Happy Birthday Ray Harryhausen!

Happy Birthday Ray Harryhausen!  He was inspired by King Kong (1933) and worked with stop motion pioneer from that film, Willis O’Brien, on Mighty Joe Young (1949).  Harryhausen worked on his own technique called Dynamation which integrated live action with his stop motion work in The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953).  The story was based on Ray Bradbury's "The Fog Horn" and they had a life long friendship.  Harryhausen began a long time partnership with producer Charles H. Schneer with It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955).  His next movie spun off the alien invasion films with Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956).  Harryhausen ventured into the realms of fantasy and the Land Beyond Beyond in The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958).  He made creatures like the cyclops and the dragon into living, breathing animals.  It stands as my favorite Harryhausen film.  A film that has the wonder of Jonathan Swift's novel was The 3 Worlds of Gulliver (1960).  Another favorite Harryhausen movie was Mysterious Island (1961) which had a group of Civil War soldiers stranded on an island filled with a giant crab and giant bees.

Statue of Ray Harryhausen at Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters exhibit, 2016, photo by the author.

A fan favorite of Harryhausen’s films is Jason and the Argonauts (1963).  The skeleton fight at the end is one of the best special effects sequences.  First Men in the Moon (1964) based on the H.G. Wells 1901 novel which also inspired A Trip to the Moon (1902).  One Million Years B.C. (1966) is a classic for Raquel Welch’s fur bikini alone with cavemen battling dinosaurs. Then, there was The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973) and Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977).  Harryhausen’s final film was Clash of the Titans (1981).  Superior to the CG remake, it has the beauty of the Pegasus and a terrifying Medusa, I saw at a Harryhausen exhibit that the model has tiny threads of red hair which I didn’t see on film!  Ray Harryhausen appeared with the actress from his Mighty Joe Young, Terry Moore, in the 1988 remake.  He received the George E. Sawyer Award at the 1992 Academy Awards.  Harryhausen wrote Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life (2010) and The Art of Ray Harryhausen (2006).  Ray Harryhausen died in 2013, but his work continues with the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation, his films, and museum exhibits.  Happy Birthday Ray Harryhausen!

#RayHarryhausen, #MightyJoeYoung, #The7thVoyageofSinbad, #JasonandtheArgonauts, #OneMillionYearsBC, #ClashoftheTitans

Re:tro Re:view: The Princess and the Frog!

The Princess and the Frog (2009) has beauty being the last Disney cel animated film, but also in its songs and setting! At the time, El Capitan Theatre was still playing the CG film, A Christmas Carol (2009), so the other choice was to see the film at Disney Studios. This was my first time at Disney Studios and it was an opportunity not to be passed up. The film was directed by the duo of Ron Clements and John Musker who both worked on Treasure Planet (2002) and The Little Mermaid (1989). They also share story and screenplay credits.  

The story was also worked on by Greg Erb who also co-wrote the comedy Senseless (1998) and Jason Oremland.  The screenplay was also co-written by Rob Edwards who also co-wrote Treasure Planet and there is credit to E.D. Baker’s novel The Frog Princess (2002), but this is a departure from that book.  Tiana as a princess has over the years become one of my favorites.  I think it may be the meet and greets at the Disney parks, but I've always found Tiana to be interesting to talk to about Cajun food instead of just events from the movie. 

The film also has jazz influenced music from composer Randy Newman who previously worked on Pixar films and also worked on the songs in the movie. It begins with the evening star,  we hear Rose sing “Down in New Orleans”, fireflies float around the star, bringing us to New Orleans at night. There is the elaborate house with a single light in the tower, we follow the fireflies and peek inside which has a very pink room. Two girls are being told the story of the Frog Prince, Charlotte (Breanna Brooks) is in her princess costume, Tiana (Elizabeth Dampier) is in her green dress with a crown. The storyteller is Eudora (Oprah Winfrey), Tiana’s mother. 

She gets to the kissing part which excites the girl and repulses Tiana. They are joined by Charlotte’s father, Eli “Big Daddy” La Bouff (John Goodman). The beloved actor is also well known as Sully in Monsters, Inc. (2001). Big Daddy is interesting, he is wealthy, but goes to a small cafe to have Tiana's beignets. He gives in to his daughter’s princess dress demands which Eudora is happy to fulfill.  Eudora takes her daughter home using the streetcar to get to more modest homes.  Inside, Tiana is cooking gumbo with her father, James (Terrence Howard) ready to try it.  Howard played James Rhodes in the first Iron Man (2008).  

All of the family loves her gumbo which she shares with all of the neighbors. James and Tiana have a dream to open her restaurant, Tiana’s Place. She makes a wish with the evening star, but screams at the croaking of a frog. It is day when an older Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) enters her room, tired from her day of working at a restaurant. Rose is known for her part in Dreamgirls (2006) and extensive Broadway work. She sees a photo of her father as a soldier so we get the idea that he died in World War I. Then, she has to wake up early to rush off to her other job at Duke’s Cafe, 

Tiana doesn’t seem to be interested in jazz musicians. They are the heart of New Orleans. I went to New Orleans in 2012. It is the most beautiful and interesting American city. We also see there a card game played by Dr. Facilier who is later interested in Big Daddy driving past. Big Daddy is reading in the newspaper about the arrival of Prince Naveen. We see Prince Naveen slide down the rails of a boat to the delight of all of the ladies. Still, Naveen is fascinated by the street musicians and goes to play with his ukulele. He passes by Tiana who is not impressed. Tiana takes care of all of the customers including her friend Georgia who notes that it is Mardi Gras.  

