tell people howto do their financial planning.
(16:01):
I don't want to tell peoplewhere, who they should get, what
company they should use and allof that other type of stuff.
But what I do wanna say is thatI have three things that I wanna
put out there.
I know you'll speak to thesethree things as well.
The first is that you shouldstart your financial planning
early.
Yes sir.
As early as you can, because adollar today is worth more than
(16:27):
a dollar tomorrow.
What that means is when you putaway a dollar today, in the long
run, it will compound and itwill make you money.
It will, you will have moneythere.
My second thing is for peoplewho think you cannot save
hogwash, you can cut somecorners somewhere, even when you
(16:49):
are work, living paycheck topaycheck.
And one of the best ways to dothat is to.
Have something taken outta yourcheck where you forget it.
If you can't do it a hundreddollars a check, can't do the$50
a check, do the$20 a check.
You will be happy for it lateron down the road.
(17:11):
And then third, if you havechildren and you plan for them
to go to college, a 5 29 plan isa phenomenal way to help pay for
their college.
Everybody's not going tocollege, so that's not what I'm
saying.
I'm not here trying to sayeverybody needs to go to
(17:32):
college.
I'm saying if you plan for yourchild to go to college, a 5 29
plan is something to do.
We have to start talking to ourpeople about finances, and we
should do it early as opposed tolate.
My last thought about this ismost times.
(17:54):
A referral is the best way toget to your financial planner
most times.
I'm not saying all the time, butmost times because that means
that the person they're workingwith, they must be doing a
decent job by that person.
If you're working with somebody,that's my spiel.
I'm gonna stop there and I'mgonna let my real financial
(18:15):
person who actually worked inthis area give you a few tips as
well.
Kathia Woods (18:21):
I agree.
Reggie.
I always say as we talk to ourkids about sex, we talk to our
kids about drugs.
We don't talk to them aboutmoney, and then we're surprised
that they're horrible with it.
We don't talk to them about theimportance of building
responsible credit.
We don't talk to them aboutsavings.
We don't.
When we were kids, we had apassbook savings account.
(18:41):
Remember that little one, youwere so excited to go to the
bank.
You put your birthday money inthere your allowance, right?
Or once you had a little bit ofmoney accumulated, you would go
with your mom and you would fillout the withdrawal form or the
deposit form, right?
And you'd go, or you'd take yourpiggy bank, right?
And you did have the little passkey and you get stuff out and
(19:04):
that would get deposited.
The point that I'm making is weused to have these things that
introduced us into banking andunderstanding savings.
And just not, I don't think theydo passport savings anymore, but
there are things that you cando.
You can do a regular statementsavings account.
I know my daughter had a debitcard.
Not a debit card.
(19:24):
A-A-A-T-M card.
Where I would put stuff in thereand then when she turned 16, we
converted that into a checkingaccount that I am still on her
checking account.
Which is a whole nother thing.
'Cause I'm somehow still herpersonal banker, but just doing
stuff like that.
Getting a debit card.
A little secured credit cardwhen they go to college.
(19:46):
Now wait for it.
We are not talking about onewith$10,000 the platinum,
putting them on the platinumcard.
We're talking about like our$500limit.
Just something, to build creditbecause when they, at some point
you wanna stop co-signing forthe apartment.
I'm just saying.
So it's just.
It's little things like that,when they are getting their
(20:07):
first job getting, signing upfor the 401k, four three B,
whatever the thing is,especially when the company
matches.
So that's free money.
So I think we need to get out ofthis thing that what Reggie is
trying to say, and what I'mtrying to say is in simple
words, that investing for thefuture is rich people's thing.
(20:30):
And I also ask on the other partthat we don't do, which drives
me crazy, me personally, is youremployers.
I'm gonna score it on the limitand say 80% pay money.
For you to be able to call ifyou are not sure and ask
questions about what thesedifferent funds are that are
(20:50):
eligible for you to put intoyour retirement account.
These people's job is, you mighteven be entitled to getting a
free financial plan for you andyour wife where you don't have
to pay for it.
That's part of your retirementpackage or your employee
assistant package, whatever thatfalls under.
A lot of us don't take advantageof these things, and then you
(21:12):
find out you've been at thecompany, God forbid, 10 years.
You're like, wait a minute.
How long we've had that?
We done had this since youstarted working here.
So it's just important that wetake advantage of these
resources.
And again we don't have toovercomplicate it.
Nobody's telling you to go buy abunch of Bitcoin, but use that
number every year.
(21:33):
If your four oh one call andjust be like, Hey, I just wanna
make sure that I'm in the rightthings for me.
This is some of my goals are, etcetera, et cetera, et cetera.
It's really important.
And and as a couple, God forbidpeople are dropping fast.
When somebody dies, it ain't thetime to find out where the money
resides.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel (21:54):
Hello.
Hello.
Well, that is our public serviceannouncement for today.
I felt that it was importantbecause a lot of the things that
I'm learning about finances,nobody told me.
So if you know stuff.
Share it.
Share with your people.
That doesn't mean that they,that if you are sharing it with
(22:18):
them to say this is what youhave to do, that's the wrong
approach.
That's not what I'm saying.
I'm saying just make peopleknowledgeable about the things
you know about.
So
Kathia Woods (22:28):
make an informed decision.
Another thing too is, I'm gonnasay this'cause I love,'cause
I've been through this when Iwas assistant manager with a
person comes in right with theCDs.
With the stack of CDs.
Because God bless our parents orour grandparents that used to
get the paper and they get thepaper from everywhere.
I don't know if any of you havethose relatives.
(22:48):
I don't know if you did.
Reggie.
They saw a good CD rate at abank in Milwaukee.
And they would go by and you'relike wait a minute.
Do you live in, or your peoplelive in Chicago and they got a
CD with a bank out inCalifornia, and you're trying to
wrap your head around, as you'recleaning out the house, you
finding out all these differentbonds and these different in CDs
(23:10):
and now you are sitting at thebank and we gotta take two hours
to call these different thingsand to sign this and to get an
email sent to get the moneycashed out so that it can go
into the estate planning or payfor the funeral.
Just talk to the parents, talkto the grandparents and say,
listen, I can, we just put itall in one shoebox in one, one
(23:32):
folder.
Everything that you have theeverything that you have
whatever it is, because we don'twanna clean out the house and
then ask ourselves, or Godforbid the bank.
He bought the CD and got soldout to somebody else, they never
filed it.
Listen again, we love ourelders, but we've all heard
(23:52):
stories or ourselves been therewhere you went through stuff and
then you gotta conduct a CSIinvestigation to figure out
like, who do you get in contactwith the cash at the cd, which
sometimes, believe it or not, Iworked on something by the time
we were done all of it togetherbetween the the mutual like CDs,
(24:14):
bonds, like you name it, it was$50,000 because the elder just
kept buying stuff in the thingand would send a cashier check
for a thousand dollars here andjust set it and forget it.
And if you think about it, backin the day when you still had
savings 20, 30 years and you'relike, you're like, daddy, what
were you doing?
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Cri (24:33):
God bless our people who.
Worked hard.
Yeah.
To save.
To save.
Yeah.
Kathia Woods (24:38):
And needs to be admired.
But just let'em know.
Can we put it in one filingcabinet or in the safety deposit
box?
Or one?
Just one place?
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Crit (24:47):
Or under one mattress.
Or under one mattress.
Just one mattress.
Not, yes not two mattresses.
Anyway, just
Kathia Woods (24:54):
one place.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel C (24:55):
Let's move on to our movie segment and
our first movie.
I didn't see it, but I didn'tknow that Kaia Woods saw it.
And that is Happy Gilmore too.
So give us the scoop.
Tell us what this one's about.
And is this one worth checkingout?
Because I'm gonna say, I knowthat I would've had fun with
(25:17):
Adam Sandler.
I'm not sure that I would havefun with this movie.
And the reason I'm saying thatis it's so long after the fact
that do I really wanna see ahappy Gilmore two when Happy
Gilmore One is a classic.
Help me,
Kathia Woods (25:36):
I'm gonna say if again, you know how we talk
about certain things on theright platform, I think for
Netflix and Chill, this isperfect also because it is
hilarious and as I like to say,Rome is burning and we need a
little time out from Rome.
We just do.
We just need a little time out.
(25:56):
Also, I don't think this is alsothe type, like if you have great
school kids you can watch as afamily.
There's nothing horribly goingon here that's gonna have you
clutching your pearls.
But here's the thing is toanswer your question so we meet
happy.
A while after his, after hebecame a pressure golfer, he was
doing really, really great andhe's the toast of the town and
(26:19):
he lost his wife.
So he's a widower, right?
And he falls, and when I tellyou he falls, he falls woo all
the way down, right?
So he falls on hard times andhe's now a father of four.
He has boys and one girl.
And this girl she wants to goand dance and, because he fell
(26:42):
in hard times, his money ain'twhat it used to be, right?
The math is not math in hisfavor.
So he tries a comeback to raisethe money so she can go on this
ballet thing right now.
The gang is almost all together.
So of course we have scooter,mcgruder is back, Christopher
McDaniel Julie Bowen, eventhough technically she dies, she
(27:04):
comes back in, in flashbacks,right?
And then you have the kids.
Now that is some great cameos inthis, right?
John Daley is in there too.
John Daley, the golfer, right?
Ben Stiller is in it.
So that's half the fun beingable to look right.
Also, Adam Sadler's daughter,Sonny is in this, she plays the
(27:27):
daughter.
Also you have, can I just tellyou how much bad Bunny is in it?
And he's hilarious, as we knowfrom SNL and all of that.
He has a very nice acting careergoing.
Travis Kelsey, who is a hugefan, is in it for a little bit
of the franchise.
And Lavelle Crawford plays, ifyou remember, she plays Slim
(27:50):
Peterson, who's the son ofHappy's late mentor Chubbs, who
was by the call weathers andthey had a great part for Call
Weathers, but unfortunately hepassed away and they do a
beautiful homage for the peoplethat passed away from the first
movie to now.
So I think this is just key,key, like if you go in and you
(28:12):
understand like Adam Sandlercomedies and you're not looking
for any deep meaning, you arejust gonna laugh your head off
and it's just a good roaring.
Time, and again, I think it'svery lovingly made.
And again happy he's gone.
Now Happy's gonna have to crawlout of this hole, and again,
scooter mcgruder is back.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Cri (28:34):
For the golf fans, you got everybody
out there actually.
