Iron Fist Season 2: Martial Arts Mysticism Rebounds

Netflix's "Iron Fist: Season 2" begins September 7, with all ten episodes set to digest. 

Season 1 gained great viewership, but many Marvel fans were disappointed that Finn Jones' bearded Danny Rand, aka Iron Fist, didn't don his famous, yellow mask, let alone his spiffy, high-collared suit.  (I confess, I'm one such stickler.)

Nevertheless, the mask (or a variation of it) will grace the sequel, but a publicity shot shows Sacha Dhawan's Davos, aka Steel Serpent, wearing it. Perhaps the show's rivalry will lead the disguise to leap from one man to the other, or maybe Netflix simply doesn't wish to spoil the big moment when our hero slips his on. 

Though the new season will elevate the dueling pair, Iron Fist will also patrol Hell's Kitchen in Daredevil's absence. It goes to reason, therefore, that a Defender or two might assist in that endeavor. Nevertheless, Tom Pelphrey; David Wenham; Jessica Stroup; Rosario Dawson; Alice Eve (as Daredevil's comic-book adversary, Typhoid Mary); Jessica Henwick; and Simone Missick (the latter two, burgeoning Daughters of the Dragon) are there to fringe the mystical melees.

My concern (beyond the obvious, costume deal) is whether Season 2 will include any '70s kung-fu vivacity. Alas, Season 1 and "The Defenders" fell short on that. Regardless of Iron Fist's revamped, Netflix status, the character remains linked to a time when Bruce Lee and related, martial artists ruled the action roost. To overlook this again would further dishonor those long-time fans who take pride savoring such. Here's hoping Netflix is magnanimous this time out. 

I saw Leatherface Reborn...

Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel inspired a slew of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" sequels, retellings and prequels. The latest falls into the latter category, and like director John Luessenhop's parallel-universe follow-up, "Texas Chainsaw 3D", this one has its sentimental moments, but that doesn't make it sappy. Really, there's no way to make a Leatherface tale Rockwellian, but to weave such an aura into such a story is the ironic key to keeping it creepy and even more so, memorable.

With this in mind, directors Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury have bestowed us with "Leatherface" (not to be confused with Jeff Burr's subtitled sequel, "Texas Chainsaw Massacre III"). Produced by the Hooper and Henkel and written by Seth M. Sherwood, this origin insert takes place within the '50s and '60s, before the classic original and links not only to that legendary shockfest, but also Luessenhop's offbeat extension. We now see Leatherface as a youngster named Jedidiah Sawyer, who gradually acquires the ways of Ed Gein: the real-life killer who inspired Hooper/Henkel and Gunnar Hansen's character and of course, Robert Bloch's Norman Bates. 

Like Norman, little Jed (Boris Kabakchiev) is fond of his mom (or is she his aunt?), Verna (Lili "The Conjuring" Taylor), who hopes to teach him their clan's cannibalistic ways, but at first Jed is reluctant to indulge in the bloodshed and endures derision for of it. 

When Betty (Lorina Kamburova), the daughter of Sheriff Hal Hartman (Stephen "Blade" Dorff), goes missing and the family falls under suspicion, Jed is dispatched to a mental institution, where he adapts the name, Jackson, and remains under the harsh care of Dr. Lang (Christopher "Pirates of the Caribbean" Adamson). During this adolescent period, the slender lad's potential to do harm appears nonexistent, making him temporarily unrecognizable from the burly, mythological beast we've come to know and fear. 

In young adulthood, Jed is played with meritorious nuance by Sam Strike, who initially presents an awkward facade, which has nonetheless earned him a few demented friends within the institution (played with disconcerting effect by Sam Coleman; Jessica Madsen; and capturing the aura of a young Sid Haig, James Bloor), but when Verna pays an ill-fated visit, the group impulsively escapes, dragging  pretty Nurse Lizzy White (Vanessa "Roboshark" Grasse) along for the ride. This brash move prompts Sheriff Hartman and the secret-harboring Deputy Sorrel (Finn "Iron Fist" Jones) to hunt them down. That the gang paves a murderous trail in their wake doesn't make it hard. 

The nomadic (though ultimately full-circle) events turn "Leatherface" into a nightmarish Jack Kerouac (or perhaps more so, a variant on Rob Zombie's "Devil's Rejects"), where the worst aspects of self-discovery surface. Jed's unwitting need to conceal his identity (i.e., the reprehensible acts he's destined to perform) establishes a historic metamorphosis. What we witness is the veritable, though otherwise unsuspecting making of a monster, but not one without sympathy. We realize that if the variables had only swerved another way, Jed may not have become this saga's titular terror. 

Jed's mental and physical transformation is enhanced by, and yet in opposition to, the film's idyllic '50s/'60s backdrops: clean on the outside, but as one might find in any David Lynch venture, grimy beneath. "Leatherface" becomes, as a result, a story of eroding innocence, both on a cultural and emotional level. (Traces of this are detectable in the opening birthday scene and prevail throughout the hospital sequences.) As Jed plunges into madness, losing his humanity along the way, we witness the end of a pretentiously perfect world. All that's good becomes bad; all that's light becomes dark: ideal for Leatherface's genesis. 