She is mocked by her boss and chef, Buford (Michael Colyar), for her dream of owning a restaurant.  Tiana greets Big Daddy and congratulates him on being King of Mardi Gras. She brings him some beignets. This is the part that doesn’t make sense. Big Daddy loves Tiana’s beignets, Tiana wants to own her restaurant to serve the beignets, so never does Big Daddy realize he could invest in Tiana’s restaurant? The older Charlotte (Jennifer Cody) joins Big Daddy enthralled of the visit by Prince Naveen of Maldonia. He can’t get a word in with Caroline’s excitement that Big Daddy invited Prince Naveen to their masquerade. It is strange that neither Caroline or Big Daddy met Prince Naveen when he arrived by ship.  

Caroline thinks she can win Naveen’s affection with Tiana’s beignets and gives her a pile of money. This will make Tiana’s dream come true much to the slack jaw of Buford. Overhearing this is Dr. Facilier. At an abandoned sugar mill, Tiana is excited to sign the papers for the Fenner Brothers to buy the property, she is met by her mother entering the building. Interesting connection, so Big Daddy is a sugar baron so he would be responsible for putting the sugar mill out of business. Tiana has dreams of what the restaurant could be, singing “Almost There”, it shifts to her dream restaurant with the stylizing of a jazz poster. 

We shift to Naveen (Bruno Campos) playing with street musicians. Campos was in the comedy series Royal Pains. Naveen is the most fun of the Disney princes. The harried servant, Lawrence (Peter Bartlett), is surprised to see the prince dancing. He seems to be in the vein of the hard working, but in the way servant similar to Nathaniel in Enchanted (2007). Dr. Facilier (Keith David) appears before them, a slick con man, but threatening. David is of course well known for the providing the voice of Goliath in the Gargoyles animated series. Dr. Facilier is one of the best Disney villains.  

He takes Naveen and Lawrence through the alleys to his Voodoo Emporium. Dr. Facilier reads Naveen’s cards saying that his parents are cutting off his wild spending, Naveen just shrugs, and Facilier gets Naveen to agree to a show stopping Transformation Ritual! At the masquerade, Tiana is working on her beignets, Charlotte in her formal dress is nervous. Prince Naveen arrives and Charlotte takes him in a dance. Tiana finds that another bidder has taken the sugar mill from the Fenner Brothers. Charlotte takes Tiana who has fallen to get cleaned up.  She comes out in her princess dress.  

Still, she is desperate for her restaurant and goes to the balcony to make a wish. There is a frog and now talks as Prince Naveen! He takes some bashing, funny, and realizes that her book, he calls the Froggy Prince, gives the answer. Naveen of course has the answer a kiss from Tiana. She is repulsed, but manages to give him a kiss, which instead transforms her into a frog! They end up in the middle of the masquerade and Big Daddy sends his dog, Stella, after them. The duo manages to escape on some balloons. Dr. Facilier sees their escape, the Naveen at the party is the transformed Lawrence, he wears the amulet that keeps the Naveen appearance. 

This display of Princess Tiana's dress was at Disney Studios, 2010, photo by the author. 

The two conspire together to get Lawrence married to Charlotte. At the rainy night, the balloons bring Tiana and Naveen to the bayou, where they have to escape fish, a stork, and alligators! They end up in a tree stump. The next day, they are on a raft of wood. Naveen’s spider-web ukulele made from a branch playing brings the attention of another alligator, Louis, who has ambitions to be a trumpet player on a riverboat. He finds that they are under a voodoo spell and Louis brings up Mama Odie, Voodoo Queen of the Bayou. Still, Louis is frightened of the dangers of the deepest part of the bayou.  

Naveen convinces Louis to be transformed so he can play for audiences. Louis sings with Naveen and the spoiled prince is chastised by Tiana. At the mansion, Charlotte is dining with Naveen, but he starts to revert back to Lawrence just before he is able to get a proposal to Charlotte. Dr. Facilier makes a deal with the shadowy spirits to hunt after the frog and get more of Naveen’s blood for the amulet in exchange for his plan to take over New Orleans! At the swamp, Naveen tries out his fly catching tongue, and Tiana is also drawn to a firefly looking up at the sky. They get tongue tied and then helped out by the firefly, Ray, voiced by Jim Cummings. The veteran voice actor brings charm to every role he plays. Ray knows the way to Mama Odie.  

Naveen is unable to cut a mushroom for Tiana’s bayou gumbo. He admits that he has no practical skills which is questionable. One that his music and dancing ability is seen as a hobby and not a profession by everyone. Two that Naveen is somehow not independent though he has decided on going to New Orleans with only Lawrence to help him. This becomes interrupted with the hunters, a funny scene, but more of a gag. A contrivance for jokes rather than building on the heroes journey for Mama Odie which they believe will solve their problems. For some reason, I keep thinking of The Wiz (1978) with companions picked up along the way, Louis and Ray, who also need something from Mama Odie. She is played by Jenifer Lewis who voiced Flo in Cars (2006).  The Princess and the Frog has a talented voice cast, a memorable prince and villain, plus some good songs! Ashidanza! 