You got Nick Faldo, RickyFowler, Jim Fury you have Sergio
Garcia, Brooks Kka Roy McElroyColin more Risa whatever.
Jack Nicholas.
You got Corey Paven, you gotSheley Scheffler Jordan Speed.
(28:56):
I mean, Lee Trevino, BubbaWatson for the golf fans, he got
everybody out.
And that, that is veryimpressive to me.
But one of the names that youdid not mention is Kim Whitley
is in it.
And I did not know that.
Kathia Woods (29:11):
She's in it.
She has a smaller part.
Nothing wrong with that, butshe's in it because a, it's a
win is a win.
And again this movie is madewith love and it's just about.
Uplifting people and pouringinto people and just having a
good time.
You know what I mean?
The Sandman and again just Ithink some of the funniest parts
(29:34):
are with John.
I had no idea that John Daileywas as funny as he is.
And he's really funny in this.
Like he, wow, that's great.
He doesn't take him.
And I love the fact that hedoesn't take himself too
serious.
Like he lives with Adam Handlerwhen they relocate, as he had to
downgrade to just regularliving, so
Reggie Ponder, The Reel (29:53):
you're saying this is a Netflix and
Chill film and you're not tryingto use a pun there with the
Netflix because it is onNetflix.
Kathia Woods (30:03):
Yeah.
Everybody grab your favoritepart on the couch or the media
room, wherever you watch yourmovies.
Grab your snacks and popcorn andjust hit play and lean in.
It's gonna be a good rip roaringtime.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Cri (30:13):
All right, excellent.
There you have it.
Katya is recommending that nowwe will move to our movie that
we both saw, and this movie is,and you should, everybody, I
think everybody's ready for it.
And that is the fantastic fourfirst steps and I'll kick it off
(30:39):
and just say, what happens hereis you got four astronauts.
They travel in the space and loand behold, something happens
and they come back as superhumans, and they have these
abilities that now make them ateam who we know as the
Fantastic Four.
They protect the world.
They're there for us, andeverybody loves the Fantastic
(31:02):
Four because they are the firstfamily of Marvel.
Their latest challenge is todefeat a force.
That wants to devour and destroythe world.
And the only way that they cansave the world is by giving up
their son.
And then when I say their son,Reed and Sue are Sue is pregnant
(31:25):
and they're having a son andthis evil entity wants their
son.
And if they do that, the evilentity is like, Hey I'm good.
I won't come and destroy yourworld.
But they're like, nah, we arenot gonna do that.
So they're ready to try todefeat this evil foe or dia
(31:46):
trying.
What's the like for this one?
A couple of things.
I think that this film is aptlytitled First Steps.
The first step is to reintroduceus to the first family of
Marvel.
And I think they do a reallygood job with that.
They're not rewriting thehistory of these beloved
(32:07):
characters, but rather they'reresetting the universe with some
new faces and some iconic somenew faces who take the place of
these, not take the place, butactually assume these iconic
characters.
So that's the first step.
The second step is that you getto see this new group of beings
(32:28):
actually in action.
And you know, when we talk aboutsuperhero films, everybody wants
to see some action, and there'sa lot of action here.
When the Silver Surfer comesdown to announce that Earth is
next on the chopping block, andthe galactic is getting ready to
come and do their thing, allbets are off and all bets are on
whatever it is, time to get iton.
(32:49):
And they have enough action inthere for those who are seeking
some action.
The third step is to providehope.
And there's still hope in thisfilm.
You sitting there like, oh man,they can't lose.
They can't lose.
I hope they won't lose.
And there's still some hope thatfantastic for albeit outmatched
(33:11):
that they might be able to pullthis off.
So you are rooting for them andyou're rooting for them to save
the world.
And then the fourth step is tointroduce these characters that
you want to see again and again.
And I think they did anexcellent job of introducing
these characters that you wantto see, not from the superheroes
to all the other characters thatyou're gonna see in the film.
(33:31):
There were a few things that Ididn't particularly care for and
I can just list them reallyquickly.
And there were three things.
The first one is that there aregonna be some things that if
you're new to this franchise,don't read the comic books.
Just like all these superheromovies.
Some of the things will go overyour head, but it will not spoil
the movie.
It's fine.
The other thing is that.
(33:53):
You have to wait until anAvengers movie to see these
people again.
And I would prefer to just seeanother Fantastic Four movie to
see where they are and that typeof thing.
I know how the MCU does it.
It is what it is.
And speaking of the way, the howthe MCU does it, they also have
two during the credit scenes,which I hate.
(34:16):
I hate the fact that I have towatch all these names go past
me, but they have two of thosescenes, so at the end of the
movie, just stay seated and waitfor the two scenes so you can
see what happens there.
But I love the fact that thewriters on this one focus on
helping CDs beings as humanbeings as opposed to just these
(34:36):
super humans that, that hadthese great abilities.
I like that.
And I think they focused a loton that.
And I was engaged.
I liked their interaction.
I think that the four of themworked together.
And I think that when we startedto talk about longevity, I think
that they created somethingwhere you will, you want to
(34:56):
follow these four people?
That's my take.
Kathia Woods (35:01):
Okay.
I too like this.
I like this a lot.
I really love the fact that itwas less than th two hours,
right?
Because some of these movies,woo Child, you are like, we felt
like it's a hostage situation.
I love this approach.
I love the nostalgia reallyworks because they're still
grappling with being theseFantastic four and what their
(35:25):
mission is, which is for them tobe goodwill ambassadors, right?
And to be these guardians ofearth.
But at the thing that makes thismovie so great is, excuse me, is
not their superpower.
The superpowers are really likea bonus.
It's their bond to each other.
It's a relationship between Sueand Reed, right?
(35:49):
Even Johnny Storm, is not justsome bubbling idiot, he has
debts and the thing which,before I always felt they
pictured him on the screen asbeing, sad about being in this
big body, right?
Whereas this one is more jovialand he's confident and he's
willing to still live, right?
He doesn't look it as as aburden.
(36:10):
He embraces it, right?
The love that they have for eachother, because of course, only
the four of them understand thecircumstances that they found
themselves in.
I really love that they took, Ifeel like this movie did a
better job of leaning into thehumanity of these four people,
(36:31):
that through a, through thisevent.
Understand that they're not nowchanged.
I love that, that Pedro Pascal,I really like him as Reed and
that he took this nerdyapproach.
He's not trying to be cool, he'sjust a smart guy that can happen
also to be Mr.
Elastic.
I love that.
Vanessa Kirby is protective and,you know, the, she although
(36:53):
loves reach, she doesn'tautomatically is willing to just
go along for everything.
She challenges him and at thesame time you see the closeness
between her and Johnny.
And also the friendship betweenJohnny and thing.
So I think those things are whatmake the movie more.
I think it does a better job ofshowing the power of humanity
(37:15):
against good versus evil thanSuperman does.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Criti (37:19):
I totally agree with you.
I think that the writing in thisreally makes us.
Know these characters.
I don't think they did a bad jobin Superman.
I just think you're right thatthey just did a better job here.
I feel
Kathia Woods (37:37):
like the explanation though, I feel like
with Superman, the explanationwas better than the execution.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel C (37:43):
Okay.
I think part of that for me,with Superman, and I talked, we
talked about this before, is Ithe Superman movie tried to
introduce so many characters andI just think that that takes
away from the depth that you canhave with each of those
(38:06):
characters.
So all of a sudden you just see,here's a new character, here's a
new character, here's a newcharacter, here's a new
character, and they don't haveenough to.
To enough meat on the bones foreach of those characters.
And that sometimes can workbecause they are trying to reset
the DCU.
(38:27):
But I think that that's exactlywhat they're trying to do with
the MCU.
They're trying to reset the MCU.
They're saying, okay, we knowthat all those faces of all
those people that you used tosee, we're gonna change those
people.
You're not gonna see the sameperson playing Ironman.
You're not gonna see the sameperson playing Fantastic Four.
(38:48):
You're not gonna see that.
And because we have to resethere as well.
But what we're not gonna do iswe're not gonna bring in all the
characters from the MCU that wecan and kind of stuff'em into
this film.
I think they were more linearhere, and I think that that
works.
Kathia Woods (39:06):
I also, like, they gave us a backstory to Silver
Surfer who has appeared innumerous MCUs, and people are
like what is this?
We also gotta remember, you're,you are bringing in a whole
group of people that never readthe comic books.
I thought this also was abeautiful homage to the original
cartoon, the rollout, the comicbook without being dated.
I mean, this movie is, it is, Ialways say that, excuse me,
(39:29):
filmmaking is a team sport,right?
And we have to shout out, I andmy review mentioned the set
designer and the costumedesigner, because this movie
does not work.
If the set doesn't look doesn'tput you in the mind frame that
it's the 1960s the costumingfrom, if the, if we're supposed
to be in the 1960s, but thesuperhero suits look like it's
(39:52):
2025, but now how are wesupposed to lean in to this?
I look is a part of this whole.
Story setting.
And I think you can use theAvengers movie to propel them
from the 1960s into the current,but don't do it with this.
I also,
Reggie Ponder, The Reel C (40:10):
lemme lemme say, lemme say this
though.
Go ahead.
I love that you mentioned that.
I did not mention that in myreview.
I think that the setting was soright.
Just how they had the TV show,everything seemed dated, but the
movie didn't feel dated.
(40:30):
So you did feel like you wereback in that time.
But it was funny andsurprisingly fresh.
Surprisingly fresh.
So I, I am excited that youmentioned the set design, the
costume design, because I didn'tso thanks for that.
Kathia Woods (40:48):
Absolutely because again, we are supposed to buy in
that we're meeting this family.
That is rippling.
And also with this whole thingof good versus evil and them
understanding that theirsuperpower wait for it is not,
the powers that they gain istheir bond as a family.
It's the strength when they worktogether and they lean in
(41:10):
together, they can overcomeeverything.
In terms of letting humanityknow, our superpower is that we
believe in it has to benefit allof us.
Whereas the evil, the galacticdude, he's all about himself.
And that's the difference,right?
He may be physically whatever,stronger, but ultimately it's
(41:32):
his ego that it's his downfall,right?
So these are the things that Ithink were done.
I, listen, I have been ascritical of the MCU cranking out
some stuff like it's nobody'sbusiness.
Like it's some type of fast foodnetwork and just cashing in on
the fan base and being like, wespent$200 million.
We got Joe Blow to be in it.
(41:54):
Just go pay for the ticketblindly.
