Catching up with The Boys!

 Season 2 of The Boys is coming on September 4th so it is time to catch up to a series with a very adult take on superheroes!  We saw the trailer for season 2 on August 4th, here’s info you might need from season 1.  The Boys is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.  It is based on the long running comic book series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson.  The first series published by Wildstorm was in 2006-2007.  The Boys is currently published by Dynamite Entertainment.  The Amazon Prime series is developed by Eric Kripke who also created Supernatural.  The first episode, “The Name of the Game” (2019), also the title of the comic's first issue, was written by Kripke.  The show opens with a patchwork of comic book panels formed into a mosaic of The Seven; Lamplighter, the hooded, mysterious hero, The Deep, Queen Maeve, Homelander, Black Noir, the only one with a mask, A-Train, and Translucscent while we get the logo Vought Studios.  These are the counterparts to the Justice League.  This might be a parody of the Marvel Studios movies.  This resolves to the movie poster of Invisible Force 2 starring Transluscent.  

This resolve to the advert on the back of a bus as two teens talk about Transluscent and The Deep.  They hear a crash as a security van is chased by police.  The teens see the van hurtle towards them and start to run.  A car is thrown and we see Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligott) leap and then race across the windows of an elderly lady.  McElligott played Hannah Onway in House of Cards which of course also starred Robin Wright.  The actress is Irish, perfect casting!  She stands in front of the teens as the security van is crushed by Maeve’s invincible figure, very nice effects shot.  Maeve is the legendary woman in Irish mythology, she ruled Connaught during the time of the hero, Cuchulainn.  We can see from her armor that she is an analogue for Wonder Woman.  Still, it is interesting to see another mythology used and I wonder how Maeve got her identity and armor.  Two gunmen have the teens as hostages as Maeve smiles.  The machine gun is melted onto the hand of one gunman by the heat vision of Homelander.  We can see from his powers that this is Superman.  

The other tries to futily empty his clip at Homelander (Antony Starr) until he is thrown into the air, then crashes into a car.  Starr played Garrett Hawthorne in American Gothic.  Homelander wears the American flag as a cape and also his epaulettes on his shoulders are metallic instead of cloth which makes him resemble Judge Dredd, the UK parody of American justice.  The newsreport on the incident is seen by Hughie Campbell (Jack Quaid), the actor is the son of Dennis Quaid and was Fish Bang in Logan Lucky (2017).  Hughie is our average guy, pov character.  He brings in a box of audio equipment for a customer.  We get that he is knowledeable and helpful.  His job at the electronics store was added by the series writers.  Hughie is hesitant to talk to his boss, Gary (Jack Mosshammer), then another customer enters.  This is Robin Ward (Jess Salgueiro), the actress is in another superhero show, Jupiter’s Legacy, based on the Mark Millar comic book.  They head off for lunch, Robin wonders if Hughie asked for a raise, Hughie just makes excuses.  She brings up about moving in together.  This is a nice couples moment.   

They kiss and mention about Billy Joel when there is a flash.  The shockwave and splatters of blood hits Hughie’s face.  Then, we see the twirling mass of blood and bones that was formerly Robin!  It shifts back into normal speed, the blood falls and we see the superhero, A-Train (Jessie T. Usher), saying he can’t stop.  Usher was in Independence Day: Resurgence (2016), the son of Will Smith’s character.  A-Train is of course The Flash.He runs away as Hughie realizes that he is holding the severed arms of Robin.  This scene was in the comic book, but what I found was that the series is more graphic in showing the remains of Robin floating in the air, but also the electronics store scene is very important in setting Hughie’s character, and the sense of normalcy before the violence.  Also, the comic book had Robin and Hughie in the middle of a chase between superhero and supervillain.  The Flash had to deal with a speed enhancing formula, Velocity-9, in the comic books.  This switches to the quiet Des Moines, Iowa as we get a young woman Annie (Erin Moriarty).  She played Hope Shlottman in the Jessica Jones (2015) series.  She plays the innocent woman, but also gives us the perspective of what we think of as the classical superhero motivation. Her role at first is not strong in the comic book. 

Annie is busy lifting a car and punching at a wall.  Then, she goes on a video audition as Starlight, with a white and gold costume, cape, and headband.  Starlight warns the interviewer to turn away and then unleashes her light powers.  She goes into another interview talking about her mother taking her to Miss Hero pageants.  This is a great intro to heroes, since we get a better sense of Starlight as a person, in contrast to the superhero feats and terror at the opening.  Also note in the comic, Starlight is not introduced until the second issue, so the comic book is unbalanced and also has her first greeting Homelander at The Seven’s base.  She admits she wants to join The Seven to save the world.  This is what we expect from superheroes, but not the case with these heroes.  Hughie is on the couch with his father, Hugh (Simon Pegg), after Robin’s funeral.  Pegg is a genre vet with Star Trek Beyond (2016) which he also co-wrote.  Of course, the comic book had Darick Robertson drawing Hughie in the likeness of Pegg.  His acting here is brilliant, just an ordinary guy who has lost the ability to take charge, and loves his 80’s television.  