Four Fireflies out of Five!  

#ThePrincessandtheFrog, #RonClements, #JohnMusker, #AnikaNoniRose, #BrunoCampos, #KeithDavid 

Strolling through the (Theme) Park One Day: Mission: SPACE!

It is so awesome to see a return to astronaut space missions by Space X from Cape Canaveral on May 30th.  I will say that it was on my bucket list to take a trip to outer space.  I not only fulfilled it, but went to Mars.  So imagine this all leads to Mission to Mars which was at Tomorrowland until 1992.  This attraction is located at the Alien Pizza Planet location and I would have liked that dated attraction than the pizza that is served.  I took the attraction for granted and really didn’t take photos.  Similar to Journey to Inner Space.  You enter Mission Control which had a room of control panels and the flight director, Mr. Johnson, an Audio-Animatronic figure which again is a marvel of technology, but as a kid, I went get on with the ride!  There is a little comic moment with an intruder alert from a clumsy bird.  Then, you get to the ride itself, a circular theater, several rows, with a panels above and below.  There are also large screens with technical information.  

Mission:SPACE, EPCOT, 2010, photo by the author.

You get narration by Third Officer Collins.  You see the rocket blast on the lower screen, feel the rumble, and see the blue sky of your destination.  Then, you lose booster engines and then get ready for a hyperspace jump so you can make the journey in seconds.  Collins explains the details of the mission as you make your space travel.  You are headed to Mars Acquistion Velocity and head into hyperspace.  This makes a surreal light show and whirring sound.  Then, you get a view of Mars, courtesy of the Imagineers.  Next, two camera drones are sent to the Mars surface.  You are shown some features of Mars like Mariner Valley and then a view of the camera drone showing a rift.  Then, a view of Olympus Mon with the camera drone exploring it.  Then, Collins is interrupted by the camera drone hit by meteorites, it is an emergency as your ship is hit by meteorites so it is back into a surreal hyperspace to return to Earth.  Some videos exist for the attraction.  

In WDW, it was replaced by ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter, which had an alien creature transported to a tube.  Lights turn out and then you are sprayed with “blood”, it wasn’t a fun attraction.  This closed in 2003 and then there was Stitch’s Great Escape which had you enter the Galactic Federation Prisoner Teleport Center.  There is another Audio-Animatronic scene with a Sergeant and Skippy from the previous attraction.  You enter the  prisoner teleportation chamber, theater, and then Stitch of course runs amok in the theater.  Stitch spit is more fun than “blood.”  Next, Stitch is seen escaping into the park!  The area is still up, but the ride is inconsistently open and will most likely be closed.  So let’s head over to EPCOT, head to Future World East, and it is next to Test Track.  The attraction replaced the former Horizons.  The outside of the attraction features sytlized arcs, flowers, and the X-2 Deep Space Shuttle hurtling from Earth to the large globe of Mars.  

X-2 Capsule, Mission: SPACE, photo by the author.

The cast member outside asks you if you want the Green, less intense ride, or the Orange, more intense ride.  I don’t try the intense rollercoasters, but you don’t go halfway if you are going to outer space.  I said Orange all the way and took the Orange Mission pass which has the warnings.  You enter the ISTC, International Space Training Center, which has a replica of the ride vehicle, the capsule that contains the riders.  There is also a model of larger X-1 spacecraft and a lunar rover hanging overhead.  Next to it is a massive, spinning gravity wheel from the X-1.  There is a control station that looks like Mission to Mars.  Where is Mr. Johnson?  Once you hand your pass, there is a wall of astronaut suits, and you are given your crew assignments.  There is Navigator, Pilot, Commander, and Engineer.  This is of course similar to Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run.  I usually got Engineer.  The mission is explained by Capcom, this was Gary Sinese, which was cool since he was in Apollo 13 (1995).  Now, it is Gina Torres, who is Zoe in Firefly, I would have liked both actors in the two sections.    

She shows you the X-2 space shuttle which uses “solid hydrogen” fuel, next the crew positions are shown, and she notes that you have to work as a team.  This is similar to the Falcon ride, you need to activate certain buttons, but if a position is missing, the action will be taken automatically.  A video shows you the curved hallway with the position and numbers.  The video shows the X-2 Flight Simulators and the narrator explains the “turblence and g-forces.”  Once you find your crew position, another video gives the warning,  Capcom explains that your objective is to reach Dallas Marinaras on Mars.  The trajectory uses a slingshot around the Moon for a “lunar gravity assist”, the trip takes three months, during which you are put in hypersleep.  This is more reasonable than the hyperspace jump.  The next video shows you how to enter the simulator and prepare for the ride including bringing down the restraint.  The narrator says that you should lean back and always keep your eyes open or you will be disoriented.  This is the only ride where there is motion sickness bags for sick riders.   