I feel like they're starting toget back to what made the MCU
great, right?
With Thunderbolt leaning in onthe humor with this B list of
anti-heroes.
And with this leaning in withthe nostalgia and I think
understanding, if you build agood IT work, it has to start
(42:15):
with a good story, right?
I don't care what it is.
If you start off with a goodstory.
Wait for it and build around it.
You will have a good, theneverything else will take care
of itself because again, you canhave the greatest costumes and
(42:36):
the greatest special effects.
But baby, if death's story islike where you are scratching
your head like, what in theworld am I watching?
None of it is worth it.
And again, I think these guyswere a good setting and I think
you are.
This movie's gonna make a lot ofmoney this weekend.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Cr (42:52):
this was a fun movie.
Kathia Woods (42:55):
Again, less than two hours.
And again, you can tell a storylike that.
I
Reggie Ponder, The Reel (42:59):
really enjoyed it and I would go back
and see it again.
That's how much I liked thismovie.
I gave it three and a half outof four.
It was good not good.
It was better than good and Iwanted to see these characters
again.
I absolutely want to see theseactors who played these iconic
(43:21):
characters again.
And I think that it's a tributeto the writing.
It's a tribute to how it wasshot cinematically, it's a
tribute to the acting, the wholepackage in this worked.
So I am totally recommendingthat people go check this one
out.
Kathia Woods (43:40):
I agree.
I would totally watch thisagain.
And just, I think it is, Ireally enjoyed it.
Like I came out of there beinglike, I'm here for it.
And again it is utterly like agood time,
Reggie Ponder, The Reel C (43:57):
There you have it.
So we did two movies and we'regonna end on a little bit of a
sad note what a lot of us saidnote, but I think that we can't.
Be in the movie entertainmentbusiness without at least
mentioning the ing of Malcolm,Jamal Warner.
And I never met him, but I havea feeling that my Philly friend
(44:18):
who's met, everybody has a storyto tell us about.
I met him when we talked aboutthis.
So Go ahead, Katia.
I know you got No,
Kathia Woods (44:29):
It was more like a, it was 17 magazine.
I was very young and you hadyour little, and now I know I'm
dating myself.
You had people doing likeautograph signing and
appearances, pre-internet.
People used to come to the localmalls or whatever, and he was
lovely.
And I think people misunderstandcertain things.
I gotta remember that noteverybody is the sharpest knife
(44:49):
in the tool shed on theinternet.
That I said, this hits differentfor Gen Xers.
We literally the same age and hewould've turned 55 in August.
And I think when other peopledie, not that we don't care.
And also I think this is again,when stuff happened that was
geared towards our generation ofmoments, we remember right.
(45:11):
When people said I watched TheCosby Show and reruns, and we're
not saying that other peopledidn't enjoy it, the Cosby Show,
but we watched it live.
We watched it from the premiereto the last episode like he was
a teenager.
When we were a teenager.
The wardrobe, the issues wererelatable because we were
literally going to it.
When Theo went from high schoolto college, we made that same
(45:35):
jump in real life.
And also, I love his story arcwhere he went from being a goofy
teenager.
I remember the episode ofMacbeth.
I read Macbeth in 10th grade.
For English.
So all of that had really honeAnd I think people also have to
remember, like for a lot of us,he was like our first crush or
our first TV crush.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel (45:53):
That's right.
Kathia Woods (45:54):
I loved growing pains and I loved family ties,
but I did not have a crush onKirk Cameron or Michael J.
Fox as great as they were.
But I think and I loved Alex pKeaton.
I thought he was hilarious.
But when you bought, back thenwhen you had 17 Magazine, which
is something that I read a lot,and he was the only thing of
(46:14):
color as far as a boy on thosemagazines when they talked about
crushes, when you talked aboutyour Tiger Beat or Team Beat,
whatever the name is.
Because write up was for us
Reggie Ponder, The Reel C (46:24):
right on.
Kathia Woods (46:25):
Write on was for us.
But these mainstream magazines,he was the only boy.
I think to us, it would feellike, God forbid, like some, one
of the members of New Edition,because we grew up in New
Edition from middle school allthe way now to adulthood.
So I think when you havemillennials or other people,
it's not saying that doesn't,but we saw it and we understood
(46:49):
like we wanted to we recognizedthe fashion.
Denise had on a Benettonsweater, if, Benetton sweaters
were a grip back in the day, itwas like$80 for Benetton.
You know what I mean?
That's still a little bit of agrip now for a sweater.
So all of these things, youknow, sitting there watching, I
remember that episode withDenise and Chris St.
(47:09):
John who played her boyfriend orfriend.
May he rest in peace watchingvideos on tv.
We did that, right?
That was literally ourafternoon.
Whether you watched BET or youwatched MTV VH one or video on
demand.
All of these things hit home.
'cause you're like, these guyswere doing what I'm doing.
(47:30):
And we also gotta remember theyoung man who later on went on
to be God, what is it he went onto, to be on Martin, right?
Who played his best friendCockroach.
Remember that?
So you all had a friend and guysoh.
I was writing my write up forHappy Gilmore too.
I referenced this before hepassed.
(47:52):
I'm gonna get like teary eyed,one of the episodes, and I
linked it in my Facebook, andyou can look it up on YouTube,
it's called The Prom, where AdamSandler played one of Theo's
friends and they had the crazyidea to do all this stuff,
right?
The caviar, they got the carcaviar and they took their dates
(48:13):
on the helicopter ride and thegirls were heated because you
know what happens with thehelicopter ride?
You got your hair, you got yourcrusade, your hair is going, the
propeller.
So they came back and they wereheated and Adam Sandler that
year played one of Theo'sfriends or played basketball
with him.
And then the prom episode.
So I literally referenced that,Adam Sandler had been around
(48:36):
from playing one of Theo'sfriends.
Wow.
And wow.
So it's just a very, it, I thinkit hits us that, our generation,
before when people died, it wasa parents' generation or our
older brother or whatever.
Now it's hitting our age groupand it really feels like a
family member died.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel C (48:56):
Yeah.
I really understand that.
And I loved Malcolm and Eddie,by the way.
So moving from Cosby to Malcolmand Eddie, I thought that was a
great show for me.
And I just watched this youngman, Malcolm Jamal Warner move
from thing to thing, and itseemed like there was nothing
(49:19):
that he couldn't do.
When you think about Malcolm andEddie, it was, it is, it was
1996 through 2000.
So they did almost 90 episodesof that show, almost half of
what he did with the Cosby Show,because the Cosby Show, he did
(49:41):
197.
He did a lot.
I do not remember the show, readBetween the Lines with I don't
remember that show.
I don't remember seeing it.
And Donna was talking to meabout that particular show.
And I was like, really?
I don't remember that.
And the other thing is thatpeople didn't know about, A lot
(50:03):
of people are learning moreabout him today because they
didn't know about his music.
They didn't know about hisspoken word that he was a
multi-talented person.
But he was always that personwho seemed to have his head on
straight.
I, in real life not the personathat you portrayed.
(50:24):
I saw a clip one time of him andhis mother being together, and
it was the cutest piece just tosee the rapport that they had
with each other.
And I know they were not hammingit up for the camera.
That was who they were and whohe was.
So rip rest in peace, MalcolmJamal Warner, and if you get a
(50:49):
chance, check out some of hisstuff.
There's stuff out there to checkout.
The Cosby Show is playingplaces.
I know people are showing someof the other things.
And then the internet is blowingup with some beautiful pieces.
I saw a wonderful piece he didabout a spoken word piece that
he did and thanking everybodywho's putting out some of the
wonderful work that he put outin the market.
Kathia Woods (51:11):
And also he had a music career.
He had a very strong actingcareer.
His last regular role, Ibelieve, was on the resident,
and then he had an appearance on9 1 1.
As you guys know, I am a templegrad.
Mr.
Cosby spoke at my collegegraduation, spoke at my sister's
college graduation, who was alsoa temple grad, and so is my
(51:34):
daughter.
We have four member.
This family went through Tu.
The Cosby Show was not just Mr.
Cosby, there were othercomponents there.
And I know it's hard sometimesto try to resolute through that.
But when I tell you also assomebody that grew up middle
class, to see a middle classblack family, that looked a lot
(51:55):
and sounded a lot the vocabbetween the parents and the
children and just for themhaving regular people problem.
That didn't always involvetrauma.
And I think it's also for thepeople that didn't grow up, for
them to be like, Hey, blackpeople living well.
That's not a, that's not a madeup thing.
There are black people who grewup like this, kids who grew up
(52:17):
like this and just havingregular people problems.
You acted up and that's when togo to the, to the thing.
And the parents got'em together.
Denise, failing out of college,right?
If you have siblings, a cousin,there's always one person that
you're like, Ooh.
You know what I mean?
So I think all of these issues,what we loved, and also we have
(52:38):
to remember Reggie, becauseagain, this is generations
growing up with reruns andstreaming and, recording things.
The Cosby Show for the, for agood while, I wanna say for
three or four years was thenumber one show in America.
That means people tuned in.
Was it one year?
One year.
Okay.
For one year.
(52:59):
And then all the other times itwas top 10.
So it was the number one, theseblack folks, blackity black
folks that came into the livingroom.
I'm talking about people in theMidwest, people in these red
states watched the Cosby Show.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Cri (53:14):
And I just wanna say I be, because I
was on mute, is that I wa wasn'tsaying it was for one year.
I think for multiple years itwas the number one show.
Kathia Woods (53:23):
I thought so.
Because here's the thing is weused to watch things as a nation
and we used to have thesethings.
And Reggie's a marketing guy sohe can correct me if I'm wrong,
when Nielsen's used to come up,used to be top 10, what was
watched in white households andwhat was watched in black
households.
And a lot of that list didn'talways overlap.
(53:45):
And three things used to be onthat list.
Monday night football,'causefootball unites us.
60 minutes'cause it's 60Minutes.
And The Cosby Show.
The Cosby Show.
We were watching this as afamily and you gotta also
remember back then Network TVwas 20, like 22, 20 or 22
(54:09):
episodes, fresh episodes.
So for this young man to comeinto our living room for these
years and us watch him grow upand also the beautiful
relationship that he had withhis mother and also all the
Cosby kids, like we ain't nobodycrashed at, and nobody, I'm not
saying that people didn't havetheir ups and downs, but nobody
(54:31):
is in rehab or whatever is atestament to that show.
But I just wanted to point outlike when.