Hughie wants to watch the news interview with A-Train.  They are interrupted by a Vought representative who wants to make a $45 k settlement for a non-disclosure agreement.  Hughie has thoughts of raging at the rep, but instead asks for time.  At Annie’s house, she prepares a meal talking with her mother, Donna (Ann Cusack), the actress was was last in the horror series Castle Rock (2018).  They get the call that Starlight has joined The Seven.  Hughie is looking to file a criminal case against A-Train when his father tries to convince him to sign the NDA.  His son walks out.  Then, next to Seven Tower, we get the fans cheering on the arrival of Starlight, she is met by Ashleigh Barrett (Colby Minifie), director of talent relations.  We get Madelyn Stillwell (Elizabeth Shue) giving a shareholders speech on Vought International.  Shue may be known for Back to the Future Part II (1989), but she was also known for the horror film, Hollow Man (2000).  We see until the end of the series that she is running Vought.  Then, we see Stan Edgar (Giancarlo Esposito) is the CEO.  Esposito is Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian.  

A standard commercial has Stillwill noting the 200+ superheroes, “We make heroes super.”  Starlight is being prepared by make-up artists and then Stillwell introduces The Deep (Chace Crawford) who talks about the retirement of Lamplighter.  Crawford was in the soap opera Blood & OIl.  Lamplighter will return in season 2 played by Shawn Ashmore.  It is obvious from the hero’s name and green and gold costume that he is standing in for Aquaman.  Then, Starlight makes her stage debut, but she just stares out at the audience.  Hughie goes to a store to pick up some beer and sees A-Train on all of the packaging.  He takes the beer to the counter, but starts breathing heavy and collapses. The Deep takes Starlight on a tour to the meeting room of The Seven.  She admits that she had a poster of him in her room.  He takes down his pants and threatens her membership in The Seven with Starlight about to use her powers.  Transluscent (Alex Hassell) is interviewed on late night television.  Hassell was in the Torchwood episode, “Combat” (2006).  This is playing while Hughie is at the electronics store. The popularity of the Supes reflects our own celebrity culture.    

He is met by someone at the store.  Bearded and in a coat, this is Billy Butcher (Karl Urban).  He is known for many genre parts from Star Trek Beyond (2016) to Dredd (2012).  Urban was also in the sci fi series Almost Human.  The comic book series focuses on Butcher while the television series has the narrative focusing on Hughie and Starlight.  I see Butcher as the Batman of this world.  Black Noir looks like a Batman, but he is silent and doesn’t take a strong role in what is happening.  Batman, in the modern comics, is the voice in the Justice League for when superheroes cross the line.  We might also see the similiarities in that Hughie’s girlfriend is named Robin, Hughie is the Robin of this world, learning with Butcher.  He is brought into Butcher’s group because of the unfairness that underlies the Supes running the world.  We also get the other members introduced over several episodes of The Boys.  They are Frenchie (Tomer Capon), he is an explosives expert, Capon is an Israeli actor known for his other series, When Heroes Fly, Mother’s Milk (Laz Alonso), he is running a juvenile detention center and argues with Frenchie, Alonso was Tsu’tey in Avatar (2009),  and later The Female also known as Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara), The Female is a wild child with vicious powers kinda like X-23, Fukuhara is also another superhero, Katana, in Suicide Squad (2016).  

Hughie happens to meet Annie on a park bench and they start a romance helping each other.  Butcher sees this is an opportunity.  Starlight has to come into her own as a superhero and deal with stage mother expectations.  The Boys has to uncover the secret behind Compound-V and the plans of Vought International.  Stillwell has plans to authorize The Seven to be part of national defense.  Hughie later encounters Ezekiel (Shaun Benson) at the religious Believe Expo, he has stretching powers and Hughie sees him earlier at a club. Also, there is the girlfriend of A-Train, Popclaw (Brittany Allen), a former member of the group, Teenage Kix, she can extend claws out of her wrists Wolverine-style.  Another ex-member is Mesmer (Haley Joel Osment) who can read minds through touching a subject.  There is also a mysterious character played by Shanel VanSanten who was Patty Spivot in The Flash.  The series has some dark, very adult content, the comic book has some shock value with misogynist tones, the television program has taken scenes, but paced them out and developed the female characters.  Ennis has good ideas, taking up the challenge that was laid down by Alan Moore's Watchmen; not what would superheroes be like in the real world, how would they affect daily life unbalancing it on a geopolitical and corporate level.  The Boys has some fun characters, superheroes that are really super villains that you love to hate, and surprises that shake up the traditional superhero story!   

Five Compound-Vs out of Five! 

#TheBoys, #JackQuaid, #ErinMoriarty, #KarlUrban, #AntonyStarr, #DominiqueMcElligott, #JessieTUsher

Happy Birthday Halle Berry!