Astronaut suits, Mission:SPACE, photo by the author.

  

The door opens and you enter the simulator, there are two simulators side by side, and the two hatches are closed by the cast members.  There are four panels that show the status of the X-2.  Capcom tells you that there are two tasks you are responsible for, Engineer gets to activate Hypersleep and extend the ship’s wings for descent.  You see the camera move from the launch pad to the launch rail and the sky and clouds above.  Mission control reports main engine start, you see the blast and then feel the G-forces crushing you in your seat!  It is the best sensation in any ride.  You pass through the clouds and then reach outer space!  The Commander activates second stage separtation and then you get Zero-g.  This is another novel sensation, you feel light, I don’t feel spinning or see it from the simulator.  It is awesome to see the Earth spinning below you and then passing the International Space Station.  Navigator fires the rockets to orbit around the Moon.  Then, you get a good look at our Earth, before the good ol’ Engineer activates hypersleep.  The screen is covered with ice.  Everything turns to black.  

Then, an alarm wakes everyone up, there is Mars before you, but there is a meteor storm!  Pilot hits the shields, maneuvering through the meteors is something out of Empire Strikes Back!, once clear you see the surface of Mars and Navigator hits rockets for descent.  This is a fast descent, an impressive visual I haven’t seen in sci fi planetary landings, and Engineer gets to activate the wings for gliding.  You reach the canyons and there is another alarm that auto pilot has failed!  Commander has to hit manual control and everyone has a control stick to guide the X-2 from hitting the canyon walls!  It is an intense Top Gun-ride through the canyon with Capcom telling you what direction to move the control stick.  You reach the crater and snow-slicked landing strip of Dallas Marianas.  It is not an easy landing since you are at an incredible acceleration!  This is duplicated in Star Tours.  The snow collapses and you get a peek at the bottom of the crater!  Capcom and all of the ISTC personnel clap for your accomplishment and welcomes you to Mars!  At the exit of the attraction is the Advanced Training Lab, computer stations for young ones to become astronauts.  I exited Mission:SPACE and immediately returned to take another trip, the cast member handing out passes was stunned that I was up for another intense trip!  The attraction is an opportunity to be on the Demo-2 mission and even beyond to Mars!         

#MissionSPACE, #Epcot, #MissiontoMars, #GinaTorres 

Happy Birthday Nicole Kidman!

Happy Birthday Nicole Kidman!  She worked in tv and had the lead in the horror film, Dead Calm (1989) and then played Dr. Claire Lewicki in Tony Scott’s Days of Thunder (1990).  Kidman was also in the Batman Forever (1995) as Dr. Chase Meridian.  Then, she played a witch in Practical Magic (1998).  A standout part was as Satine in the Baz Lurhmann musical, Moulin Rouge (2001)!  Kidman entered the haunted house of The Others (2001). In 2002, Nicole Kidman won the Academy Award for Best Actress playing Virginia Woolf in The Hours.  Then, she starred in the Frank Oz remake of The Stepford Wives (2004) trying to uncover the strange secret of the town and the wives.  Kidman returned to playing a witch in Nora Ephron’s adaptation of the sitcom, Bewitched (2005). 

Nicole Kidman returned to a singing part as Norma Jean in George Miller’s animated Happy Feet (2006).  Next, she played a psychiatrist trying to fight The Invasion (2007). She was Mrs. Coulter in the fantasy The Golden Compass (2007).  Kidman played the villainous taxidermist in Paddington (2014).  She played Miss Martha in the remake of the drama The Beguiled (2017). Kidman was Celeste Wright in the Big Little Lies series.  She won the 2017 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for the show.  In 2018, Kidman played Queen Boadicea in the sci fi comedy How to Talk to Girls at Parties based on the Neil Gaiman story. She also played Queen Atlanna, the mother of Aquaman (2018)!   Kidman played Gretchen Carlson in Bombshell (2019).  She is in the drama The Undoing from David E. Kelley. Happy Birthday Nicole Kidman!   

#NicoleKidman, #MoulinRouge, #Aquaman, #TheUndoing

Happy Birthday Zoe Saldana!

Happy Birthday Zoe Saldana!  One of her early genre appearances was as Anamaria, the pirate who boat was taken by Jack Sparrow, in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003).  It was in 2009 that Saldana had the role of Uhura in JJ Abrams’ Star Trek and also the Neytiri in Avatar.  Saldana was Aisha in The Losers (2010) based on the Vertigo comic.  She had the lead role of the assassin, Cataleya, in Colombiana (2011).  Then, she reprised the role of Uhura in Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013).  Then, Zoe Saldana took the role of the universe’s most deadly assassin, Gamora, in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).  She was the voice of Maria in the animated film, The Book of Life (2014).  

