Happy Birthday Adam Baldwin!

Happy Birthday Adam Baldwin! He has a great genre spanning career in film and television.  I would say I first took note of Adam as Animal Mother in Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket (1987).  There was something about his soldier, just all out into the rifle life, and you took him for what he was as a person.  I also remember him as Captain Wilkins in The Patriot (2000), the colonist who had loyalty to the crown, but not the brutal tactics of Colonel Tavington.  Still, the role that I think made his mark as an actor was Jayne Cobb in Firefly which ran from 2002 to 2003.  Jayne is a tough mercenary with his loyalty on a razor over money, there is something stupid, but lovable about the man called Jayne, you want him in a gun fight, but not hanging around you.  

Adam Baldwin at Wizard World, New Orleans, 2012, photo by the author.

There are two episodes that defined the character, he betrays the team in “Ariel” and Mal at the end is about to eject him into space, this is probably my favorite for his character.  Then, of course, “Jaynestown”, where he unknowingly is made a folk hero, to the disbelief of the crew and himself, and the responsibility makes him turn away from the fame.  I saw him at a convention in New Orleans and there was true love of the character and the series, he is more of fan than any Browncoat.  I was so happy that there was some sort of conclusion to the crew with the Serenity (2005) film, but I still want more, even it’s continuation in comics.  Baldwin was also John Casey in Chuck (2007-2012).  Adam has done voice work for animated series like Superman in Superman/Doomsday (2007) and video games with Halo and Half-Life.  Last year he was Captain Mike Slattery in The Last Ship series that he started in 2014.  Happy Birthday Adam Baldwin! 

#AdamBaldwin, #FullMetalJacket, #Firefly, #TheLastShip 

I Am The Night, “Aloha”, Review!

The penultimate episode of I Am The Night is here directed by Carl Franklin.  He directed the movie One False Move (1992) fashioned out of the Film Noir mold.  Jay is assembling the parts that is leading him to the Black Dahlia killer.  Fauna is also close to finding a T.H. Apate at Yunahama, Hawaii that may lead to her mother.  1949, we get a recounting at court about girl, Temar, and her delusion.  In court, we get Temar pointing to George as the Black Dahlia killer.  A spot of blood falls onto her shoe.  There are beer bottles and we see Jay bring several glasses of beer to his editor, Peter, and he also brings his article.  He says he found Temar Hodel and also her daughter, Fauna.  Peter takes Jay to the booth.  Jay wants tickets to Hawaii.  Peter authorizes the trip and reminds Jay of Emperor Trajian.  Morning, Fauna is packing at the house when Jimmie is about to take her away.  Jay shows Fauna the tickets.  Jimmy tears up the tickets.  Fauna angrily says she is looking for Temar.  Jimmy takes a knife from the kitchen and chases out Jay and then Fauna to her room.  Jimmy realizes that Fauna has slipped out the window and Jay pulls away with her in his car.  Hawaii, we pan down to the road with Jay driving Fauna who is smiling.  Out of the car, Fauna looks out to the sea.  Jay has checked the map, but Fauna is nervous meeting her mother.  It seems like Fauna sees this as opportunity, but she has been warned several times. 

I AM THE NIGHT -- “Aloha” -- INDIA EASLEY -- Clay Enos/TNT.   

Jay with Fauna pull up to a house, there is a group of houses, tourists and locals.  Jay asks a shopkeeper about Temar and she says to check the mail.  Fauna is frustrated and sets the hood over the car before it rains.  She fears that Temar doesn’t want to see her. At a restaurant, Jay tells Fauna about Arnold Palmers, he says he came back to Hawaii from Korea.  He mentions that the military should have trained soldiers how to return.  A sailor goes over to play the jukebox and asks Fauna to dance.  He won’t take no and pulls her away.  Jay takes her away and he puts a pool ball into his sock to make a blackjack.  The sailor comes back and is knocked out by the blackjack!  The owner pushes back another sailor from continuing the fight.  Night, Jay drives to a motel, he gets a room for Fauna and says he will sleep in the car.  He sees the bloody face of Sepp whom he killed and then some Korean soldiers.  Fauna in her night clothes bangs on the car door to check on Jay in the rain.  She says he was screaming and tells him it wasn’t his fault in killing Sepp.  Jay admits he found he liked the killing.  Morning, Jay knocks on the motel door to get Fauna to cut the stitches on his head.  They drive out to ask about Temar. Fauna sees two kids fight over a kite on a hill and asks if the girl’s name is Fauna.  This is a random incident, but the truth can never be fully hidden. 

I AM THE NIGHT -- “Aloha” -- INDIA EASLEY, CHRIS PINE -- Clay Enos/TNT.   

