I get a quirky kick out of thugs who go to the movies and cheer on heroes and hiss at villains, even though the former would likely pound such hypocritical supporters into the ground for any number of their habitual, underhanded deeds.
I get much the same vibe from various folks who watch Amazon's "The Man in the High Castle", a series extrapolated from Philip K. Dick's eponymous novel, in which the Axis won WWII. I hear these individuals say how horrid the consequences of a German/Japanese victory would have been, but do they really hear what the series is saying?
I know for a fact (based on my casual conversations with them) that to some degree or another, they're proponents of censorship, discrimination (often of the reversed sort) and excessive, governmental restrictions, just like the damn Nazis would endorse. But then, to these specialized "Man in the High Castle" viewers, everyone beyond their select, political scope is a Nazi. See what I mean?
When "Man in the High Castle: Season 3" debuts Oct 5, how many will again absorb the right-vs-wrong/alternate-reality interludes with blinders on, never once catching the parallels that threaten and distinguish their own existence? This is most perplexing since the series' Neutral Zone is, in its own clever way, a roundabout imprint of what flanks us today, prompted by draconian political correctness and superfluous philosophies which contrary to propagandized promises, only fuel further suppression and warped views.
Okay, maybe I'm making too big a deal of the matter. I suppose as an eccentric entertainment, "Man in the High Castle" is as good as (if not better than) any among the current crop. Without question, its characters (whether virtuous or evil) and their performers are more than identifiable to help pass the time.
In this respect, the upcoming ten-episode queue is guaranteed to mirror the previous with such sterling thespians as Alexa Davalos; Rupert Evans; Luke Kleintank; Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa; Brennan Brown; D.J. Quallis; Bella Heathcote; Stephen Root; Joel de la Fuente; Chelah Horsdal; and Rufus Sewell as the treacherous John Smith, who (as previews imply) should possess a larger, overlording role this season.
All this is well and good, but it matters little how engaging the actors and their characters are if viewers don't grasp their intent. We sacrifice too much of our freedom and in truth have been doing so for more than a decade now. "Man in the High Castle" depicts what happens when our freedom is torn from us per catastrophic circumstance, but to surrender liberty without protest is outright un-American. Still, many Americans remain open to the option. If "Man in the High Castle" isn't reaching folks across the board with this seemingly axiomatic message/warning, I can't help but wonder if the saga might be in vain.
Whatever the case, I, for one, will be watching, learning...appreciating what I still possess, while at the same time fearing what might be seized if the bad guys win, and alas, I've come to learn that far too often they--and their contradictory crusades--do.
For many years, you paid great justice to my hero, the Batman, with an unbounded string of striking images.
You also paid the Dark Knight's related characters equal justice and even added the Ventriloquist and Ratcatcher to an already impressive gallery.
In addition, you blessed us with Malibu's powerful Prime and the mighty Metaphysique, while lending your talented hand to many other eternal favorites, including Lobo; the Spectre; Superman; the Flash; Green Lantern; and Wonder Woman.
Without question, the fruits of your artistry will live on, Mr. Breyfogle, continuing to delight those who have long appreciated your work, as well as future generations of comic-book fans.
Congratulations to my wife, Donna for completing her physical therapy. She bounced back in tip-top form: quite impressive considering she broke her wrist in two places from a fall in July. Her recuperative determination makes her a true-blue Power Girl in my eyes. Hip, hip hooray and up, up and away for the mighty Donna!!!
You were without question one of the most beautiful
women ever to grace the movies. It's ironic, therefore, that "Queen of Outer Space", arguably your
most famous role, featured you masked and marred.
Still,
there are so many fine examples where your beauty did beam,
whether in "That Touch of Mink"; "Calypso Joe"; "Gun Fight at Comanche
Creek"; the feisty Bowery Boys entry, "Fighting Trouble"; or your cinematic intro, Walt Disney's epic adaptation of Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea".
In addition, your irrepressible charm
elevated such exploitation classics as "Attack of the
Puppet People"; "The Female Animal"; "Girls in Prison"; and that nifty "Queen of Outer Space" companion piece, "Missile to the Moon".
And of course, there were your many television spots, which included "The Addams Family"; "Adventures of Superman"; "The Girl From U.N.C.L.E."; "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour"; "Ironside"; "Bonanza"; "Rawhide"; and "Wanted: Dead or Alive".
