Long Beach Comic Expo 2019!

R2 Builders at the Long Beach Comic Expo, photo by the author.

The Long Beach Comic Expo was this weekend, February 16 and 17th, Saturday was a respite from the rain.  The convention was targeted to comic books, but also had the Space Expo.  One convention tip, don’t go all day walking and not eating any meals!  I went immediately to the Artist’s Alley to see talented artist and friend, Chuck Patton, who had Funko Pops! of Vibe, the character he co-created, had prints and comic books from his personal collection.  Sunday, there is the Justice League Detroit: A 35th Anniversary…Celebration? with Gerry Conway and Chuck Patton discussing their run on Justice League of America.  I like the charm of the team and that it brought in new characters, my favorites are Gypsy and Vixen, both of which were brought into the CW superhero shows.  Then, I went to see two of my favorite comic book artists, Kevin Nowlan, who had some incredible art prints and of course donations to Hero Initiative, and Rick Leonardi, he showed his thumbnail sketches and finished art pages and went through his thinking in drawing the comic book!  

Rick Leonardi sketching at Long Beach Comic Expo, photo by the author.

Conventions are a good opportunity to pick up some original art and I got a water color sketch of Wonder Woman from Agnes Grabowska!  Another con tip, my favorite thing to do, is to fill up Hero Initiative books with signatures of all of the artists!  In terms of writers, I saw Gerry Conway, who had a long line of fans, and Ron Marz, with a collection of his work on his table.  There were about ten comic book retailers.  You have check around, but there are some good issues and deals there.  I also spoke with author Benjamin Harper who wrote Obsessed With Star Wars, a trivia quiz book, and had a great conversation with him.  Next, there was the Space Expo, I had a chance to talk with the two members of the Planetary Society, and picked up a poster from the Columbia Memorial Space Center in Downey.  Space Expo had two panels on Saturday, one on the Insight Mission on Mars, missed it!  There were the R2 Builders with several R2 droids and even a mouse droid rolling around the convention floor!  There were many fan groups at the expo.  Also, cosplayers, there was a Cosplay Contest on Saturday.  It was fun to catch up with Ivy Doomkitty.  I also met Tara Cosplay.  There were numerous cosplayers including one dressed as Catwoman and I passed a cosplayer dressed as Pennywise from IT, @hudsonhawkpritchard, he won the costume contest!, on the way out.  A very fun convention!  

Tara Cosplay as Harley Quinn, Long Beach Comic Expo, photo by the author.

#LongBeachComicExpo, #ChuckPatton, #GerryConway, #SpaceExpo 

Happy Birthday Simon Pegg!

Happy Birthday and Valentine’s Day Simon Pegg! Pegg started his collaboration with Edgar Wright with the brilliant comedy, Spaced, a perfect series about Tim Bisley thrown out by his girlfriend and pretending to be married with Jessica Haynes' flatmate!, the geekiest show of all!  Then, he was in 2004's Shaun of the Dead, directed by Edgar Wright, the best zombie movie that is funny and also stands as an energetic horror movie!  Pegg played the Editor in the Doctor Who episode "The Long Game " (2005).  He moved into action movies with Mission Impossible III (2006) as tech wizard Benji Dunn.  He scored as Nicholas Angel in Hot Fuzz (2007), a send up of cop action movies by Edgar Wright.  Then, he starred and wrote the screenplay for the comedy Run, Fat Boy, Run (2007).  Another of his signature parts came with JJ Abrams' Star Trek (2009) in the Kelvin timeline where he played Scotty now paired with his assistant Keenster.  He wrote about his life and films in his autobiography Nerd Do Well (2009).  Simon Pegg also ventured into fantasy with the voice of Reepicheep in The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010).  

Then, he voiced Thompson, the detective who works with Nick Frost’s Thomson in the animated The Adventures of Tintin (2011). He co-wrote and starred along with Nick Frost in the extraterrestrial comedy Paul (2011).  Pegg returned as Benji Dunn in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) directed by Brad Bird.  Next, Simon Pegg entered the Star Wars Universe voicing Dengar in the “Bounty” (2012) episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.  He voiced the weasel, Buck, in Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012).  Next, Pegg starred as Scotty in Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013).  Pegg returned as Buck the weasel in Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2013).  He finished the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy with Edgar Wright in the sci fi comedy The World’s End (2013).  Pegg voiced Hebert Trubshaw in the Laika animated movie The Boxtrolls (2014).  He returned as Benji Dunn in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (2015).  Pegg was in full costume as Unkar Plutt in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2016).  Then, he co-wrote and returned as Scotty in Star Trek: Beyond (2016).  Last year, he portrayed Ogden Morrow, the co-creator of the OASIS, in Ready Player One, Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Ernest Cline’s novel.  Benji Dunn appeared in Mission: Impossible: Fallout (2018) played by Pegg.  He is currently working on The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.  Happy Birthday Simon Pegg!   