They run and are followed by Fauna and Jay.  In the darkness, back lit by the window is a woman who walks out and sees her daughter?  We see the ocean waves and Temar  (Jamie Anne Allman) walks with Fauna. She says her children call her Temar.  Her mother says her father wasn’t black.  We hear a whining sound and Temar’s speech is distorted.  She said she wrote it on the birth certificate because she says all white people are liars.  Fauna was a name from a Robinson Jeffers’ poem.  I studied Jeffers in college.  She brings up the trial which was before Fauna’s birth.  The psychologist said at the trial she was crazy.  Her father impregnated her!  Fauna is stunned, can’t speak, and walks away.  The dark truth is revealed on beaches of Hawaii, brilliant!  Jay is asleep in the car when Fauna jumps in and wants him to take her back.  Her world is destroyed.  Jay tells the harsh reality, “sometimes you catch a bad one.”  Fauna says she hates him.  On the phone, Jay wants to leave out Fauna, but Peter wants her in the story.  Night, Jay walks up to a Team and a group drinking around a fire.  Temar she finds Hawaii “beautiful, but boring.” Jay says he covered her trial and that she can stop it.  Temar says that the city protects him.  She says everyone knew George Hodel killed the Black Dahlia.  Thunder booms overhead.  Temar brings back a box sent by her father.  She leave shim as Jay assembles the paintings of George Hodel’s victims.  Jay takes photos of them.  He has the evidence, but there is a disconnect with the "unsolved" Black Dahlia murder.  

Night in L.A., Fauna waits in the car, as Jay calls Peter in a phone booth. Peter tells him to bring the girl.  They drive, but stop as youths run the streets past firebombed cars.  It looks like this is August 1965 with the burning beginning of the Watts Riots.  Jay drives on and stops telling Fauna to wait ten minutes.  He confesses that her father is a murderer and that he killed the Black Dahlia.  At a restaurant, Jay brings Peter the photos, his editor admits that he was part of the raid of Dachau.  Guns are pulled on Jay by police officers and Officer Billis who calls him “Cupcake.”  Peter has set him up and he is taken away in handcufffs.  Fauna watches him taken away in a police car.  At least, he was smart enough to keep her out of it.  At Big Momma’s house, Fauna opens the door, it seems empty.  She drops her luggage.  Fauna calls up her momma, Jimmy, and apologizes.  She admits “It’s horrible” and thanks her.  Fauna wants to go back and covers her mouth crying.  She asks about the trial.  Jimmy tells Fauna to stay away and hangs up.  Then, she looks to see George Hodel. Jimmy brings him a rare steak.  He picks up two knives and goes to lock the door.  Jimmy pours oil on the steak.  They hear a banging on the door and Hodel stabs her.  A man checks on her and then makes a call.  George Hodel drives back in the night.   Peter drinks.  Jay is in a jail cell.  Fauna is alone in the house.  We find our characters in trouble and worse with the killer on the loose.  The Black Dahlia murder is said to be unsolved so what happens to Jay and Fauna?  Next week is the finale!  

Four Cameras out of Five! 

#IAmTheNight, #Aloha, #JamieAnneAllman, #TemarHodel 

Happy Birthday Sean Astin!

Happy Birthday Sean Astin!  He has many iconic roles including Mikey in The Goonies (1985).  I liked his role of Sgt. Richard “Rascal” Moore in the war film, Memphis Belle (1990). In 1992, Astin voiced Dylan in three episodes of The Legend of Prince Valiant animated series.   It was really the lead in the biographical drama, Rudy (1993), which is my favorite part for Sean Astin.  He played another soldier, Patella, working in a tank in Courage Under Fire (1996) based on the story of Karen Walden, the first woman to win the Medal of Honor.  In 2000, Astin played another iconic role as the Hobbit gardener turned hero, Samwell Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.  The fantasy trilogy continued with The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). 

Sean Astin and Elijah Wood at the One Ring Convention, 2005, photo by the author.

 Then, Sean Astin ventured into the post-apocalyptic world of Jeremiah (2003-2004) as Mister Smith.  Astin made everyone laugh in the comedy 50 First Dates (2004).  He also voiced Kodi, the son of Balto in the Balto III: Wings of Change (2004) animated movie. Next, Astin played Twoflower in the mini-seres, The Color of Magic (2008), based on the Terry Prachett fantasy books.  For Disney, he voiced the lead in Secret Agent Oso (2009-2012).  Astin also voiced Raphael in Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012-2017) cartoon.  He played Jim Kent in the horror series The Strain (2014-2015) based on the book by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. Recently, Astin had a great role as Bob Newby in Stranger Things (2017).  Happy Birthday Sean Astin!

#SeanAstin, #TheGoonies, #Rudy, #TheLordoftheRings, #StrangerThings 

2019 Joshua Movie Award Winners - Part 2!

We now return to the 2019 Joshua Movie Award Winners! 

Let’s start with the camera showing the movie with the Best Cinematography: 

Alfonso Cuaron (Roma), Caleb Descanel (Never Look Away), Matthew Libatique (A Star is Born), Rachel Morrison (Black Panther), and Robbie Ryan (The Favourite).  The Best Cinematography winner is Rachel Morrison for Black Panther!  

Movies are also found in the cartoon visuals of Best Animated Film: 

Incredibles 2, Mirai, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and The Grinch.  Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the winner of Best Animated Film!  

The Best Foreign Film nominees come from all over world: 

Burning (South Korea), Cold War (Poland), Never Look Away (Germany), Roma (Mexico), and Shoplifters (Japan).  The winner for Best Foreign Film is Roma!  

Best Documentary is very competitive this year, and the nominees are: 

Alexandria Bomach (On Her Shoulders), Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi (Free Solo), Peter Jackson (They Shall Not Grow Old), Morgan Neville (Won’t You Be My Neighbor?), and Betsy West and Julie Cohen (RBG).  The winners of Best Documentary are Betsy West and Julie Cohen, RBG.  