People say that we didn't havecertain things.
This is why when people go, oh,we can't have black people on
tv.
I'm like, we used to have waymore black people, dare I say,
on TV, late seventies, eightiesand nineties than we have now.
(54:56):
And America tuned in good TV isgood TV period.
And it wouldn't be familymanners.
It wouldn't be half and halfsister, sister, none of that.
If the freaking Cosby showdidn't show that America would
tune in to see a show about thisBlackety black family with these
(55:20):
black kids.
And Malcolm John Warner was oneof'em.
And on a side note told you I'ma TV head.
Mr.
Cosby's son in real life wassadly murdered.
And Malcolm Jawan Warner.
Had a friendship with Enni Cosbywhere, because he wanted to make
sure that he played homage, hewanted to get an understanding
(55:43):
of who he was because thischaracter was built.
He was the only boy in thisfamily of girls around Enni, and
he wanted to make sure thatwhatever he did was always
highlighting him and arespectful and a lot of the
challenges that Ennis had, heportrayed in, in, in Theo.
So it's just, it's verybittersweet on this.
(56:04):
But I'm so glad that you broughtthis up because I think all week
I've been trying to figure outwhy is it that we're feeling
this immense loss?
Not to say that we don't carewhen other people died, because
it really does feel this family,this young man that we grew up
with that was so similar to us,it feels like a cousin died this
(56:25):
week.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Crit (56:25):
It really does.
So no doubt about it.
Now, I wasn't gonna mentionthis, but.
Because you are in music.
I only know one song from ChuckMagone and I love that song.
Whenever it plays, it is mysong.
But you are the music person, soI'm sure you probably know like
(56:49):
15 of songs.
Kathia Woods (56:52):
I think, okay, we gotta also understand, oddly
enough, my husband and I werehaving dinner, whatever, lunch,
whatever, and we've gone throughVHS and we were on the yacht
rock.
And then it takes you down,excuse me, on the YouTube and it
takes you down and Chuck me.
Joanie's song came up, right?
I think what we have to rememberis there was this time right in
(57:13):
the seventies, early eightieswhere you had the Herb Alberts,
where there were mixingcontemporary jazz with like pop.
Disco, dare I say, where it wasvery common for a lot of these
musicians to make this type ofmusic.
And I just remember if youwatched like General Hospital
and all these dance shows, you,they played Chuck Mancini's
(57:36):
music and it just, it just, hemakes you think of a time where
music wasn't limited or if youwere black, you were jazz, you
did this.
It just, good music is goodmusic and that's what I think
of.
And he had an absolutely he hada career way after that and he
(57:56):
still played jazz festivals andeverything, but man I said to my
husband, we are not watchinganymore things'cause the way the
world has been working.
But it lived a good life, andthat theme was hat, yeah.
And that whole, yeah.
Also something about theseseventies artists that had, some
swag.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Cr (58:17):
Well that's it.
That's our show.
Obviously as we close, I alwaysask you to tell us where people
can find you and what's new thatthey can check out.
Kathia Woods (58:28):
Okay.
You can read, you can find me atthe Philadelphia Tribune, the
Sacramento Observer, and couplesocial.com.
You can read my interview on thetribute as well as my review.
Fantastic.
Four.
And you can go to cuppa soulshow.com and see my Finding in
the Heat with Adam Sandler andCompany.
(58:48):
You know, whew.
Child, it was hot.
Why about you, Reggie?
Where can the people find you?
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Cri (58:54):
You can find me my latest.
Review on about the fantasticfour first steps.
Again, I already told you guys Iliked it, but you can read
it@indigo.com and you can checkout it@bolo.org.
That's it.
That's our show.
We did it for the week.
(59:14):
Thank you so much, and you guyshave a great time.
We'll see you next time.
We're out.
Kathia Woods (59:20):
Bye.
Don't do longer.
(00:03):
All right, here we go.
Hey, I'm Reggie Ponder the RealCritic, and this is the Real
Critics Network.
Hanya Woods is my co-host.
How are you?
How are you?
How are you?
Kathia Woods (00:15):
I am fantastic now that I'm back home and, out of,
airport Chronicles.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Criti (00:21):
I got a couple of things that I
want to touch base with quickly.
We not gonna stay on thesethings for a long time, so you
gonna have to be like, hit itand quit it.
The first thing.
That's good.
The first thing I wanna touch onis that you told us in the prior
episode about Happy Gilmore too,and I haven't seen the movie
yet.
Have you seen it?
Kathia Woods (00:40):
Yes, I have.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Cri (00:42):
All right.
I know we can't talk about ityet, right?
'cause they're still in embargo,correct?
Kathia Woods (00:45):
No, no, no.
We can talk about it.
It's out today, on Netflix.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Crit (00:49):
Is out today.
Kathia Woods (00:50):
Yep.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel C (00:50):
Okay.
When we get to the moviesegment, I want to talk about it
but the reason I want to bringit up is that Adam Sandler seems
like just a fun, fun guy.
Now, I might be wrong becausesometimes you meet these people
and they are not as fun as theyseem.
In fact, he might be really,really serious because he'd be
(01:12):
about his money.
I just need you to tell me justa little something, something
about Adam Sandler.
Kathia Woods (01:17):
We bonded over sports.
We bonded over sports.
'cause I asked him in theinterview right as you saw me
schwartzen in it, and peoplewere like, oh, is it hot?
I'm like, it's a Pope Catholic.
Stop asking them questions.
It's been a hot summer and wewere outside in the golf club.
Yes, it's the, was it hot?
Duh.
(01:37):
Anyhow, so he.
So I asked him, I said, now how?
Why as a, because I know he's asports guy, right?
I says, as a diehard New Yorker,what's with the Boston Bruins?
I said, I know there's somepeople in your family.
You meet a circle where well,what's happening sir?
Because I know he goes to theKnicks games and he said that,
(02:01):
because of they moved to NewHampshire and that the Boston
guys that he grew up around,that he just seemed like the
type of guy that had that typeof anger and was very serious
about sports.
That he figured that he wouldjust be, he had to be a Boston
Brewers.
But he said, me, Adam, I'm a NewYork guy across the board.
(02:24):
He goes, I'm a diehard Rangersfan, right?
He goes, now, he's like, do youlive in?
I said, no, I moved.
He goes, but you brought theteams with you.
I said, absolutely.
I said, oh no, I said we justsaid, especially eels, like that
flyers.
I go, yeah, absolutely.
And then, so that was our chatand that's when I knew that, I
got him.
But he was lovely.
(02:44):
And the fact that, before werolled, he was like are how are
you?
He asked me about me andChristopher McDaniels, who plays
scooter.
Mcgruder is equally like loving.
Like I love interviews likethat.
I love justice.
Where that talent is like, let'shave a good day instead of like,
(03:05):
and you're like, oh God,
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Criti (03:06):
I love that too.
And so I'm gonna recount, whichI've told you this before, but
I've had a couple of situationsand I won't mention the names
here'cause where the interviewwas terrible.
And that the person really,really, really didn't want to be
there.
I'm not trying to to be put somelove on Philadelphia people, but
(03:29):
seriously, your guy, ColemanDomingo is just absolutely
lovely.
Absolutely lovely because he, inmy opinion, took attention or
paid attention to every personwho came into the room and had a
discussion with him.
He did not blow them off or tryto do it in a short form, and I
(03:56):
really, really appreciated thatversus somebody else, blah,
blah, blah that I was trying totalk to.
And they were like, no I don'treally want to do this.
I, and you could tell theydidn't want to do it.
So the answers.
The questions were short, theyweren't engaging.
(04:17):
And sometimes that might be onme'cause sometimes it is on you.
I
Kathia Woods (04:21):
don't think it's you.
I mean I have two names.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Cri (04:25):
Oh, you gonna spell a t?
Kathia Woods (04:27):
I'm not gonna give the names, but I have two names
that own the do not resuscitatelist.
And people are always shockedwhen I mention the one because
this person has this persona ofbeing bubbly and I was like, I'm
good if I never interview themagain.
I'm so okay.
(04:47):
Not everybody is for everybodyand not everybody mixes with
everybody.
And I have just come to theconclusion that me and this
person, we have run the course.
We did what we could and we kepta pushing because.
It just is what it is.
And again, we all know peoplethat get on this app and on the
(05:08):
social medias and be screamingblack excellence, but don't
really make time for blackjournalists and black outlet.
But oh, and the whole team bewhite.
I say the whole team be white.
I mean everybody like, but forsure that the person that even
gets the water ain't black.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Crit (05:25):
So what I'd like for you to do is
to just shout out one of yourother than I'm sorry, other than
Adam who came.
Lovely.
Say someone else that you like.
Kathia Woods (05:40):
You said one of my favorite people, Coleman
Domingo, who I just adore, who'sjust adore.
I recently had a good one withSam Rockwell and Craig Ferguson.
We had, when I tell you.
We had ourselves a good timewith the bad guys too.
We were kiking at Upper Storm.
When I tell you I laughed sohard, oh my God.
(06:03):
It was like I, Craig Fergusonlived up to everything.
That I, excuse me, GregRobinson.
Sorry.
He lived up to everything that Ithought he was in my head
better.
And Sam Rockwell rockstar.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
I gave him, like at the end Isaid, sir, and congratulations
(06:25):
on your work and the white lotusoutstanding.
He said, thank you.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel C (06:30):
Well, you and I are always having a
issue about Chicago and Philly,but now I think that you can't
really root for Philly anymorebecause you're not a
Philadelphia person.
Oh,
Kathia Woods (06:44):
no, no, no.
The only team I cheer for inAtlanta are the Braves.
Everybody else came with me,including, I think it's, I think
it's sacrilegious very tiresomewhen trying 76ers and
Philadelphia Flyers.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Criti (06:58):
I think it's, I'm in to be going
to Atlanta, taking thisPhiladelphia garb with you and
putting it on and walking aroundPhiladelphia pride.
I just don't think that's theway it should rock.
However, the reason I mentionour beef between Chicago and
Philadelphia.
Is because I did not know thatyou spoke with one of the great
(07:21):
comedians from Chicago, whichhis name is Craig Robinson.
So I'm just saying if you had agreat interview with him, that's
because that Midwestern charm,that Chicago love that.
(07:42):
Hey Craig, what's going on?
I'm really glad that you got toexperience how Chicago, how we
do it.
Kathia Woods (07:50):
I just wanna say this since we're having a thing,
I need people, since we'rehaving our Philadelphia sports
conversation.
