FEELING THE HEAT

Superheroes, big-name directors and sequels round out June cinema.

The halfway mark of the year is (somehow) already here, and June has more films than ever for you to enjoy. It has a larger number of sequels and franchises than I’d like to see (surprise, surprise), but the polish and hype of those movies cannot be understated.

For your animation hit, make sure to check out Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. The sequel to the hugely profitable and well received Into the Spider-Verse, this story finds Miles Morales/ Spider-Man (Shameik Moore) being recruited by his love interest Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman (Hailee Steinfield) to help save every universe of Spider-People. Other cast members include Jake Johnson, Issa Rae and Oscar Isaac, among many others. Although the film features no actual voice actors, it does look to be a stellar follow-up with beautiful animation and a fun hook of different art styles based on different universes. It hits theaters on June 2.

If you’re looking for more superheroes, don’t miss The Flash Starring Ezra Miller as The Flash, the film takes the titular character – who appears in several other DC Universe related stories –and has him travel back in time to prevent his mother from dying. This, inadvertently, creates a universe where no metahumans (humans with superpowers) exist. Ben Affleck reprises his role as Batman, and Michael Keaton also shows up as an alternate universe Batman, donning the cape and cowl again for the first time since 1992’s Batman Returns. The DC extended universe is completely up in the air, so the meaningfulness of this film is debatable ... but the spectacle will likely be dazzling when it releases on June 16.

Wes Anderson returns this month with Asteroid City. Set in 1955, the film concerns a stargazer convention in an American desert town. The trailer is exactly what you would expect from a coming-of-age story by Anderson, and the cast is crammed with his usual suspects: Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton and literally twenty others of note. It has a limited release on June 16 before expanding on June 23.

For a sequel that is hopefully better than its last, take a look at Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Harrison Ford is back as our eponymous lead, this time with the backdrop of the Space Race of 1969. Nazis return as the primary villain, this time with the face of Mads Mikkelsen as the antagonist, along with Phoebe WallerBridge as Helena Shaw, Jones’ goddaughter. Directed by James Mangold (Logan), the film looks to end Indiana Jones’ legacy on a high note when it comes to theaters on June 30.

Lastly, I implore you to watch the five minute short HIDARI. A stop-motion samurai film, the short offers attention to detail, amazing fight choreography and excellent use of music – all coming together to form a perfect pitch for a feature length narrative. The short uses wooden puppets to tell a story inspired by the life of Jingoro Hidari, a renowned 17th century sculptor whose life is shrouded in mystery. It’s currently on YouTube.

DREW JOSEPH ALLEN

Jim Roth

The thirteenth dean of Oklahoma City University’s School of Law, Jim Roth guides law students into successful futures. He is also a director at Phillips Murrah Law Firm and a lawyer with A New Energy, a consultancy specializing in energy policy and developments. Roth, the first openly LGBTQ+ person to hold a statewide elected office in the state, also served as Oklahoma County Commissioner and an Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner. We caught up with Roth and got his thoughts on ...

... his many responsibilities.

I’ve always heard that if you want to get something done well, ask a busy person. I hope that is true in my case, as I am certainly busy, and I am grateful for it. My professional life is driven by passion, and so each day is giving 110% in as many directions as are needed in the moment. As Law Dean, every day is different, and by far the best part of the job is engaging with our law students in a great, encouraging, community vibe. As a director at Phillips Murrah law firm and a lawyer at A New Energy, I am better able to manage the day-to-day demands because of awesome colleagues, and we work ahead of deadlines. But when days demand it, I usually get up at 4 a.m. to try to get ahead.

... his passion for clean energy.

Throughout my life, I have always marveled at nature and the incredible gifts of this earth. As a kid, that meant immersing myself in the natural wonders. As an adult, I caught the professional bug for clean energy from my time serving as an Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner (OCC). That powerful agency touches the lives of every citizen through its rates and regulations of utilities, oil and gas regulation, transportation, telecommunication and so many other industries. Our state has immense energy blessings, both below and above the ground, and we need it all. But it is my hope and prayer that we move quickly towards cleaner options to lower costs, improve public health and safeguard God’s green Earth. That’s the winning trifecta to me.

... how he stays energetic.

Coffee and the idea that I will sleep in the afterlife.

... his proudest moments. Probably my public service and the two elections as an Oklahoma County Commissioner, first elected in Oklahoma County in 2002. At the time, no one had been elected openly gay or lesbian, so with the help of a ton of friends, my family and supporters, we made history and began a chance to serve our fellow citizens. It’s been a high honor. I genuinely believe I have a heart for service, which is why it has also been so rewarding to work for the OCU law students these past five years as their Law Dean. They give me hope for the future.

... his involvement with LGBTQ+ equality

efforts.

I guess I was called to action because Oklahoma politics were so anti-gay in the 1990s, a time when I had moved here in my twenties. Since then, I have found it necessary to stand up for equality,for my family and the broader minority community, sometimes directly and most other times indirectly by just trying to be a good and involved citizen. My direct involvements have included: co-founding of the Cimarron Alliance Group, Oklahoma’s first LGBT political action committee, in 1995; a member of the national Human Rights Campaign’s major donor program; a board member of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund’s Victory Institute in Washington, D.C.; a supporter across the decades of Freedom Oklahoma and Oklahomans for Equality; past co-chair of the Oklahoma AIDS Care

Fund’s Red Tie Night; and other occasions to support allied community groups the Jewish Federation for Greater Oklahoma City and Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice. It takes all of us to protect all of us.

... where you’ll find him in his spare time.

One word: Outside. I love the outdoors. In fact, my mom claims that was the first word I ever uttered. And I’ve been all about it ever since.

... his hope for the future.

I guess I would just simply share that it is my hope for our Oklahoma, a great state I chose to call home, that for us to be better, to improve the human condition of so many Oklahoma neighbors with so many real challenges, that I wish we could all chose more kindness, mutual respect and more understanding for each other. That’s my hope.

... his recent appointment as Grand Marshall of the OKC Pride Festival.

It’s surreal for sure, because there are many, many more deserving people who have overcome tougher circumstances in life. But I am grateful for the chance to join in community to celebrate how far LGBTQ+ Oklahomans have come, how far we must go, how hard we must still fight to live and thrive in Oklahoma.