Next, we have Best Supporting Actor: 

Mahershala Ali (Green Book), Timothee Chalet (Beautiful Boy), Sam Elliot (A Star is Born), Brian Tyree Henry (If Beale Street Could Talk), and Michael B. Jordan (Black Panther).  The winner is Mahershala Ali for Green Book!  

We are nearing the end of the night with five other awards.  We will start with Best Supporting Actress nominees: 

Amy Adams (Vice), Marina De Tavira (Roma), Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk), Emma Stone (The Favourite), and Letitia Wright (Black Panther).  The Best Supporting Actress award goes to Letitia Wright for Black Panther!   

The tension for the night is building with Best Actress: 

Yaliza Apaicio (Roma), Emily Blunt (A Quiet Place), Toni Collete (Hereditary), Felicity Jones (On the Basis of Sex), and Lady Gaga (A Star is Born).  The Best Actress winner is Felicity Jones for portraying Ruth Bader Ginsberg in On the Basis of Sex)!   

Now we have the award for Best Actor: 

Christian Bale (Vice), Willem Dafoe (At Eternity Gate), Ethan Hawke (First Reformed), Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody), and John David Washington (BlacKkKlansman).  John David Washington wins the Best Actor award for BlacKkKlansman!  

The last two awards and now we get to Best Director: 

Ryan Coogler (Black Panther), Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born), Alfonso Cuaron (Roma), Mimi Leder (On the Basis of Sex), and Spike Lee (BlacKkKlansman).  The award for Best Director goes to Ryan Coogler for Black Panther! 

Our final award of the night goes to Best Picture: 

BlacKkKlansman, Black Panther, On The Basis of Sex, A Quiet Place, and Roma.  The Best Picture award winner is Black Panther!  

Thanks to all of the nominees for producing a year of great films!  

#JoshuaMovieAwards, #BestCinematography, #BestActress, #BestPicture  

2019 Joshua Movie Award Winners!

The votes for the 2019 Joshua Movie Awards are in, thanks to everyone who participated!, and now let’s have the envelopes please.  

The nominees for Best Stunts: 

Avengers: Infinity War, Black Panther, Deadpool 2, Mission Impossible: Fallout, and Widows.  And the winner is - Mission Impossible: Fallout!  

We now move to the nominees for Best Score: 

Nicholas Britell (If Beale Street Could Talk), Alexandre Desplat (Isle of Dogs), Ludwig Goransson (Black Panther), Justin Hurwitz (First Man), and Mark Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Mary Poppins Returns).  The winner of Best Score is Ludwig Gorannson!  

We have the score and now the Best Songs: 

“All the Stars” (Black Panther), Kendrick Lamar and SZA, “Ashes” (Deadpool 2), Celine Dion, “I’ll Fight” (RBG), Jennifer Hudson, “Shallow” (A Star is Born), Lady Gaga, and “Trip a Little Light Fantastic” (Mary Poppins Returns).  The Best Song award goes to “Trip a Little Light Fantastic”!  

The visuals today are fantastic in part due to the nominees of Best Visual Effects: 

A Quiet Place, Black Panther, Christopher Robin, First Man, and Mary Poppins Returns.  The winner is Mary Poppins Returns!  

The style of characters is seen in these nominees for Best Hair and Make-up: 

Black Panther, Mary Queen of Scots, Suspira, The Favourite, and Vice.  The award for Best Hair and Make-up goes to The Favourite!  

Our next group of nominees starts with the written word with Best Original Screenplay: 

Bo Burnham (Eighth Grade), Alfonso Cuaron (Roma), Deborah Davis and Tony Namara (The Favourite), Paul Schrader (First Reformed), and Bryan Woods, Scott Beck, and John Krasinski (A Quiet Place).  The winner is - Bo Burnham for Eighth Grade! 

Next, we have the Best Adapted Screenplay: 

Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians), Joe Robert Cole and Ryan Coogler (Black Panther), Barry Jenkins (If Beale Street Could Talk), Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, and Will Fetters (A Star is Born), and Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott and Spike Lee (BlacKkKlansman).  The Best Adapted Screenplay winter is Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk!

The pacing of a film and it’s structure shines with the Best Editing nominees:  

Jay Cassidy (A Star is Born), Tom Cross (First Man), Alfonso Cuaron and Adam Gough (Roma), Nick Johnson and Will Merrick (Searching), and Yorgos Mavropsaridis (The Favourtie).  The Best Editing winner is First Man edited by Tom Cross! 

The look of the sets can stun with the nominees for Best Production Design: 

Hannah Beachler (Black Panther), Eugenio Caballero and Barbara Enriquez (Roma), Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton (The Favourite), James Merifield (Mary Queen of Scots), John Myhre and Gordon Sim (Mary Poppins Returns).  The winner is Hannah Beachler!  

Our last category before we take our break is the grandeur of Best Costume with these nominees: Alexandra Byrne (Mary Queen of Scots), Ruth E. Carter (Black Panther), Julian Day (Bohemian Rhapsody), Sandy Powell (Black Panther), and Sandy Powell (The Favourite).  Ruth E. Carter wins Best Costume for Black Panther!  We will return shortly.  

#JoshuaMovieAwards, #BestStunts, #BestScore, #BestEditing, #BestProductionDesign 

Dune In The Novel and Films!