Happy Birthday Halle Berry!  She began her career in the drama series Living Dolls as Emily Franklin.  Then, she was Vivian in Spike Lee’s drama Jungle Fever (1991).  Berry followed it with the comedy Boomerang (1992).  One of the interesting early role for Halle Berry for me was as the airline attendent Jean in the action movie Executive Decision (1996).  In 1999, she won the Emmy Award for her lead in the television movie, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge.  An early genre part for Halle Berry was as Storm in X-Men (2000).  She won the Best Actress Academy Award for the drama Monster’s Ball (2001). Berry was a Bond Girl and spy, Jinx Johnson, in Die Another Day (2002).  She returned as Storm in X2: X-Men United (2003).  

Berry was in the horror movie, Gothika (2003) as Miranda Grey, a psychiatrist who finds herself in the hospital.   Another comic book role was the lead in Catwoman (2004).  Berry reprised her role as Ororo Munore in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006).  She had serveal parts in the sci fi movie Cloud Atlas (2012).  Next, was her final time as Storm in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014).  Then, she appeared in the sci fi series Extant (2014-2015).  There is a resurgence in Berry’s film roles playing Ginger Ale in Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017).  In 2019, she has the stunning action part as Sofia in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum.  She is the executive producer of the television series Boomerang based on her 1992 film.  Upcoming is Halle Berry’s directoral debut with Bruised in which she also stars as MMA fighter Jackie Justice!  Happy Birthday Halle Berry! 

#HalleBerry, #MonstersBall, #JohnWickChapter3Parabellum, #Bruised 

Happy Birthday Sebastian Stan!

 Happy Birthday Sebastian Stan!  One of his first genre roles was as Chase Collins in the supernatural horror film, The Covenant (2006). Stan had a long running role in the television drama Gossip Girl (2007-2010) as Carter Baizen.  He was Jack Benjamin, prince in the fictional kingdom of Gilboa, in the television series Kings (2009). Stan played the bully, Blaine, in the comedy Hot Tub Time Machine (2010).  He was also in the drama Black Swan (2010). Then, he entered the MCU as James “Bucky” Barnes in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).  Stan starred in the horror movie The Apparition (2012). 

He also had a role in the fantasy series Once Upon a Time (2012) as Jefferson also known as The Mad Hatter.  Stan returned as the Winter Soldier in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014).  He played Chris Beck, an astronaut on the Ares III mission, in The Martian (2015).  Next, Stan played Jeff Gillooly in the bio pic, I, Tonya (2017).  He had a cameo as The Winter Soldier in Black Panther (2018).  This year, Stan was also in Avengers: Infinity War fighting as The Winter Soldier on the battlefields of Wakanda.  Stan played Scott Huffman working to get the Medal of Honor to William H. Pitsenbarger in The Last Full Measure (2019). He has upcoming the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2020). Happy Birthday Sebastian Stan!

#SebastianStan, #ITonya, #TheLastFullMeasure, #TheFalconandtheWinterSoldier 

Magic: ManaStrike Review!

The mobile game, Magic: ManaStrike, is made by Netmarble Games who also created Marvel: Future Fight in 2015.  It was released in January of this year.  Magic: The Gathering is the classic and long running card game.  The game started with Limited Edition in 1993, I started playing with the eighth expansion, Alliances in 1996 right after Ice Age, and the latest expansion is Magic: The Gathering 2021.  The basic rundown of the game is you have a deck of cards, there are decks to purchase or you can open packs to get a random assortment, deck building is a skill.  You can chose to play a color, a dual colored deck (my favorite), or a multi-colored deck of several colors.  

The five colors each have their strengths and weaknesses; Black which has its Vampires, Blue with its Merfolk and counterspells, Green has Elves and spells like Giant Growth, Red is a burn deck with Fireballs and Dragons!, and lastly White with Angels and Disenchant spells.  The colorless cards are Artifacts which may be creatures.  You play cards from your deck which is casting spells as wizard known as a Planeswalker.  This is against a rival player or even team.  You play cards based on how many lands you have in play, this is Mountains for Red cards.  If you play a creature card like Mistral Singer, you pay the Mana cost which is gained by tapping cards on the battlefield, turning Islands and also generic mana which can be any color.  This brings the creature to the battlefield.  There are special abilities like Flying with the red Hellkite Punisher which can only be attacked by other creatures with Flying.  

Planeswalker were introduced as cards in the Lorwyn (2007) set.  The prominent characters are; Lilliana Vess (black), Jace Beleren (blue), Nissa Revane (green), Chandra Nalaar (red), and Ajani Goldmane (white).  My favorite is Ajani because he is a white-furred lion man, the cat soldier, from the plane of Alara.  Manastrike gives you the choice to play one of the Planeswalkers.  You can play others once you get started.  The game screen and intro graphics are fantastic.  Once you click the Manastrike icon, it switches your phone to horizontal mode.  The Magic Pass icon on the left side of the screen has Quests like Use Mana this gives you some bonuses like Common Coin or Emojis.  The shop has daily items like cards.  You build your Rank through game play and earn titles from Beginner to Mythic.  On the Card section on the right of the screen, you assemble your cards into the creatures and spells used for the duel.  The Mana costs go from 2 to 5.  You have to careful balance your cards so there is a mix of strong creatures and cheap, fast creatures.   

