Bringing Elric of Melniboné to Movies and TV!

There has always been a search of the next popular fantasy franchise since Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones and the answer may be Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melniboné!  In the case of LotR and GoT, there are follow-up series; Rings of Power and House of the Dragon, on two streaming services; Amazon Prime and HBO Max.  So there is room for other streamers to find their own franchise.  First who is Elric of Melniboné?  He was a character found in “The Dreaming City” (1961) in the sci fi magazine, Science Fantasy #47.  There was an earlier swords & sorcery character in Robert E. Howard’s Conan.  He was a barbarian who over his lifetime becomes king, fearful of sorcery, bronzed skin, dark hair.  Elric is basically the reverse of Conan.  Thin, pale, he was an albino, a sorcerer, and emperor.  

Actually, the two characters met in the first Marvel Comics series, Conan the Barbarian #14 (1972) by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith.  It was Elric’s first appearance in comics.   The writer of Elric’s adventures was Michael Moorcock and Elric’s short stories were combined in the novel, Stormbringer (1965) which is the last story of Elric.  The chronological sequence of the novels are scattered.  There six novels total in the series; Elric of Melniboné (1972) the first Elric story, The Sailor on the Seas of Fate (1976), The Weird of the White Wolf (1977), the fourth story, The Vanishing Tower (1977), Elric at the End of Time (1981), the third story, and The Bane of the Black Sword (1977) which is the fifth Elric story.  Moorcock also wrote a prequel to Elric of Melniboné, in the four issue comic book series, Elric: The Making of a Sorcerer, with art by Walt Simonson.  It was compiled in a graphic novel in 2007.       

Elric is the last emperor of the Ruby Throne for the crumbling, island kingdom of Melniboné.  He is an albino, pale skin and white hair and also weak and needs drugs and potions to keep him strong.  Elric rules from the Dreaming City, Imrryr, Melniboné's capitol.  He is also well read, a sorcerer, he makes deals with demons and powerful forces of Chaos and Law.  Elric is dressed all in black, including his armor, the original fantasy Goth!  His cousin, Yyrkoon, wanted to rule and takes away Elric’s cousin bride, Cymoril, his sister whom he wants to marry.  Yup, Jaime and Cersei from Game of Thrones.  They take up Black Swords, Elric takes Stormbringer and Yyrkoon its twin, Mournblade.  Stormbringer is cursed, it causes chaos to Elric’s life and soul, and takes souls when the blade kills victims, “Your soul is mine!”  Elric embodies the anti-hero, it is either him, his cousin Yyrkoon, or the demons.  

He is actually a representation of the Eternal Champion whom exists in Moorcock’s Multiverse called the Million Spheres.  There is also Hawkmoon, Corum, Von Bek, and more.  They help set the Cosmic Balance between Law and Chaos.  There was a twelve issue comic book series of the Eternal Champions, Michael Moorcock’s Multiverse.  His multiverse concept is one of the early fantasy and sci fi versions of a shared world.  So this has potential to branch out into other series if Elric proves to be successful.  The franchise is in development hell, but currently with New Republic Pictures which produced Top Gun: Maverick with Paramount Pictures.  They are developing it as a television series which seems right with the other fantasy franchise series.  My guess is that Paramount Plus would be the best place to stream it.  They are in need of another franchise besides Star Trek.  If the deal falls through, this would also be perfect for another studio.  Key would be to sink a large budget into the series or movie.  Audiences now expect the look of a big budget fantasy series.  

There is countless references from book cover artwork, roleplaying games like Stormbringer from Chaosium and Elric of Melniboné by Runequest, and fantasy artwork.  I would hire Michael Whelan and Brom, if interested, like Alan Lee and John Howe for LoTR.  I was really thinking that an Elric adaptation could be possible with Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series about to debut. Gaiman is an Elric fan writing the short story, “One life: Furnished in early Moorcock” from Smoke and Mirrors (1999).  Depending on the starting place, Elric could be cast as a young adult or older.  I keep thinking of Paul Bettany’s albino character, Silas, in The Da Vinci Code (2006), I would think a Paul Bettany like actor, but most of all he has to have a wiry build.  Elric has to have a kind of charisma, brooding, and sometimes violent.  Ideally, the writer’s room should have a number of fantasy authors like the original Star Trek with sci fi writers.  As a series, it could be broken up like GoT with one season adapting a novel, but it needs a serious direction either to have the morose ending of the Elric novels or setting up the Eternal Champion series or both. Also, key is to have the approval of creator, Michael Moorcock. Elric of Melniboné has great potential as a dark fantasy series for streaming or as a movie series.  

#ElricOfMelnibone, #MichaelMoorcock, #TheDreamingCity, #Yyrkoon, #Cymoril, #Stormbringer, #Mournblade, #EternalChampion, #Hawkmoon, #Corum, #VonBek, #MichaelWhelan, #Brom 

Re:tro Re:view - Splash (1984)!

This was an early movie to be directed by Ron Howard, his first film was the comedy, Night Shift (1932).  The story is by long-time collaborator with Howard, Brian Grazer, and also producer on this movie.  The screen story is by Bruce Jay Friedman, a novelist and also screenwriter of the comedies, Stir Crazy (1980) and co-screenwriter for Doctor Detroit (1983).   Along with the comedy writing team of Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, had worked on the classic comedy sitcom, Happy Days and created its spin off shows, before writing Night Shift.  The movie was the first to be released by the Touchstone Pictures division which had more adult themed content for Walt Disney Pictures.  It is currently streaming on Disney+, but “edited for content” text page, not side bar.  R rated movies, ok, Splash!, we have to edit it.  

The opening starts with shimmering water as we hear a cover band of Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs’ “Wooly Bully” (1964).  Then, we get a ferry boat, the New England Queen, in the afternoon of “Cape Cod, 20 Years Ago.” This would at the time of the song, 1964, going by the time of the movie.  The band is playing as we get the teenagers dancing.  The photography is in a sepia tone bringing back old photographs and memories.  On the top deck, the adults are talking, young Freddie (Jason Late), spills some coins so you can look up a woman’s dress!  He continues with his scheme, but is caught by his mother and smacked in his head by his father.  Freddie’s brother, Allen (David Kreps) looks out to the water as his parents take away his brother.  Suddenly, he jumps into the bay!  An alarm is sounded on the ferry and his mother screams out his name.  

Allen smiles underwater, Freddie takes the chance to crawl and peek under dresses, Allen is smiling at the young girl (Shayla Mackarvich) with the shell necklace.  They reach out to each other and hold hands.  Aw!  A life preserver is thrown, the girl withdraws, and a man leaps into the water to pull Allen back to the ferry.  The girl out in the water is sad as the ferry returns back to port.  Allen is stunned, but leaves.  The girl dives down and then we see her mermaid tail!  A great beginning, we see the racy humor of Freddie and the romance between Allen and the mermaid girl.  Then, we get morning in New York City from the Hudson River.  This shifts to a warehouse, Bauer Produce, Mr. McCulllough (Rance Howard, the director’s father) demands his cherries shipment from the older Allen Bauer (Tom Hanks). This is Hanks’ first movie, a year after his sitcom finished, Bosom Buddies.    

Freddie (John Candy) arrives driving his red corvette and smashes into crates!  Candy is an absolute comedy genius, but able to inject some emotion into his parts.  One of his previous’ films at this time was as the guard in National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983).  He is excited to see his brother since his letter was printed in an adult magazine.  Still, Allen has to deal with Freddie’s mess and has an angry McCullough, and he gives him a deal.  Allen and Freddie go to the office, he asks Mrs. Stimler (Dody Goodman) if there are messages.  Goodman was also the receptionist, Blanche, in the musical, Grease (1978).  Here she is pure eccentric, having a message from their father, whom Allen reminds her passed away five years ago.  Freddie asks about Mrs. Stimler and Allen tells him that she got hit the head with lightning on the weekend, he just cares about everyone.  

Freddie reveals that he made a deal with Mr. Buyrite to have their produce at all of his supermarkets.  Allen is too stressed and then gets a call from his girlfriend, Victoria, who is leaving him.  At the wedding, Freddie drops his coins again, but Allen pulls him away.  They work as ushers and Allen is asked about Victoria by the guests and admits to Freddie that he didn’t love her.  Another wedding guest, the brother of the bride, (Clint Howard) says hi, but Allen bursts out that Victoria left him, funny!  Later, Freddie has a drink at a bar and talks to his brother is drunk, collapsed on the bar.  It is some good physical comedy by Hanks.  Freddie is distracted by two women.  Allen tells some strangers that he doesn’t want to be alone.  He tells Freddie that he is going to Cape Cod.  Allen hails a taxi cab to drive to Massachusetts.  

At the beach, two clumsy assistants are unloading crates for Dr. Walter Kornbluth (Eugene Levy).  He was also in National Lampoon’s Vacation and a collegue of Candy in the sketch comedy series, SCTV.  Allen walks up to them and asks them to go the island.  Walter is suspicious that Allen in his tuxedo is there to check on his research.  One of the assistants points out that a man has a boat.  It is a tiny boat and Fat Jack rocks the boat since Allen says he can’t swim.  He has flooded the engine and jumps in to swim back for his other boat.  Walter sees through binoculars sees Allen and believes he’s being spied upon, and then goes scuba diving. Allen tries to start the motor, the boat suddenly takes off, throwing him into the water!  It circles him and then the bow smacks him in the head.  Allen sinks, his wallet floats away, but he is then pulled away!  

                                                                   Mermaid statue from Splash at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, now removed, 2010, author’s photo. 

He wakes up on the island beach, not in New England, but Gorda Cay, Bahamas which is now Castaway Cay part of the Disney Cruise.  This is of course right out of The Little Mermaid (1989) which was five years later! Allen wakes up in pain from the boat strike and a woman with blonde hair (Darryl Hannah) watches him.  Another early role for Hannah was the Replicant Pris in Blade Runner (1982).  She is naked (with Blue Lagoon-like hair modestly covering her) and walks to the beach to kiss him.  Then, she leaps into the water, when he turns away her red mermaid tail is seen.  We see her fully as a mermaid created by Robert Short, an effects artist who worked on E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982).  He has realized, as the mermaid tail and effects designer/project supervisor, the perfect mermaid.  It also the combination of Daryl Hannah’s swimming ability to sell that she is a mermaid.  

She picks up Allen’s fallen wallet and swims, the underwater photography is stunning, but she also passes Dr. Kornbluth.  He is surprised and tries to get a photograph of her, but she swims away.  The mermaid goes to a sunken galleon, really the Little Mermaid connection is strong, she pulls out a map and matches it with Allen’s i.d.  Allen has returned to the warehouse with a bandage around his head.  At the Statue of Liberty, a tour guide, Webber (Ganz), gives his regular spiel.  The naked mermaid now with legs instead of the tail pulls herself up.  The tourists surround her taking to take her picture.  A police officer takes her inside the building.  The police officers try to find out her identity and have the wallet that she carried with her.  Allen is called over as Freddie is working out the deal with Buyrite (Shecky Greene) when he goes over to take a phone call.  Greene is in the National Comedy Hall of Fame and appeared in History of the World Part I (1981).  

                                           Castaway Cay, formerly Gorda’s Cay, 2010, photo by the author.  Splash was filmed on the other side of the cay.  

Allen gets in his BMW and races over the police station.  She is pointed out, now wearing a long I Heart NY t-shirt from the Statue of Liberty, and she immediately kisses him.  Allen returns with the mysterious woman to his apartment and greets the doorman, Tim (Tony DiBenedetto).  She’s a bit awkward with the turnstile entrance, but this is part of her innocence to the chaotic, modern world.  They start kissing again in the elevator and the car stops between floors.  The next morning, in Allen’s apartment, the woman in his bathrobe checks out his large, round aquarium in the wall while he sings, “Zip-a-dee doo-dah.”  He turns on the television, but he can’t stop being with her.  Allen returns to work singing his song, just too busy to deal with work, now Freddie is in the position to run the business.  At the apartment, the mermaid woman watches a Bloomingdale commercial.  She walks out in Allen’s suit, not certain how she figured out the complicated clothes espcially the tie, but Tim helps her get a cab to Bloomingdale.  

The enigmatic woman is given several outfits by a saleswoman who uses Allen’s credit card.  She gets fascinated by the commercials in the tv department.  Allen returns to his apartment and then runs out getting her destination from Tim.  The merwoman dances aerobics and the salesman can’t quite get her to leave for closing.  Allen finds her, asks her name, and she replies with a dolphin screech that shatters the televisions!  He takes her on a walk and she is constantly distracted.  His lady is not from Cape Cod, she is from “another place.”  She later tells Allen that she is in New York for six days with the full moon.  The woman says she can’t return if she stays longer.  Allen mentions some names for and says they are at Madison Ave.  She likes that name.  Later, Madison sees a mermaid statue fountain and has it installed in Allen's apartment!  Madison's love is unconditional, but Allen is trying to discover Madison’s secret, mistake.  They have only a short time together so the couple should be spending time together, but Dr. Kornbluth is obsessed to prove she’s a mermaid!  Splash is a perfect, fantasy romance/comedy!           

Five Mermaid Statues out of Five!  

#Splash, #RonHoward, #TomHanks, #DarrylHannah, #JohnCandy, #EugeneLevy,  

Black Adam - The Justice Society Files: Hawkman #1 Review!

The Black Adam movie is set to open on October 21st and before it opens there is a prequel story for Hawkman played by Aldis Hodge.  The Justice Society Files comic book mini-series gives glmpses at the Justice Society characters and Teth-Adam’s past and present.  It has a photo cover of the character holding his mace and shield with his helmeted face in the background.  “Ghosts of the Past” is by Cavan Scott, novelist and writer of the Star Wars: High Republic comic book and also artist, Scot Eaton, who worked on Hawkman #19 (2003).  Hawkman, in a splash page, is in full armor and wings communicating with Jeremy, his contact.  Jeremy knows his identity as Carter Hall, his Nth metal, and Hawk Cruiser.     

Jeremy notes while at the St. Roch Museum that Carter is expected at the Elements Exhibition.  St. Roch, Louisiana is the hometown of Hawkman established in Hawkman #1 (2002).  He explains over the cell phone that there are rare elements like Kryptonite and the Nth Metal on display as a hawk.  Nth Metal is part of Hawkman’s armor that defies gravity and first appeared in Flash Comics #1 (1940).  Hawkman transforms back to regular Carter Hall in a tuxedo pressing the chest symbol on his suit.  The pigeons flocking around him, also in the splash page, is very John Woo.  Carter hears well dressed guests discussing that the Justice Society has been missing.  Jeremy shows Carter the Eternium case called “The Champion” which has the Shazam lightning bolt bursting with energy.  This is an unusual element that removes Shazam’s power, used by Black Adam?, introduced in Legion of Super-Heroes #110 (1998).  

Carter sees a suspicious waiter who leaves and activates a device on his watch which causes explosions!  He evacuates the museum of the guests, Jeremy notices that The Champion is missing.  On the rooftop, the man is contacted by a man named Hansen, and uses his name Craddock.  The thief has the element in a backpack and says he wants to be known as The Gent.  This refers to his identity as the Gentleman Ghost, a character created by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert, in Flash Comics #88 (1947).  Hansen is part of the criminal group, Intergang, that has taken on Superman. They were created by Jack Kirby in Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #133 (1970).  Hawkman pursues The Gent who has Intergang weaponry.  Craddock does have a second chance when he is revived by a giant, red hawk demon, the Egyptian god Horus?  The Gent traps Hawkman in a strange otherworld and he is later possessed by the Helmet of Fate which is usually worn by Dr. Fate. 

Hawkman has to stop Craddock before he threatens more people!  The back up, “Lost & Found”, a four part story is by Bryan Q. Miller and Marco Santucci.  It has Teth-Adam (played by Dwayne Johnson in Black Adam) in ancient Kahndaq, Santucci even has him with the eyebrow, and his son, Hurut.  In modern day, Kahndaq, two military types cut into a Primal queue.  Young Amon wonders why no one stands up to them.  He is told by his mother, Adrianna Tomaz (Sarah Shahi’s movie character), that their country has not learned from history.  They are joined by Amon’s uncle, Karim.  She is contacted by an unknown person and slips away in Karim’s van to leap in the night with a makeshift mask.  At the docks, a trio of Intergang soldiers have the stolen Eternium.  It reacts with another Eternium source in a cargo container.  Adrianna is there to take out two of the soldiers with martial arts moves, but she has to escape the last soldier!  Black Adam - Justice Society Files: Hawkman #1 is an intriguing set up to the upcoming movie introducing in Hawkman and Adriana!   

Four Eternium Pieces out of Five!  

#BlackAdam, #TheJusticeSocietyFiles, #Hawkman, #GhostsOfThePast, #CavanScott, #ScottEaton, #LostAndFound, #BryanQMiller, #MarcoSantucci, #TethAdam, #Hurut, #Amon, #AdriannaTomaz, #Karim  

Strolling Through the (Theme) Park One Day: Founder’s Day at Ghost Town Alive!

Today was Founder’s Day at Knott’s Berry Farm for Ghost Town Alive!  Of course, it is always Founder’s Day this summer, but it was a day for my Season Pass renewal that lasts until December.  It was at the opening of the park so I was there for the ribbon cutting ceremony for Calico. Judge Roy Bean was there to preside over the ceremony. Private Barrett Hansen played the trumpet, kinda.  Abigail Dynamite was there to help some young`uns cut the ribbon.  Then, it was a walk past Judge Roy Bean and Private Hansen singing along with the jailed inmates, “My Darling Clementine.”  Very fun.  

                                                                                Ribbon cutting ceremony at Ghost Town Alive!, photo by the author. 

Next, I visited the Livery Horse Stable, no strange cloud overhead, and saw the donkey, Brutus, getting his winter coat combed.  It was nice to see the ol’ Rio Grande on the Ghost Town & Calico Railway going through Calico.  Next, was a ride on Knott’s Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair, the Berry Blaster didn’t really work, no reaction on screen.  Plus, the attraction shut down at the end.  So, it was a return to Ghost Town, I talked to Abigail Dynamite at Town Hall who told me about the ghost that haunted the place.  I went to the barber shop to talk to Dr. Carter about the ghost and he wrote down two possible deaths attached to the town hall; Elsie that may be haunting it and also Ms. Belfire from the school!  

                                                                                               The Ghost Town & Calico Railway, author’s photo. 

Mr. Nobel was helping some young’uns with the classic hoop rolling using a stick to keep them going.  Ms. Victoria Noelle was having a lesson at the school house.  Comfy little seats and desks.  She was having the students come up with a story set in Calico complete with sound effects!  Then, I talked to Chester, the deputy sheriff, and Violet Lee at Goldie’s Hotel.  The prospector, “Cannonball”, was playing the banjo at the edge of Calico.  I finished by getting free advice from Augustus French and Zeke Connelly at the Assayer’s Office.  He is still looking for a skunk in town. The nice part was having my name in the Calico Gazette!  It was a at Ghost Town Alive! and with recent controversy with the closure of the park from security concerns, I felt safe, and families had fun at the park.  There was security throughout Knott’s, but in a relaxed way.   

#GhostTownAlive, #JudgeRoyBean, #PrivateBarrettHansen, #Brutus, #DrCarter, #MissVictoriaNoelle, #Cannonball, #AugustusFrench, #ZekeConnelly

Nope Review!

Jordan Peele’s Nope is an original film filled with visual and auditory wonders!  He previously directed Us (2019).  Darkness, sounds of a sitcom, we get a Biblical quote that warns of treating someone as a spectacle.  Spectacle, a visual amusement is part of the film, and the title hints at the theme.  Then, we move through a sitcom set of a living room next to empty audience stands, we find out later it is called Gordy’s Home, and move to a lone shoe standing straight up.  Next, there is a bloody chimpanzee, played by Terry Notary, who earlier played King Kong in Kong: Skull Island (2017).  He is repeatedly striking a woman’s body.  He rests at the side of a couch, pulls off his birthday hat, then heads straight towards the camera, a pov.  The events that led up to this attack and what happened afterwards is revealed later in the film. 

We then get a credits sequence, there is some distorted sounds with a long, blue, plastic-looking mat enclosed in a pinkish interior. It looks like something out of a mad funhouse.  This is followed by the moving black and white photographs by Eadweard Muybridge assembled into The Horse in Motion (1978) that led to cinema.  We shift to a ranch house where we have Otis Jr. (nicknamed OJ) played by Peele favorite actor, Daniel Kaluuya, who was in Peele’s first film, Get Out (2017).  OJ is a soft spoken man, some of his dialogue is muttered and difficult to pick up, but he is very easy going.  He calls for his sister, but she isn’t around, and then goes to help out his father tending to a horse in the round pen.  This is the family’s horse ranch in Agua Dulce, California.  Later, we see OJ making the turn into Agua Dulce.  45 miles north of Los Angeles, a popular film location, and also has the Happy Trails Ranch.  

He talks with his father, OJ calls him Pops, Otis Haywood Sr. (Keith David) as he gets in the saddle of his horse.  David played Mr. Bones in the “Summer School: Chapter Thirteen” (2021) episode of Stargirl.  OJ goes to make a call, the power goes out in the horse and his flip phone, then small objects thud into the sand.  He sees the horse leave the pen and Pops slumps to the ground.  OJ rushes over to him and then drives him to the hospital trying to get him to talk during the ride.  At the hospital, X-rays show that he was a killed by a coin, which is explained as dropped from a passing airline.  OJ knows that it was something else.  It is six months later, when OJ has the horse, Ghost, on set with a green screen background.  He tells the actress, Bonnie Clayton (Donna Mills), to be careful around Ghost. Mills is of course known for playing Madeline Reeves in the soap opera, General Hospital. 

The director is Antlers Holst (Michael Wincott) whom OJ realizes could get the “impossible shot.”  We finally have the arrival of OJ’s sister, Emerald (nicknamed Em) portrayed by Keke Palmer. She voiced Izzy Hawthorne in Lightyear.  Em is energetic, a great communicator, but not as focused as her brother.  She gives the crew some background on The Horse in Motion rider which is her great, great, great grandfather.  The photographer is known, but not the black actor, which is something that Peele brings to this film.  Her ancestor had built the Heywood Hollywood Horse ranch which they inherited.  A production assistant holds up a shiny, reference ball used in special effects.  He holds it to the horse’s eye which OJ tries warns him and this startles Ghost.  He kicks back and this almost hits Bonnie.  The handling of film animals, a perspective on studios from Peele?, is an important part of the movie.  Because of the accident, OJ and Em are tossed off the set.  

They head over to Jupiter’s Claim, a sort of theme park, across the valley from the ranch.  There were Old West Ghost Towns around California.  It has a giant cartoon cowboy balloon mascot.  Em goes to a well with three kids ringed around it as a photograph is taken.  This is shown to be part of a television show.  OJ goes up stairs to meet with the owner, Jupe, for business, but doesn’t want Em to distract him. He meets with Jupe (Steven Yuen), who is really Ricky Park former child star of Gordy’s Home, to sell his horse, Lucky.  Yuen was in the drama, Minari (2020), but this seems like a return to horror with his part as Glenn in The Walking Dead.  Em recognizes Ricky and turns the conversation to his show.  Jupe mentions that Saturday Night Live parodied the last episode.  He opens a side room that contains memorabilia from the show.  This included the shoe displayed pointed upwards and Gordy’s costume.  At night, OJ is at the stable and hears strange sounds.  Later, the power suddenly goes out, Em and OJ hear unusual sounds, a wind almost like a breath. This finally gives occasion to note the brilliant work of sound designer, Johnnie Burn.  The sounds are sometimes subtle, unknown, and establishes the tension.  

OJ sees that there is a patch of night sky through the clouds, several stars shine brightly, and then an object streaks through the night.  He knows that the danger comes from the sky.  The next day, they head over to the Fry’s Electronics store in Burbank, they have closed in 2021.  It is distinctive since it has a flying saucer crashed below the store sign.  Em is looking for cameras to try to find the money shot, what she calls the “Oprah shot”, photographic proof of UFOs.  She says this will give them enough money to live comfortably, most likely to save the ranch without steady film jobs or having to sell the horses.  They are helped by a store employee, Angel (Brandon Perea) who offers to help install video cameras.  Perea was in the bizarre superhero show, Doom Patrol, in “Tyme Patrol” (2020).  The group is risking themselves to find the mystery in the sky, no spoilers here!, but the danger is the spectacle.  Nope is a tense, dramatic film with touches of horror, surprisingly fresh in this crop of summer movies! 

Four Air Dancers out of Five! 

#Nope, #JordanPeele, #DanielKaluuya, #KekePalmer, #StevenYuen, #BrandonPerea, #MichaelWincott, #KeithDavid

House of the Dragon: DracARys Review!

The House of the Dragon HBO series is about to debut and they have created the House of the Dragon: DracARys mobile app.  It is powered by Niantic Lightship.  The Game of Thrones prequel series will drop on HBO and HBO Max on August 21st.  The app was released in time for the House of the Dragon: The Dragon’s Den experience at San Diego Comic Con.  Those gamers who did not attend would not be able to hatch their dragons until after the convention.  We have seen that dragons were thought to be extinct by the time of Game of Thrones.  Daenerys Targaryen was given three eggs by Illyrio, the merchant-prince, when she wed Khal Drogo.  At the end of the episode, “Fire and Blood” (2011), Daenerys placed the eggs in the funeral pyre of Khal Drogo, entered into the flames, and returned with hatchling dragons!  

DracARys allows players to create their own digital pet, in this case, an unique dragon!  

The first digital pet was the Petz (Dogz and Catz) in 1995.  This was developed by P.F. Magic for gaming systems.  The player enters the Adoption Center to adopt and raise one of the pets.  was the Tamagotchi (“Egg Watch”) that hit U.S. shores in 1997.  It was a egg-shaped, electronic device.  It fit in your palm and had a keychain to carry around so more portable and handy than the video games.  The story were aliens sent eggs to be hatched and raise creatures of bizarre shapes.  They are developed over time after giving them food, attention, and training.  The boy version, Digital Monster, became the Digimon phenomenon with games, manga, and anime also starting in 1997.  Once a player loads the app and clicks, “Start the Experience”, a portal will form in your cellphone camera.  This leads to a dragon’s den and you can find your own dragon egg! 

 

                                                                                    My dragon breathing fire and later he flew on the DracARys app. 

Next, you chose the dragon’s name and have the option to translate it into Valyrian, the ancient language of the former Valyrian Freehold.  House Targaryen was one of the three houses in Valyria.  The hatching and naming is the first Milestone found in a record menu to the far left.  Then, you give your dragon its first command, this is the order to come towards you.  The hatchling shuffles towards you.  Since the app uses your camera, you can go in close, and also get a 360 degree view.  Later, when your dragon follows your orders, it will look at you with eager eyes.  Soon, without commands it will screech, scratch itself, and crawl towards some direction.  When you close the app and then later open it, you will be told your dragon is roaming and needs to be called by your command.  Take your dragon outdoors and wander around.  

Cooked Beef and Raw Beef will show up next to your camera button, the icon looks like a steak.  Later, when you walk for some time, there will be Goat and other food (no Sheep yet!) when you forage.  To the far right is the dragon icon which shows your dragon’s progress and stats.  To the left is the microphone where you can verbally give the command holding onto the red microphone icon.  Be careful you can enter the command and your dragon may not listen or misunderstand.  You can use the command menu and press the command button.  The first day, my dragon flapped his wings, and then later did a short hop.  The following day, I gave him the command to fly.  The next stage is Juvenile so there’s just a tiny bit of spending time with my dragon to reach it.  Juvenile stage was reached on July 30th after twelve Milestones.  

Blue was 1' long as a Hatchling and grew to 7' long!  He doesn't have the wide, red eyes now, instead he has the adult-like horns and dark eyes.  My dragon also did a short hop at 0.6 miles an hour.  Now, he soars in a circle in the sky at 3.6 mph.  There were also a number of dragons in the sky with at least two from the United Kingdom!  I'm not certain if this was random.  Since he has become a Juvenile, read teenager, Blue doesn't follow commands.  I ask him to `Mazis' and almost immediately he flies away or ignores it.  He has reached Diviner discovering a natural body of water, a grassy patch.  New today was a Fish icon for Food.  This was a Milestone.  Also, a Fowl icon.  Once they appear it is red showing foraging until you can feed it to your dragon.  The next stage is Adult.  There is no cleanup, no major time commitment, step away and start up the app to call your dragon.  Raise your own dragon with DracARys!       

Four Dragon Eggs out of Five! 

#DracARys, #HouseOfTheDragon, #HBO, #NianticLightship, #ComicCon, #GameOfThrones, #DaenrysTargaryen, #KhalDrogo, #Petz, #Tamagotchi, #Digimon, #DragonEgg, #Hatchling, #Milestones

Captain Carter #4 Review!

