GOODBYE, STACY KEACH

You were outstanding as Mike Hammer in your two hit series, becoming synonymous with Mickey Spillane's gumshoe legend. 

It was in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter that I first met you, though, and from there, I followed you into other fascinating ventures: The Traveling Executioner, The Ninth Configuration, Roadgames, Slave of the Cannibal God, Body Bags, Escape from L.A., Man with the Screaming Brain, Children of the Corn 666: Isaac's Return, Amanda and the Alien, Galaxy Hunter, Legend of the Lost Tomb, Rio Diablo, The Long Riders, Doc (Holiday), The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, The Pathfinder, Luther, Jesus of Nazareth, Jerusalem Countdown, Gotti, El Pedrino: The Latin Godfather, Fat City, MacBeth (1968), Brewster McCloud, The New Centurians, Six Characters in Search of an Author, Butterfly, Come Early Morning, American History X, The Bourne Legacy, Fear Runs Silent, Unshackled, Ice Breaker, Honeydripper, Chicago Overcoat, Survival Skills, W, Truth, Cell, Gold (2016), The Killer Inside Me, Street People, Watched!, Milena, Sunset Grill, Lost and Found in Cleveland, Texas, Jay Kelly, Raw Justice, The Great Chameleon, New Crime City, The Sea Wolf (1997), Sea Devils, Young Ivanhoe, Ring of Death, Planes, Planes: Fire and Rescue, Gray Lady Down, The Greatest Battle, The Gravy Train, Conduct Unbecoming, The Pixar Story, All Kinds of Strangers, Against Their Will: Women in Prison, Murder Me Murder You, The Boxer, The Duelist, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Cheech & Chong's Up in Smoke & Nice Dreams. 

In addition, you were accessible as a regular on television's Titus, Crowded, Caribe, Man with a Plan and Prison Break and had hardy roles on The Twilight Zone (1980s version and the long-running, radio series), The Outer Limits (2000s), Haunted Lives: True Ghost Stories, American Greed, Missing Reward, Blue Bloods, In the Heat of the Night, Lincoln, Dynasty, Touched by an Angel, Planet of Life, The Fitzpatricks, A Rumor of War, Saturday Night Live, Two and a Half Men, Hot In Cleveland, Blunt Talk, The Exes, Kidding, Rugrats, Tokyo Trial, The Zeta Project, Ray Donovan, Jennifer Falls, Enlisted, NCIS: New Orleans, The Blacklist and Full Circle. 

You were an amazing actor, in both presence and voice, Mr. Keach, one of my all-time favorites, in fact. Thank you for your contributions, for they brightened my life, as well as the lives of so many others.   

I SAW VISIONQUEST

After I viewed the initial set of VisionQuest episodes, I reported on them (see October post). I felt they held a throwback feel (one that tapped earlier, Marvel lore, parenthesized by Twilight Zone, Tron and Matrix allusions). However, what flowed from that pair was eclipsed by tricky introspection, trimmed (at least early on) by sporadic nods to Sanford and Son, All in the Family, Small Wonder and Star Trek, as filtered through Paul Bettany's reactionary android, The Vision (sometimes red-faced, sometimes white). 

Above all, the format recalled Fox's near-forgotten Herman's Head, where a young man's intrinsic fancies manifest as "real people" who guide his decisions. Vision's inner avatars mirrored this behavioral function and consisted of James D'Arcy's J.A.R.V.I.S., Orla Brady's F.R.I.D.A.Y., Emily Hampshire's E.D.I.T.H. and Henry Lewis' D.U.M.-E. 

James Spader's Ultron roamed Vision's thoughts, as well, leaving room for the Bride of Ultron to enter, compiled from a complicated hub propelled by the consciousness of the often name-dropped Dr. Jo Corrington. As part of this component, the sweet-talkin' Lady Ultron sought revenge on Mary McDonnell's Katerina Wells, who hijacked Corrington's A.I. research, but this wasn't the fabricated woman's main motive. 

Ultron's disdain for the human race remained at her core, carried out by her nanobot/biometric-key-loving drive, and when the couple's debauchery was conjoined, Ultron took time to bond with his "grandson," Ruaridh Mollica's quick-silvery Speed (aka Tommy Maximoff/Tommy Shepherd), but to what dangling end? 

Yes, Ultron was to benefit from his mate's domineering goal and subsequent consumption, and I suppose Vision and Speed could have pursued such, too, if they were so inclined to embrace the dark side, but why all the ponderous zigzagging to get there? There was too much exposition and never enough outcome: a problem further exasperated by the appearance of the shadowy Client (a vague Freddy Krueger type voiced by Spader), despite the apparition being linked to a Marvel character who existed long before Marvel gained its name. (Sure, this was a nice nod to the Golden Age, yet with everything but the kitchen sink tossed in, including later additions of Glen Campbell's "Rhinestone Cowboy," Roger Whittaker's "The Last Farewell," and a knock-off HAL 9000, why bother? For cryin' out loud! Whew!) 

Please remember, Disney+ promoted this series as one where Todd Stashwick's Paladin would act as Vision's relentless, Gerard-ish pursuer, but that simple, all-too-familiar prospect died on the vine, with the henchman reduced to guest-starring window dressing in favor of Inception spiraling. (Paladin does rather shine in the episode, "Deadlock", but even there, his presence is minimized: a shame since Stashwick's  Paladin was quite charismatic and deserved substantial ascension.) 