 

Some of the cards are common to players like the Ratchet Bomb that destroys creatures or buildings.  Below Card is Battle and Event, this is PVP battles, the Event puts you into battles to win rewards.  You see the battlefield, your side has two Guardians that you must protect, and you have to destroy the Guardians on the other side.  They are large statues that can throw bolts to protect themselves.  You gain a Spark from every battle you play even if you are defeated.  This helps you gain in Rank, you might lose Rank if you are at Rank 4 or higher.  

The creatures that only attack Buildings like the Guardians are weak, but I have one, Aedrop Aeronauts that blows up and turns into Dwarves!  The Building I like is the Barracks that sends out waves of soldiers.  It has a limited time and also vulnerable to Ratchet Bombs or heavy attacks from your opponent.  The rest is a mixture of Flyers, cheap and tough to take on a variety of enemy Flyers.  Then, I have a number of small, cheap swarmers. It either works out that I can destroy an enemy Guardian or my opponent overwhelms me with powerful creatures or swarms!  At Rank 4, the game's stake rises since if you lose rank, you get kicked out the club.  I found out: 1 bring some very strong creatures instead of mostly low mana creatures, 2 wait, you have to wait to see what side your opponent brings in a Planeswalker, also you are building up your mana, 3 swarm the Planeswalker if too close to your Guardian!  In any case, you have to give a pause and take a breather.  Magic: Manastream is an intense PVP cell phone game!       

Four Mana out of Five! 

 #MagicManaStrike, #NetmarbleGames, #MagictheGathering, #AjaniGoldmane 

Happy Birthday Chris Hemsworth!

Happy Birthday Chris Hemsworth!  He started his career on the show Neighbours, an Australian soap about the lives in the fictional Erinsborough.  In 2002, he played King Arthur in the television fantasy Guinevere Jones. He made his debut in American films as George Kirk, the father of James Kirk, in JJ Abrams’ Star Trek (2009).  Hemsworth took worldwide fame and recognition taking the lead role in Thor (2011) directed by Kenneth Branagh.  He played Curt in the clever horror film the Cabin in the Woods (2012).   Then, returned as Thor in The Avengers (2012) directed by Joss Whedon. Next, he played the Huntsman in Snow White and the Huntsman (2012). Hemsworth returned as George Kirk in Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013).  Chris Hemsworth starred as race car driver, James Hunt, in Rush (2013) directed by Ron Howard.  He picked up Mjolnir again in Thor: The Dark World (2013).  Then, he teamed up again in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).  He showed his comedy chops in the remake Vacation (2015). 

Hemsworth starred in Ron Howard’s In The Heart of the Sea (2015) as Owen Chase, the first mate of the whaleship Essex which inspired Herman Melville’s Moby Dick.  He returned in the sequel The Huntsman: Winter’s War (2016).  Again, Hemsworth played comedy in Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016).  It was really Taika Waititi who gave the MCU a freshness with Thor: Ragnarok (2017). Hemsworth played Captain Mitch Nelson in charge of the Special Forces team sent to Afghanistan in 12 Strong (2018).  Also, this year he again played Thor taking on Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War.  Next, Hemsworth played Billy Lee in the thriller Bad Times at the El Royale (2018).  He not only had a new weapon, the axe Stormbreaker, but also a new physique in Avengers: Endgame (2019).  This year, Hemsworth played mercenary, Tyler Rake, in Extraction which debuted on Netflix.  It adapted the graphic novel Cuidad by the Russo Brothers.  He has upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder!  Happy Birthday Chris Hemsworth! 

#ChrisHemsworth, #CabinintheWoods, #Extraction, #ThorLoveandThunder

Howard Review!

Howard is a brilliant documentary on Howard Ashman who saved Disney with the Disney Renaissance!  The film has begun streaming on Disney+ on August 7th.  It was directed by Don Hahn, the producer of Beauty and the Beast (1991), and director of Waking Sleeping Beauty (2009).  Howard is important in showing Ashman as a person, a creative, and his legacy in returning Disney animation back to its importance.  It begins with musicians warming up for a recording session in June 8, 1990.  Ashman discusses the lyrics with Paige O’Hara, the voice of Belle, she has a great Broadway career including playing Fantine in Les Miserables.  Hahn introduces what is going on showing Ashman with his musical partner, Alan Menken.  Then, he notes that nine months later, Ashman died.  This is the story that leads up to that point.  

Howard Ashman’s early life is explained by his sister, Sarah Gillespie, and mother, Shirley.   At college, Ashman meets Stuart White, whom he has a relationship.  Then, we get a friend of Ashman, Nancy Parent, who explains that Ashman became an actor.  He was working on the Snow Queen production.  It’s a wonder what he might think of Frozen (2013) and its success.  Ashman and Stuart move to New York, the place to be for Broadway, but it was seedy.  Ashman turned from writing for theater and then went to editing the Mickey Mouse Club Scrapbook (1975).  This allowed him a trip to Disneyland.  A Disney connection, but Ashman’s heart wasn’t into editing.  So Stuart worked with Ashman to found the WPA Theatre, Workshop of the Players Art Foundation, building the theater.  Stuart would direct plays with Ashman as co-artistic director.  Stuart becomes wild with the New York scene and they separate.  

