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Hey Mofos! It’s TV review tiiiiiiiime!
I don’t normally watch true crime docuseries, but when I saw that Murder 101 was set at Elizabethton High School in Tennessee, I was curious. I went to college in Johnson City, which isn’t far from Elizabethton, so it was cool seeing parts of the area I had never seen before. And yes, I could understand those East Tennessee accents because chile, I used to have one and still have that mountain accent when I'm tired.
Here’s the synopsis:
“MURDER 101 follows a high school sociology class in rural Tennessee who help revive a decades-old case into a present-day hunt for a killer.”
The three-part Prime Video series follows teacher Alex Campbell and his sociology students as they investigate the Redhead Murders, a series of killings involving women whose bodies were found along highways decades ago. Some of the victims remained unidentified, and the possibility that their deaths were connected never received the attention it deserved.
The students (and me from my couch) may be doing the investigating, but for me, Mr. Campbell is the star of the show.
If I had a teacher like him, who knows how engaged I might have been in class instead of passing notes to my BFF all day. He doesn’t just hand his students a textbook and ask them to memorize information for a test. He gives them a real problem, trusts them to do meaningful work and makes them believe their ideas can matter outside the classroom.
That kind of teaching can change the direction of a young person’s life.
I also loved that the series took time to highlight the students individually and share some of their backgrounds. They weren’t treated like a random group of teenagers sitting behind desks. We got to see their personalities, their challenges and the different skills they brought to the investigation. I was also glad to see a Black student from one of Mr. Campbell’s previous classes included as the series showed how the work has been passed from one group of students to the next. Pause.. WHY DIDN'T THAT SCHOOL HAVE WINDOWS?!
Ok back to the program. As a journalist, I especially enjoyed watching one student tap into his own journalism skills by picking up a camera and filming what was happening. He wasn’t just participating in the story. He was learning how to document it and deciding which moments needed to be captured. I really hope he continues down that path and turns it into a career.
The investigative process was fascinating, too. The students examined records, looked for connections between cases and worked to help identify women who had gone without their names for far too long. Watching teenagers put that much care into restoring the identities of women they had never met was one of the most powerful parts of the series.
Then there was Linda Schacke, the known survivor connected to the case. She was willing to speak with the students while setting boundaries around how she appeared and told them about surviving an attack that could have ended her life. Her story was creepy, heartbreaking and an important reminder that these cases were not simply material for a classroom project. Real women lived through unimaginable violence, and real families were left without answers.
What made me angry was learning how easily the victims were dismissed. Because some of the women were vulnerable, transient or believed to be involved in sex work, there did not appear to be enough urgency around finding out who they were or what happened to them.
And chile, the media wasn't about shit either during that time.
I say that as a journalist. If a classroom full of high school students could revisit old information, identify patterns and ask questions decades later, why didn’t more reporters dig deeper when these women were being found? Why weren’t their deaths treated like a story that deserved sustained attention? Were skills just lacking back then or was it that the fair was more important to them at the time?
Murder 101 quietly raises an uncomfortable question about which victims society decides are worthy of headlines, resources and public concern. These women deserved people who cared enough to keep asking questions. It is sad that teenagers had to come along years later and help give them the attention they should have received from the beginning.
Without giving away the outcome, this is not a neatly wrapped true crime story where every question is answered by the final episode. That actually makes the students’ work feel more authentic. Real investigations take time, leads do not always produce immediate results and justice does not arrive according to a television schedule.
What kept me watching was not the darkness of the crimes. It was Mr. Campbell’s belief in his students and the way they rose to meet his expectations. Murder 101 is as much about education, empathy, journalism and the potential of young people as it is about solving murders. I do hope there's another season so we can see what the next group of students uncover.
So, even if true crime is not normally your thing, I recommend giving this one a chance. Murder 101 is streaming now on Prime Video.
Let me know if you watch!
~Meik
Hey Mofos!
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I’m back with another movie review, and this time it’s for Disclosure Day, the new Steven Spielberg thriller starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, and Colman Domingo.