Zoe Saldana played the part of real life jazz musician, Nina Simone in Nina (2016).  Next, she returned in Star Trek: Beyond (2016).  In 2017, she returned ass Gamora in Guardians fo the Galaxy Vol.2 (2017) and was also featured in the Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission Breakout! attraction at Disney’s California Adventure.  Saldana played Mrs. Molle in I Kill Giants (2017) based on the Joe Kelly graphic novel.  She was the voice of Captain Celaeno in My Little Pony: The Movie (2017).  Saldana was again featured as Gamora in Avengers: Infinity War taking on her adopted father, Thanos.  2017 was also the year that Saldana received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 5th.  She is incredible as explorer Adelina Fortnight in the Laika animated film, Missing Link (2019).  Then, Saldana was back as Gamora in Avengers: Endgame (2019).  She has upcoming the sequels to Avatar.  Happy Birthday Zoe Saldana!

#ZoeSaldana, #StarTrekBeyond, #Avatar, AvengersEndgame

Happy Birthday Jodie Whittaker!

Happy Birthday Jodie Whittaker!  She won acclaim for her first film role in Venus (2006).  Then, she was in the comedy, St. Trinian’s (2007), as the receptionist Beverly.  Whittaker returned in St. Trinian’s 2: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold (2009).  One of her first genre roles was as Samantha Adams, involved with a teen gang taking on aliens in Joe Cornish’s Attack the Block (2011).  In 2011, she was in the Black Mirror episode, “The Entire History of You.” 

Whittaker starred as Beth Latimer in Broadchurch (2013-2017) with David Tennant and Olivia Colman.  Adult Life Skills (2016) was a comedy starring Whittaker as Anna.  In 2018, Jodie Whittaker became the Thirteenth Doctor with “Twice Upon a Time” (2017).  “The Woman Who Fell to Earth” began her series in Doctor Who. She was in the New Year’s special, “Resolution” (2019).  In 2019, Whittaker also voiced The Doctor in Doctor Who: The Edge of Time, a VR game in the Tardis!  The 2020 season has the Doctor taking on an old foe in Spyfall, she also encounted Nikola Tesla, and took on the Cybermen!   Happy Birthday Jodie Whittaker!  

#JodieWhittaker, #Venus, #AttacktheBlock, #Broadchurch, #DoctorWho 

Happy Birthday John Cho!

Happy Birthday John Cho!  He started a genre career playing Mark Chao in a 1998 episode of Charmed.  Next, Cho had a cameo in The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000).  Cho voiced two 2001 episodes of the Static Shock animated series.  He played as as student in Ivan Reitman’s sci fi comedy Evolution (2001).  Cho had a cameo in Stephen Soderburgh’s sci fi film Solaris (2002).  Then, Cho had an iconic role as Harold Lee in the comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004).  He played Teddy Wong along with Bradley Cooper in the sitcom Kitchen Confidential (2005-2006) and then The Singles Table (2007).  Cho voiced Vince Chung in the animated series American Dad! (2006-2016).  He then returned in Harold & Kumar Escape form Guantanamo Bay (2008).  Then, he had another career defining role as Sulu in JJ Abrams’ Star Trek (2009). 

Next, he played Demetri Noh in the sci fi series Flashforward (2009-2010).  Then, he finished out the comedy series with A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (2011).  Cho next was in the Total Recall (2012) reboot.  He returned as Sulu in Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013). Cho was in the supernatural series, Sleepy Hollow (2013-2014) as Andy Brooks.  One of my favorite roles for John was as Henry Higgs in the sitcom Selfie (2014) alongside Karen Gillan.  John Cho played Sulu in 2016’s Star Trek: Beyond.  He played Andrew Kim in the supernatural series, The Exorcist (2017).  He was in the drama, Searching, about a father trying to find his missing daughter and may find clues to her disappearance with her laptop.  In 2019, Cho was in “The Wunderkind“ episode of The Twilight Zone on CBS All Access.  He was in the 2020 reboot of the horror movie, The Grudge.  Happy Birthday John Cho!   

#JohnCho, #Harold&KumarGotoWhiteCastle, #StarTrekBeyond, #Searching

Happy Birthday Chris Evans!

Happy Birthday Chris Evans!  One of Chris Evans’ early film roles was the lead in the comedy, Not Another Teen Movie (2001).  His first genre part was as Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, in Fantastic Four (2005).  Evans provided the voice of Casey in the animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2007).  He returned as the Human Torch in Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007).  Evans voiced Stewart Stanton in the sci fi animated film, Battle for Terra (2007).  In 2009, Evans had superpowers as a Mover, Nick Grant, in Push.  He was in another comic book adaptation, The Losers (2010), based on the Andy Diggle and Jock Vertigo comic.  One of his greatest comic book characters was as stuntman superstar Lucas Lee in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010).  

His iconic role was as Steve Rogers in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) directed by Joe Johnston and then The Avengers (2012).  Evans’ next genre project was Snowpiercer (2013) directed by Bong Joon-ho and based on the French graphic novel.  He reprised the role of Captain America in one of the MCU’s best films, Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and then later in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) and Captain America: Civil War (2016).  A brilliant dramatic part for Chris Evans was as Frank Adler, the uncle of his genius niece, Mary, in Gifted (2017).  He also cameo’d in Spider-Man: Homecoming that year as Captain America.  Of course, we have Cap returning in Avengers: Infinity War and finally(?) in Avengers: Endgame.  He was in the Broadway play, Lobby Hero, with Michael Cera (who played Scott Pilgrim).  Chris Evans is currently in the Apple+ drama Defending Jacob based on the William Linday novel.  Happy Birthday Chris Evans!