Dune is an upcoming film directed by Denis Villeneuve adapting the 1965 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert.  He previously directed Blade Runner 2049 (2017), Arrival (2016) adapting the short story by Ted Chiang, and Sicario (2015).  It features a script by Villeneuve, Eric Roth, and Jon Spaihts.  Dune has Brian Herbert as executive producer, the son of Frank Herbert, and co-writer with Kevin J. Anderson with two trilogies, the Prelude to Dune and Legends of Dune.  The scope of Dune is on an universe scale; it deals with ecology and life cycles on Arrakis, factions, rivals, and alliances across the galaxy, languages, traditions, and technology, and finally the coming of an universal messiah.  This will ensure that the complexity of the novel and also that Game of Thrones proved audiences can be receptive to complex, royal politics.  

The film features an impressive cast led by Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides.  His parents will be played by Oscar Isaac, Duke Leto Artreides, and Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica. Duke Leto is the leader of House Artreides.  Isaac was in the sci fi film, Ex Machina (2014).  Lady Jessica is the concubine of Duke Leto and member of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood.  Ferguson is in Men in Black: International and the sci fi movie Life (2017).  The allies of Paul Atreides include Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho and Gurney Halleck is played by Josh Brolin.  Duncan Idaho is the Swordmaster of the Ginaz who almost can’t be defeated in battle.  Gurney Halleck is another House Artreides advisor and trains Paul in weapons.  Of course Momoa has a Game of Thrones connection with his portrayal of Khal Dogo.  Brolin is Thanos in the upcoming Avengers: Endgame and worked with Villeneuve in Sicario (2015).  

Paul Atreides is tested by the Reverend Mother Mohiam portrayed by Charlotte Rampling.  She leads the Bene Gesserit which is a secret order of women who can control people through the Voice, not the game show, but a careful control of tones in a command.  Rampling was also in Never Let Me Go (2010) with Chalamet, she was in the sci-fi movie Babylon A.D. (2008), and I remember her from the film Orca (1977).  Paul is opposed by Stellan Skarsgard who plays Baron Harkonnen, a large, sinister man, who needs anti-gravity suspensors to move and carry his weight.  Skarsgard played Erik Selvig in the Thor and Avengers movies, Bootstrap Bill in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, I recognize him as the brutal Cerdic in King Arthur (2004).  

The leader of the Harkonnen forces is the ruthless Beast Rabban embodied in the form of Dave Bautista.  Denis Villeneuve cast Bautista as the replicant farmer Sapper Morton in Blade Runner 2049, he played Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, and was Hinx in the James Bond film Spectre (2015).  The Mentat Pieter De Vries is portrayed by David Dastmalchian.  Mentats are advisors like Game of Thrones’ Maesters and their minds are like computers since that technology was banned in the Butlerian Jihad.  Dastmalchian was in Blade Runner 2049 and the Ant-Man films.  The native leader of the Fremen is named Stilgar to be played by Javier Bardem.  He was Captain Salazar in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017), Bardem was the mastermind Silva facing James Bond in Skyfall (2012), and played an assassin in No Country for Old Men (2007).  This is a first rate cast as it stands now.  There are still rest of the Fremen on the Dune planet and the ruling faction of the Emperor Shaddam IV.   

There is plans to have two films adapting the first book.  This makes sense there will be time to expand on all of the political factions, setting, and characters.   It looks like there is a strong point from the beginning with House Artreides moving to Arrakis, Dune, and Paul surviving an attack by House Harkonnen to Paul taking the Fremen’s jihad to the universe.  I think what is important is the generations long plan to form the Kwisatz Haderach, basically a universal messiah.  Since there are plans to divide the book into two films, I believe the first movie will follow Paul Artreides to becoming a Fremen, and the last movie will be his revolution that will shake the universe.  

In fact, when I first read Game of Thrones I thought, oh, it’s a fantasy Dune with a wall, political factions, a group of native warriors, Dothraki instead of Fremen, dragons instead of sandworms that are the power in the world, and a noble family caught up in the dangerous, wider world.  Central to everything is the spice melage, a drug that smells like cinnamon and can extend life, give visions of the future, and makes space travel possible.  There is hints of spice smuggling in Star Wars, but never really explained.  Spice is the most important commodity in the universe and only found on Arrakis, the desert planet, protected by gigantic sandworms and the native Fremen.  Herbert’s world building is unmatched since it is literally a world and a universe.     

The films of Dune have their own history.  One of the most well known stories of unmade movies was the one headed by director Alejandro Jodorowsky.  An ambitious film with designs by Chris Foss, H.R. Giger (who later designed the Alien), and Moebius, the comics artist who also worked on Alien (1979), Tron (1982), and The Fifth Element (1997).  Also, there was a soundtrack from Pink Floyd.  Jodorowsky’s cast was legendary; artist Salvador Dali, actor and director, Orson Welles, and singer Mick Jagger.  It would have been an ambitious, brilliant film.  The film does veer from Herbert at it’s conclusion.  The quest to create this film is in the documentary Jodorwsky’s Dune (2013), recommended.  