Now, y’all already know Spielberg and aliens go together like me and a good nostalgic rabbit hole, so I was curious to see where he was going with this one.
So what’s the movie about?
Disclosure Day follows Margaret Fairchild, a Kansas City meteorologist who finds herself pulled into a mystery after something strange happens during one of her weather reports. While Margaret tries to make sense of what is happening to her, Daniel Kellner, a cybersecurity expert and whistleblower, is sitting on information about extraterrestrial life that some powerful people clearly do not want the world to know. As the truth starts coming out, Daniel is trying to expose what he knows while also protecting Jane, the woman he loves, because this is not just about aliens. It is about secrets, survival, and what happens when the truth is too big to stay hidden.
Now let me start with Ms. Margaret because the former news producer in me was activated almost immediately.
Mofos, I have worked in TV news for 50'levum years. I know how chaotic a newsroom can be. I know what it feels like when breaking news is happening, when scripts are changing, when graphics are missing, when producers are yelling in headsets, and when everybody is trying to make it to air without losing their minds.
So when Margaret showed up with about three minutes to spare before her weather hit and somehow still went on like everything was fine, I had questions. Ma’am, where are your maps? Where is the radar? Did you look at the forecast? Did you check the models? Did you talk to the producer? Did anybody tell the director what was happening? Weather reports do not just appear because someone walks in and points at a screen. Now, that is not me saying the TV studio scenes in the beginning did not work. They did. I liked how the movie used Margaret’s job to pull us into the story.
Let me get back to the matter at hand. Emily Blunt does a good job with Margaret because she brings that mix of confusion, fear, and determination. Margaret is not walking around like she has all the answers. She is trying to figure things out in real time, and Blunt makes that believable.
Disclosure Day starts leaning more into the mystery of what is really going on and who is trying to keep the truth from getting out. That is where Daniel comes in. He has information that could change everything, but having the truth and being able to safely expose it are two very different things.
Daniel’s part of the story worked better for me emotionally because his stakes felt personal. He is not just trying to expose what he knows. He is trying to survive long enough to do it. And with Jane caught up in the danger with him, he is also trying to protect the woman he loves while everything around them is falling apart. Personally, Jane would have been left, but this isn't my story.
Jane, played by Eve Hewson, is not just some random girlfriend thrown into the movie. She keeps Daniel rooted in love when fear could easily take over. Their relationship gives the movie some heart because Daniel is not only risking his own life for the truth. He is trying to save his ass and hers too.
That made his side of the story more interesting to me because it is one thing to chase the truth when it only costs you something. It is another thing when the person you love is pulled into the danger right along with you.
Josh O’Connor gives Daniel a nervous, desperate energy that works for the character. He knows too much, but he also knows knowing too much can get you killed. Eve Hewson brings warmth to Jane, and I liked that she helped balance out the chaos surrounding Daniel. There is also a spiritual layer with Jane that stood out to me. She wears a cross necklace, and without giving too much away, that symbol of faith becomes more than just jewelry when danger comes directly for her. I liked that the movie gave Jane that moment because it added another piece to who she is and what she holds onto when things get terrifying. It made me think of Isaiah 54:17, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper,” because in that moment, her faith feels like protection. It's like she puts on the armor of God in those moments. AMEN!
Colin Firth plays Noah Scanlon, and baby, that man is like a lot of managers, doing what he has to do to protect the interest of higher ups. He brings that calm, polished villain energy that makes you uncomfortable because he is not loud with it. He is the kind of character who can sit there looking respectable while doing absolutely foul things, but will throw a scripture in for good measure, faith crisis much? Colman Domingo also stands out because, well, he is Colman Domingo. He has a presence that makes you pay attention whenever he is on screen. I forgot I had just seen him as Joe Jackson. Goodness, that man be acting his tail off.