Then, we get the story of Alan Menken, and their work on God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, based on the 1965 Kurt Vonnegut novel.  Menken explains how they worked together.  They note the appearance of Vonnegut at a performance, who smiled, and just left the theater.  The production moved from Off-off Broadway, but it failed at a larger stage.  Still, Ashman had another idea, Little Shop of Horrors, based on the 1960 Roger Corman movie.  This was in 1982, Off-Broadway at the WPA, four years before Phantom of the Opera appeared on the West End.  Menken was impressed that Ashman came in with the idea that it should be “the dark side of Grease.”  Ashman was the writer, lyricist, and director of Little Shop of Horrors.  It made it to Broadway in 2003 which seems to be due to Ashman’s experience with the earlier musical.  The musical was of course adapted into a film in 1986 directed by Frank Oz.  Not mentioned in the documentary, Ashman wrote the screenplay and two songs including “Mean Green Mother From Outer Space”, nominated at the Academy Awards for Best Original Song.  

He was inspired by the comedy drama film, Smile (1975), about a California beauty pageant that featured Barbara Feldon from Get Smart.  The contestants also included Annette O’Toole who played contestant Doria Hudson.  This was the part performed by Jodie Benson including her song, “Disneyland.” Ashman of course brought Benson in to be Ariel in The Little Mermaid (1989).  He collaborated with Marvin Hamlisch, an EGOT winner, but the partnership was troubled.  The musical did receive a Tony Award nomination for Best Book of a Musical, but had failed as a stage production.  This seems to be the direction of Broadway with musicals in 2018 with Mean Girls and Pretty Woman, and then 2019 with Beetlejuice and Tootsie.  This is when Jeffrey Katzenberg, chairman of the Walt Disney Studios, was trying to bring Ashman over to Disney.  Ashman, not mentioned in the documentary, co-wrote the song, “Once Upon a Time in New York City” that was in the Disney animated film, Oliver & Company (1988).  

Ashman brings in Menken and of course this brings us to The Little Mermaid.  The co-directors, Ron Clements and John Musker, note that Ashman had the idea to make the crab in the story treatment Jamaican.  Hahn notes that Ashman has a talk with the Disney animators that teaches them how songs are used in animated films.  Ashman explains that Ariel’s song is the “central idea of the film”, something that Katzenberg initially wanted to cut.  Ashman was about to give at 92nd Street Y speech when he gets news from the doctor.  This drives him to work creatively and build a legacy.  His illness was kept a secret.  It is apparent in working with Benson and the other actors that Ashman was working as a director.  Ashman wanted to work on Aladdin which was a part of his childhood, but it was nixed by Katzenberg.  He saw his legacy at the Little Mermaid parade at Magic Kingdom.  The production of Beauty and the Beast (1991) was moved to New York to the frustration of the Disney personnel, but to enable Ashman to work on the movie.  There are some moments with Ashman singing in recordings. Howard is a powerful documentary that features the story of a creative force.  

Four Thingamabobs out of Five! 

#Howard, #HowardAshman, #LittleShopofHorrors, #TheLittleMermaid 

Happy Birthday Charlize Theron!

Happy Birthday Charlize Theron!  One of Charlize Theron’s early film roles was as Helga Svelgen in the crime film, 2 Days in the Valley (1996).  She had a cameo role in Tom Hanks’ film That Thing You Do! (1996).  Theron played Mary Ann Lomax, the wife of Keanu Reeves’ character, in The Devil’s Advocate (1997).  She was brilliant as Jill Young in the remake of Mighty Joe Young (1998).  She plays Jillian Armacost in The Astronaut’s Wife (1999).  Theron was in the drama The Cider House Rules (1999) playing Candy Kendall.  She was in the action film, The Italian Job (2008) playing Stella Bridger.  Her most distinguished role was as serial killer, Aileen Wuoronos, in Monster (2003), directed by Patty Jenkins.  She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for the role.  Charlize Theron played the lead role in the live action adaptation of the sci fi animated series, Aeon Flux (2005).  She played the ex-wife of Will Smith’s character with powers of her own in Hancock (2008). Theron had a part as The Woman in the adaptation of the apocalyptic novel The Road (2009).  