This ground-floor angle makes the film as interesting as Luessenhop's, but instead of depicting Leatherface in later years, tottering between impish and brutish impulses, Sherwood's script gives us a well conceived, psychological springboard for that sorrowful culmination. 

Leatherface's woeful condition doesn't make him or his story any less unnerving. For one thing, gorehounds will get more than their money's worth. At the same time, the film never becomes just another throwaway, slasher rehash. Though we face the expected, traditional trimmings of previous chapters, we're also exposed to what festers between their sadistic cracks. 

It's too soon to say where this entry will rank in "Chainsaw'"s carnage queue. Some installments are favored more than others, after all. Nevertheless, Leatherface is too significant a character to be thrown to the wayside, no matter what the incarnation. A film that probes his deepest hows and whys is bound to be revisited and on that basis alone, guaranteed remembrance.

("Leatherface" is currently in limited, theatrical release and can be viewed through various pay-per-view venues.) 

THE DEFENDERS: NETFLIX DELIVERS JUSTICE FOR ALL!!!

Our Harlem/Hell's Kitchen heroes are back--Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil; Mike Colter as Luke Cage/Power Man; Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones; and Finn Jones as Danny Rand/Iron Fist--all assembled and equipped to kick some villainous ass and of course, bring justice to NY's meek and downtrodden.

The highly anticipated “The Defenders”, based on the popular Marvel comic-book series, is Netflix’s reply to Disney’s "Avengers" and WB’s "Justice League". The tone here is of its own variation: vicious, brooding and (chances are) woeful. (Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle/Punisher would fit right in, if not for his loner disposition, but give it time…)

For the sake of this series, our heroic collective faces a baddie named Alexandra. Folks are wondering if she's a disguised element of Marvel's vast lineage, but whether she holds a historic link (let alone rubs elbows with the opposing force, the Hand) shouldn't matter to fans of "Alien", "Avatar" and "Galaxy Quest", for she's played by none other than Sigourney Weaver. Evidently, Weaver's character wields lots of big-city influence, but has any officious, self-serving opponent ever halted our defenders? Then again, who knows what devilish plan Alexandra may be hatching? (Say, wouldn't it be cool if it connects to a character otherwise thought defunct...one perhaps played by Elodie Yung? Hint, hint...ha, ha.)

Though Weaver's enigmatic "queen-pin" and her resulting actions aren't to be taken lightly, advanced footage for the show does present some wry banter for our admirable quartet, so though doom and gloom may predominate, we might at least anticipate some sporadic levity.

For superhero/comic-book fans, this is a golden age, with live-action adaptations riding an all-time high. Some, however, would take delight in seeing the trend end, but I emphatically say to hell with them. “Defenders” is another welcome chunk of good-vs-evil escapism and another reason why Netflix is fast becoming one of the most reliable entertainment sources around. Hey highbrow HBO—ya payin' attention?

All eight episodes of “Defenders” will be queued for viewing on Aug 18. Engage, enjoy...defend!!!

Netflix's Iron Fist Debuts!!!

During the martial-arts movie craze of the '70s, Iron Fist stayed steadfast and in the forefront among the comic-book counterparts. However, the chance for a movie version grew only prominent during the past decade, with Ray "Darth Maul" Park positioned for the lead. That obviously didn't pan out, but now, with Netflix embracing the Marvel universe as part of its profitable sector, the famed character manifests in a brooding series.

Finn "Game of Thrones" Jones stars as the billionaire, Buddhist monk/kung-fu expert, Danny Rand. During his stay in a monastery, Rand mastered the means to tap the mystical power of the Iron Fist (and now can become such personified). However, when he returns home to reclaim his family's prestigious company, circumstances push him more toward crusader than entrepreneur.  

In addition to Jones, the 13-part saga features Jessica "Game of Thrones" Henwick; Tom Pelphrey; Jessica Stroup; David "Lord of the Rings" Wenham; and Rosario Dawson, reprising her "Daredevil"/"Luke Cage" role of Claire Temple. Also, Carrie-Anne Moss, "Jessica Jones'" Jeri Hogarth, is set to guest star.

All episodes of "Iron Fist" will be available for viewing on Friday, March 17. The series will ultimately interlock with most of Netflix's other heroes, to be showcased in "The Defenders", a group in which Rand holds a leadership role. 

It appears "Iron Fist" will grant Netflix another winner, though for the character's fan base, its success will depend on how much it captures its Marvel mythology. So far, so good with Netflix's other comic-book interpretations, so let's hope "Iron Fist" emulates their precision, implementing a modern-day panache, but never losing sight of the character's hip, '70s roots. (Yeah, the chest tattoo may be on the mark, but a good shave and an iconic, yellow mask would be a promising step in the right direction.)