#SimonPegg, #ShaunoftheDead, #StarTrekBeyond, #MissionImpossibleFallout, #TheDarkCrystalAgeofResistance 

I Am The Night, “Dark Flower”, Review!

This episode, it appears every two episodes has a new director, is directed by Victoria Mahoney, who directed the drama Yelling to the Sky (2011).  We had Fauna Hodel and Jay Singletary almost crossing paths last time.  Now the tension is ramping up.  We get the date, 1945, and then the pan into the Hodel mansion.  A peek into a party with men in chairs and women in underwear and masks.  George Hodel looks at his daughter, Tamar (Kassidy Slaughter), who is peeking in as he undresses a woman and stares at her.  He covers a woman’s head with a black hood, then appears with his face in meat with a bull’s horns.  We hear the eerie words of George Hodel as all of this unfolds.  Then, he rises up from his chair.  This is the first time that we stray into the adult territory of the story.  Next, we get the 1965 date as Fauna walks on a night street, followed by the man with the hat (Dylan Smith).  He tries pulling her, but she slips away and a police officer sees her in a patrol car.  Jay wakes up on his couch.  There is a Korean soldier loading a rifle, then police officers break into his apartment.  They see the photos of the women and take him away.  

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

Fauna looks at herself in the mirror.  Then, she sits at the breakfast table with the family.   Jay has his head down snoring on a table.  He is woken by the officer, Billis (Yul Vazquez), dragging his finger on the table.  The officer tries to warn him about looking into forbidden things.  He threatens to take his eye and takes a pencil to stab him.  Jay makes enough noise that other officers to remove him.  He is saved again by Eddie.  Billis is told by Eddie that in the Korean War, Jay killed seven soldiers with his shovel to protect him.  A mannequin has hair strung through screws in the face.  It is getting dark!  Fauna explains to her cousins about her mother.  Terence defends her for looking for her family not the money.  She gets a telephone call.  It is Nero and a tape records their conversation.  A man in the car is making the recording.  He follows Nero.  Tells Jay that he has run out of favors and moved to animal control in Santa Ana.  The house of Corinna Hodel, Fauna slips into the gate to watch the door.  She sees Corinna leaving in her car.  Fauna knocks on the door calling for Tamar.   She checks open doors and finds one with the mannequin!  Fauna goes up stairs to enter another door.  Jay enters the bar to see Peter who is in a meeting with his reporters.  He explains that he was roused and tells  that an abortion clinic is protected by the police.  Jay falls down and sees another man that he pummels angrily.  He is tossed out of the bar.  

Fauna walks up more steps searching the house for Tamar.  In a room, she searches through envelopes and then the trash.  She’s sees part of an address.  Fauna is the detective.  There is a framed picture of George Hodel.  On the wall is the bull mask.  She connects his face to the man at the bus stop and at the museum.  The door suddenly slams!   A man in jacket walks slowly in the house then up the steps calling out Fauna’s name.  Fauna runs.  Cat and mouse.  The man takes out a mask.  He is interrupted by Corinna saying she will call the police.  Jay looks at the house from a wall above.  He sees Corinna walking out the man.  Then, Fauna slip out o fate other side of the house.  I need the commercial break to break the tension!  Fauna is followed by another man, this time Jay, who asks about Tamar Hodel.  She runs.  The other man cuts her off.  Jay asks if she is okay.  She is caught between two strange people and chooses Jay who faces off with the other man.  Jay has got his lead, but on shaky ground.  He says he is on Tamar’s side.  At a diner, he gets some pie, and he finally introduces himself.  Jay says he saw her come out oof the window and suspects that she knows gymnastics.  He offers to pay her to talk.  Fauna introduces herself.  Jay says he is a reporter and wrote about Tamar.  Fauna doesn’t know where is Tamar.  His lead is unraveling and Fauna tells him that Tamar may not be alive.  She walks away to the restroom.  A car pulls away and Jay realizes that Fauna has left.  

