FOR VETERANS DAY 2015

IN HONOR OF THOSE WHO SERVED...I SALUTE YOU! 

RIP GUNNAR HANSEN...

FAREWELL, GUNNAR HANSEN...

You created one of cinema's most frightening characters, but to those who knew the man behind the mask, your gentle soul will be remembered most.

I saw SPECTRE Retooled...

Ian Fleming's James Bond is back: that is, Daniel Craig's Bond, in the fourth entry of his 007 series. 

Directed by "Skyfall'"s Sam Mendes (and scripted by Jez Butterworth,  John Logan, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade), "Spectre" is aptly big, bold and nostalgic. Also, just as “Thunderball” faced the challenge of matching "Goldfinger'"s success, “Spectre” has been angled to rival the acclaimed "Skyfall". Against the odds, "Spectre" manages to hold its own and perhaps more than in the prior Craig outings, embraces its globe-trotting past, but with a masterful, foreboding glorification that accompanies the actor's stoic presence.

The evil organization, SPECTRE is familiar to Bond buffs, and its octopus logo (like Hydra's in Marvel) is iconic. However, an insinuated element is now attributed to the Connery-era agency, evident in the Day of the Dead prologue, where citizens sport skull personas. In appearance, they're reminiscent of "Live and Let Die'"s mystical minions, but by no means are they bad guys. They simply stand in lieu of SPECTRE's actual members: dead on the record books, but alive either in flesh or spirit, and because of their furtive influence, a danger to the world. 

As with any Bond effort, the villains are a notch above most, with Franz Oberhauser/Ernst Stavano Blofeld (the devilishly charismatic Christoph Waltz) leading the pack, assisted by Dave "Guardians of the Galaxy" Bautista as henchman Mr. Hinx. (Even Jesper Christensen's Mr. White makes a brief reappearance.) However, mobster Marco Sciarra (Alessandro Cremona) occupies the earliest action, brawling with Bond in Mexico. Even when Sciarra slips from view, his presence prevails through his fetching but beguiling wife, Lucia (Monica Bellucci). 

The primary Bond girl is Lea Seydoux (Waltz's "Inglourious Basterds" costar), who projects a cool, Hitchcockian sexiness as Dr. Madeleine Swann. She's Mr. White's daughter and harbors a secret, making Bond's romantic object of value and concern. 

The rest of the cast bridges their relationship nicely, with Ralph Fiennes now promoted to "M" status; Naomie Harris returning as Eve Moneypenny, along with Ben Whishaw as the quirky "Q". Andrew Scott enters the behind-the-scenes tension as British agent Max Denbigh (aka, "C"), who mirrors Bond's tenacity, though to an Orwellian fault.  

Alas, to its disadvantage, "Spectre" doesn't hit "Skyfall'"s psychological complexity (due to Javier Bardem's memorable Raoul Silva), nor does it offer the previous film's sentimentality (a result of Judi Densch's departure). It's really a straight-forward action piece, where Bond once more uses his superheroic resources to thwart opponents. On the other hand, it's not an utter rehash of prior efforts, despite its many nostalgic nods. It's too cynical and hardcore for that, and SPECTRE remains as troublesome as when last seen in "Never Say Never Again", but now more expansive because of its computerized reconstruction. 

As with any Bond film, "Spectre" is jammed with exoticism, allowing our hero to leap from one locale to another without much apparent cause, but on the plus side, "Spectre" may be Craig's most attractive adventure. Also, the gadget-laden action is on a par with this year's other stand-outs, including "Man from U.N.C.L.E", "Age of Ultron" and "Fury Road".

Where "Spectre" will rank in the franchise's long haul is yet to be seen. Still, in its imaginative scope and visual vigor, the sequel should please most fans. It also demands Craig's re-entry, even if (per recent rumor) that's not to be. This one will be a hard act to follow in any event, but then other Bond sequels have encountered the same circumstances, only to deliver in the end, and good, bad or otherwise, "Spectre" certainly confirms 007 will return!!!