She played the washed up fiction writer, Mavis Gary, in Young Adult (2011) from writer Diablo Cody and director Jason Reitman.  She was the leader of the exploration crew, Meredith Vickers, in the sci fi film Prometheus (2012).  Next, she played the evil queen, Ravenna, in Snow White and the Huntsman (2012).  One of her sensational roles was as Imperator Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).  She returned as Ravenna in 2016’s The Huntsman: Winter’s War.  A brilliant part was Theron voicing Monkey in Kubo and the Two Strings (2016).  She played spy, Lorraine Broughton, in Atomic Blonde (2017).  Then, Theron played the manipulative villain, Cipher, in The Fate of the Furious (2017). She worked again with Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody in Tully (2018).  Theron starred in the comedy, Gringo playing the co-head of Promethium Pharmaceuticals.  She has produced and starred in film, Long Shot.  Theron voiced Morticia Adams in The Addams Family.  (2019).  She played Megyn Kelly in Bombshell (2019).  Recently, Theron was Andromache and was also the producer of The Old Guard!  Happy Birthday Charlize Theron!   

#CharlizeTheron, #Monster, #MadMaxFuryRoad, #TheOldGuard

Happy Birthday Vera Farmiga!

Happy Birthday Vera Farmiga!  One of her early roles was on television as the archer, Caitlin, in the fantasy series Roar (1997).  Farmiga’s first movie was the thriller, Return to Paradise (1998).  In 2001, she played Josephine, the mother of Snow White in the television movie, Snow White: The Fairest of Them All.  Farmiga’s next series was playing Alex Cross in the action series UC: Undercover (2001-2002).  Then, she was Detective Susan Branca in Touching Evil (2004).  Farmiga had a part in Martin Scorsese’s The Departed (2006).  In 2009, Farmiga brought awards attention to her performance in Up in the Air.  Farmiga was also in the sci fi movie, Source Code (2011).  She directed and starred in the drama, Higher Ground (2011).  

A powerful role was as Lorraine Warren beginning with The Conjuring (2013).  She also started playing the mother of Norman Bates, Norma Louise Bates, in Bates Motel (2013-2017). Farmiga reprised her part as Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring 2 (2016).  Next, Farmiga crossed the country in the comedy drama Boundaries (2018).  She starred in the sci fi thriller, Captive State (2019).  Farmiga awakened the Titans in Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) playing Dr. Emma Russell.  Annabelle Comes Home (2019) had Farmiga returning as Lorraine Warren. Farmiga had an Emmy nomination for the miniseries When They See Us (2019), directed by Ava DuVernay. She has upcoming, the next Conjuring film, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.  Happy Birthday Vera Farmiga!  

#VeraFarmiga, #Roar, #UpintheAir, #TheConjuring, #WhenTheySeeUs 

Happy Birthday Michelle Yeoh!

Happy Birthday Michelle Yeoh!  She won the Miss Malaysia pageant in 1983 and then went into martial arts films starting with Yes, Madam as Michelle Khan.  Yeoh starred alongside Jackie Chan in Police Story 3: Super Cop (1992).  Michelle Yeoh was one of the super heroines in The Heroic Trio (1993) playing Ching also known as Invisible Girl since she has an invisible robe.  Yeoh returned to the role in Heroic Trio 2: Executioners (1993).  She co-starred with Jet Li in Tai-Chi Master (1993) and Donnie Yen in Yuen Woo-Ping’s Wing Chun (1994).  Yeoh was a sensation as a Bond girl, Wai Lin, in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997).  Then, she took everyone’s notice as Yu Shu Lien in And Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000).  She starred in and produced The Touch (2002) directed by Peter Pau. Yeoh played another super heroine in Silver Hawk (2004).  She was next in the adaptation of the Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha (2005).  

Yeoh played Corazon, an astronaut trying to re-start the sun in Danny Boyle’s sci fi film, Sunshine (2007).  She played Zi Yuan, a sorceress in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008) with co-star Jet Li.  In 2011, Yeoh played Aung San Suu Kyi in The Lady (2011).  Also that year, she voiced the Soothsayer in Kung Fu Panda 2.  Yeoh reprised her role as Yu Shu Lien in the sequel Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny (2016).  She entered the MCU as part of the original Ravagers in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017).  Yeoh took the helm of the USS Shenzou as Captain Philippa Georgiou in Star Trek: Discovery.  The captain was a legend in Starfleet, but you can’t keep a good captain down, her Mirror Universe counterpart survived and joined the black ops Starfleet division, Section 31.  She is back in martial arts fighting style with Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018).  Yeoh was perfection as Eleanor Sung-Young in Crazy Rich Asians based on the Kevin Kwan novel.  Then, she was in the romantic comedy Last Christmas (2019).  Yeoh was also in the action film this year, Boss Level, where the life of an officer repeats over.  Happy Birthday Michelle Yeoh! 

#MichelleYeoh, #TomorrowNeverDies, #CrouchingTigerHiddenDragon, #StarTrekDiscovery, #CrazyRichAsians 

The Stories of Pirates of the Caribbean - Movies and Ride!

Pirates of the Caribbean was a fascinating attraction and story since it opened in New Orleans Square, Disneyland in 1967.  One of the first pirate movies for Disney was Treasure Island (1950) which adapted the Robert Louis Stevenson novel.  Another adaptation on the high seas was Kidnapped (1960).  The live action Disney film, Blackbeard’s Ghost (1968) came out one year later.  It wasn’t until 2003 that the ride was adapted into a blockbuster film series with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.  It changed the fortunes of Disney attraction adaptations with earlier tries with the tv movie, Tower of Terror (1997), The Country Bears (2002), and the same year as Pirates, The Haunted Mansion (2003).  I like both Tower of Terror and Haunted Mansion as bringing and adding to the fun of the ride stories.  