I AM THE NIGHT -- "Night Flower” -- CHRIS PINE -- Clay Enos/TNT. 

Jay slaps his head at losing Fauna and sniffs some cocaine.  He parks at an army recruitment center.  Jay says he wants to re-enlist, but he is too old.  He picks up a magazine of the Black Dahlia.  We finally get the Black Dahlia connections.  The mannequin has a violin attached to it’s back.  George Hodel examines the work.  He wants Sepp, the man in the hat, (now we know his name) to watch the girl.  Fauna returns home and Big Momma is worried because Nero was killed with his tongue cut out.  Terence goes to his car and is surprised to see Fauna in the car.  She is worried about staying at the house.  Finally, Fauna understands the danger she is in. The night streets, Terence drives his car to his house.  She wants to use his phone and calls up her momma, Jimmy, to ask questions, but Jimmy says she’s coming to Los Angeles.  Terence is worried about Fauna.  Jay is in his car with the passed out woman and checks the Black Dahlia article.  We get George Hodel in his robe as Jay sorts through photos.  George walks down a hall.  We see the night.  George stares at bull hooves under a door.  Symbolic?  The bull in mythology represents the sun and fertility.  This is getting compelling and tense!  The mystery that ties everything is where is Tamar Hodel?  Will Jay or Fauna find out before George Hodel catches both of them?   

Four Cameras out of Five!   

#IAmtheNight, #DarkFlower, #KassidySlaughter, #DylanSmith 

Happy Birthday Tara Strong!

Happy Birthday Tara Strong!  She is a voice talent impresario and one of the nicest persons  to see at a convention!  One of her early voice roles was in the animated series My Pet Monster (1987).  Then, several roles in Garbage Pail Kids (1987).  She had roles on Beetlejuice (1989-1991) and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures (1991) animated shows.  Strong played Lorna in the “Homework” (1994) episode of the drama Party of Five.  She was Paige Guthrie in the X-Men (1993-1997) animated series.  In 1995, she played Carla Morgan in the comedy National Lampoon’s Senior Trip (1995).  One of her iconic roles was as Dil Pickles in Rugrats (1997-2006).  Strong played Batgirl in The New Batman Adventures (1997-1998).  She played several characters on Johnny Bravo (1999-2004).  Strong was Tara and other characters on Kim Possible (2002-2007).   Another iconic voice by Tara Strong was as Bubbles in The Powerpuff Girls (1998-2004).  She was the voice of Melody, the daughter of Ariel in The Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea (2000).  

Tara Strong at the Los Angeles Comic Con, 2014, photo by the author. 

One of her first video game roles was as Yxunomei in Forgotten Realms: Icewind Dale (2000) in the Dungeons and Dragons world. She voiced Ben Tennyson in Ben 10 (2005-2008).  Strong voiced Raven in Teen Titans (2003-2006).  Strong voiced Alex in the Wonder Woman (2009) animated movie.  Terra and other voices are played by Tara Strong on Young Justice (2011-2019).  For the Ultimate Spider-Man (2012-2017) animated series she voiced Mary Jane Watson.  Strong provides many voices for Rick and Morty (2015-2017).  On DC Super Hero Girls (2015-2018), she voices Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and others.  Harley Quinn was voiced in the video game Batman: Arkham City (2011) by Tara Strong.  Batgirl was voiced by her in the Batman: The Killing Joke (2016) animated movie.  She was Princess Twilight Sparkle in My Little Pony: The Movie (2017).  Tara Strong flies the skies as Rocky J. Squirrel in The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle.  Last year, she reunited with her fellow cast members for Teen Titans Go! To the Movies (2018).  Happy Birthday Tara Strong!

#TaraStrong, #Rugrats, #MyLittlePonyTheMovie, #TeenTitansGoTotheMovies

Star Wars: Resistance, “The New Trooper”, Review!