FOCUS ON FILMFAX #142!!!

...Alerting folks of Filmfax #142 (Oct-Dec '15), which just hit the newsstands. It’s a particularly significant edition, catering to three legendary performers we've recently lost--Yvonne Craig, Christopher Lee and Patrick Macnee--in adoring retrospectives by Jan Alan Henderson and Daniel Savino. 

Though these legendary performers act as #142's headliners, the issue also features the second half of an interview with Donnie Dunagan (young star of "Son of Frankenstein", "Tower of London" and voice of Bambi) and an insightful first-part essay on George Pal's controversial "Doc Savage".  

While other so-called pop-cultural mags cater exclusively to the drab here-and-now, Filmfax isn't afraid to embrace the past, to celebrate the individuals who've enriched our lives over the decades. 

Grab your copy of Filmfax today. You're guaranteed hours of sterling sentiment and informative fun.  

Collectible Time #45: McFarlane Walking Dead Micchone 10" figure

McFarlane has done it again, adding another 10" action figure to its "Walking Dead" line (see "Collectible Time #14: Nov '14: Rick and Daryl). The latest addition is Danai Gurira as Micchone!!!

The piece comes with interchangeable arms for alternate posing, but there's really no way to station the sword-swiping Michonne but in full action swing (wouldn't fancy her any other way, really).

Gurira's likeness is astonishing, and my anticipation for the next "Walking Dead" 10" entry (I imagine another will come sometime in '16) is darn strong...yep, just like ol' mighty Micchone!!!

Ash vs Evil Dead...At Long Last Unleashed!!!

It was a damn fan demand that Bruce Campbell reappear as Ash Williams, and since it didn't manifest in a much anticipated "Army of Darkness" sequel, STARZ has blessed us instead with a series.

Produced by Campbell, Craig DiGregorio, Robert Tapert and maestro director/creator, Sam Raimi, "Ash vs Evil Dead" is (as Campbell has assured us) better than a mere movie sequel. With a television series, we get many mini-sequels, which for the immediate stretch guarantees at least a consistent flow of the outlandish antics and crazy carnage that's made the films so gruesomely endearing. 

The show is a perfect vehicle for the affable Campbell, but then Ash has always been a perfect fit for the actor, going straight back to the original "Evil Dead". Campbell has the right bumbling, every-guy gait for Ash: a reluctant hero, who against perplexing odds, emerges victorious against the dreaded Deadites...well, most of the time, anyway. 

In the series, he's not relegated to the past or future, but rather the present: a reluctantly renewed adventurer, sharing the madness with State Trooper Amanda Fisher (Jill Marie Jones); the flustered Kelly Maxwell (Dana DeLorenzo); and the optimistic Pablo Simon Bolivar (Ray Santiago). Campbell's old co-star, Lucy Lawless, is in for the fight, too, as the resilient Ruby! Groovy!

The first episode (directed by Raimi) proved a veritable hoot, with Campbell hitting all the required notes. The "Army of Darkness" buffoonery remains at its heart, and though we don't get those swell Medieval trimmings, the tongue-in-cheek spunk stays ever present. (A good deal of Campbell's "My Name is Bruce" also figures into the plot.) 

"Ash vs Evil Dead" has immense potential and like Raimi's "Hercules" and "Xena", should attract weekly devotees. (Heck, STARZ has already approved Season 2 in anticipation of such.) 

Like the films that inspired it, "Ash vs Evil Dead" should encourage many a hapless fool to plug along, against whatever obstacles may emerge in life. Campbell's beloved character represents this notion better than most. Yep, if he can do it, so can you, even if your circumstances aren't generally plagued by an onslaught of smart-ass demons. 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2015!!!

HAVE A VERY MERRY MONSTER TEAM-UP HALLOWEEN
...FROM THE ICONS AND ME!!!