TRENTON'S PUNK ROCK FLEA MARKET/HOLIDAY EVENTS 2021

 

Hawkeye: the Series is Here

Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye (the series and the man) have premiered on Disney+, just in time to enjoy for the '21 Thanksgiving/Christmas season. 

Hawkeye, aka Clint Barton, is by reputation a resilient gent, and it appears that this six-part series will accentuate that trait, in addition to his amazing ability to sling arrows. Alas, Black Widow won't be there, and I (as well as other fans) had long hoped for a Hawkeye/Widow theatrical venture. Ah well, guess one can't have everything, but I'm more than content to accept a Hawkeye solo effort, especially when its length equals three movies. (Besides, a Hawkeye/Widow jaunt isn't an impossibility in the realm of Multiverse fantasy.) 

Much of Hawkeye bounces off End Game, but then much of the MCU does these days. Pathos and heroism are natural results of that heated exchange, and they do make for great melodrama. (That End Game remains the biggest money-maker of all time doesn't hurt, either.)

Along with Renner, Hailee (True Grit '10) Steinfeld plays Kate Bishop, a Hawkeye in training. Also along for the ride is Linda Cardellini as Mrs. Barton, and Vera (Bates Motel) Farmiga as her mom. Florence Pugh, who acts as the Scarlett Johansson's sister, Yelena Belova, in the Black Widow movie, reprises her role for added spunk. Alaqua Cox performs as Echo, a Tracksuit Mafia bad gal.  

The series' plot centers on Hawkeye Jr assisting Hawkeye Sr to ward off adversarial forces from his past. Ronin is at the psychological helm, but which Ronin is on the attack? (It doesn't appear that actor, Lee Pace is the one.) So what does this mean? Say, maybe the answer lies in the final episode of Patrick McGoohan's The Prisoner (hint, hint). 

The premiere episodes (two so far) are more poignant, reflective and humorous than action oriented (though the action that's served is quality), but give it time. Hawkeye, by command of its titular hero, is bound to deepen its depth while accelerating its pace. My hunch is that the series will more than hold its own with Loki, WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier once it rolls. Sure, that's sayin' a lot, but mark my prophetic words on this, and yes, I'll be humble as can be when you tell me I was right. 

AIRSHIP 27 PODCAST (NOV '21): READY FOR LIFTOFF

Clammy November ends with a brush of New Pulp warmth, thanks to Airship 27's latest podcast.

This time the spotlight falls on Nancy Hansen's latest Jezebel Johnston adventure, Revelation, where the brash pirate lady once again sets sails for a swashbuckling spree. Our hosts also give an nifty overview of Tyler Auffhammer's Marshal Horne of Talon's Crossing, which offers mounds of virile grit in a burgeoning western town. 

In addition to these swell new releases, Airship's first hardcover edition emerges: Ron Fortier's Brother Bones: Grave Tales. This impressive volume contains reprints of Brother Bones tales, plus the novel, Tapestry of Blood. Fortier's stories are complemented by Rob Davis' soul-stirring interiors and Adam Shaw's pistol-blasting front/back-cover wraparound.  

Dial in for all the New Pulp bells and whistles at 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGGrLjDAMJs

HAPPY THANKSGIVING 2021 (SANFORD STYLE)

 

HAPPY DOCTOR WHO DAY 2021

 

SO LONG, ART LAFLEUR

Most will recall you from your baseball movies: The Sandlot (as Babe Ruth), Mr. Baseball and of course, The Twlight-Zone-ish Field of Dreams. 

In addition to Field of Dreams, you covered  several other imagi-movies. as well as productions that brimmed of pulp-ish action and zesty comedy, including The Blob '88; The Invisible Woman '83; Zone Troopers; Trancers II; Trancers: City of Lost Angels; The Rig; Jekyll and Hyde...Together Again; Speed Racer '08; The Santa Clause 2 & 3; Beethoven's 4th; A Cinderella Story; Rescue from Gilligan's Island; Best of the Best 4; First Kid; The Replacements; Ace Ventura: Pet Detective; Man of the House; Air America; House Hunting; Rampage '87; Cobra; City Heat; Death Warrant; Maverick '94; and a many more. 

In each instance, your burly persona and twinkle-in-the-eye charm made a lasting impression. There's no doubt you'll be remembered, Mr. LaFleur, and your work revisited for as long as folks watch movies: in other words, a very long time.

FEMFORCE #194: CURVY TITANS CLASH

 

Femforce #194 descends upon comic-store racks with another all-color whooper, featuring a clash of the curvy titans in "Battle of the Brain Waves". Synn, Ms. Victory, She-Cat, Stardust and Tara wrestle with the maniacal Fem-Paragon in a psychedelic continuation of a mega melee that's bound to get readers feverish with delight. 

In addition, readers are treated to yet another Synn weird-dream-come-true in "Horror Movies", with Ms. Victory taking center stage, along with a couple chilling monstrosities.  

It's all brought to vivid life by this issue's contributing artists and writers: Eric Coile, Bill Black, Bobby Ragland and Mark and Stephanie Heike. 

And remember Femforce #195 is right around the bend, proving there's always something worth while to anticipate in this otherwise restrictive world. Thank you, AC!