Captain Doza is at his desk when the First Order shuttle descends and Commander Pyre walks to his office.  He says he doesn’t need stormtroopers with the spy, Synara, gone.  The Children from Tehar, Kel and Eila, are fishing when a stormtrooper finds them.  The stormtrooper (Steve Blum) struggles to take care of kids and he never uses his blaster?  Bucket is shocked Kaz is angry at the presence of the stormtroopers.  Tam repeats her sympathizer loyalty.  She walks off angry that Yeager knows about orders like the Empire.  The kids look in on Yeager.  She explains that they knocked out the trooper.  They take Kaz and Tam to see the knocked out trooper in a closet, Neeku knocks him out again!  Neeku and Kaz carry the stormtrooper down to the turtle aliens.  They hear stormtrooper communications for trooper CS-515. Kaz pretends to be a stormtrooper similar to Ezra in the “Breaking Ranks” (2014) episode of Star Wars: Rebels.  The interesting part of that episode was the introduction of Zare Leonis who spun off in the book series Servants of the Empire.  

STAR WARS: RESISTANCE -- “The New Trooper” -- Disney/Lucasfilm. 

Kaz is awkward walking around the stormtrooper suit.  I would have actually liked Kaz attempting to put on the suit, it would be funny, and we would see the working of the stormtrooper armor.  Two troopers take in the new trooper and he repeats the lead trooper’s actions.  The trooper with the red cauldron has them racing to the market.  There is a protest from the merchants.  They throw fruits at the troopers and Kaz wanders away while more troopers run up for reinforcements.  The stormtroopers have a problem with using their blasters, even on stun setting.  The kids explain the occupation of their world by the First Order, the problem with sympathizers is that they make opinions without information.  The trooper revives and sees the turtle alien, Chelidae.  Neeku stuns the trooper to knock him out.  Kaz goes to check the mission logs in the shuttle and finds that the attack on the kids wasn’t reported.  A black BB-8, BB-9E?, startles Kaz and he asks for the data rod.  Kaz struggles to get it and knocks off the droid’s head. This is a better use of the droid that wherever he showed up in Last Jedi.       

The red pauldron stormtrooper takes Kaz to see Commander Pyre.  Kaz passes Torra and waves to her.  Commander Pyre asks Captain Doza why he left the Empire.  He sends Captain Doza out as he sees the stormtroopers.  He explains that they are going to arrest non-complying citizens.  Kaz tries to report about the market.  Commander Pyre orders a mind wipe and re-programming.  Kaz leaps past blaster fire and runs.  They run into rioting citizens and stop using their blasters.  They finally use stun blasts to track Kaz’s armor.  He finds Neeku in a grate.  The revived trooper is there.  A mind wipe for a droid, I guess is ok, though they are sentient, but a person?  Kaz reports back to Yeager.  He puts the data rod into BB-8 and sees a galactic map with the First Order occupation.  Yeager figures that Colossus Base will be a refueling station to take over the galaxy!   

Three Lightsabers out of Five!  

#StarWarsResistance, #TheNewTrooper, #CS-515, #SteveBlum

FIDM 27th Art of Motion Picture Costume Design!

Every year around the time of the Academy Awards, FIDM, the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, has a museum on 919 S. Grand Ave. in Los Angeles with costumes.  It opened on February 5th and finishes on April 12th.  The first costume was a pink dress from Phantom Thread (2017).  The first room contains the “Out of This World” section covering worlds of fantasy and science fiction.  In the center of the room is the work of Ruth E. Carter with a circular platform for the costumes Black Panther.  In the center was the white dress of Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), to her left is purple robes of Zuri (Forest Whitaker), and to her left is the red Dora Milaje uniform of Okoye (Danai Gurira).  Facing the other side is the ceremonial outfit of Shuri (Letitia Wright).  I’ve seen these costumes since the D23 Expo in 2017, but they were out of context since I didn’t see the movie.  Then, again at the El Capitan Theatre for the Black Panther movie, but it was great to see the details of the costume.  To the right is the costumes of Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and Mera (Amber Heard) designed by Kym Barrett.  She is known for the costumes of The Matrix (1999).  What impressed me is not only were the costumes reflective of the comic books, but also the detail unnoticed on screen, the scales on Aquaman’s boots!  

The costumes of Black Panther, FIDM, photo by the author.