Craig is amazing, but I needpeople to leave QB one alone.
Leave who alone?
Jalen hurts alone.
And I'm just like the vitriol,you would've thought he was Doc
Prescott.
I said what I said as cowboyfans.
(08:10):
It just is crazy, but it isjust, but hey, in the words of
QB one, keep the main thing themain thing.
And I cannot wait for him toreally tap dance up in that.
And Saquon too.
Let's get it.
When I tell you last season wasso much fun that, oh,
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Criti (08:31):
I can't hear you.
I'm sorry.
Look, I
Kathia Woods (08:33):
know because it's, I know it's rough because it's
been a minute of Chicago.
I, since your Bears did anythingworth talking about?
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Criti (08:39):
I can hardly you, but I do want,
the stadium
Kathia Woods (08:41):
is legendary, but the playing inside the stadium
has not been legendary.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Criti (08:45):
I do want to.
Mention one other person that Ihave the utmost respect for on,
on a serious note as it relatesto talking to the press.
I will not be in Toronto thisyear, unfortunately.
Kathia Woods (09:02):
Oh,
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Cri (09:03):
and yeah, I don't think I'm gonna
make it.
No, but my last time
Kathia Woods (09:07):
we're not getting it.
We're not getting part two ofthe outfits.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Crit (09:11):
My last time in Toronto, I was
standing outside trying to getan interview and they had 67
outlets and I was probably 61.
Kathia Woods (09:25):
Oh.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Cri (09:26):
And by time this person got to, to
me, they pulled him off the redcarpet to go in and do what they
do, talk to, introduce theirfilm and talk to this person.
Said, I will be back.
Don't worry, we waited about anhour.
'cause they had to go in, do allthe stuff that they needed to do
(09:46):
and this person came back nice.
And when they came back, theyspoke to everybody who was left.
I felt I'll always tip my headhat to that person.
And that was Ben Stiller.
Ben Stiller went and talked toeverybody and he took his time.
(10:08):
He wasn't being rushed by hispublicist.
I think that, and there wereother people who did not come
back in that same movie.
Kathia Woods (10:18):
I will say this.
And Ben still isn't happyGilmore too, by the way.
I think there are certain peoplethat just makes it endures you.
That just endures you.
And will make you really go outof their way for this person.
But I'm just like, I don't like,again, you and I have seen it
live in 4K.
These people whoop black people,black people, and then we see
(10:41):
them when we go, you are phonyat in a$3 bill.
We see you, sir.
Or they'll st.
Excuse me.
They'll stand in line for amainstream or white owned outlet
right now.
I always say, let's do the mathentertainment tonight, whatever.
These shows are 30 minutes,which means after you take out
the commercial, it's 20 minutesand they have a opportunity to
(11:06):
put on, junior Roberts andJennifer Lawrence or whatever
you have there.
And then there's you, Joe Smith,right?
Who do you think is getting lefton the cutting room for, and
especially with the budget cuts,right?
Which before you at least makethe digital segment.
You are not making themainstream anymore.
It is crazy to me how you don't,understand that, even here in
(11:32):
Atlanta, like for the realHousewives of Beverly Hills, not
Beverly Hills of Atlanta.
Like they ushered them to gospeak to entertainment tonight.
And I, and the publicisthappened to be white and I said,
ma'am, you are in Atlanta, ahella black city with black
media here.
For you to take away these womenand to speak to, especially the
(11:55):
newer housewives where peopledidn't know who they were.
I said to speak to thesemainstream outlet is very
disrespectful when you have ablack publicist.
That's the lead on this, that'stacky.
And she looked at me and I waslike I said, what I said is,
because to me it's it's verylike.
There's certain spaces, butagain, these people will stand
(12:18):
there and wait through in 3000degrees to go speak.
And also, we know, right?
We have colleagues that work atmainstream outlets.
You and I both do and we knowthat.
And I have one who's a producer,right?
Spent, I'm not gonna say whoshe's, but she spent, she works
for a major outlet, spent likefour hours at the Image Awards,
right?
(12:39):
Out of all that video, fourhours at the Image Awards.
Again, that show where she's aproducer on is a half an hour
show.
So you take the commercials out,it's 20 minutes, three people
out of four hours made the newpsych, made the show.
(13:00):
Because although they meansomething to us, to them, first
of all, they didn't know wherehalf these people are.
You'll make it like if you,Carrie Washington, Jamie Fox
Denzel Washington.
If you like David Banner, younot know who that is.
Not gonna make it.
And it is just, there arecertain people that we will love
(13:22):
and we're like, oh, thisperson's on this hit TV show.
They don't care.
They don't even, again, thesesegments used to make it onto
the YouTube channel, but allthat staffing, all the editors
for that are being cut left andright.
They just canceled e-news afterto 32 years on the air.
So I'm just like some of thesepeople, and I'm not saying that
(13:44):
to be shady.
Some of these CD celebrities maywanna rethink how they approach
media because it's getting tightout here.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Crit (14:00):
It is.
And that's why I like to notonly talk about the challenges,
but also talk about those whomeet the moment.
Kathia Woods (14:10):
Oh, absolutely.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Cri (14:11):
And I have found a few people who
have met the moment BlairUnderwood was one for me.
Halle Berry was one for me.
Kathia Woods (14:20):
Blair is wonderful.
I'm so glad you brought up BlairUnderwood.
Like he is, love him.
And I do wanna say I'm not madat any, some cel like Blair
Underwood will be engaging, askyou about you, that type of
stuff, right?
I have David Allen Greer will,you'll key, key with, and I have
no problem with celebrities thatare like, girl, I've been here
(14:43):
for four hours, or I just flewin from the West coast and this
is about to be four hours.
I just want to get through thesequestions and keep it pushing.
I'm fine with that.
I don't think that makes you abad person.
Everybody approaches things.
You don't know what's going on.
Some people might have had a badday.
(15:04):
We're not talking about themfolks.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel C (15:05):
Nope.
We're
Kathia Woods (15:06):
talking about the folks that really be on here
telling y'all a yarn, a lie.
But again, like Reggie said,it's for every one of those
folks.
There are people that, I've hadwonderful experiences with
Lupita, Nyon o other people havehad not so great ones, right?
But I also go in withunderstanding that she wants to
(15:27):
keep it business.
If she wants to open that doorto be a little bit more
lighthearted then we, that'sokay.
But I have no problem being likeKa Woods outlet and let's get to
the business.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Cri (15:39):
All right, so I wanna move on to our
next topic in our segment.
What's on my mind?
And that is I have been, becauseI'm getting at that age where I
need to really see where mymoney is.
I have working a lot onfinancial planning.
I don't want to tell people howto do their financial planning.
(16:01):
I don't want to tell peoplewhere, who they should get, what
company they should use and allof that other type of stuff.
But what I do wanna say is thatI have three things that I wanna
put out there.
I know you'll speak to thesethree things as well.
The first is that you shouldstart your financial planning
early.
Yes sir.
As early as you can, because adollar today is worth more than
(16:27):
a dollar tomorrow.
What that means is when you putaway a dollar today, in the long
run, it will compound and itwill make you money.
It will, you will have moneythere.
My second thing is for peoplewho think you cannot save
hogwash, you can cut somecorners somewhere, even when you
(16:49):
are work, living paycheck topaycheck.
And one of the best ways to dothat is to.
Have something taken outta yourcheck where you forget it.
If you can't do it a hundreddollars a check, can't do the$50
a check, do the$20 a check.
You will be happy for it lateron down the road.
(17:11):
And then third, if you havechildren and you plan for them
to go to college, a 5 29 plan isa phenomenal way to help pay for
their college.
Everybody's not going tocollege, so that's not what I'm
saying.
I'm not here trying to sayeverybody needs to go to
(17:32):
college.
I'm saying if you plan for yourchild to go to college, a 5 29
plan is something to do.
We have to start talking to ourpeople about finances, and we
should do it early as opposed tolate.
My last thought about this ismost times.
(17:54):
A referral is the best way toget to your financial planner
most times.
I'm not saying all the time, butmost times because that means
that the person they're workingwith, they must be doing a
decent job by that person.
If you're working with somebody,that's my spiel.
I'm gonna stop there and I'mgonna let my real financial
(18:15):
person who actually worked inthis area give you a few tips as
well.
Kathia Woods (18:21):
I agree.
Reggie.
I always say as we talk to ourkids about sex, we talk to our
kids about drugs.
We don't talk to them aboutmoney, and then we're surprised
that they're horrible with it.
We don't talk to them about theimportance of building
responsible credit.
We don't talk to them aboutsavings.
We don't.
When we were kids, we had apassbook savings account.
(18:41):
Remember that little one, youwere so excited to go to the
bank.
You put your birthday money inthere your allowance, right?
Or once you had a little bit ofmoney accumulated, you would go
with your mom and you would fillout the withdrawal form or the
deposit form, right?
And you'd go, or you'd take yourpiggy bank, right?
And you did have the little passkey and you get stuff out and
(19:04):
that would get deposited.
The point that I'm making is weused to have these things that
introduced us into banking andunderstanding savings.
And just not, I don't think theydo passport savings anymore, but
there are things that you cando.
You can do a regular statementsavings account.
I know my daughter had a debitcard.
Not a debit card.
(19:24):
A-A-A-T-M card.
Where I would put stuff in thereand then when she turned 16, we
converted that into a checkingaccount that I am still on her
checking account.
Which is a whole nother thing.
'Cause I'm somehow still herpersonal banker, but just doing
stuff like that.
Getting a debit card.
A little secured credit cardwhen they go to college.
(19:46):
Now wait for it.
We are not talking about onewith$10,000 the platinum,
putting them on the platinumcard.
We're talking about like our$500limit.
Just something, to build creditbecause when they, at some point
you wanna stop co-signing forthe apartment.
I'm just saying.
So it's just.
It's little things like that,when they are getting their
(20:07):
first job getting, signing upfor the 401k, four three B,
whatever the thing is,especially when the company
matches.
So that's free money.
So I think we need to get out ofthis thing that what Reggie is
trying to say, and what I'mtrying to say is in simple
words, that investing for thefuture is rich people's thing.
(20:30):
And I also ask on the other partthat we don't do, which drives
me crazy, me personally, is youremployers.
I'm gonna score it on the limitand say 80% pay money.
For you to be able to call ifyou are not sure and ask
questions about what thesedifferent funds are that are
(20:50):
eligible for you to put intoyour retirement account.