                        

                     Pirates of the Caribbean, Magic Kingdom, 2010, photo by the author. 

There was a film, Mission to Mars (2000), that had inspiration from a Disney ride, but the characters and situations are original in the movie.  There were changes in 1997 with pirates chasing after food instead of women.  In 2006, Davy Jones from the second film, was added to the misty darkness and Jack Sparrow animatronics.  In 2007, Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island was added to Disneyland.   In 2018, the redhead from the auction scene was changed into Redd the Pirate.  Attractions need to be refreshed with changes, but there are so many with Pirates that the story doesn’t make sense.  The Pirate film when it was announced was interesting to me since the studios were shy about pirate movies since Cutthroat Island (1995).  What I thought would be the key was the 1990 Lucasfilm computer game, The Secret of Monkey Island, by Ron Gilbert.  

Check to see if any of this is familiar; young man hopes to become a pirate, not Will Turner, his name is Guybrush Threepwood (though they look similar), he has to travel to Monkey Island and face the Ghost Pirate LeChuck, shades of Barbossa?  LeChuck attacks the island run by Governor Elaine Marley, Elizabeth Swann was the daughter of the governor.  Guybrush runs into cannibals (save that for 2006’s Dead Man’s Chest). Gilbert was inspired by the Disneyland ride and also Tim Powers’ novel, On Stranger Tides, which was the basis of course for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011).  So let’s look back at the ride story of the original.  The boats are loaded at Lafitte’s Landing which is set in New Orleans.  There was a French pirate, Jean Lafitte, but he is of course missing from the Pirates movies.  This moves through the dark bayou with houseboats and alligators, until you enter brick tunnels and hear the ghostly voice of a talking skull. 

                Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer's Island, Disneyland, 2015, photo by the author. 

It warns you with, “Dead men tell no tales” before you plunge down into Dead Man’s Cove.  There are skeletons including the eerie sailor still clinging to a ship in a storm.  This was used in the Pirate poster promotion, but not in the films.  I recall strongest the crab next to the skeleton with a sword in its back.  You eventually get to the cursed treasure and the pirate skeleton peering at a magnifying glass in bed.  None of this is actually in the Pirates movies except the treasure on Isla de Muerta.  The best part of the ride is the imagery, I’m constantly looking around, finding new things, corners, the sky.  The point is that films give passing nods, gags, to the ride, but not the strong imagery from the attraction.  The movies are not interested in scenary or strange looking supporting actors.  Which is fine, the movies can take inspiration, but be separate from the ride, which is probably in part the reason for their success.  

This takes you to the full size pirate ship, the Wicked Wench, which was commanded by a black-bearded Pirate Captain.  Captain Barbossa from the films replaced him in 2006.  So you caught in between a cannon battle between the pirate ship and the fort of Isla Tesoro.  It would be great if the upcoming Pirates film would have boats going through a battle.  Then, the boat enters the town of Puerto Dorado, and there we see the mayor, Carlos, dunked by rowdy pirates.  I also hope the new Pirates film would have more of the ethnicities that are in the Caribbean.  I took a cruise that went to the Bahamas, the people there are not who was in the Pirates movies.  Then, we get the auction scene, the “Take a Wench for a Bride” is replaced with a sale of chickens?  It is held by a pirate captain with a red beard, next to what looks like his wife, and now Redd the Pirate who wants to sell rum.  Jack Sparrow is seen hiding throughout the ride.  

                                        Dead Man's Chest, Disneyland, 2015, photo by the author. 

So what is confusing is what is the story?  The story is Jack Sparrow trying to get some of the treasure, with Barbossa, another captain, and Redd?  Barbossa is entering the town, missing from that point, Redd and the pirate captain are selling items, and Jack Sparrow is after the treasure?  The fun adventure of the attraction is just confusing.  Shanghai Disneyland has the high tech attraction, Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure which opened with the park in 2016.  This of course has a cohensive storyline bringing moments from the films.  The last Pirates film was Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017).  It was announced in June 26th that there will be a new Pirates film starring Margot Robbie.  I imagine that there might be some questions of how can there be a Pirates movie without Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow?  I can see how the filmmakers could craft a movie that has the action and tone of Pirates and bring in the original story of the ride.  

Shanghai Disneyland of course has the new Pirates ride.  Possibly Hong Kong Disneyland can keep the Pirates attraction styled on Disneyland.  I think Tokyo Disneyland should have a re-themed Pirates ride with the Margot Robbie character.  So what would this re-theming look like?  Again, I think the movie should have the constructs of the attraction, the cursed skull, the skeleton helmsman, and Puerto Durado with its burning.  Her ally could be the black bearded captain and rival, the red bearded captain.  I’m really hoping Margot Robbie will be playing the real life Irish pirate captain, Grace O’Malley, or a character based on her.  The rest is all up to the filmmakers.  I can see Disneyland’s attraction re-themed to get the back story of the bearded captains maybe with Margot Robbie as Redd!  Disney World can be themed to the Margot Robbie movie.  So this would be Pirates around the world, each unique, so you wouldn’t get the same ride at a different park.  There is potential with the Pirates movie franchise and the theme park attractions!    