#ChrisEvans, #ScottPilgrmvstheWorld, #CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier, #DefendingJacob 

Artemis Fowl Review!

Artemis Fowl is a world filled with fantastic characters and a super-charged blend of James Bond, fantasy, sci-fi, a little steampunk!  It is based on a fantasy series by Eion (pronounced similar to "Owen") Colfer with eight books starting with the first novel in 2001.  I met Mr. Colfer at Comic Con, but did not read the books.  It was set for release on August 9th last year and then moved to May 29th of this year.  The film is now released on Disney+ and currently streaming.  The film is directed by Kenneth Branagh who previously directed Cinderella (2015).  The screenwriting team include Conor McPherson who wrote and directed the supernatural film The Eclipse (2009) and Hamish McColl who co-wrote the story for Paddington (2014).  

It opens with a beach in Ireland that leads to the Fowl Manor, this is so fanciful with a lighthouse, and a mishmash of architectural designs.  This shifts to news reports about another theft from Artemis Fowl, this is the father of the main character, and we get his possible accomplice taken away by the police.  This is Mulch Diggums played by Josh Gad who was also in Branagh’s adaptation, Murder on the Orient Express (2017).  He is interrogated by the police and has a gravely voice, critics noted that it is an imitation of Christian Bale’s Batman, but I think it is sounds like someone who has screamed for hours.  Mulch does resemble Hagrid from the Harry Potter films.  

On the interrogation video, Mulch begins to explain about Fowl’s son, young Artemis Fowl (Ferdia Shaw) is in a surf suit heading out to the beach with his board.  His Artemis Fowl is a twelve year old boy who struggles to understand a complex world and then becomes confident, in control, against impossible odds.  Mulch continues his narration shifting to Artemis’ school.  Artemis is a true genius prodigy, far more advanced than any school, and he is later interviewed by Dr. Po (Gerard Horan).  The actor was also in Murder on the Orient Express.  He brings up Artemis’ mother and father, Artemis counters by his analysis of Dr. Po’s chair.  Artemis walks out.  He rides a Onewheel board back home and passes some standing stones, ancient stones in a circle.  

Then, we see his father, Artemis Fowl, Sr. played by Colin Farell.  He has acted in films like The Gentlemen (2019), also Disney movies such as Saving Mr. Banks (2013), and has experience with fantasy films like Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016).  Fowl, Sr., is an antiques dealer, and he shared his knowledge of fairy tales to his son.  They discuss the fairy tales together, he tries to tell Artie about a meeting between a fairy and a human outside of the manor, but Artemis is worried over his father’s next trip.  This seems to hint at a character (seen later in the film?), that begins the connection with the Fowl family.  Artemis, Sr. mentions the ending of a story. 

He hugs his son and says he wants to keep him safe.  Artemis, Sr. boards the helicopter at the manor and leaves his parting words to his son.  We see the manor at night with the sweeping of the lighthouse light which seems magical.  The next morning, toy robots start whirring, but Artemis is wakened by some noise downstairs.  Below, is Domovoi, “Dom”, Butler (Nonso Anozie) who is talking on the phone.  Anozie played the captain in Branagh’s Cinderella (2015).  He seems to be part of the Branagh company and really has fun with his part as the adult mercenary, but defers to Artemis' intelligence.  Dom has blond hair and strange, blue eyes.  Mulch explains his background including “six years of strength training at Gold’s Gym, Venice, California”, very funny.  

Artemis is getting a glass of milk when he hears that his father is missing in the South China Seas on the news report.  It is also details that he is connected to thefts of the Rosetta Stone in the British Museum and the Book of Kells.  Artemis drops the glass and is taken away by Dom.  In the books, Artemis was a criminal mastermind, but the film has him as a boy genius caught up in the mystery of his father.  He races to answer the phone, it is a mysterious voice, kinda reminds me of Parseltongue, a hooded figure who knows it is the son and says that his father is now a prisoner.  Part of the adventure is for Artemis to understand the truth more than traveling across the world to find his father. 

The figure holds a glowing green device and Artemis, Sr. shouts that all of it is true.  The captor says that Artemis’ father stole something, the Aculos.  He has three days to find the Aculos.  Dom takes Artemis to a hallway and activates a secret door with a twist of a cane.  This leads to a room that Dom says was meant to be a secret, it contains vials, teeth, and artifacts that look like they were from Prince Nuada’s room from Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008).  Butler mentions a journal and Artemis starts to examine things to find it.  Artemis recalls his father’s parting words that may provide clues.  Mulch reveals that fairies have lived hidden away for a thousand years.  I recall the Irish fairies are hidden away in the hills.  

We get an underground world with lava and then a strange city of flying craft and fungi-like buildings, nice designs.  It is fascinating that there is a fairy world that seems upgraded to The Matrix levels.  Mulch explains that it is Haven City, home of the fairies, and we see an almost steampunk-like passenger train.  Exiting it is Officer Shore (Lara McDonnell), she has an iridescent, green uniform that is almost like a sci-fi guard, with a bicyclist-like helmet, and pointed ears.  The costume designs are by Sammy Sheldon who also worked on Ex Machina (2014).  McDonnell was in the romance, The Delinquent Season (2018).  She is the hard working LEP officer with a family connection to Artemis.  The fairy news reports the loss of the Aculos, kinda clever since we’ve seen the Earth news, this leads to Mulch’s entry into the story.  