These people's job is, you mighteven be entitled to getting a
free financial plan for you andyour wife where you don't have
to pay for it.
That's part of your retirementpackage or your employee
assistant package, whatever thatfalls under.
A lot of us don't take advantageof these things, and then you
(21:12):
find out you've been at thecompany, God forbid, 10 years.
You're like, wait a minute.
How long we've had that?
We done had this since youstarted working here.
So it's just important that wetake advantage of these
resources.
And again we don't have toovercomplicate it.
Nobody's telling you to go buy abunch of Bitcoin, but use that
number every year.
(21:33):
If your four oh one call andjust be like, Hey, I just wanna
make sure that I'm in the rightthings for me.
This is some of my goals are, etcetera, et cetera, et cetera.
It's really important.
And and as a couple, God forbidpeople are dropping fast.
When somebody dies, it ain't thetime to find out where the money
resides.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel (21:54):
Hello.
Hello.
Well, that is our public serviceannouncement for today.
I felt that it was importantbecause a lot of the things that
I'm learning about finances,nobody told me.
So if you know stuff.
Share it.
Share with your people.
That doesn't mean that they,that if you are sharing it with
(22:18):
them to say this is what youhave to do, that's the wrong
approach.
That's not what I'm saying.
I'm saying just make peopleknowledgeable about the things
you know about.
So
Kathia Woods (22:28):
make an informed decision.
Another thing too is, I'm gonnasay this'cause I love,'cause
I've been through this when Iwas assistant manager with a
person comes in right with theCDs.
With the stack of CDs.
Because God bless our parents orour grandparents that used to
get the paper and they get thepaper from everywhere.
I don't know if any of you havethose relatives.
(22:48):
I don't know if you did.
Reggie.
They saw a good CD rate at abank in Milwaukee.
And they would go by and you'relike wait a minute.
Do you live in, or your peoplelive in Chicago and they got a
CD with a bank out inCalifornia, and you're trying to
wrap your head around, as you'recleaning out the house, you
finding out all these differentbonds and these different in CDs
(23:10):
and now you are sitting at thebank and we gotta take two hours
to call these different thingsand to sign this and to get an
email sent to get the moneycashed out so that it can go
into the estate planning or payfor the funeral.
Just talk to the parents, talkto the grandparents and say,
listen, I can, we just put itall in one shoebox in one, one
(23:32):
folder.
Everything that you have theeverything that you have
whatever it is, because we don'twanna clean out the house and
then ask ourselves, or Godforbid the bank.
He bought the CD and got soldout to somebody else, they never
filed it.
Listen again, we love ourelders, but we've all heard
(23:52):
stories or ourselves been therewhere you went through stuff and
then you gotta conduct a CSIinvestigation to figure out
like, who do you get in contactwith the cash at the cd, which
sometimes, believe it or not, Iworked on something by the time
we were done all of it togetherbetween the the mutual like CDs,
(24:14):
bonds, like you name it, it was$50,000 because the elder just
kept buying stuff in the thingand would send a cashier check
for a thousand dollars here andjust set it and forget it.
And if you think about it, backin the day when you still had
savings 20, 30 years and you'relike, you're like, daddy, what
were you doing?
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Cri (24:33):
God bless our people who.
Worked hard.
Yeah.
To save.
To save.
Yeah.
Kathia Woods (24:38):
And needs to be admired.
But just let'em know.
Can we put it in one filingcabinet or in the safety deposit
box?
Or one?
Just one place?
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Crit (24:47):
Or under one mattress.
Or under one mattress.
Just one mattress.
Not, yes not two mattresses.
Anyway, just
Kathia Woods (24:54):
one place.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel C (24:55):
Let's move on to our movie segment and
our first movie.
I didn't see it, but I didn'tknow that Kaia Woods saw it.
And that is Happy Gilmore too.
So give us the scoop.
Tell us what this one's about.
And is this one worth checkingout?
Because I'm gonna say, I knowthat I would've had fun with
(25:17):
Adam Sandler.
I'm not sure that I would havefun with this movie.
And the reason I'm saying thatis it's so long after the fact
that do I really wanna see ahappy Gilmore two when Happy
Gilmore One is a classic.
Help me,
Kathia Woods (25:36):
I'm gonna say if again, you know how we talk
about certain things on theright platform, I think for
Netflix and Chill, this isperfect also because it is
hilarious and as I like to say,Rome is burning and we need a
little time out from Rome.
We just do.
We just need a little time out.
(25:56):
Also, I don't think this is alsothe type, like if you have great
school kids you can watch as afamily.
There's nothing horribly goingon here that's gonna have you
clutching your pearls.
But here's the thing is toanswer your question so we meet
happy.
A while after his, after hebecame a pressure golfer, he was
doing really, really great andhe's the toast of the town and
(26:19):
he lost his wife.
So he's a widower, right?
And he falls, and when I tellyou he falls, he falls woo all
the way down, right?
So he falls on hard times andhe's now a father of four.
He has boys and one girl.
And this girl she wants to goand dance and, because he fell
(26:42):
in hard times, his money ain'twhat it used to be, right?
The math is not math in hisfavor.
So he tries a comeback to raisethe money so she can go on this
ballet thing right now.
The gang is almost all together.
So of course we have scooter,mcgruder is back, Christopher
McDaniel Julie Bowen, eventhough technically she dies, she
(27:04):
comes back in, in flashbacks,right?
And then you have the kids.
Now that is some great cameos inthis, right?
John Daley is in there too.
John Daley, the golfer, right?
Ben Stiller is in it.
So that's half the fun beingable to look right.
Also, Adam Sadler's daughter,Sonny is in this, she plays the
(27:27):
daughter.
Also you have, can I just tellyou how much bad Bunny is in it?
And he's hilarious, as we knowfrom SNL and all of that.
He has a very nice acting careergoing.
Travis Kelsey, who is a hugefan, is in it for a little bit
of the franchise.
And Lavelle Crawford plays, ifyou remember, she plays Slim
(27:50):
Peterson, who's the son ofHappy's late mentor Chubbs, who
was by the call weathers andthey had a great part for Call
Weathers, but unfortunately hepassed away and they do a
beautiful homage for the peoplethat passed away from the first
movie to now.
So I think this is just key,key, like if you go in and you
(28:12):
understand like Adam Sandlercomedies and you're not looking
for any deep meaning, you arejust gonna laugh your head off
and it's just a good roaring.
Time, and again, I think it'svery lovingly made.
And again happy he's gone.
Now Happy's gonna have to crawlout of this hole, and again,
scooter mcgruder is back.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Cri (28:34):
For the golf fans, you got everybody
out there actually.
You got Nick Faldo, RickyFowler, Jim Fury you have Sergio
Garcia, Brooks Kka Roy McElroyColin more Risa whatever.
Jack Nicholas.
You got Corey Paven, you gotSheley Scheffler Jordan Speed.
(28:56):
I mean, Lee Trevino, BubbaWatson for the golf fans, he got
everybody out.
And that, that is veryimpressive to me.
But one of the names that youdid not mention is Kim Whitley
is in it.
And I did not know that.
Kathia Woods (29:11):
She's in it.
She has a smaller part.
Nothing wrong with that, butshe's in it because a, it's a
win is a win.
And again this movie is madewith love and it's just about.
Uplifting people and pouringinto people and just having a
good time.
You know what I mean?
The Sandman and again just Ithink some of the funniest parts
(29:34):
are with John.
I had no idea that John Daileywas as funny as he is.
And he's really funny in this.
Like he, wow, that's great.
He doesn't take him.
And I love the fact that hedoesn't take himself too
serious.
Like he lives with Adam Handlerwhen they relocate, as he had to
downgrade to just regularliving, so
Reggie Ponder, The Reel (29:53):
you're saying this is a Netflix and
Chill film and you're not tryingto use a pun there with the
Netflix because it is onNetflix.
Kathia Woods (30:03):
Yeah.
Everybody grab your favoritepart on the couch or the media
room, wherever you watch yourmovies.
Grab your snacks and popcorn andjust hit play and lean in.
It's gonna be a good rip roaringtime.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Cri (30:13):
All right, excellent.
There you have it.
Katya is recommending that nowwe will move to our movie that
we both saw, and this movie is,and you should, everybody, I
think everybody's ready for it.
And that is the fantastic fourfirst steps and I'll kick it off
(30:39):
and just say, what happens hereis you got four astronauts.
They travel in the space and loand behold, something happens
and they come back as superhumans, and they have these
abilities that now make them ateam who we know as the
Fantastic Four.
They protect the world.
They're there for us, andeverybody loves the Fantastic
(31:02):
Four because they are the firstfamily of Marvel.
Their latest challenge is todefeat a force.
That wants to devour and destroythe world.
And the only way that they cansave the world is by giving up
their son.
And then when I say their son,Reed and Sue are Sue is pregnant
(31:25):
and they're having a son andthis evil entity wants their
son.
And if they do that, the evilentity is like, Hey I'm good.
I won't come and destroy yourworld.
But they're like, nah, we arenot gonna do that.
So they're ready to try todefeat this evil foe or dia
(31:46):
trying.
What's the like for this one?
A couple of things.
I think that this film is aptlytitled First Steps.
The first step is to reintroduceus to the first family of
Marvel.
And I think they do a reallygood job with that.
They're not rewriting thehistory of these beloved
(32:07):
characters, but rather they'reresetting the universe with some
new faces and some iconic somenew faces who take the place of
these, not take the place, butactually assume these iconic
characters.
So that's the first step.
The second step is that you getto see this new group of beings
(32:28):
actually in action.
And you know, when we talk aboutsuperhero films, everybody wants
to see some action, and there'sa lot of action here.
When the Silver Surfer comesdown to announce that Earth is
next on the chopping block, andthe galactic is getting ready to
come and do their thing, allbets are off and all bets are on
whatever it is, time to get iton.
(32:49):
And they have enough action inthere for those who are seeking
some action.
The third step is to providehope.
And there's still hope in thisfilm.
You sitting there like, oh man,they can't lose.
They can't lose.
I hope they won't lose.
And there's still some hope thatfantastic for albeit outmatched
(33:11):
that they might be able to pullthis off.
So you are rooting for them andyou're rooting for them to save
the world.
And then the fourth step is tointroduce these characters that
you want to see again and again.
And I think they did anexcellent job of introducing
these characters that you wantto see, not from the superheroes
to all the other characters thatyou're gonna see in the film.