To the left of the Black Panther display were the costumes of Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling), Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon), and Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey) from A Wrinkle in Time.  They were designed by Paco Delgado and stand as my favorites of the exhibition even though I saw them earlier on display at the El Capitan Theatre.  There is of course a difference seeing them in a room and then seeing the costumes up close.  I could see the bubbles, like packing material, in Mrs. Which’s dress which made me think she represented the element of Air.  The aqua blue material in Mrs. Whatsit’s dress which made me think of the element of Water.  The dress of Mrs. Who seemed almost like a volcano with a red stripe down the center of the dress and multicolored puffy fringes like smoke so she might represent the Fire element.  Next to A Wrinkle in Time were the costumes from Avengers: Infinity War including the Black Panther habit worn by Chadwick Boseman.  Then, there was the costumes of Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Thor (Chris Hemsworth).  These costumes were designed by Judianna Makovsky and were mostly dark in color; red, dark blue, and black.  At the end of the room were the costumes from A House with A Clock in Its Walls, I didn’t see that film so it was slightly out of context for me.    

Next to the Aquaman costumes were the clothing from the characters of A Quiet Place.  This was a nice contrast to the outlandish superhero outfits.  The normal clothing didn’t attract attention, but I still love that movie.  

The Royal Daulton Music Hall dress of Mary Poppins, photo by the author.

Past them is the costumes of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald designed by Colleen Atwood.  Featured were the costumes of Dumbledore (Jude Law) and black jacket of Grindelwald (Johnny Depp).  Next to the magical costumes was the sci fi costumes of Solo: A Star Wars Story.  The most impressive one was the yellow shirt and black jacket of Lando Calrissian played by Donald Glover.  I still haven’t seen the film.  The next room had a large displays of costume designs from all of the films.  It also had a display of accessories from the different movies and the costumes of Crazy Rich Asians, which was strangely their casual wear, not their formal clothes.  Also, the dresses from Ocean’s Eight and A Simple Favor.  The following room features American Life on one side and some international costumes.  There was the dresses of Ruth Bader Ginsberg from On the Basis of Sex played by Felicity Jones, the costumes of BlacKkKlansman, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, If Beale Street Could Talk, and First Man.  I was impressed by the RBG dresses because I didn’t expect that film here.  The featured outfit is Freddie Mercury’s kingly robes from Bohemian Rhapsody.  On the right is the costumes from Mary Poppins Returns designed by Sandy Powell.  They had the red and blue coats of Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) with the lamplighter outfit of Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda).   This is contrasted by the formal pink dress of Mary Poppins and the blue-green of Jack’s outfit in The Royal Doulton Music Hall sequence.  

The astronaut space suit from First Man, photo by the author.

Next to them was the costumes of  The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.  I loved these costumes because they are fantastic.  I’ve seen the dresses of Clara (Mackenzie Foy) and Sugar Plum (Keira Knightley) at the El Capitan, but this also had the Nutcracker soldier, Philip (Jayde Fowora-Knight) and also Hawthorne (Eugenio Derbez) and Shiver (Richard E. Grant).  Of course, these are Disney films, but I like the bold color palettes and connect the fantasy in the first room to this one.  Next to them is Freddie Mercury outfits worn by Rami Malek.  At the end of the room tying into the music performers were two costumes worn by Lady Gaga playing Ally and another worn by Bradley Cooper (Jack) in A Star is Born.  The centerpiece of the last room is the astronaut space suit worn by Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) in First Man.  This was impressive since you can see the attention to accuracy with all of the steps for the backpack listed, but this piece is said on the FIDM page to only be on display for the first week.  To the left side is the costumes from The Favourite also designed by Sandy Powell.  There were three dresses of Abigail (Emma Stone), also a costume that looks like a riding outfit of Queen Anne (Olivia Colman), and a costume of Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz). On the right side of the room were costumes of Mary Queen of Scots designed by Alexandra Byrne.  These seemed more formal and extravagant than the costumes of The Favourite.  Next to those dresses were the clothing of Colette and  costumes of Outlaw King including the royal robes of the Robert Bruce, Earl of Carrick and his earlier chainmail armor.  Lastly, there were the costumes from The Girl in the Spider’s Web, including the outfits of Lisbeth Salander (Claire Foy) who also has a costume with the First Man display. It is an experience to see these costumes up close.  One of these films will pick up the Best Costume Academy Award!  I hope everyone has a chance to go down to FIDM before April 12th!   

#FIDMMuseum, #BlackPanther, #AWrinkleinTime, #FirstMan 

Happy Birthday John Williams!