You've brought much joy to the world, Ms. Mitchell, and will continue to do so whenever folks view your films. There's no doubt that the stars are shining much brighter tonight, now that your angelic presence is among them.
Hot Diggity!!! AC Comics has unleashed Femforce #183, granting readers more beauty, brawn and heroics, stacked to the mighty max in one pretty, powerful package!!!
My buddy, Mark Holmes offers three, stimulating stories for this issue, including a new She-Cat sojourn, entitled "Night to Howl", illustrated by Silvano Beltramo, where a wolf-worshiping villainess puts our stealthy heroine to the test. This is accompanied by Holmes' feisty Black Phantom yarn "Hang 'Em High", where our whip-snapping desperado defends a teacher accused of cold-blooded murder, with imagery by Eric van Elslande, inked Jeff Austin. Last but certainly not least, Holmes gives us "The Big Breakthrough, where Yankee Girl battles the diabolical Dr. Yvette Alain in a matter of skewed justice, with artistic assistance from Gianluca Cerritelli, also inked by Austin. (BTW: the diligent Austin supplies most of the inking this time out.)
My dear pal (and legendary pin-up artist), Rock Baker supplies the chilling "The Head of Hitler", starring the marvelous Miss Masque. As told and penciled by the ultra-talented Baker, the story (originally published in Miss Masque Strikes Back #1) captures the essence of those far-out, drive-in/girl-spy romps of the past, though enhanced with a distinct, surreal flavor that'll hold one's attention from beginning to end. This one is tip-top and darn sexy all the way. Baker fans are guaranteed to be in cartoon-cutie heaven.
Issue #183 also contains Andrew Hawnt's nifty, inter-dimensional Nightveil encounter, "Tornado of Souls", brought to life by newcomer, Alessio Mariani. "Tornado" acts as a nifty, thematic companion piece of sorts to Baker's tale, in that it holds an old-school, psychedelic bent that's certain to delight fans of Julian Roffman's 3D exploitation gem, "The Mask".
For Femforce serial connoisseurs, #183 includes the final phase in Eric Linberg's tasty, She-Cat exploit, "Taming the Shrew", illustrated by Javier Lugo; a new entry in Bill Black's pugnacious, Miss Victory, Cold War adventure, "The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Noah Khan Do", drawn by Dan Gorman; Femforce publisher, Mark Heike's extending excursion, "Life in Wartime", starring the gorgeous, undercover RAD, with artwork by Dave Matsuoka; plus jungle siren, Nyoka in another segment of the serpentine thriller, "The New Perials of...", costarring the Blonde Bomber, visually rendered by Larry Nodolsky.
All in all, #183 is one helluva, juicy jaunt!!!
Grab a copy today at your local comic shop or order from any number of reliable, online dealers. Femforce #183 is an undeniable must-have!!!
As my faithful readers know, I've covered the Lynch-ish skills of Italian filmmaker, Steven Slozz (Stefano Dalca) on several occasions. I hold the artist and his varied creations in high regard. Slozz is also a most generous gent, as evidenced by the terrific care package he sent per pricey, international mail.
The contents are as avante-garde as the artist: a plush, ornate journal (affectionately inscribed by my friend), into which I can jot my thoughts for future, weird tales; a handmade Slozz Records paperweight (centered with skull imagery and trimmed in bodacious blood red); and experimental CDs...
For the record (pun intended), the movie-making/recording entrepreneur just so happens to be a spellbinding musician/composer in his own right, favoring an energetic, hard-rock approach for his devil-may-care emoting.
As such, Slozz's Tantvm Resvrrectvris Sepvlcrvm Mevm (which consists of "La Notte In Cu Emily Calpesto' Il Mio Sepolcro" {composed by N. Betti} and "Promessa Di Un Eterno Ritorno") is a spectacular, two-track (EP) treat. This praise, mind you, comes from one who doesn't generally listen to the harder, thrashing stuff. Nevertheless, when something is deftly composed, no matter what the subject or intent, I'm apt to embrace it with unconditional surrender. I shouldn't have been surprised, therefore, that Slozz once again hits the proverbial, dark mark that his fans have come to expect.
I must note that Tantvm Resvrrectvris Sepvlcrvm Mevm isn't comprised merely of well defined, orchestrated notes, but also of Slozz's pervasive, indignant vocals, which slice through his weird wall of sound like a locomotive hitting a wall. (The mad Phil Spector would be wise to step aside, for Slozz's audio barrage is incomparable: the sort of hair-raising stuff that makes spook houses and roller coasters so damn appealing.)