#PiratesoftheCaribbean, #Disneyland, #SecretofMonkeyIsland, #MargotRobbie

Happy Birthday Brigid Brannagh!

Happy Birthday Brigid Brannagh!  She started in television, her first series was the comedy True Colors (1990-1992).  Her next role was as Sasha Luna, human descendant of Julian Luna caught up in the vampire life, in Kindred: The Embraced.  Catch up with the review: http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2020/07/retro-review-kindred-embraced.html.  Brannagh played Erin in the sci fi series Sliders episode, “Murder Most Foul” (1996).  She then played Shannon in the fantasy series Roar, “Banshee” (1997). Emily Flannagan was played by Brannagh in the police drama Brooklyn South (1997-1998).  

                           MARVEL’S RUNAWAYS -- “Smoke and Mirrors” -- JAMES MARSTERS, BRIGID BRANNAGH -- Michael Desmond/Hulu.  

She played Tuatha in “That Old Black Magic” (1999) episode of Charmed.  Another part in a supernatural show was as Virgina Bryce, love interest for Wesley, in Angel (2000-2001).  

Brannagh played Ruby in “First Flight” (2003) episode of Star Trek: Enterprise.  She played Pamela Moran in the drama Army Wives (2007-2012).  Next, she was Sara Fisher in a 2014 episode of Grimm.  Then, was in the “Plush” (2015) episode of Supernatural.  Recently, Brannagh had the role of Stacey Yorkes in Runaways (2017-2019), the series based on the comic book scripted by Brian K. Vaughn.  

#BrigidBrannagh, #KindredtheEmbraced, #ArmyWives, #Runaways

Happy Birthday Michael Ealy!

Happy Birthday Michael Ealy! He began work with television eventually getting a role in the comedy film Kissing Jessica Stein (2001).  Then, he moved to action movies with Bad Company (2002) playing G-Mo.  Ealy had a part in the comedy Barbershop (2002) as Ricky Nash. He then worked on a hit franchise with 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) playing the street racer, Slap Jack.  Ealy returned as Ricky Nash in Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004).  He had a dramatic role as Darwyn Al-Sayeed in the series Sleeper Cell (2005-2006).  Then, Ealy was in the sci fi tinged series Flashforward (2009-2010) as Marshall Vogel.  He starred in drama The Good Wife (2010-2011) as Derrick Bond head of the law firm Bond & Associates.

Ealy was in the Underworld: Awakening (2012) sequel and played Detective Sebastian who helps Selene rescue her child.  Next, he starred in the comedy About Last Night (2014), a new adaptation of the dramatic play by David Mamet. Ealy took the role of Dorian, an old model Synthetic partners with Detective John Kennex (Karl Urban) in the sci fi detective series Almost Human (2013-2014).  The thriller, The Intruder (2019), starred Ealy as married man, Scott Howard, Russell moving into a dream house with his wife, but there is the strange Charlie who still lingers at the house.  He was in the remake of the horror thriller Jacob’s Ladder (20190.  Ealy also starred as Detective Mike Hoffman in the crime drama Stumptown. Recently, he played Jake Reed in Westworld.  Happy Birthday Michael Ealy!  

#MichaelEaly, #Barbershop, #AlmostHuman, #Stumptown

Happy Birthday Jason Momoa!

Happy Birthday Jason Momoa!  He began working in tv playing Jason Ioane in Baywatch Hawaii (1999-2001).  His first genre work was as Ronon Dex in Stargate: Atlantis (2005-2009) fighting against the alien Wraith.  Momoa took everyone’s notice as Khal Drago in Game of Thrones (2011-2012), the Dothraki chieftain and husband to his khalessi, Daenerys Taergaryn.  He also filmed Conan the Barbarian (2011) playing the lead role.  Jason Momoa co-wrote, directed, and starred in Road to Paloma (2014) as the Native American Wolf traveling on a motorcycle trying to escape the law. 

In Wolves (2014), Momoa played the leader of werewolves.  He had another iconic role in his cameo as Aquaman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016).  Momoa also played Declan Harp in Frontier (2016-2018), an outlaw trying to stop a company trying to take over the fur trade.  Momoa then returned as Aquaman in Justice League (2017).  Jason Momoa played the lead role of Arthur Curry in Aquaman directed by James Wan.  He voiced Aquaman in The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.  Momoa was Baba Voss in the sci fi series See.   He has the part of Duncan Idaho in Dune directed by Denis Villeneuve.  Happy Birthday Jason Momoa!  

#JasonMomoa, #StargateAtlantis, #Aquaman, #Dune