He tries to convince other Dwarfs that he is a Dwarf even though he towers over them.  There is a giant Dwarf, Hendel, in the novel Sword of Shannara (1977).  Mulch is sentenced for his crime, Tunneling and Entering (funny!) to 400 years in prison.   He meets up with Holly Short and steals a music box from her.  The mysterious captor meets with a prisoner and wants him to enter Fairy Command.  Officer Short falls in with the other officers of the LEP (Lower Elements Police) recon, a nice pun there.  They see the arrival of Commander Julius Root (Judi Dench).  This is another collaboration with Branagh after Murder on the Orient Express.  She is the M of the fairy division and of course was M in Skyfall (2012).  I’m getting a Gollum-like vibe to Root’s voice.  She announces that the loss of the Aculos threatens the peace of fairy kind.

Holly rushes over to speak to her commander that her father is missing and was last seen at the Hill of Tara.  The commander forbids Holly from going there.  Above a seaside cliff, amoung ruins, Dom spares with a shorter opponent in kendo gear.  His opponent “who understands the complicated mind of a 12 year old”, funny, takes off her helmet and revealed to be Juliet Butler (Juliet Smart), niece to Dom.  Smart is in the ITV fantasy series The Worst Witch.  She brings a sandwhich to Artemis who has been working for twelve hours on his computer to work out the location of the Aculos.  He hopes to find a fairy ally at the Hill of Tara.  I’ve been to the Hill of Tara, outside of Dublin, it is a very ancient Irish site.  

This leads to Foaly (Nikesh Patel), centaur and “fairy tech genius”, Mulch notes “do not ask him for a ride”, I love the short bits of humor.  Basically, he is the Q, the tech guy, of the fairy set.  Patel was in the action film, London Has Fallen (2016).  At the command center, he is greeted by Holly and Commander Root.  Foaly tells them that there is a missing fairy and that all other officers are out trying to find the Aculos.  Commander Root sends Holly.  Foaly accompanies Holly to a capsule that uses lava to accelerate.  Briar Cudgeon (Joshua McGuire) is a LEP lieutenant suspicious of Holly because she is the daughter of Beachwood Short.  McGuire was in the comedy Old Boys (2018).  Cudgeon is sure Beachwood was the thief of the Aculos.  

The capsule is launched from a volcano, the capsule and volcano reminds me of Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth.  Foley sends Holly outside of the capsule and this is when she starts to fly with her fairy wings.  Dom reports in to Artemis on the Hill of Tara noting that he is freezing.  We see that he is in jungle camoflague.  Holly flies towards Martina Franca, in the southern tip of Italy, where there is a wedding celebration.  A young girl takes away an ice cream cone, but faces a massive troll.  Holly comes in to save the girl.  The troll starts to rampage through the celebration, but LEP has some MIB tech.  Artemis and Holly have to uncover the villain behind the plot to threaten the human and fairy worlds!  I would really like to see the next Artemis Fowl movie and more than that read the book!   Artemis Fowl is a fantasy movie with an incredible fairy world, part sci fi, with the international globe trotting of James Bond, and all fun.   

Four Aculos out of Five! 

#ArtemisFowl, #KennethBranagh, #FerdiaShaw, #LaraMcDonnell, #JudiDench 

Strolling through the (Theme) Park One Day: E.T. Adventure!

There are certain icons for Universal Studios and one of them is E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.  The movie was a phenomenon in 1982.  In 1985, there was a follow-up to the film with the novel, E.T.: The Book of the Green Planet, by William Kotzwinkle (he wrote the novelization of the film) “based on a story by Steven Spielberg.”  The E.T. Adventure attraction opened in Universal Studios Florida on June 7, 1990.  This was at the Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone.  It opened in Universal Studios Hollywood on June 12, 1991 in the lower lot.  It closed on March 14, 2003, the lower lot was devoted to thrill rides, and Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride replaced it.  Steven Spielberg insisted that the Florida attraction never close and it is still open today in Orlando.  

Outside of the E.T. Adventure, Universal Studios Florida, 2010, photo by the author. 

At Universal Studios Hollywood, the outside queue has the Speak and Spell with the umbrella, this is inside at Orlando.  You enter the doors and queue up in rows.  On large screens on the wall above your row you get a pre-show introduction by Steven Spielberg and later E.T., Spielberg says, “E.T. needs your help.”  He explains that E.T.’s teacher, Botanicus, has called E.T. back.  A trip of 3 million light years!  You have bring him home to heal the dying planet.  Next, you go into a room to give your first name to an assistant that sits with a computer, hopefully your name is not too difficult to type, then you are given an Interplaneteary Passport, on the back is a scan code.  The next queue area is through a cave tunnel to a forest, this is stunning with pine tree scents before the wonderful scents in Soaring.  John Williams’ music is throughout the ride.  