Then, the rights were bought by Dino De Laurentis, and he brought in David Lynch, who previously directed Eraserhead (1977) and The Elephant Man (1980).  He is of course known for creating the series Twin Peaks also with his lead, Kyle Machlachlan, and Mulholland Drive (2001).  I finished reading Dune before the film’s opening which was a feat when I was a kid.  It was not confusing to me, but Lynch focused on the strange parts of Frank Herbert’s work rather than bringing in the complicated politics.  There was a Sy Fy series of movies that covered the first three books, written and directed by John Harrison.  It was hampered by a lower budget and seemed to stray from the Kwisatz Haderach part of Paul's destiny.  

Let’s look at possible choices for the rest of the cast I think may be made up of actors who worked with Denis Villeneuve in the past.  First, I think Paul Artreides’ sister, Alia, could be played by Jadyn Malone from Arrival, she played Hannah at age 6.  Next, Thufir Hawat, who is a Mentat and Master of Assassins, another trusted advisor to House Artreides.  I could see Victor Garber, who was in Sicario, he was in the television series Alias and Dr. Martin Stein in the Legends of Tomorrow series.   So this could also be an actor not in Villeneuve’s films, but someone who can play deadly and intelligent, Brendan Gleeson.  

He was in Edge of Tomorrow (2014) as General Brigham, In Bruges (2008) as Ken, mentor to Colin Farrell’s hitman Ray, and `Mad-Eye’ Moody in the Harry Potter films.  Let’s move to the rest of the Fremen.  Javier Bardem plays Stilgar, the leader of the Fremen, so I think it would be interesting to cast Latino actors as Fremen.  Chani, Paul’s Fremen lover and a deadly warrior, I hope will be Ana de Armas who played in Blade Runner 2049.  She was in the Eli Roth thriller Knock Knock (2015) and worked with Keanu Reeves again in the crime drama Exposed (2016).  Liet Kynes, father of Chani, he might be played by Benecio del Toro, who was Alejandro in Sicario.  He was The Collector in Avengers: Infinity War (2018).  

There is one important Harkonnen left, Feyd-Rautha, nephew and heir of Baron Harkonnen.  I think the rock star casting of Mick Jagger and Sting should also apply here to Jared Leto. The Thirty Seconds to Mars singer and musician was Niander Wallace in Blade Runner 2049.  He was of course The Joker in Suicide Squad (2016).  I think he would be perfect to capture the cunning and wildness of Feyd-Rautha.  There was talk of Zendaya taking the part of Chani, but I think she should play Princess Irulan.  She is trained by the Bene Gesserit.  The singer and actress will be in Spider-Man: Far From Home on July 5th and she was in The Greatest Showman (2017).  I would like the Emperor to be played by Forest Whitaker, Colonel Weber, in Sicario.  He has the dramatic power to be the Emperor of the Known Universe.  

The Emperor has elite troops called Sardukar, strangely they looked like soldiers in black bio-hazard suits in the Lynch film, I would like to see them deadly in the new movie.  Also, Paul has his own elite troops, the Fedaykin, his personal guard, but we also never saw their fighting style in the Lynch film.  Count Fenreig I would like to see played by Michael Stulbarg, from Arrival, he played Agent Halpern.  Stuhlbarg was also in Call Me By Your Name (2017) with Chalamet.  Fenreig is a deadly ally and confidant of the Emperor who was former Governor of Arrakis.  His wife, Margot, is Bene Gesserit.  She is sent by them to seduce Feyd-Rautha.  I would actually like to see Emily Blunt, Kate Macer, in Sicario as Margot Fenreig.  Blunt of course is a formidable actress in the sci fi movie Edge of Tomorrow (2014).  All speculation with casting, but I hope the movie set for release on November 20, 2020 will fulfill the potential of Frank Herbert's book. 

#Dune, #FrankHerbert, #DenisVilleneuve, #TimotheeChalamet 

Happy Birthday Emily Blunt!

Happy Birthday Emily Blunt! Her first film was Warrior Queen (2003) playing Isolda, the daughter of Celtic leader Boudica!  Then, she was in the tv mini-series, Empire (2005), as Camane. Blunt played Emily in The Devil Wears Prada (2005).  She played Queen Victoria in The Young Victoria (2009). One of Emily Blunt’s early genre roles was in The Wolfman (2010).  Then, she voiced Juliet in the animated movie Gnomeo & Juliet (2011).  Next, Blunt was Elise Sellas in the sci fi movie, The Adjustment Bureau (2011) based on the Philip K. Dick story.  She was impressive as Rita Vrataski, a veteran soldier, in Edge of Tomorrow (2014).  

Blunt showed her singing skills as the Baker’s Wife in the film adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim musical, Into the Woods (2014). She moved from musical to the intense drama of Sicario (2015)  directed by Denis Villeneuve. Next, Blunt was Queen Freya, sister to Ravenna, in the fantasy The Huntsman: Winter’s War (2016).  Tempest Shadow was voiced by Emily Blunt in My Little Pony: The Movie (2017).  Last year, Blunt had a stunning performance in A Quiet Place (2018) directed by her husband, John Krasinski.  She returned as Juliet in Sherlock Gnomes (2018).  Then, she was practically perfect as Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins Returns (2018). Next year, Blunt plays Lily Houghton in Jungle Cruise (2020) spinning off of the Disney ride.  Happy Birthday Emily Blunt!   

#EmilyBlunt, #Gnomeo&Juliet, #AQuietPlace, #MaryPoppinsReturns 

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World Review!

The third film in the franchise, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, will give you dragon love!  Dean Dubois who has co-directed and co-wrote the screenplay of the first Dragon, wrote and directed Dragon 2, and returns to write and direct the final How to Train Your Dragon film.  The movies are of course based on the book series by Cressida Cowell.  You can watch this film having not seen the others, but there are certain plot points and characters that enrich viewers who have seen all of the movies.  I missed seeing the first Dragon in theaters, mistake, but did see the second movie.  I tried to read the first book, but found the animated film to be a stronger story.  The best part of these films is that there is actual character development and the passage of time.  There were television series, Riders of Berk, Defenders of Berk, and Race to the Edge with a total of eight seasons.  In 2013, I saw the How to Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular, I loved it!  There is a land devoted to the movie at Motiongate Theme Park Dubai.  Now you can meet and greet Toothless at Universal Studios theme parks.   

The opening of the film is foggy, on a ship of the Dragon Hunters, Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) is in black dragon scale armor.  This is an invention that Hiccup has invented after Dragon 2.  Hiccup’s weapon is the Inferno, a flaming sword, that appeared in the Dragons: Race to the Edge episode “Tone Death”, and Dragon 2. Hiccup had lost his leg in Dragon 1 and replaced it with a peg leg that helps him ride Toothless.  Hiccup’s dragon is a Nightfury, who is the last of his kind, cat-like eyes and gestures, and he can blast lightning.  His tail was damaged in the first Dragon so Hiccup invented a kite that he works with to help Toothless fly.  He is joined by his fellow Dragon Riders and friends; brash Snoutlout (Jonah Hill), brave Astrid (America Ferrera), bickering twins, Tuffnut (Justin Rupple replacing controversial T.J. Miller), and Ruffnut (Kristen Wiig), and lastly bulky Fishlegs (Christopher Minz-Plasse).  They attempt to free the caged dragons.  Astrid is of course Hiccup’s fierce warrior companion, support, and romantic interest.  Snoutlout is not only boisterous, but seems to be interested in Valka, Hiccup’s mother(?). The dragon rescue is watched over by Valka (Cate Blanchett) who was discovered in Dragon 2.   

Hiccup’s other invention is his glider wings that lets him fly like a dragon.  The glider suit appeared in the Race to the Edge episode, "The Next Big Sting" (2015), and modified in this movie.  The action is a fun introduction to the characters and their mission to save all of the dragons.  The Dragon Riders return to their island home of Burk, but left behind is the camouflaged dragon with blue eyes.  They return to Burk which is now a thriving island with colorful Tinkertoy-like structures and dragons.  Hiccup has established a haven for dragons and Vikings as the new chief taking over from his father.  At Burk also is trusted advisor, Gobber (Craig Ferguson), and Eret (Kit Harington), a former rival turned ally who appeared in Dragon 2.  Gobber is interested in Hiccup to marry Astrid and Tuffnut advises him about romance.  This is strange since Fishlegs was Hiccup’s close friend, but he seems to only care for his baby gronckle, a dragon that seems to be a round mouth, teeth, and wings.  The massive dragon with antlers that was rescued from the Dragon Hunters also looks after the gronkle.  Gobber notes to Hiccup that there is always a greater danger out there.  

The new danger comes in the form of Grimmel (F. Murray Abraham) who can take down any dragon and revels in his fame as Dragon Hunter.  I could not recognize Abraham’s voice, his Grimmel is absolutely ruthless, patient, and ten steps ahead of the others.  Grimmel has dragons, Deathgrippers, that look part-rhinoceros, has a scorpion sting tail, and breathe acid!  They have collars that inject poison to control them, Hiccup is never able to break the collars and let the dragons free.  Hiccup thinks back to his father, Stoick (Gerald Butler) who tells Hiccup (AJ Kane) when he was younger about the Hidden World, the homeland of the dragons at the edge of the world.  Toothless discovers what Astrid dubs the Lightfury, a dragon with pearlescent wings and blue eyes.  They meet in a secluded forest like Hiccup's first meeting with Toothless.    Of course, Toothless and the Lightfury parallel Hiccup and Astrid.  Grimmel invades Hiccup’s home so Hiccup has the entire village travel to the Hidden World.  They find a new island, New Burk?, which is more secluded and spacious.  The later flirtation between Toothless and the Lightfury is charming, one of my favorite dragon scenes of any movie, and hilarious when he is coached by Hiccup.  The Hidden World itself is more beautiful than anything seen on Avatar’s Pandora.  The ending is a poignant conclusion to Hiccup’s story.  It looks like the adventures will continue with the video game, Dragons: Dawn of New Riders out now.

Four Dragons out of Five! 

#HowtoTrainYourDragon, #DeanDeBlois, #JayBaruchel, #AmericaFerrera 

Happy Birthday Anthony Daniels!

Happy Birthday Anthony Daniels! We of course know him as the protocol droid who is “fluent in over six million forms of communication”, C-3PO in Star Wars (1977)! His acting is the bridge to all of the trilogies! A year after Star Wars, he voiced Legolas in the Ralph Bakshi animated Lord of the Rings (1978)! He also appeared in the Star Wars: Holiday Special that year. I want to focus on how Anthony Daniels has kept the Star Warrior flame going starting with voicing See-Threepio in the radio dramas and wrote the Wonder Column for Star Wars Insider magazine. In 1985 he provided the voice of C-3PO in the Star Wars: Droids cartoon. Daniels voiced Threepio in the Disney attraction, greeting passengers about to board the Star Speeder, with Star Tours, in 1987.

Anthony Daniels meeting Star Warriors at Celebration, 2015, photo by the author.

He appeared as Francois in The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Attack of the Hawkmen (1995) tv movie. In 1997, he co-wrote the Star Wars: The Protocol Offensive comic book for Dark Horse Comics. Daniels of course appeared as himself sans golden droid outfit as Dannl Faytonni, in Attack of the Clones (2002). He also returned to voice C-3PO in Star Wars: Clone Wars for 2004 to 2011. Threepio had a feature role in the Star Wars: The Adventures Continues Disney attraction. Also, an episode of Star Wars: Rebels, “Droids in Distress” (2014) and an episode of Star Wars: Forces of Destiny, “Beasts of Echo Base” (2017). He has tweeted that he has wrapped shooting Episode IX on January 28th.   Lastly, I want to note Anthony Daniels’ hosting the various Star Wars: Celebrations. He is tireless in hosting duties and also makes it a point to greet Star Warriors in the early line before the opening of the Celebrations! Happy Birthday Anthony Daniels!

#AnthonyDaniels, #StarWars, #LordoftheRings, #StarWarsDroids   

Star Wars: Resistance, “The Core Problem”, Review!

The opening of the episode has birds flying with TIE fighters roaring past Yeager.  He goes to check on Kaz working on a communications array that doesn’t quite work.  Kaz tries to communicate with Poe who happens to be right behind him. I would have actually liked Poe to show up here after the pilot with no episodes in between.  This would make him more unique and able to go on his own adventures.  Usually spies have more than one contact.  Other characters could serve Poe’s function in other episodes. Kaz asks how Poe reached the Colossus Base.  He says he has a “big mission”, needs BB-8, and has to head to Jakku. This ties into the Force Awakens, but there were stories before that film where Poe was with BB-8 so they must not be canon anymore.  BB-8 projects the movements of the First Order.  He thinks Colossus is the refueling station with the base an important point before the Unknown Regions.  Yeager suspects Poe will use the “Widow Maker.”  The Fireball is lowered with Poe on the wing with a breath mask.  He has Kaz fly it to a freighter.  TIE fighters fly past.  In the sky, Poe has Kaz fly from the freighter, the engines cut out and Poe hangs fro the cockpit!  

STAR WARS: RESISTANCE -- “The Core Problem” -- Disney/Lucasfilm. 

They kick in just as they are about to hit the sea.  The Fireball flies along side Poe’s X-Wing fighter piloted by CB-23.  Kaz and Poe both fly off planet.  The ships appear from hyperspace.  Poe is suspicious that there is no sun for the system.  There are planetoids without their cores.  They see a planet with a gaping hole to it’s lost core.  Poe informs Kaz that they hit a gravity well and they have to dodge the fragments.  He tells Kaz to steer into the gravity well.  The action is finally interesting with a new SW obstacle. Kaz detects something with the moon.  They find a settlement, ancient ruin, they land and Poe has his blaster pistol.  They are being targeted by a droid. Poe gives Kaz a blaster pistol.  A probe droid is following them.  Poe sees this as a temple and Kaz notes the blaster fire marks.  Poe suspects they are being followed.  The probe droid appears, it has a pointed end and dispatches three seekers.  I do like the variant on the ESB probe droid.  BB-8 fires his cable to hold onto the probe droid.  Kaz trips and shoots the probe droid.  

Major Vonreig fires on them with his TIE Fighter!  The action is more fun here than other episodes and less goofy humor, more story.  He has CB-23 ready his X-Wing.  The droid shoots down a TIE fighter.  Poe slips into his X-Wing.  Kaz reaches the Fireball.  Again we get an intense ship to ship battle like the pilot.  Poe has them head to the core.  Kaz looks nervous flying back to the core.  A TIE fighter is destroyed, then two others spin out of control.  Poe goes after the red TIE fighter.  Major Vonreig retreats.  The Resistance fighters leave the core.  Poe mentions they need to exchange droids.  Kaz says farewell to BB-8.  Poe leaves on his mission and says that CB-23, a female droid?, will help Kaz return to the base.  Tam complains about work and Kaz appears with Neeku greeting him.  Kaz tells Yeager the First Order plans are more than they think.  He leaves to show the droid around.  Kaz has the doll he took from the temple while TIE fighters pass overhead in the night sky.  This episode is directed by Saul Ruiz who also directed “The Children from Tehar”, keep him.  The writing team is Kevin Burke and Chris “Doc” Wyatt who also wrote “The First Order Occupation.”  So this show needs more steady hands and I would entrust it to this team.    

Four Lightsabers out of Five!   

#StarWarsResistance, #TheCoreProblem, #KevinBurke, #ChrisDocWyatt 

Happy Birthday Millie Bobby Brown!

Happy Birthday Millie Bobby Brown! She was born in Spain in 2004 so her career is just getting started and it is filled with genre projects. One of her first roles was as young Alice in  the television series, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, in 2013. She was then Madison O’Donnell in the series, Intruders, swapping bodies in the quest for immortality. Brown is of course known as Eleven, Janes Ives, in Stranger Things. She takes on every Demigorgon and demo dog as long as she gets those Eggos!  Stranger Things season 3 is coming on July 4th!  Brown also has another character named Madison, Madison Russell, in Godzilla: King of the Monsters! out on May 31st!  Happy Birthday Millie Bobby Brown!