This character deflection was reminiscent of Sigourney Weaver's Alexandra Reid in Netflix's The Defenders. Reid was ballyhooed as the show's reigning antagonist, but then within a feeble blink, she met her demise. Granted, this type of tactic holds surprise, but it never overcomes its innate deceit. I wouldn't say that Paladin's demotion, in this respect, was anywhere near as definitive as Reid's, but Paladin's perched publicity was still a come-on, and come-ons, by their insincere design, can't help but leave folks high and dry. 

Even with these heavy criticisms lodged, at least VisionQuest sewed a consistent, good-vs-evil thread: that is, Ultron (in any number of misdirected forms) maintained his grand, Frankenstein-ish villainy. How could his deeds, his murders, ever be downplayed or forgiven? (Then again, there's that whole Loki  thing, but that's another analysis for another time.)

So, what am I driving at here? Hmmm... Okay, if you haven't already watched, why not throw caution to the technological wind and give VisionQuest an unfettered try? The worst is you'll get a headache, and if so, just turn away, pop a pill and find another Vision-ary track (of any sort or genre) to occupy your time...er make that, mind. It's not as if those nasty nanobots could ever surf the streaming waves and lock your brain. On the other hand, in this ever-changing world of adapting A.I., the vexatious possibility does linger, does it not?🧠

I SAW GHOST SOLDIER

Director William (Land of Bad/Underwater/The Signal) Eubank's Ghost Soldier, written by Chris Papasadero (a genuine Green Beret) and starring Jim (The Passion of the Christ) Caviezel, is a lean, mean, Rambo/Bondian-styled, patriotic adventure that features hard-working Americans battling power-hungry bastards who wish to seize and sell their Wyoming, water supply under the lie of "eminent domain." 

Caviezel's character is Henry "Fitz" Fitzgerald, a Special Forces/Green Beret, with a penchant for constructing advanced weaponry and motivated by a fervent faith in Saint Michael. He just so happens to reside on that land the villains desire. Indeed, considering Fitz's spectral-steered, off-the-radar stealth, he's the wrong man to mess with, and yet the overconfident intruders dare to do so. 

The manipulative, conglomerate bullies work for Brownstone Interworks, a New York-based hub with Middle Eastern ties. Its members are portrayed by Alexej Manvelov (the heinous honcho, Ty Bell), Shea Whigham (an ambiguous sort, who plays it from both ends to instill a sly surprise), Garret Dillahunt, Tetiana Dar/Gaidar, Gunner Wright, Lina Sanden and the brawny Beau Knapp. With the exception of the latter, they lack Fitz's superior, fighting skills, but they're persistent enough to take a little here and there and kill the innocent in the process. 

Olivia Thirlby plays Sheriff Heidi Parker, a principled woman who fights alongside Fitz. Our hero also has a surrogate "son," Cameron Gayden's Jack (in what creates a Shane-inspired dynamic). The two are joined by an assortment of textured others, portrayed by Jaina Lee Ortiz, Carlos Gomez, Ricky Whittle, Steven Cree, Dylan Corbett-Bader, Sorel Johnson and Jack McKenzie. They're a passionate crew and add to the story's steadfast stance. 

Some might dismiss Ghost Solider as just another disguised-western/revenge tale. It's hard to argue it's not, but like other stories of its kind (and that includes any number of the recent, Jason Statham crop), it'll resonate with those who must make ends meet, while vile vultures feed off them.  

Above all, Caviezel holds a creme-de-la-creme spot in the exploit. Even though his steely-eyed diligence may be beyond the reach of average schmoes, seeing him kick butt on the big screen should prove uplifting. Lord knows they need the elevation, not to mention the righteous compensation.🎖

GUNN GONE: WHAT NOW?

People ask me what I think of James Gunn and Peter Safran's departure (firing) from the DCU. You got me. I'm no Nostradamus, let alone the Phantom Stranger or Sandman, but I suppose I can offer some reflections. 

I mean, if Man of Tomorrow does hit big at the box office, Superman 2025's thread could continue. On the other hand, by the time Man of Tomorrow premieres, everyone under the sun will know Gunn and Safran have skipped town, which may give some cause to ignore a cinema visit to a saga that won't proceed. (Perhaps that's one of the reasons why The Flash and Aquaman 2 fizzled at the box office.) 

I believe that DC (as it now stands in the Paramount/WB pool) should stick to exploratory pieces. If the movies should be one-shots, so be it. Clayface, for example, may be the most obvious case in point: an unintentional trendsetter, in that regard, though Matt Reeves' Batman continuation would go against the trend. Even so, its Serpico-steered content seems confined to its own noir-ish niche. (As for Lanterns: Season 2, Peacemaker: Season 3, The People v. Gorilla Grodd, Jimmy Olsen and Poison Ivy, doom-nation seems the inevitable rule of the day, but time will tell.)

From my perspective, the necessity of shoehorning comic-book elements to build piecemeal franchises (whether for DC or Marvel) has run its course, but the interest in superhero storytelling prevails. A passion for such modern, mythical adventures has existed for decades, whether on the page, the theatrical screen or television. That passion has no choice but to thrive. It's just a matter how, and there's no shame in scaling it back to do it right, no matter who departs or takes charge. 

Well, if my two cents doesn't hit the mark, maybe you'd consider good ol' JesterBell's. I find her take on the Gunn/Safran topic most invigorating!

FOR THE FUN OF IT: