Cabinet of Curiosities, “Pickman’s Model”, Review!

 “Pickman’s Model” is the fifth episode of the horror anthology series, but starts off a two episode H.P. Lovecraft series.  Each episode, streaming on Netflix, lasts about an hour.  The short story appeared in the Weird Tales pulp magazine in 1927.  It was also adapted in a Night Gallery 1971 episode.  Lovecraft is not for young people, too influential and dark, this ep is especially dark and adult in all content, I would say 20 or 21 years old would be questionable.  This episode debuted on October 27th and the series debuted on October 25th.  Each episode has a different director, in this case, Keith Thomas.  He made his film debut on The Vigil (2019).  The Cabinet of Curiosities is hosted by director/writer, Guillermo del Toro, like Rod Serling in the Night Gallery.  Here he notes the artist’s saying, “I paint what I see”, he inserts a key into the cabinet that opens all of its doors in a pagoda-style cabinet.  He opens a sketchbook that has glimpses of the show and places a figure of the director in the center.

This shifts to the show’s beginning, a museum gallery of strange objects, then to a spinning whirlpool of bones.  It opens to a large house in “1909, Arkham, Massachusetts.”  This is the standard setting for Lovecraft stories, seemingly normal, with darkness in the corners. Instead the house, is William Thurber (Ben Barnes) sketching Rebecca (Oriana Leman) like one of his French girls.  Barnes starred as the lead in Dorian Gray (2009) about another painting, and I also recognize him as the lead in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008). Leman was Carly Miller in the Locke & Key series based on the Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodgriguez graphic novel.  They suddenly hear her father arriving home. He quickly puts on his coat, artist’s bag, and kisses her before leaving on his bike.  

Next, he arrives at Miskatonic University, another classic Lovecraft setting which has a number of occult books, as well as funding infamous expeditions.  His colleague, Joe (Seamus Patterson) , and himself attend an art class run by Bosworth (Thom Marriott).  He tells the students about the student art prize, the winner is displayed at Arkham Gallery, Thurber is the last year’s winner.  Bosworth brings in the male model and introduces the class to new student, Mr. Pickman (Crispin Glover).  The older model puts a cloth across his lap and holds out a pole, like some classical artwork of Zeus.  Thurber is almost finished and sees Pickman wildly slashing his charcoal on his painting.   He goes to wash his hands and notices that Pickman has added a gold gash on the model’s side, like blood, spilling down his side.  Pickman turns to see Thurber’s interest and Bosworth sends him back.   He returns to his painting.  

At a tavern, he has gathering with his friends who gossip about Pickman, they mention he is from old money and that his mother from Arkham committed suicide.  Then, Thurber picks up that Pickman draws in the cemetary.  Later, he sees Pickman drawing who says his first name, Richard.  Thurber calls him Dickie and continues belittling him with that name.  Pickman has been sketching a dead cat that he says was food for rats.  This alone should warn Thurber away, but he is intrigued by Pickman’s art.  Pickman shows Thurber his sketchbook, we hear faint growling, and Thurber sees bizarre visions.  Pickman with his strange accent says artwork should show the truth.  Thurber asks where these truths can be found and Pickman says, “Where fear lives.”  He continues his paintings, drinks, but is frustrated he can’t reach what Pickman has painted.  The next day, Thurber walks into a hallway of students with their artwork for the prize.  

He is not submitting for this year.  Thurber asks about Pickman who is showing his artwork that moment.  Bosworth and the other judges burst out offended at Pickman’s art.   Thurber slips in to see Pickman folding up covers for his painting.  He says it was the “wrong audience.”  Thurber tries to invite him out with his friends, but Pickman asks if he wants to see the paintings and walks out.  At Pickman’s apartment, Thurber sees a man grasped by clawed hands, but Pickman wants to show him more.  He explains that his descendant, Lavinia, was burned at the stake for being a witch.  Thurber sees the painting with Lavinia (Megan Many) with sinister grin, next to a eyeless man, and other members of her coven.  Pickman says she had killed her husband and fed her coven his body!  Screams are heard and Thurber tries to shake off the disturbing visions.  Thurber leaves the apartment, wretches in a corner, as a carriage comes up.  

He sees within the carriage, a woman with a black-veined chest, and an older man there too.  The carriage stops and the woman gestures Thurber to enter!   He sees a horrifying vision and then wakes up in the morning!  Thurber finds his shirt ripped and then gets a knock at his door.  Joe is there to tell Wil that it is afternoon and he is late for Rebecca’s party.  They are dressed to the nines including Rebecca who has a blue dress and chapeau worthy of the Titanic.  She introduces her aunt, Mrs. Creighton (Wendy Lyon).  They give some small talk about art, but he sees a dark, smoky form walking across the party, Lavinia!  Mrs. Creighton sees he is disturbed.  The darkness has already entered in Will’ Thurber’s waking life.  The thing to do is act normal even if there are dancing Elder Things or bloody faces.  He excuses himself to take a drink.  

Rebecca startles him and introduces him to her father, Charles (Laurie Murdoch).  Thurber sees that he looks exactly like the man in the carriage!  Again, oh, that’s interesting is the correct response.  Then, he sees a dark face behind Charles, Thurber stumbles back in horror.  Rebecca hurries to catch up to him and he points out the woman with her father.  Thurber looks back and sees that it is just Charles’ wife.  Rebecca draws back and asks him to leave.   He knocks at Pickman’s apartment door and finds it open.  The apartment is emptied with only disturbed faces on the wall.  This moves to “1926”, at a club, Joe is discussing Modernist art when a question is asked to the expert.  It is William Thurber now with a moustache and white streaks in his hair.  He returns home to his son and wife at play.  Thurber also sees the covered painting very much like the one wrapped up by Pickman.  

He sees his wife, Rebecca, and son, James (Remy Flint).  This is Flint’s first film.  Apparently, Thurber has gotten things to normal in the seventeen years, married, and has a young son.   He looks at his son’s pictures and then sends him to bed.  Really after encountering Pickman, the Thurber family needs to move away, maybe to somewhere peaceful like Cleveland?  Thurber wakes up in pain, hears music coming from a room, so he opens the door.  He is covered by an unnatural, green light and sees a dinner party.  Correct, response, hope you enjoy your dinner of a person, goodbye.  Thurber sees beetles crawling on the dishes and an octopus on a human head!  They suddenly turn to him, Lavinia at the head of the table, and Thurber is shocked awake!  Typical horror movies draw you in, possibly daring you to keep looking, this is should be the cautious part of reading Lovecraft.  It is the same problem with Thurber, the darkness stays with you, turn it off if it is too disturbing and walk away.  There is no escape in Lovecraft’s world once you step in it.  “Pickman’s Model” captures the Lovecraftian tone for this episode of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities!      

Four Cabinet Keys out of Five!  

#GuillermodelToro, #CabinetOfCuriosities, #PickmansModel, #BenBarnes, #CrispinGlover, #OrianaLeman, #SeamusPatterson, #RemyFlint, #LaurieMurdoch, #WendyLyon, #MeganMany

Re:tro Re:view - Dracula: Dead and Loving It!

Since Bram Stroker wrote Dracula in 1897, there has been many feature versions of the the infamous count, from Count von Count on Sesame Street to 1971’s Count Chocula, but there was never been a more feared vampire than Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995)!   Director and co-screenwriter Mel Brooks is well known for his horror comedy, Young Frankenstein (1974), but this film is in the fun tradition of Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993). The story and screenplay is by Rudy De Luca, who co-wrote Life Stinks (1991) with fellow screenwriter Steve Haberman.  We pan in to a green book of Dracula on a red background.  The shot is accompanied by eerie music by Hummie Mann who also composed music for Robin Hood: Men in Tights. The pages turn as we see Gothic pictures  of demons.  This moves to the steep, misty mountains of “Transylvania, 1893.”

A carriage carries several passengers including Thomas Renfield, esq. (Peter MacNicol). The actor was known for Ghostbusters II (1989), but I know him best for his first film as Galen Bradwarden in Dragonslayer (1981). He has a tweed suit, bowler hat, and goofy smile.  Renfeld is a bit queasy from the ride and the other passenger, a peasant (Avery Schreiber) goes to talk to the driver, but sees the sun setting.  Schreiber was also in Men in Tights, but I recognize him from Doritos commercials for some reason.  Renfeld is tossed around the carriage as the driver races the sun.  They reach a village, Renfeld spills out, and he says he is headed to Volga Pass. The driver (Enzio Greggio) tosses his luggage down since it is getting dark and tells him to walk.  The villagers gasp with his schedule to meet Count Dracula.  

I like all of the villagers gasping, “Dracula” and the last one wondering about Renfeld’s pronunciation of “shed-uled.”  I just laugh. The Innkeeper (Chuck McCann) warns him about vampires. McCann is also from Men in Tights, it’s basically the same cast.  Renfeld reaches Castle Dracula, the doors open, a gigantic spider-web covers the top of the steps.  Then, the terrifying form of Dracula (Leslie Nielsen) appears with the classic suit and giant beehive shaped like Gary Oldman’s count in Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992).  Nielsen was in the sci fi classic Forbidden Planet (1956), every decade was almost a change in genre, until he went heavy into comedy with the Naked Gun series based on his comedy series, Police Squad! (1982).  He meets with Renfeld and asks about Carfax Abbey.  Dracula signs the papers and Renfeld gets a paper cut!  Renfeld is asleep when the Brides of Dracula (Darla Haun and Karen Roe) float in.  

He awakes stunned and asks them what are they doing with the furniture.  Very funny.  Dracula interrupts them and then uses his powers to make Renfeld his servant to protect his coffin, now he has the ghastly voice, “Yes, master” as we shift to the Demeter headed to England.  The Transylvanian parts were centered on Jonathan Harkness.  The storm tossed seas send Dracula’s coffin slamming into the sides of the ship, funny!  Renfield, now with an insane face, tries to hold onto the coffin with great physical comedy by MacNichol.  We see the London Enterprise headline about the ship and the deaths blamed on Renfield.  Then, “London”, where we get the Lyceum Theatre’s production of Faust, the 1859 opera.  The posh theatre crowd is below the opera box with Mina (Amy Yasbeck), Jonathan Harker (Steven Weber), and Lucy Westenra (Lysette Anthony).  

Yasbeck was previously Maid Marian in Men in Tights,  Weber starred in the sitcom, Wings, and Anthony, I recognize from the fantasy movie, Krull (1983).  Entering the opera box is Dr. Seward played by Mel Brooks regular player, Harvey Korman, who was also in History of the World: Part I (1981).  He portrays a mostly serious part as Mina’s father and the asylum director, which cuts his comedy potential. Dracula outside meets with the usherette (Leslie Sachs).  He hypnotizes her to deliver a message to distract Dr. Seward and he adds for her to remember nothing.  So she doesn’t remember the message, funny!  Dracula notes he is the owner of Carfax Abbey next to the asylum.  He is about to introduce himself when the usherette delivers the message.  Funny set-up.  Harker introduces him to everyone and he takes an interest in Lucy.  

Later, at Lucy’s house, she looks across to Carfax Abbey, and Dracula appears at the balcony.  She begins to undress her night coat and he transforms into a bat!  Lucy in bed gets cold so closes the window!  The bat with the count’s face is hilarious like the Bugs Bunny cartoon, “Abracadabra, I’m an Umpire!”  Dracula climbs into Lucy’s room and then Dr. Seward and Harker enter looking for a prowler.  Dracula is pressed against the ceiling and Dr. Seward slams the door sending Dracula crashing down! He recovers, reveals his fangs, and then throws his cloak over them!  The next day at the asylum, the set is a bit reduced with effects trying to show chimneys and the sky.  Renfeld is huddled in the corner of his cell.  A guard, Martin (Rudy De Luca), takes Renfeld to see Dr. Seward.  De Luca is the screenwriter and acted in Brooks’ movie from Silent Movie (1976).  

Renfeld and the good doctor have lunch, he tries to snack on insects, with Dr. Seward trying to catch him.  Not the most funniest scene, the comedy should be stronger here.  Lucy is pale, still in bed, when Mina visits her. She turns to find the bruised, vampire bite marks on her neck.  Mina goes to her father to get him to check on Lucy.  He does with Harker assisting, she doesn’t know how she got the bite marks, and falls asleep.  Dr. Seward goes to contact Professor Abraham Van Helsing. Not an incredibly funny scene, but moves the story along.  At the London Hospital, a sign notes that today’s lecture on autopsies is given by Van Helsing. The professor (Mel Brooks) is there with a group of med students.  He says with a German accent, that this procedure will prove they are doctors, he pulls back the sheet from the corpse, and a student faints.  

 

He continues the procedure and more students faint. Van Helsing passed around the intestines to knock out more students. Woodbridge still stands so Van Helsing opens the skull to bring him a brain, not abby-normal! The nurse walks in to bring him the message from Dr. Seward. Dracula wakes from his coffin to see the daylight thinking he is cured. He is happy to walk through a picnic, Renfield rushes in, and Dracula starts to burn. Dracula bursts from his coffin in running model and realizes he has a daymare!, funny!, what do vampires dream? Van Helsing examines Lucy and then tells Dr. Seward and Harker that they are facing a vampire!  

Van Helsing finds out from Dr. Seward’s book, Nosferatu, that they can use garlic to repel the vampire. Dracula rises from his coffin and bangs into the chandelier!  Dr. Seward, van Helsing, and Harker have wreathed Lucy’s bed in garlic and go to the next room.  Dracula tries to enter the room, but is repelled by the garlic. He climbs down the bars of Renfeld’s cell.  Renfeld flips himself upside down to talk with his master.  Dracula bends the bars and has Renfeld to go to the house.  He puts the garlic garlands on himself, but peeks under the covers so she screams!  Renfield is taken away by the guard.  Dracula uses his power to draw out Lucy and Mina screams seeing Dracula attacking her.  They find out that she died!  

Dr. Seward refuses to have a wooden stake to her heart as Van Helsing suggests.  He can’t wonder who could be a vampire, the servant, Essie (Megan Cavanagh) introduces Count Dracula, and Seward says he is a possibility.  Van Helsing is introduced to Dracula. He asks if Dracula is related to Vlad Tepes, whom he explains killed the peasants, and Dracula says, “They had it coming.”Funny! Dracula and Van Helsing get into a duel in Ancient Moldovian, hilarious!  There are memorable, comedy moments with two comedy talents, but needs a specific target like the original Dracula movie or all of them, I’m thinking the Dracula of all eras like his immortality going through time! Dracula: Dead and Loving It goes out with a laugh, it is all silly fun! 

#DraculaDeadAndLovingIt, #MelBrooks, #LeslieNielsen, #AmyYasbeck, #StevenWeber, #LysetteAnthony, #PeterMacNicol, #HarveyKorman, #MeganCavanagh 

Re:tro Re:view - Sirens Gate #1!

Cover artist, Shannon Maer, debuts his comic book series, Sirens Gate, for Dynamite Entertainment!  Maer has produced many impressive cover art like Cult of Dracula for Source Point Press and the Comic Mint variant cover of Harley Quinn #1 (2021).  Sirens of course refers to the mythical creatures from the epic poem, the Odyssey.  It features the classic Maer beautiful woman with white hair, small heart locket, and black jacket, the main character.  Behind her is a werewolf creature and a black masked person, both with eyes glowing red!  A promise of the supernatural.  The comic book is rated Teen+, but the artwork and some content seems suitable for adults.  It begins outside of the Cat Club, a soldier in armor is with a woman, Commander Rein, with dark hair in a ponytail and less armor.  The painted artwork is beautiful for the comic book.  The lettering by Maer is stylized, not the usual word ballons.  In a splash page, a woman with a black mask, hood, and dress appears from the mist.  The woman commander moves to face the mysterious woman.  

She is suddenly choked by the masked woman. The soldier shoots the dangerous woman point blank with his gun. She has her hand extended with a glowing power to throw the commander.  Then, the woman sends out a lighting bolt to strike the soldier. The artwork melds the panels together without heavy borders. The soldier checks on Commander Rein, but she is out of it. Then, there is a splash page of the door to the Cat Club. We see a woman in pink dancing while two friends are talking at a table. The woman with white hair, Tara, is featured on the cover. She wears a red tied off shirt. The other is her friend Lexi carrying a drink tray. She wonders why her friend is reading a book in the club. Tara mentions the people staring and Lexi says that she came back from the dead. She explains to Lexi that her heart beat was too slow to be read. Lexi points out a man, Michael, walking towards her. He asks her about reading a horror book and she responds that she likes reading novels by Lady Rose.  

He works for Lady Rose and invites her to be interviewed by the writer.  Michael hands her the invitation which has a red wax seal of a rose. Tara asks him when is the time for the interview and he responds is is now. A very fast transition to move straight to the meeting with Lady Rose. Tara drives in the night with her red jeep and keeps thinking to herself about this interview that makes her have second thoughts. The gates to the estate opens and she again wonders why Lady Rose has taken an interest in her. Her coming back to life in whatever form, it has to be supernatural, may have something to do with it. In two splash pages, Tara is directed to the upstairs by the butler and we see her about to enter the doors. Lady Rose asks her if she wants a drink and has a glass for herself. In another splash page, very cinematic, she tells Tara that she was told of her interest of being a writer.    

Lady Rose tells Tara she just needs guidance, holds her pale locks, and then says she should not hesitate moving in for a closeup in three panels.  We see the red jeep leave the gates and Tara is stunned that Lady Rose kissed her.  Suddenly, a hairy form is illuminated by the jeep’s light on the road.  She swerves and then thinks it was a bear and then checks the front tire.  If it is a bear, you really don’t want to get out of the vehicle.  Tara hears a tree snap and then starts to run.  It is a werewolf towering over her.  The werewolf raises its claws, but is struck by Michael!  He knocks back the werewolf and punches it.  In a double page splash, we have the werewolf raising its claws, the man tells Tara to run, and the full moon is behind them!  The romance touches feels a bit like Interview with a Vampire mixed with Twilight.  The possible vampire and werewolf conflict is out of the Underworld series.  It is an intriguing premise.  The masked woman at the beginning could be Lady Rose, in disguise?  Who is after them?  A touch of Gothic horror and some beautiful art by Maer makes Sirens Gate, a must read for adult comic book readers who like the genre and artwork!  

Four Invitations out of Five!  

#SirensGate, #ShannonMaer, #CommanderRein, #Tara, #Lexi, #Michael, #LadyRose 

Re:tro Re:view - Brzrkr #10!

Brzrkr continues the journey of Unute and Diana is now helping him on his path now that she has the power!  Brzrkr #10 features an impressive cover by Ron Garney, a closeup of B.’s face, stoic, vengeful, blue eyes, and a reddish face, all with Bill Crabtree colors.  The wrinkles of his face are actually people writhing in a hellish scene.  We are closing on the twelfth issue conclusion written by Keanu Reeves and Matt Kindt.  It is illustrated by Ron Garney.  The comic opens with a series of horizontal panels starting with a closeup of B., his real name is Unute.  He is holding his head, confused, dressed in a white test suit.  Her communication is seen in blue and his replies are in white.  This is not spoken dialogue, but telepathic.  He is sitting on the left and Diana, the woman who was interviewing him, but now transformed by the power.   She asks him what happened and Unute replies that “they” sent him back.  He also knows the location of where he was born, “The Nefud Desert, Saudia Arabia.”  It is known as An or Al Nafud and found in the northern part of the Arabian peninsula.  

Diana identifies the strange power as the “red lightning.”  She wants him to be tested emotionally and he remarks that she “turned off the Berserker.”  They are being watched behind the one way window.  There is military officer, Keever, a strange monitoring ball, and scientific advisor, Caldwell.  Unute mentions they are in this together.  In closeup, we see that Unute has only gaping holes where his eyes were set.  He is regenerating, but at a slow rate.  Caldwell meets Diana outside of the room and says he knows they were “talking.”  Diana informs him about the location of B.’s birthplace which they say under the code, “Alpha.”  Closeup, Caldwell eyes her suspiciously.  Keever enters Unute’s room to inform him that he will be burned if he tries to leave the room.  He asks if he is going home, Keever says no, and that he will heal in ten days.  Caldwell in a monitoring room with various antiques, checking on a map of the Alpha location.  Then, we see a closeup of Diana’s almost black eyes.  She is in a geodome with a forst of plantlife.  A very beautiful and serene scene.  

Caldwell continues studying the map now on a table.  He is interrupted by an officer named Oliver.  He brings the news about the hyper-computer.  We see Unute lying down in a bed with his arms crossed.  Diana is at a workstation wtith robot arms workign with what looks like biological matter.  Caldwell enters, all seen in silhouette except the doorlight and the cannisters.  She is manipulating the robot arms as Caldwell asks her a question, but she ignores him.  Then, Diana tells Caldwell that she is working to “free” Unute.  She enters “Floral Formula Zak1” and uses a short lightinig burst from her hand. Diana mentions about getting him “to the bird.”  Caldwell wants her to shut down her flower experiment and she finishes.  We get closeups to Unute in his bed.  Caldwell in his office speaks with the voice behind the monitoring ball who approves of the mission. Is the mysterious man somehow connected to the Babylonian warrior or even farther back into Unute’s history?   

At the Perfect Cup coffee house, in silhouette, Caldwell poses a riddle to the barista.  Then, has precise directions for his coffee, more than Sheldon.  A normal-type scene which makes me wonder are they speaking in code.  Is Caldwell giving the coordinates to a rival?  The days are counted down until the mission.  A satellite deploys its flaps.  A radar station is set up for the “collection array.”  Then, the military Alpha Base is set up when Unute opens his eye, now fully healed.  We move to Saudi Arabia where there is Unute, now in a black suit, Keever, Diana, and Caldwell.  Keever sends off Unute and he walks with Diana as the rest prepare for the Alpha operation.  Diana takes out a water bottle to collect something that she says may have opened his mother’s mind.  He drinks it and then Diana.  Unute walks in pain and they appear in Unute’s destroyed village.  He reels at the death of his mother and the village.  Diana says he was just a child.  Unute’s eyes glow blue as he says he loves her.  Brzrkr #10 takes us closer to Diana’s plans and what may be Unute’s final, violent transformation!      

Four Protocols out of Five!  

#Brzrkr, #KeanuReeves, #MattKindt, #RonGarney, #Unute, #Diana, #Caldwell, #Keever  

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, “Life and Death”, Review!

The new animated series, Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, was announced at Star Wars Celebration in May.  A teaser and the first episode was shown.  It is of course created by Dave Filoni who wrote the first two epiodes.  It premiered on Disney Plus today, October 26th, on Disney Plus.  Filoni had created the character of Ahsoka Tano, introduced in The Clone Wars (2008) film.  Then, she appeared in The Clone Wars, up to the latest Season Seven.  Ahsoka was found by Jedi Master Plo Koon on Shili and brought to the Jedi Temple, shown in the episode, “The Gathering” (2012).  These Ahsoka Tano episodes fill in her character’s background right before the live action Ahsoka series.  Her story parallels Count Dooku’s tales which has returning Clone Wars voices; Corey Burton as Count Dooku and Mace Windu (TC Carson).  It is great to hear film voices from Liam Neeson (Qui-Gon Jinn) and Darth Sidious (Ian McDiarmid).   The best part is young Qui-Gon voiced by Michael Richardson, the son of Liam Neeson.  I would like to see more of Qui-Gon Jedi Knight.  The episodes are about 15 min., 13-18 mins., long.  

“Life and Death” begins with a starfield that pans down, classic Star Wars, and we hear insect chirping.  It is night at a Togruta village, they have circular, patterened lanterns and rounded, tiled roofs.  A baby’s cry is heard, a proud father, Nak-il (Sunil Malhotra), announces to the village about the baby’s arrival, he bows to an elder, Gantika, before running to deliver the announcemnt.  Moalhotra voiced the Padawan Jinx in The Clone Wars episodes, “Padawan Lost” (2011) and the “Wookie Hunt”(2011).  The other villagers crowd the doorway as the baby is placed in the arms of her mother, Pav-ti.  The baby’s montrals, the curved horns of the Togruta is flat for the baby.  The elder enters, the mother (Janina Gavankar) gives a slight bow, and tells the elder that the baby’s name is Ahsoka.  In Sanskirt, her name means “Pure and hopeful.” Gavankar has voiced Iden Versio in the video game, Star Wars: Battlefront II (2017).  It’s great to hear Gavankar back and as an important character.  A gong sounds as we the episode title, then we get the village in the morning, centered in a clearing surrounded by trees.  The music by Kevin Kiner is brilliant, it feels like an evolution of his Clone Wars score, moody.   

Nak-il is working on the roof with assistance by a droid when he sees Pav-ti with Ahsoka.  

She reaches in the house to take out a rifle for a hunt.  Pav-ti sees Gantika feeding several grey-furred Loth cats.  The elder (Toks Olagundoye) gives a blue stripe on the foreheads of baby and mother.  Olagundoye was in Duck Tales (2017-2021) voicing Mrs. Beakley and other parts.  I like the ceremonial hunting symbol.  A single warrior for a hunt?  This should at least be a hunting party.  I’m imagining this a bonding experience between a mother and child, but still dangerous.  Pav-ti heads into the forest, she tells Ahsoka to look at the life around them.  She taps some large flowers that spurt out puffs of what looks like dandelions, all to Ahsoka’s delight.  Pav-ti hears the bellow of a creature and heads towards it.  The Kybucks are grazing, a deer-like creature that looks part kangaroo, they were intrduced in Chapter 1 of the Tartakovsky Clone Wars (2003) series.  Kybucks were native to Kashyyyk.  Pav-ti raises her rifle and then a shot is heard.  They head to the fallen Kybuck and Pav-ti wants her daughter to “face death.”  

The Kybuck is struggling to breathe, Pav-ti says words to the animal, and raises her dagger.  It feels vey Native American like in The Last of the Mohicans (1992).  The sound effect is heard and not the violent act. We see Pav-ti tying up the Kybuck and jokes to Ahsoka about bringing the Kyback back to the village.  Also, heard is the creature that snarls from the bushes.  Pav-ti hears the growling and turns.  It is a Sabertooth creature, yellow-furred with ridges!   The Sabertooth roars and without the rifle, Pav-ti shouts back!  She manages to pick up the rifles and fires several blasts.  The Loth Cats are disturbed, Nak-il knows his wife is in trouble, he and other villagers bring their rifles.   Pav-ti fights it with her dagger and then struck down by its paws.  The Sabertooth turns to look at the infant Ahsoka!  There is a hint of Attack of the Clones (2002).  Gonna say it, adorable, main character, there has to be a Baby Ahsoka action figures and doll!  There is also Clone Wars voice veterans; Ashley Eckstein as the older Ahsoka, Matt Lanter (Anakin Skywalker), and James Arnold Taylor (Obi-Wan Kenobi).  Plus, the surprise voice of Bryce Dallas Howard as Yaddle!  The series has a gentle, different tone in contrast to the morally complex Count Dooku episodes.  Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi has a great focus on the very popular former Jedi, Ahsoka, and the fall of Count Dooku!  

 

Five Lightsabers out of Five!  

#StarWarsTalesOfTheJedi, #LifeAndDeath, #JaninaGavankar, #SunilMalhotra, #ToksOlagunoye,#AshleyEckstein, #MattLanter, #JamesArnoldTaylor, #CoreyBurton, #TCCArson, #LiamNeeson, #BryceDallasHoward, #IanMcDiarmid     

Re:tro Re:view - Star Wars: Obi-Wan #5!

 Obi-Wan #5 continues with his early memories filling in the time when he was a Jedi Master to his days as a hermit on Tatooine!  The cover by Phil Noto has a desert stormtrooper on his Dewback looking down at Obi-Wan with his lightsaber.  “Ben” is written by Christopher Cantwell with pencils by new artist for the series, Adriana Melo.  The artist had actually worked on the Star Wars: Empire title by Dark Horse.  It is night at Obi-Wan’s hut as the sandstorm that swept through the earlier issues passes in the distance.    Close-up of Obi-Wan contemplating in the night sky.  Great likeness of Alec Guinness by Melo.  This shifts to an Imperial outpost where stormtroopers have found a wall breached by what one trooper thinks is Tusken Raiders.  JM-909 reports to his commander who orders a squad to find the stolen rations and kill the clan.  

He wonders if the action will bring other Tusken Raiders to attack them.  The commander wants the order followed and he also has contempt for Dewbacks. A trio of Dewbacks lead the squad out in the morning.  Obi-Wan, at night, readies his Eopie, Akkani for a trip to get power cells and supplies from the Jawas.  He travels into the Jundland Wastes and in closeup we see his lightsaber, he hasn’t buried it yet like in the Kenobi show.   The following pages are laid out in landscape panels that spread across two pages, very cinematic.  We see the stormtrooper squad traveling the desert, three on Dewbacks, and twelve troopers on foot.  This moves from distant dark shapes, to medium shot and then a closeup.  They talk rumors of the Sand People as they march.  JM-909 with the orange pauldron says the Tusken Raiders survive just they would out in the desert which makes them dangerous.  A wise stormtrooper!  

They are on a canyon above the Sand People, JM-909 calls out what he sees; six raiders, a sentry, and two Massifs, a reptillian, dog-like creature.   He also sees four of the containers and he lays out the attack strategy.  All this for four ration barrels?  The stormtroopers get into position, JM-909 blasts the Massifs, and then a sentry.  Three accurate blasts at the neck and torso.  Obi-Wan said to Luke that Imperial Stormtrooprs are “precise.”  Still, the Tusken Raider sentry is only a scarecrow.  The squad realizes that they are decoys and several troopers are blasted by several Tusken Raiders in the canyon above!  Um, Tusken Raiders use Tusken Cycler rifles, projectile weapons called slug throwers, not blasters.  I don’t know if this is mistake, Sand People favor their own weapons even if they may have taken blaster rifles from the stormtrooper depot.  An unfortunate stormtrooper gets a blast to the top of his helmet!  Again, Obi-Wan in Star Wars (1977) said the blast points were “too accurate for Sand People.”  Are they even Tusken Raiders?  Others are taken down by gaderffii.  

JM-909 holds out his arm to a Tusken Raider who brings down his gaderffii.  Obi-Wan has heard the battle and sees the Sand People walk with their banthas and carrying blaster rifles.  He takes a power cell from a dead Stormtrooper.  I think Obi-Wan would honor the dead and pay expensive fees from Jawas.  He says that the containers are empty and that the Tusken Raiders were only trying to draw in Stormtroopers to take their weapons!  This is not Sand People behavior, are they Super Tusken Raiders?  Their bodies makes him think of the clone troopers under his command.  Then, he hears the groans of JM-909. He takes off his helmet and puts him on the back of his Eopie.  Obi-Wan thinks to himself that saving lives is a Jedi’s purpose.  JM-909 revives, falls off of the Eopie, and tries to run, but falls.  He revives again, sees the lightsaber hilt, then hysterically says, “Sorcerer devil!”  

Then, he drops unconscious again.  Obi-Wan manages to drag him to Akkani.  Morning, we see Obi-Wan’s hut and the trooper is sleeping.  When he wakes, Obi-Wan gives him the classic greeting, you can almost hear Ewan McGregor’s voice.  Obi-Wan informs JM-909 that he was out for three days.  The scenario is like the Lone Ranger, John Reid was the only survivor hence the name Lone Ranger, there are other rangers.  He is found and tended to by Tonto.  The trooper eyes his lightsaber which is in a stand right in the open because that’s a way to hide that he is a Jedi.  He snatches the lightsaber and activates it, the problem here is one, how does he know how to do so?  JM-909 has not seen a lightsaber and then he holds it out.  Why non-Jedi can’t use lightsabers is that there is no weight, the beam is just energy, so a non-Jedi would be startled and most likely slice off an arm.  This issue of Obi-Wan reveals how he came across his new name, it has a good story with some minor flaws, but also some impressive comic book artwork.  

Four Lightsabers out of Five! 

#StarWarsObiWan, #Ben, #ChristopherCantwell, #AdrianaMelo, #PhilNoto, #JM909