(33:31):
There were a few things that Ididn't particularly care for and
I can just list them reallyquickly.
And there were three things.
The first one is that there aregonna be some things that if
you're new to this franchise,don't read the comic books.
Just like all these superheromovies.
Some of the things will go overyour head, but it will not spoil
the movie.
It's fine.
The other thing is that.
(33:53):
You have to wait until anAvengers movie to see these
people again.
And I would prefer to just seeanother Fantastic Four movie to
see where they are and that typeof thing.
I know how the MCU does it.
It is what it is.
And speaking of the way, the howthe MCU does it, they also have
two during the credit scenes,which I hate.
(34:16):
I hate the fact that I have towatch all these names go past
me, but they have two of thosescenes, so at the end of the
movie, just stay seated and waitfor the two scenes so you can
see what happens there.
But I love the fact that thewriters on this one focus on
helping CDs beings as humanbeings as opposed to just these
(34:36):
super humans that, that hadthese great abilities.
I like that.
And I think they focused a loton that.
And I was engaged.
I liked their interaction.
I think that the four of themworked together.
And I think that when we startedto talk about longevity, I think
that they created somethingwhere you will, you want to
(34:56):
follow these four people?
That's my take.
Kathia Woods (35:01):
Okay.
I too like this.
I like this a lot.
I really love the fact that itwas less than th two hours,
right?
Because some of these movies,woo Child, you are like, we felt
like it's a hostage situation.
I love this approach.
I love the nostalgia reallyworks because they're still
grappling with being theseFantastic four and what their
(35:25):
mission is, which is for them tobe goodwill ambassadors, right?
And to be these guardians ofearth.
But at the thing that makes thismovie so great is, excuse me, is
not their superpower.
The superpowers are really likea bonus.
It's their bond to each other.
It's a relationship between Sueand Reed, right?
(35:49):
Even Johnny Storm, is not justsome bubbling idiot, he has
debts and the thing which,before I always felt they
pictured him on the screen asbeing, sad about being in this
big body, right?
Whereas this one is more jovialand he's confident and he's
willing to still live, right?
He doesn't look it as as aburden.
(36:10):
He embraces it, right?
The love that they have for eachother, because of course, only
the four of them understand thecircumstances that they found
themselves in.
I really love that they took, Ifeel like this movie did a
better job of leaning into thehumanity of these four people,
(36:31):
that through a, through thisevent.
Understand that they're not nowchanged.
I love that, that Pedro Pascal,I really like him as Reed and
that he took this nerdyapproach.
He's not trying to be cool, he'sjust a smart guy that can happen
also to be Mr.
Elastic.
I love that.
Vanessa Kirby is protective and,you know, the, she although
(36:53):
loves reach, she doesn'tautomatically is willing to just
go along for everything.
She challenges him and at thesame time you see the closeness
between her and Johnny.
And also the friendship betweenJohnny and thing.
So I think those things are whatmake the movie more.
I think it does a better job ofshowing the power of humanity
(37:15):
against good versus evil thanSuperman does.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Criti (37:19):
I totally agree with you.
I think that the writing in thisreally makes us.
Know these characters.
I don't think they did a bad jobin Superman.
I just think you're right thatthey just did a better job here.
I feel
Kathia Woods (37:37):
like the explanation though, I feel like
with Superman, the explanationwas better than the execution.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel C (37:43):
Okay.
I think part of that for me,with Superman, and I talked, we
talked about this before, is Ithe Superman movie tried to
introduce so many characters andI just think that that takes
away from the depth that you canhave with each of those
(38:06):
characters.
So all of a sudden you just see,here's a new character, here's a
new character, here's a newcharacter, here's a new
character, and they don't haveenough to.
To enough meat on the bones foreach of those characters.
And that sometimes can workbecause they are trying to reset
the DCU.
(38:27):
But I think that that's exactlywhat they're trying to do with
the MCU.
They're trying to reset the MCU.
They're saying, okay, we knowthat all those faces of all
those people that you used tosee, we're gonna change those
people.
You're not gonna see the sameperson playing Ironman.
You're not gonna see the sameperson playing Fantastic Four.
(38:48):
You're not gonna see that.
And because we have to resethere as well.
But what we're not gonna do iswe're not gonna bring in all the
characters from the MCU that wecan and kind of stuff'em into
this film.
I think they were more linearhere, and I think that that
works.
Kathia Woods (39:06):
I also, like, they gave us a backstory to Silver
Surfer who has appeared innumerous MCUs, and people are
like what is this?
We also gotta remember, you're,you are bringing in a whole
group of people that never readthe comic books.
I thought this also was abeautiful homage to the original
cartoon, the rollout, the comicbook without being dated.
I mean, this movie is, it is, Ialways say that, excuse me,
(39:29):
filmmaking is a team sport,right?
And we have to shout out, I andmy review mentioned the set
designer and the costumedesigner, because this movie
does not work.
If the set doesn't look doesn'tput you in the mind frame that
it's the 1960s the costumingfrom, if the, if we're supposed
to be in the 1960s, but thesuperhero suits look like it's
(39:52):
2025, but now how are wesupposed to lean in to this?
I look is a part of this whole.
Story setting.
And I think you can use theAvengers movie to propel them
from the 1960s into the current,but don't do it with this.
I also,
Reggie Ponder, The Reel C (40:10):
lemme lemme say, lemme say this
though.
Go ahead.
I love that you mentioned that.
I did not mention that in myreview.
I think that the setting was soright.
Just how they had the TV show,everything seemed dated, but the
movie didn't feel dated.
(40:30):
So you did feel like you wereback in that time.
But it was funny andsurprisingly fresh.
Surprisingly fresh.
So I, I am excited that youmentioned the set design, the
costume design, because I didn'tso thanks for that.
Kathia Woods (40:48):
Absolutely because again, we are supposed to buy in
that we're meeting this family.
That is rippling.
And also with this whole thingof good versus evil and them
understanding that theirsuperpower wait for it is not,
the powers that they gain istheir bond as a family.
It's the strength when they worktogether and they lean in
(41:10):
together, they can overcomeeverything.
In terms of letting humanityknow, our superpower is that we
believe in it has to benefit allof us.
Whereas the evil, the galacticdude, he's all about himself.
And that's the difference,right?
He may be physically whatever,stronger, but ultimately it's
(41:32):
his ego that it's his downfall,right?
So these are the things that Ithink were done.
I, listen, I have been ascritical of the MCU cranking out
some stuff like it's nobody'sbusiness.
Like it's some type of fast foodnetwork and just cashing in on
the fan base and being like, wespent$200 million.
We got Joe Blow to be in it.
(41:54):
Just go pay for the ticketblindly.
I feel like they're starting toget back to what made the MCU
great, right?
With Thunderbolt leaning in onthe humor with this B list of
anti-heroes.
And with this leaning in withthe nostalgia and I think
understanding, if you build agood IT work, it has to start
(42:15):
with a good story, right?
I don't care what it is.
If you start off with a goodstory.
Wait for it and build around it.
You will have a good, theneverything else will take care
of itself because again, you canhave the greatest costumes and
(42:36):
the greatest special effects.
But baby, if death's story islike where you are scratching
your head like, what in theworld am I watching?
None of it is worth it.
And again, I think these guyswere a good setting and I think
you are.
This movie's gonna make a lot ofmoney this weekend.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Cr (42:52):
this was a fun movie.
Kathia Woods (42:55):
Again, less than two hours.
And again, you can tell a storylike that.
I
Reggie Ponder, The Reel (42:59):
really enjoyed it and I would go back
and see it again.
That's how much I liked thismovie.
I gave it three and a half outof four.
It was good not good.
It was better than good and Iwanted to see these characters
again.
I absolutely want to see theseactors who played these iconic
(43:21):
characters again.
And I think that it's a tributeto the writing.
It's a tribute to how it wasshot cinematically, it's a
tribute to the acting, the wholepackage in this worked.
So I am totally recommendingthat people go check this one
out.
Kathia Woods (43:40):
I agree.
I would totally watch thisagain.
And just, I think it is, Ireally enjoyed it.
Like I came out of there beinglike, I'm here for it.
And again it is utterly like agood time,
Reggie Ponder, The Reel C (43:57):
There you have it.
So we did two movies and we'regonna end on a little bit of a
sad note what a lot of us saidnote, but I think that we can't.
Be in the movie entertainmentbusiness without at least
mentioning the ing of Malcolm,Jamal Warner.
And I never met him, but I havea feeling that my Philly friend
(44:18):
who's met, everybody has a storyto tell us about.
I met him when we talked aboutthis.
So Go ahead, Katia.
I know you got No,
Kathia Woods (44:29):
It was more like a, it was 17 magazine.
I was very young and you hadyour little, and now I know I'm
dating myself.
You had people doing likeautograph signing and
appearances, pre-internet.
People used to come to the localmalls or whatever, and he was
lovely.
And I think people misunderstandcertain things.
I gotta remember that noteverybody is the sharpest knife
(44:49):
in the tool shed on theinternet.
That I said, this hits differentfor Gen Xers.
We literally the same age and hewould've turned 55 in August.
And I think when other peopledie, not that we don't care.
And also I think this is again,when stuff happened that was
geared towards our generation ofmoments, we remember right.
(45:11):
When people said I watched TheCosby Show and reruns, and we're
not saying that other peopledidn't enjoy it, the Cosby Show,
but we watched it live.
We watched it from the premiereto the last episode like he was
a teenager.
When we were a teenager.
The wardrobe, the issues wererelatable because we were
literally going to it.
When Theo went from high schoolto college, we made that same
(45:35):
jump in real life.
And also, I love his story arcwhere he went from being a goofy
teenager.
I remember the episode ofMacbeth.
I read Macbeth in 10th grade.
For English.
So all of that had really honeAnd I think people also have to
remember, like for a lot of us,he was like our first crush or
our first TV crush.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel (45:53):
That's right.
Kathia Woods (45:54):
I loved growing pains and I loved family ties,
but I did not have a crush onKirk Cameron or Michael J.
Fox as great as they were.
But I think and I loved Alex pKeaton.
I thought he was hilarious.
But when you bought, back thenwhen you had 17 Magazine, which
is something that I read a lot,and he was the only thing of
(46:14):
color as far as a boy on thosemagazines when they talked about
crushes, when you talked aboutyour Tiger Beat or Team Beat,
whatever the name is.