This is the photo op, not the actual E.T. Adventure ride!, 2010, photo by the author.

There are astronauts in the forest, you see E.T.'s Speak and Spell phone home device, there is a tiny waterfall, finally on a rocky ledge there is lasers and smoke that herald the appearance of Botanicus!  He is an older E.T. with a staff that has a crystal globe.  I dunno I'm always fascinated by mentor figures and this is the Yoda of E.T.'s world.  You finally reach the load area.  Your passport is scanned before you enter the ride vehicle.  The ride vehicle has rows of four seats, there are bicycle handles, and a basket, E.T.’s head pops up at certain times in the ride.  You see animatronic scientists, equipment, flashlights in the dark forest.  Suddenly, a truck’s bright head lights show and it lurches toward you!  A police officer tries to stop you as your bikes and your hear the thump as your tires roll over a police car underneath.  Two police cars try to wedge you in, E.T. says “Fly” and you are lifted over them.  

You are basically taken through the events of the movie just in case you somehow missed it.   Then, you taken over a panorama of the city similar to London in Peter Pan’s Flight.  The standout is the stars and full moon where you see shadows of bikes flying across it!  E.T. says, “Home, home” and you are taken to the side and hear the crash of a warp, very cool, some flashing lights.  It is one thing to experience a film in an attraction, but this ride takes you beyond the movie!  Then, you emerge on the Green Planet, that warp takes you planet side, 25 years before Han Solo swiped the maneuver in Force Awakens.  Fountains stream, there is lava flows, and steam blasts as you pass Botanicus next to the orb ship.  The heartlight sparkles kinda like Tinker Bell, we see E.T.’s heartlight, and then this opens to some of the craziest and wonderful alien creatures ever seen.  

E.T. dressed up by Gertie closet photo op, photo by the author.

Strange, root-like creatures, mushroom aliens, an Ordon?, who sings, “Welcome home”, I think E.T. identifies them, but it is not too clear.   There is Madon, a tiny alien with almost Rastafarian hair that looks like plant vines.  Then, there is a celebration, tiny E.T.s are everywhere, playing music and singing the E.T. theme, they hanging from every gourd and vine.   In a way, it kinda reminds me of Felucia, the fungus planet from Star Wars. A small pond has a lil’ E.T. there water streams around him.  We finally get the gourd home of E.T., who says “Goodbye” and also your name.  There are no other rides in the world that says your name and to have a farewell from E.T., priceless.  Next to the exit and enterance is E.T.’s Toy Closet & Photo Spot.  There is all sorts of E.T. merch and two photo ops with a bike next to the moon and E.T. in the closet.  

You can probably watch a ride video, but this is not the same as experiencing it.  There have been criticisms that the attraction has not aged well.  Peter Pan’s Flight had upgrades in 2015.  How to plus the attraction.  Number one, sell stuffies and figurines of all of the aliens, I will buy all of them.  Two, have a ride photo somewhere in the ride, I would say at the Green Planet.  Three, the heartlight sparkles are lights, they can be projections, in fact I would use projections and digital screens to enhance the ride especially the hyperspace tunnel.  The passport is kinda cool, you have to drop it at the end of the ride, but you can also use your phone to have a bar code.  Also, there can be a game to find E.T. or other aliens hiding in the forest using your phone.  I also wouldn’t mind profiles of all of the aliens that you can access on your phone.  I would say this attraction still ranks as one of my favorite movie-themed dark rides and worth a trip to Universal Studios Florida.    

#ETAdventure, #UniversalStudiosFlorida, #ETTheBookoftheGreenPlanet, #StevenSpielberg 

Happy Birthday Michael J. Fox!

Happy Birthday Michael J. Fox!  He had many tv roles, but it was really Alex P. Keaton that made Fox well known when the sitcom Family Ties ran from 1982-1989.  His most timeless part was as Marty McFly in Back to the Future (1985).  Fox won Emmy awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 1986-1988.  He was also the lead in Teen Wolf (1985).  Then, he was in the comedy movie, The Secret of My Success (1987).  One of Michael’s dramatic roles that stays with me is Brian De Palma’s Vietnam War drama, Casualties of War (1989).  He returned as Marty McFly in Back to the Future Part II (1989) and then Back to the Future Part III (1990).  Fox had a 1991 episode of Tales from the Crypt.  He was a paranormal investigator, Frank Bannister, in Peter Jackson’s The Frighteners (1996). 

Then, Michael J. Fox was in Tim Burton’s wacky invasion Mars Attacks! (1996).  Next, he was in another sitcom, Spin City (1996-2000) playing Mike Flaherty, Deputy Mayor of New York City.  Fox repeated his Emmy win for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his last season.  In 2000, Fox founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.  He voiced Milo James Thatch in Disney’s animated film, Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001). In 2002, Fox recieved his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  Next, he had his own sitcom, The Michael J. Fox Show (2013-2014) which ran one season.  Fox was in the Designated Survivor (2018) television series.  Recently, he was in the sci fi movie about time travel, See You Yesterday (2019) released on Netflix.  Happy Birthday Michael J. Fox!

#MichaelJFox, #FamilyTies, #BacktotheFuture, #SeeYouYesterday