In the meantime, get your copy of Femforce #194 at your favorite comic shop or online source. (I got mine at Steve's Comic Relief on Quakerbridge Road, Lawrenceville, NJ: an ideal spot to fulfill one's superheroic needs.)  

I saw Ghostbusters: Afterlife...

Ghostbusters: Afterlife, directed by Jason (Juno) Reitman (Ivan's son), ignores the ill-fated, 2016 reboot and returns to the franchise's roots, but not quite in the way one might expect.

Reitman and Gil (Poltergeist '15) Kenan's script is more of a sentimental throwback, a Stranger Things/Super 8 blend that uses the equipment and tropes of the classic, silly saga to tell a coming-of-age tale. 

It's also a story of being misplaced and finding one's place, after Egon Spengler (the late Harold Ramis)'s passing, with his struggling family occupying his shoddy, equipment-strewn home. The move-in occurs just as paranormal activity is about to (re)peak, and with the Ecto-mobile and related doodads on hand, a new group of Ghostbusters must fight supernatural forces in the valiant spirit of what once was.

This new leads consist of Mckenna (The Bad Seed '18) Grace as Phoebe Spengler, Egon's granddaughter; Finn (Stranger Things) Wolfhard as her brother, Trevor; Carrie Coon as Callie, their mom; Kevin Logan as Podcast, their young pal; Celeste O'Connor as Lucky, Trevor's gal; and Paul (Ant-Man) Rudd as good ol' Mr. Gary Grooberson, a supportive science teacher and '80s horror connoisseur: on the whole, likable folks who wander the unassuming fringes to get through life. 

Original cast members show up, too: Bill Murray as Peter Venkman, Annie Potts as Janine Melnitz, Ernie Hudson as Winston Zeddemoore, Sigourney Weaver as Dana Barrett and Dan Aykroyd as Ray Stanz. (Oh, and there's a pretty nifty, spectral cameo; venture a guess who it might be?) It's nice that the remaining members visit, though one must be patient for their ensemble manifestation. 

With the landmark cast merely popping in (even if in a significant way), that leaves the newbies to steer the escapades. Facing a ghostly vanguard (Hell Hounds, many mini Stay Puft Men, a roly-poly Muncher; J.K. Simmons' Ivo Shandor and Olivia Wilde's Gozer) isn't easy for these nervous but diligent novices, making the underdog group, in particular the awkward, Egon-ish Phoebe, sympathetic and therefore relatable. (Huge thanks to Reitman and Kenan for not making the kids perfect to a niggling fault.)  

Because of its self-evasive characterizations and homespun set-up, Afterlife is a gentle melodrama. In fact, its format could have jived just as well for a humble Monster Squad revival, which in its own right is a chip off the ol' Ghostbusters block. Because of this, some might dismiss Afterlife as a cash-in pretext compared to the original set, but it shouldn't be condemned for its quiet disposition: A more direct mega-sequel should have come decades ago when the opportunity was ripe, but oh well.   

This alternate path at least makes decent use of the concept's proud remnants: a side note to something that once thundered with guffaws across silver screens but now speaks in a retrospective whisper. It's a nice whisper, though, and one pliable enough to conjure another chapter. I mean, for wholesome, spiritual hunting, who else you gonna call?

PIN-UP TIME: BARBARA NICHOLS

 

Collectible Time: Virginia Creepers on Alpha DVD

Alpha Video (oldies.com) has a new title that horror-host fans are gonna love! It's Virginia Creepers and features Cinema Insomnia's esteemed Mr. Lobo as its presiding host!

As such, Mr. Lobo gives viewers a hardy rundown of ghoulish guides from the Virginia area (and beyond), which includes such sentimental favorites as Count Gore De Vol (Dick Dyszel), The Bowman Body (Bill Bowman), Karlos Borloff (Jerry Moore), Dr. Madblood (Jerry Harrell), Dr. Sarcofiguy (John Dimes), Dr. Gruesome (Mark Bartholomew) and Skeeter (Matt Pak); Ronald, the Ghoul (Jerry Sandford), Ghoulda (Geri Chronowit), Jonathan (John Willett), the Keeper (Rich Clark), Hazel Witch (Anna Inge Jump), Sir Graves Ghastly (Lawson J. Deming); Mr. Slime (Howard Meagle) and Dr. Sludge (Doug Bauley), The Great Zucchini (Bill Miller); C.J. "Tiny" Thompson and Midnight the Bird (as  themselves); and rockin' Jebediah Buzzard (?!?). A number of the hosts (as well as their fans and acquaintances) reflect with great relish and sentimentality on their programs. 

It's great fun seeing all of these crafty personalities in one nifty compilation (and in footage that goes back to 1958, no less). Also, producers/directors Sean Kotz and Chris Valluzzo give one a clear-cut notion of what makes the grassroots, horror-host phenomenon so darn endearing. (Of course, those who know Mr. Lobo have been in tune with that special spark for quite a spell.) 

Virginia Creepers is an ideal way to spend a couple of hours, and it's one of those quirky delights that one will revisit for eerie eons to come.

Order at 

https://www.oldies.com/product-view/1161D.html