As for the movie itself, Disclosure Day is more mystery-thriller than action movie. If you are going in expecting nonstop alien chaos from beginning to end, this may not be that. The movie takes its time. It builds the mystery, follows the characters, and lets the idea of disclosure hang over everything. The film has some pacing issues and some WTF and why are y'all moving so slow cuz real TV news doesn't work like this moments.
For me, the most interesting part was not simply “Are aliens real?” The movie is more interested in who knows the truth, who is keeping it from the public, and what people are willing to do to keep control of the story. It's also a reminder to LISTEN to yourself, and discover what is real within you and your own story. You control that narrative.
After all, aren't we all just aliens of some sort?
Also, I wonder if a sequel will emerge from this?
The film is in theaters on June 12. Let me know if you go see it!
~Meik
Hey Mofos!
I went to see a movie after my own heart, I caught a screening of Michael.
Michael is the cinematic portrayal of the life and legacy of one of the most influential artists the world has ever known. The film tells the story of Michael Jackson beyond the music, tracing his journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of the Jackson 5 to the visionary artist whose ambition fueled his pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world. Highlighting both his life off stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career, the film gives audiences a front row seat to Michael Jackson as never before. This is where his story begins.
Now let's get into what you came here for: my review!
As a huge Michael Jackson fan, I was locked in from the moment it started. And yes, I showed up dressed for it, glove, loafers and all.
I enjoyed it. I really did.
This film gives us MJ beyond the performances. We see the pressure, the family dynamics, and what it looked like for him trying to become the biggest entertainer in the world. What I appreciated most is that we got to see Michael the human. Not just the child star, but the adult who cries, feels, and is torn between family and his own goals.
Jaafar Jackson stepped into this role in a way that made me forget at times I was not watching Michael himself. The dancing does not flow exactly like MJ, but that is a high bar. Vocally, he gets close enough. I was like okay, close enough… give us a tour!
Colman Domingo as Joseph Jackson scared me a little. The focus on those green and grey eyes gave him this jealous, angry energy that felt like a monster at times. You could feel the control every time he was on screen. RUN HIM HIS AWARDS FOR THIS ROLE THO! I met Joseph Jackson and had a couple of interactions with him years ago, and in his 80s, he still had that commanding presence that had me nervous being around him.
One thing I did like was seeing the fear versus the businessman side of Michael. I don't know about you, but I can relate to having all these goals, and then being afraid to push the buttons and scoot people out of the way to get there. Bill Bray stood out too. He brought that brotherly, fatherly, friendly guidance that helped push Michael to step out on his own without being completely tied to Joseph or even his brothers.
Now I will say this.
It felt like something was missing when it came to the siblings. We did not really get those interactions. It felt more like Michael, Joseph, Katherine, played by Nia Long, the animals, and his inner circle. The absence of a true interaction beyond music with his brothers was noticeable. And the focus on LaToya felt a little random, especially since she had more lines than the brothers in J5.
The soundtrack was top tier, but I mean it is the Jackson 5 and MJ. Of course it is. And being the music head that I am, I noticed when the J5 sang "Never Can Say Goodbye" in the 1960s in the film, but the song wasn't written until the 1970 by Clifton Davis and it wasn't released by J5 until 1971. I had to push that noise out of my head and focus on the power of the story.
I did hear some folks in the theater whispering about allegations and I am like chile, this is a movie, not a documentary. It is telling a version of his story.
For me, this does not replace The Jacksons: An American Dream as some folks on Threads liked to say. That one is still more comprehensive. This one feels more like a highlight reel that zooms in on the family dynamic between a superstar and a money driven father who hides under the guise of making sure the brothers are taking care of and that Michael keeps being the money maker for all of them.
One other thing that I loved, I was reminded that affirmations and speaking life into our dreams is key. If we don't believe in us, who will???
Overall, I loved the film. Jafaar did that! I would not be mad at a part two because there is still a lot more story to tell.
My verdict-- go see it! Dance a little bit. Loosen up. Put that 9 to 5 up on the shelf and just enjoy yourself.
Michael is in theaters on April 24, 2026.
~Meik