Captain Carter #4 starts off with wild action and then goes into the mysteries!  The issue’s cover by Jamie McKelvie has the wanted poster of Captain Carter with the £100,000 reward and just her age for some reason (she should get payback for that alone!), with a background photos of her friend, Harley.  The creative duo of Jamie McKelvie, writer, and Marika Cresta, artist, continues Peggy Carter’s story.  We last left Captain Carter and Tony Stark surrounded by HYDRA agents!  This continues with Tony using repulsor rays from his wrist blaster.  Peggy wonders about the mysterious woman who watches the battle.  She asks Tony to find the woman while she holds off the agents.  He flies with jet shoes and can’t find the woman.  He notices that Captain Carter is being attacked from behind, his warning comes too late, and she is slammed into a wall!  

Peggy is picking herself up while asking if the agent was a super soldier.  Tony’s vision enhancements was turned to infrared and found that the man has no body heat, a synthetic, like Vision?  She leaps forward ready to go all out on the robots.  Captain Carter leaps over the burly agent pulling off his head to look at him.  This causes him to ignite into a fireball!  More HYDRA agents spill out of trucks and Peggy asks Tony to fly them out.  He mentions that he has equipment at his lab and heads there.  Lizzie Braddock tries to call up Peggy Carter.  Harley is busy checking on the record of Harry Williams.  Lizzie asks about her computer skills which Harley admits that her family couldn’t afford a computer.  Lizzie explains that her father was the director general of the British division of S.H.I.E.L.D.  Then, there is a knock at the door. 

It is an unknown man and Harley is suspicious.  Next to him comes Peggy’s voice.  She reveals that she was invisible due to Stark’s “hologram projection nanodrone clouds”, there was an image inducer used by the X-Men.  Tony recognizes some names from a list made of Williams’ fellow students.  Peggy thinks about the drone change to make Stark’s assistant, Lizzie, for his meeting at the Illuminati Club in the Soho district, London. Peggy notes the neighborhood changes and Harley notes that it has become gentrified.  The meeting with Dominic Lewis, Tony asks about business contacts, and then gets to a visit with Harry Williams. Lewis says he can arrange a tennis match with Williams for a donation.  Then, he excuses himself.  

Harley gets the notification that the House of Lords passed the HYDRA bill. This authorizes government action against HYDRA which Peggy realizes that their attacks was to push for the bill!  I like that there is a reason behind the attacks not just to defeat the heroes.  Prime Minister Williams has a press conference saying that Peggy Carter’s time in suspended animation has altered her mind.  This caused her to kill fifteen S.T.R.I.K.E. agents!  He says that Peggy Carter is with Hydra!  We get a panel of Peggy’s shocked face.  He has turned the public against Captain Carter!  Tony works from his memory the image of the woman and sends it to Liz. She realizes it’s Lady Jacqueline Falsworth in the House of Lords. In the regular comics, she is the hero Spitfire, part of the WWII group, in her first appearance Invaders #7 (1976).  Tony goes to check on Lewis.  

On the edge of the roof, Lewis tearfully stands and tells Tony, “he’s making me” before jumping.  Tony tries to jet forward, but he is not in time.  At Harley’s apartment, Peggy doesn’t want Tony and Harley involved, but they are both in.  Tony has tracked the call from Lewis’ phone and says it goes to Downing Street!  Harley looks up Williams’ mother and they find that she looks exactly like Lady Falsworth!  Lizzie wonders if HYDRA has super-soldiers.  Harley pulls up the Falsworth father and it is Lord John Falsworth who looks exactly like Prime Minister Harry Williams.  The father in the comics was James Montgomery Falsworth who was the hero, Union Jack, also debuting in Invaders #7.  They put together clues, not only can the Falsworths live to a long age, they can compel people to act against themselves, and have strong men who explode in sunlight.  Captain Carter #4 has some answers, a formindable team, but it leads to some deadly enemies!  

Four Shields out of Five!  

#CaptainCarter, #JamieMcKelvie, #MarikaCresta, #TonyStark, #LizzieBraddock, #HarleyDavis, #DominicLewis, #LadyJacquelineFalsworth, #HarryWilliams, #JohnFalsworth