To accompany Tantvm Resvrrectvris Sepvlcrvm Mevm, Slozz enclosed another two-track (EP) excursion: this one by his eminent friend, Matt Migisi.
Migisi's set is called Pagine/Quella cameriera di Nome Celeste, and in contrast (but also in inspired accompaniment) to Tantvm Resvrrectvris Sepvlcrvm Mevm, his content is smooth, sweet and soaring, spiced by his rich, empathetic, Italian voice. (I really love his lovely waitress homage.) On the whole, Pagine/Quella Camerier Di Nomie Celeste's gentle strokes placed me in a musical nirvana, which I'm certain to revisit on those days that prove too arduous or exhaustive to bear.
Now that I think of it, listening to this dandy double feature back-to-back was like falling into a fiery pit of Hell, only then to ascend among Heaven's pacifying peaks. What a sensational sweep! I'm truly flattered that Slozz gifted me in such a thoughtful, spectrum-spanning way.
For those interested in Slozz and/or Migisi's work (whether on CD or vinyl), feel free to contact the former at ... https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009219645065. Your request will be well worth the effort. After all, everyone needs a little emotional swinging from time to time. Slozz and Migisi are ideal virtuosos to supply it.
It's time to return to the airwaves, my friends, with another episode of Captain Ron Fortier and Chief Engineer Rob Davis' Airship 27 Podcast!!!
The Sept '18 installment is a beaming gem, as our pals cover such prolific ground as the upcoming "Aviation Aces" anthology; the newly released "Pulp Mythology, Vol 1"; Ron's sequel to Mark Justice's Dead Sheriff saga, "Cannibals and Bloodsuckers"; Fred Adams Jr's hardboiled "Q.O. Jones, Vol 3: the Damned and the Doomed"; and the reprint of Art Sippo's popular revival of Germany's Doc Savage knockoff: "Sun Koh, Heir of Atlantis".
There's also an important Pulpfest update, a Patreon-contest announcement and of course, Ron and Rob's wacky humor. Great stuff on the whole...
Hop aboard at ... http://comicspodcasts.com/2018/09/17/airship27-043/.
As autumn beckons, my mind turns not only to crusty leaves, crisp air and pumpkins, but to a new batch of CW's DC/WB superhero shows. Alas, as was the case last year, my faith wanes.
The good vibes started to subside a few seasons back when "Supergirl" joined the CW camp. Contrary to the smooth way the show played on stodgy CBS, things got mighty unorthodox on what many presumed was a more fitting network.
For starters, bad became good, and good became bad, without a smidgen of ironic justification. James Olsen took pride in slanting news reports; Supergirl gushed over a parallel-plane President, despite the woman's flagrant insincerity (why, oh why, couldn't Lynda Carter have won a more respectable part?); and well, you get the dreadful drift.
It didn't take long for "Supergirl'"s stain to infect the other shows, in particular "Legends of Tomorrow". Though the White Canary-led jaunt retained its "Doctor Who" ambiance, its reinterpreted (and therefore, inaccurate) historical staging became more common than sporadic.
Crackpot history wasn't CW's only DC misstep. The shows' soap-opera trimmings tiered to a nauseating peak: "The Flash" took delight in our hero's sexual relationship with his "sister", and "Arrow'"s focus fell on sappy squabbles and strained relationships. When scripts did tap some needed virility, it was generally penitentiary-based, pushing most traces of time travel, alternate realities and the need to snuff out corruption and deceit to the back burner.
Please don't misunderstand: I've no objections to planting plebeian seeds within a fantasy plot line, but dear Lord, it's got to be within reason. When episodes of "Supergirl" catered to dating pursuits and wedding bliss (no matter if the participants were "diverse", "straight" or you name it), I took issue. Leave that fluff stuff to "General Hospital" and "Love of Life", not comic-book adaptations where mad scientists, rampaging robots and verbose apes should occupy the adversarial spotlight.
Okay, perhaps there's still a chance that these disconcerting intersections will lose favor among the execs. "Black Lightning" looks like a great way to set things on course, but considering the other series' track records, how long before it also stumbles? The same might be said of Batwoman, Lois Lane and Dreamer's anticipated intros: sensible, maybe, but if their actions are gimmick-driven, cloudy or (like CW's infrequent-flying Kal-El) designed for shameful defeat, why the bloody hell bother?