#MillieBobbyBrown, #StrangerThings, #Intruders, #GodzillaKingoftheMonsters

I Am The Night, “Matador”, Review!

Victoria Mahoney directs her second episode of I Am The Night as Fauna Hodel uncovers the secrets of her family.  A game of jump rope, innocent, morning and Fauna wakes up.  It is such gentle family life after all of the chaos.  She is still looking at the envelope with Tamar’s ripped address.  She talks to Terence.  At a diner, Jay is talking to Ohls and his colleague, Officer Miller (Marco St. John), who is retiring.  He asks the officer about the Black Dahlia who says they called it the “Werewolf.”  Jay suspects a copycat and says he doesn’t think the victim was killed out of hate.  He goes into his car and looks at the magazine of the murder.  Jay looks at the photos he took and finds a metal object.  Oil pumps, Terence drives Fauna out to the hills over looking Los Angeles, he pours a drink fo Nero at the site of his death.  He throws the bottle and disturbs a homeless man who says he saw a Buick at the time of the murder.  Terence senses a connection with the man following Fauna.  Sepp places a mask with the shadow of a raven.  Fauna returns to Big Momma’s house who tells her Jimmy is coming.  Tina is angry at Fauna staying with Terrence.  She gives her an envelope delivered by a white man.  Fauna opens it to see an invitation to a Happening.  

Peter drives Jay and he still wants the case, he notes that the art department had notice about the Happening.  Fauna walks into the strange party with a line of people in white with designs of the masks.  A woman, Jane, checks on Fauna who asks about Tamar, Jay in a suit wanders around the crowd.  Fauna leaves the room and reaches a dark hall with strange people.  Corinna in a red dress sits and is bound as others watch her.  A woman drops scissors around her.  The woman cuts Corinna’s dress then hands the scissors to another woman.  Others come to cut her dress as Corinna is silent.  She stands and then finally Fauna is given the scissors.  Fauna walks up and then drops the scissors.  The woman puts a coat on Corinna and they walk away as the others whisper.  The woman returns to say Mrs. Huntington is asking for Fauna who tries to apologize.  She removes her blonde wig to reveal her natural brunette hair.  This is Corinna’s Happening.  Fauna slips a book out of Corinna’s purse.  Fauna says that the point was to have people responsible for her.  She asks again about Tamar and Corinna leaves.  She opens the book and finds the address of T.H. Apate.  She walks down steps and is knocked out!  

I AM THE NIGHT -- “Matador” -- INDIA EASLEY  -- Clay Enos/TNT. 

  

Fauna revives on the floor with Sepp holding a knife and covering her mouth.  He is knocked over by Jay who fights with him.  Sepp holds a spike and is slammed by Jay who stabs him.  I would think Sepp is no match for a soldier.  Fauna looks stunned on a wall as Jay is panting.  There is a growl and thumping noise behind a door.  Jay collapses and Fauna checks on him.  They hear voices coming down the steps.  A couple sees the body, Jay says he is drunk, and they stumble away.  Fauna wants to clean up the murder.  Jay stares at the body.  He takes the body in a wheel barrel and then stuffs Sepp into the back of his car.  Jay drinks heavily.  Fauna has a suggestion of where to take the body.  They head to the same overlook and Jay drags the body.  Fauna says the order weapon has his fingerprints so he removes it.  Fauna takes his wallet.  Jay is staggering led by Fauna to his apartment.  He collapses on his couch and then falls to the floor.  Fauna goes to his restroom to cry. Jay wakes up in police custody and he is interrogated by Sepp until Fauna splashes a pail of water on him waking him from the nightmare.  He goes to the toilet to vomit.  Fauna thanks him.  

She sees on his driver’s license that his name is Ivanovich, Victor Sepp.  Fauna tells him that she is looking for Tamar.  Jay says he is interested in Tamar with her connection to George Hodel.  He gets dressed and Fauna wants her part to be left out of his story.  She suspects that Tamar is in Hawaii and they shake on it.  Jay pulls up to an empty building and checks a desk until he finds a passport and a book of photographs.  He hears a knocking at the door.  There is a message and Jay takes an envelope from a crack in the door.  There is an invitation to a painting gallery from Dr. George Hodel.  A nightclub singer, Jimmy!, Fauna watches her, and she stops singing.  Fauna says she’s like Lena Horne.  I really like seeing Jimmy fulfilling her part as a singer.  Fauna asks about George Hodel.  Jimmy slaps her hard.  Fauna says she is after the truth no matter the cost.  Jay takes the switchblade.  At the country club, Corinna walks in the party.  Jay walks down the steps to Corinna and introduces himself.  She calls security and Jay slips away.  He enters an empty room of paintings from George Hodel.  The paintings are of mannequins which Jay connects to the photos of the dismembered victims!  Jay knows the truth!  He sees a keyhole that was on a body.  Then, he sees the cow skull which growls.  This is getting intense!  Two more episodes before we reach the conclusion!  

Five Cameras out of Five! 

#IAmTheNight, #Matador, #OfficerMiller, #VictorSeppIvanovich