BFG Podcast #103: The WGA Strike, Little Richard, and 'Guardians of the Galaxy 3'

Our podcast has arrived this week! We show the breadth of our range, we go heavy, we go light. To start, Rob Kutner comes by to discuss the WGA Strike with host Neal Pollack. Both Rob and Neal are "inactive" WGA members, but Rob is out on the pickets with a Guild almost entirely united in solidarity. The producers and the big corporations are really putting the screws to writers these days. Neal and Rob talk about the inadequacy of the compensation, the inequity within the Guild itself, and the looming specter of AI that hangs over the entire industry. And they close with a rousing chorus of 'Solidarity Forever.'Next up, James Porter, a contributor to our sibling publication, Rock and Roll Globe, appears to discuss his review of the terrific new Little Richard documentary, 'I Am Everything.' A passionate Little Richard fan, James is happy to see one of his musical heroes getting his due. He and Neal both really enjoyed the interviews with old bandmates and family members, Neal liked the information about fringe drag performers in the 1950s, and James enjoyed the clips from Little Richard's old blues numbers before he became a megastar in the mid-1950s. Neal could take or leave the academic talking heads, who get too much screen time, but James is correct when he states that they don't actually say anything wrong. Really fun movie, worth checking out.And while 'Guardians of the Galaxy 3' needs no extra boost, Neal and guest Scott Gold both had a good time at James Gunn's swan song to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Scott says that the movie maybe relies a little too much on slow-motion walking scenes. Neal isn't in love with the more modern music choices. And they both feel like the two-and-a-half hours leads to some repetitive scenes, if not some narrative bloat. But there can be no doubt that Guardians 3 is still fun and weird, and, especially as regards the origin story of Rocket Raccoon, genuinely scary and gruesome. A finger-wagging "no so fast" to anyone who says that the MCU is dead.My god, isn't that enough? Enjoy the podcast!