Because write up was for us
Reggie Ponder, The Reel C (46:24):
right on.
Kathia Woods (46:25):
Write on was for us.
But these mainstream magazines,he was the only boy.
I think to us, it would feellike, God forbid, like some, one
of the members of New Edition,because we grew up in New
Edition from middle school allthe way now to adulthood.
So I think when you havemillennials or other people,
it's not saying that doesn't,but we saw it and we understood
(46:49):
like we wanted to we recognizedthe fashion.
Denise had on a Benettonsweater, if, Benetton sweaters
were a grip back in the day, itwas like$80 for Benetton.
You know what I mean?
That's still a little bit of agrip now for a sweater.
So all of these things, youknow, sitting there watching, I
remember that episode withDenise and Chris St.
(47:09):
John who played her boyfriend orfriend.
May he rest in peace watchingvideos on tv.
We did that, right?
That was literally ourafternoon.
Whether you watched BET or youwatched MTV VH one or video on
demand.
All of these things hit home.
'cause you're like, these guyswere doing what I'm doing.
(47:30):
And we also gotta remember theyoung man who later on went on
to be God, what is it he went onto, to be on Martin, right?
Who played his best friendCockroach.
Remember that?
So you all had a friend and guysoh.
I was writing my write up forHappy Gilmore too.
I referenced this before hepassed.
(47:52):
I'm gonna get like teary eyed,one of the episodes, and I
linked it in my Facebook, andyou can look it up on YouTube,
it's called The Prom, where AdamSandler played one of Theo's
friends and they had the crazyidea to do all this stuff,
right?
The caviar, they got the carcaviar and they took their dates
(48:13):
on the helicopter ride and thegirls were heated because you
know what happens with thehelicopter ride?
You got your hair, you got yourcrusade, your hair is going, the
propeller.
So they came back and they wereheated and Adam Sandler that
year played one of Theo'sfriends or played basketball
with him.
And then the prom episode.
So I literally referenced that,Adam Sandler had been around
(48:36):
from playing one of Theo'sfriends.
Wow.
And wow.
So it's just a very, it, I thinkit hits us that, our generation,
before when people died, it wasa parents' generation or our
older brother or whatever.
Now it's hitting our age groupand it really feels like a
family member died.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel C (48:56):
Yeah.
I really understand that.
And I loved Malcolm and Eddie,by the way.
So moving from Cosby to Malcolmand Eddie, I thought that was a
great show for me.
And I just watched this youngman, Malcolm Jamal Warner move
from thing to thing, and itseemed like there was nothing
(49:19):
that he couldn't do.
When you think about Malcolm andEddie, it was, it is, it was
1996 through 2000.
So they did almost 90 episodesof that show, almost half of
what he did with the Cosby Show,because the Cosby Show, he did
(49:41):
197.
He did a lot.
I do not remember the show, readBetween the Lines with I don't
remember that show.
I don't remember seeing it.
And Donna was talking to meabout that particular show.
And I was like, really?
I don't remember that.
And the other thing is thatpeople didn't know about, A lot
(50:03):
of people are learning moreabout him today because they
didn't know about his music.
They didn't know about hisspoken word that he was a
multi-talented person.
But he was always that personwho seemed to have his head on
straight.
I, in real life not the personathat you portrayed.
(50:24):
I saw a clip one time of him andhis mother being together, and
it was the cutest piece just tosee the rapport that they had
with each other.
And I know they were not hammingit up for the camera.
That was who they were and whohe was.
So rip rest in peace, MalcolmJamal Warner, and if you get a
(50:49):
chance, check out some of hisstuff.
There's stuff out there to checkout.
The Cosby Show is playingplaces.
I know people are showing someof the other things.
And then the internet is blowingup with some beautiful pieces.
I saw a wonderful piece he didabout a spoken word piece that
he did and thanking everybodywho's putting out some of the
wonderful work that he put outin the market.
Kathia Woods (51:11):
And also he had a music career.
He had a very strong actingcareer.
His last regular role, Ibelieve, was on the resident,
and then he had an appearance on9 1 1.
As you guys know, I am a templegrad.
Mr.
Cosby spoke at my collegegraduation, spoke at my sister's
college graduation, who was alsoa temple grad, and so is my
(51:34):
daughter.
We have four member.
This family went through Tu.
The Cosby Show was not just Mr.
Cosby, there were othercomponents there.
And I know it's hard sometimesto try to resolute through that.
But when I tell you also assomebody that grew up middle
class, to see a middle classblack family, that looked a lot
(51:55):
and sounded a lot the vocabbetween the parents and the
children and just for themhaving regular people problem.
That didn't always involvetrauma.
And I think it's also for thepeople that didn't grow up, for
them to be like, Hey, blackpeople living well.
That's not a, that's not a madeup thing.
There are black people who grewup like this, kids who grew up
(52:17):
like this and just havingregular people problems.
You acted up and that's when togo to the, to the thing.
And the parents got'em together.
Denise, failing out of college,right?
If you have siblings, a cousin,there's always one person that
you're like, Ooh.
You know what I mean?
So I think all of these issues,what we loved, and also we have
(52:38):
to remember Reggie, becauseagain, this is generations
growing up with reruns andstreaming and, recording things.
The Cosby Show for the, for agood while, I wanna say for
three or four years was thenumber one show in America.
That means people tuned in.
Was it one year?
One year.
Okay.
For one year.
(52:59):
And then all the other times itwas top 10.
So it was the number one, theseblack folks, blackity black
folks that came into the livingroom.
I'm talking about people in theMidwest, people in these red
states watched the Cosby Show.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Cri (53:14):
And I just wanna say I be, because I
was on mute, is that I wa wasn'tsaying it was for one year.
I think for multiple years itwas the number one show.
Kathia Woods (53:23):
I thought so.
Because here's the thing is weused to watch things as a nation
and we used to have thesethings.
And Reggie's a marketing guy sohe can correct me if I'm wrong,
when Nielsen's used to come up,used to be top 10, what was
watched in white households andwhat was watched in black
households.
And a lot of that list didn'talways overlap.
(53:45):
And three things used to be onthat list.
Monday night football,'causefootball unites us.
60 minutes'cause it's 60Minutes.
And The Cosby Show.
The Cosby Show.
We were watching this as afamily and you gotta also
remember back then Network TVwas 20, like 22, 20 or 22
(54:09):
episodes, fresh episodes.
So for this young man to comeinto our living room for these
years and us watch him grow upand also the beautiful
relationship that he had withhis mother and also all the
Cosby kids, like we ain't nobodycrashed at, and nobody, I'm not
saying that people didn't havetheir ups and downs, but nobody
(54:31):
is in rehab or whatever is atestament to that show.
But I just wanted to point outlike when.
People say that we didn't havecertain things.
This is why when people go, oh,we can't have black people on
tv.
I'm like, we used to have waymore black people, dare I say,
on TV, late seventies, eightiesand nineties than we have now.
(54:56):
And America tuned in good TV isgood TV period.
And it wouldn't be familymanners.
It wouldn't be half and halfsister, sister, none of that.
If the freaking Cosby showdidn't show that America would
tune in to see a show about thisBlackety black family with these
(55:20):
black kids.
And Malcolm John Warner was oneof'em.
And on a side note told you I'ma TV head.
Mr.
Cosby's son in real life wassadly murdered.
And Malcolm Jawan Warner.
Had a friendship with Enni Cosbywhere, because he wanted to make
sure that he played homage, hewanted to get an understanding
(55:43):
of who he was because thischaracter was built.
He was the only boy in thisfamily of girls around Enni, and
he wanted to make sure thatwhatever he did was always
highlighting him and arespectful and a lot of the
challenges that Ennis had, heportrayed in, in, in Theo.
So it's just, it's verybittersweet on this.
(56:04):
But I'm so glad that you broughtthis up because I think all week
I've been trying to figure outwhy is it that we're feeling
this immense loss?
Not to say that we don't carewhen other people died, because
it really does feel this family,this young man that we grew up
with that was so similar to us,it feels like a cousin died this
(56:25):
week.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Crit (56:25):
It really does.
So no doubt about it.
Now, I wasn't gonna mentionthis, but.
Because you are in music.
I only know one song from ChuckMagone and I love that song.
Whenever it plays, it is mysong.
But you are the music person, soI'm sure you probably know like
(56:49):
15 of songs.
Kathia Woods (56:52):
I think, okay, we gotta also understand, oddly
enough, my husband and I werehaving dinner, whatever, lunch,
whatever, and we've gone throughVHS and we were on the yacht
rock.
And then it takes you down,excuse me, on the YouTube and it
takes you down and Chuck me.
Joanie's song came up, right?
I think what we have to rememberis there was this time right in
(57:13):
the seventies, early eightieswhere you had the Herb Alberts,
where there were mixingcontemporary jazz with like pop.
Disco, dare I say, where it wasvery common for a lot of these
musicians to make this type ofmusic.
And I just remember if youwatched like General Hospital
and all these dance shows, you,they played Chuck Mancini's
(57:36):
music and it just, it just, hemakes you think of a time where
music wasn't limited or if youwere black, you were jazz, you
did this.
It just, good music is goodmusic and that's what I think
of.
And he had an absolutely he hada career way after that and he
(57:56):
still played jazz festivals andeverything, but man I said to my
husband, we are not watchinganymore things'cause the way the
world has been working.
But it lived a good life, andthat theme was hat, yeah.
And that whole, yeah.
Also something about theseseventies artists that had, some
swag.
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Cr (58:17):
Well that's it.
That's our show.
Obviously as we close, I alwaysask you to tell us where people
can find you and what's new thatthey can check out.
Kathia Woods (58:28):
Okay.
You can read, you can find me atthe Philadelphia Tribune, the
Sacramento Observer, and couplesocial.com.
You can read my interview on thetribute as well as my review.
Fantastic.
Four.
And you can go to cuppa soulshow.com and see my Finding in
the Heat with Adam Sandler andCompany.
(58:48):
You know, whew.
Child, it was hot.
Why about you, Reggie?
Where can the people find you?
Reggie Ponder, The Reel Cri (58:54):
You can find me my latest.
Review on about the fantasticfour first steps.
Again, I already told you guys Iliked it, but you can read
it@indigo.com and you can checkout it@bolo.org.
That's it.
That's our show.
We did it for the week.
(59:14):
Thank you so much, and you guyshave a great time.
We'll see you next time.
We're out.
Kathia Woods (59:20):
Bye.
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