Indeed, the current situation leaves DC's followers little reason to feel confident. WB's theatrical scene continues to be hit and miss, with matters now further complicated by Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill's departures. In addition, though the DC/WB's direct-to-disc, animated features have proven exemplary, they come way too few and far between. Then, there's the much hyped, DCEU subscription service, which promises to deliver new cartoon and live-action shows in the near future, but it'll cost $75 a year to test its uncertain waters. Ouch!
Despite these good and/or bad insinuations, it hurts to see DC's most prolific, filmic strand go the Disney/Lucasfilm route. Perhaps the reverberations from "Star Wars'" backlash will rattle CW's leadership enough to reinstate the programs' earlier formats, while WB gets its other houses in order. That's probably too much to ask at this far-gone point, but then if worse comes to worse, we still have Fox's "Gotham" and SyFy's "Krypton" to lean on, right? On the other hand, considering the troubling way things have been going, dare we be so certain?
Praise the pernicious Predator, whether cloaked, jungle warrior; shadowed, city brawler; or worshiped, Xenomorph slayer...
Director/writer Shane Black, who costarred in the John McTiernan's '87 classic, now gives us a version to rival the aforementioned (an alien-Arnold equivalent to what Arnold fought), in a story that's far from unique, yet acts an ironic breath of fresh air when compared to Hollywood's plentiful, ball-less, fad fare.
Specifically, the new Predator (Brian A. Prince) is a dark, genetically enhanced villain, accompanied by humongous "hounds", who tracks a fellow warrior (Kyle Strauts) with an earthshaking secret on a raucous Halloween night. However, it doesn't take long before the new breed turns his attention toward humans (how's that for a belligerent vote of confidence?), but only those equipped with an amplified arsenal and the friggin fortitude to match his mindful mettle.
Facing the big-ass brute is Army Ranger, Quinn McKenna, portrayed by Boyd "Logan" Holbrook. McKenna is cool, bright and willing to sacrifice for others (the ideal hero for this type of tale). He's matched with Olivia "X-Men: Apocalypse" Munn's Casey Bracket, a biologist pulled into Quinn's makeshift team due to her penchant for extra-terrestrial study and that she just so happens to be above-average beautiful. (Sorry if the physical attribution offends, but it's only the truth, and there's nothing wrong with an attractive lady {or two} occupying a monster movie. This tactic has, in fact, characterized the genre since the earliest phases of the last century, so this latest example merely extends the respectful nod.)
The team and intersecting ensemble is enforced by such military and scientific muscle as Thomas "Punisher" Jane's Baxley; Keegan-Michael Key's Coyle; Alfie Allen's Lynch; Sterling K. Brown's Traeger; Augusto Aguilera's Nettles; Niall Matter's Sapir; Trevante Rhodes' Gaylord Nebraska Williams; with a special appearance by Jake Busey's Sean Keyes (son of Peter Keyes, portrayed by Jake's dad, Gary in "Predator 2"). Jacob Tremblay plays McKenna's autistic son, Rory, who's edgy but courageous.
As many know per Fox's locked-and-loaded, pre-publicity stream, there's humor in this chapter, but it never gets too extreme. If anything, the chuckles spring from out nervous pauses, which embellish the camaraderie and introduce just enough comic relief to put one at ease before another sticky situation strikes.
The participants do, however, leave an overload of cartoonish carnage in their search-and-destroy wake (empowered every step of the way by Henry Jackman's Goldsmith-ish score), but that's acceptable for this sort of '80s inspired salute. Really, who needs wimpy compromise in a toe-to-toe, to-the-death situation, anyway? (Now that would be downright unreasonable!) Black's film is made for folks who like their plots lean, rough and bloody. (Much of the credit goes to Black's respected "Monster Squad" co-writer, Fred Dekker, whose creative fingerprints are discernible throughout the picture.)
"The Predator" pleased me enough to ensure I'll add this one to my library. (Then again, since I own the preceding "Predator" and "Alien" films on disc, why would I ever let this one slip, no matter the quality?) Still, taken on its own merit, this new chapter will act as a perfect remedy for those dreadful days when the world gets a little too damn soft for its own spineless good. In other words, I'll be revisiting this one a lot.