Happy Birthday John Williams!, He has provided some iconic scores!  Williams first film composition was for Daddy-O (1958) about a hapless driver caught up in crime and music. Williams started in television with the Western, Wagon Train (1958-1964).  Next, Time Tunnel and Lost in Space (1965-1968), then Time Tunnel (1966-1967), and Land of the Giants (1968-1970), created by Irwin Allen.  He received his first Academy Award nomination for the Valley of the Dolls based on the Jacqueline Susann novel.  Also for his score for the musical, Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969).  Williams won his first Academy Award for the musical Fiddler on the Roof (1971).  He worked again with Irwin Allen on the films, The Poseidon Adventure (1972) and The Towering Inferno (1974).  Williams began his collaboration with Steven Spielberg with The Sugarland Express (1974) and then an iconic, relentless score with the blockbuster Jaws (1975) winning him the Academy Award. He of course is known as the composer of Star Wars starting with the first film in 1977 and yet another Academy Award.  Then, Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) with Spielberg.  One of the best superhero scores was with director Richard Donner with Superman (1978).  He worked on the next Star Wars film with The Empire Strikes Back (1980).  Then, brought the pulp adventure to Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).  

John Williams composed the score for E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) which gave him another Academy Award and then the third Star Wars film, Return of the Jedi (1983).  He followed up with the second Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984).  He scored two episodes of Spielberg’s Amazing Stories.  Also, he wrote the dramatic score for Empire of the Sun (1987).  Before wrapping up the trilogy with Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989).  There was some fun with his score to Home Alone (1990).  Then, nostalgia and magic with Hook (1991).  One of his most impressive years was 1993 with the iconic score for Jurassic Park and then the heartbreaking drama of Schindler’s List.  He won the Academy Award for the later film. Williams brought an epic scope to the battlefields of Saving Private Ryan (1998) before returning with the prequel, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999).  Another battlefield was the Revolutionary War of The Patriot (2000).  Then, Williams wrote another iconic score with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002). He scored the second prequel, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002), and then returned to Hogwarts with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004).  Williams finished the prequels with Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005).  He is currently scoring Episode IX of Star Wars. Happy Birthday John Williams!    

#JohnWilliams, #FiddlerontheRoof, #Jaws, #StarWars

Heroes in Crisis #5 Review!

The cover by Ryan Sook features the death of Jason Todd in “A Death in the Family” (1988) storyline that had readers decide his fate.  The traumatic events shown on the covers is what led to the Sanctuary refuge.  It begins with Booster Gold’s confession.  He speaks about an alternate timeline Batman, seen in the current Batman title, killed.  This left a smudge on his visor that stays with him.  Then, we get a two page spread of Booster Gold and Blue Beetle watching television in a run down apartment.  “Blood in the Way” is produced by Tom King and Clay Mann.  They try to come up with a plan, but are better friends than planners.  Commander Steel’s confession, he admits that he was died many times and was brought back to be used before dying again.  Batman descends in light down the Batcave steps to talk to Batgirl about analyzing Booster Gold’s robot Skeets to find him.  He mentions Superman and Wonder Woman are going to make a statement.  

We get Clark struggling with the fear about the superheroes with the situation.  Lois tries to console him, but he still works.  Then, we get the confession of Solstice, a superheroine who appeared in Teen Titans and finally her super identity in Wonder Girl #1 (2011).  She tries to transform back to her human form as Kiran Singh from her cosmic black shape, but fails.  Batgirl has taken Skeeter to a playground and explains that Batman tried to pull Booster Gold’s location from it.  We get Batgirl’s secret weapon to get the information… a splash page of Harley Quinn with her hammer!  The plan, The Flash is a blur in his lab, Booster Gold crashes through a window, and Flash knocks him down.  Booster Gold unleashes his blasts that drops the Flash.   Next, we get the confession of The Protector, he was the replacement of Robin in the New Teen Titans drug issues, and he admits that he took drugs, all of them.  Superman holds with press conference with Wonder Woman summarizing the incident and that they are looking for Booster Gold and Harley Quinn.  Superman’s monologue continues, I’m not certain why Wonder Woman is there, if she doesn’t speak.  

We get Blue Devil at a funeral They are busy while Superman continues with his speech analyzing the Flash.  Booster notes that he memorized everything about the heroes including their birthdays.  He notes that the time police use a subject’s RNA and check it against the birthday.  This shifts to superheroes, Adam Strange and Mr. Terrific, which is somehow jarring with the street level reality of the series so far.  Batgirl and Harley Quinn race across the rooftops while Batgirl reminds her not to kill Booster Gold.  Again, there is a shift with a splash page of the fantasy themed Shining Knight, now Ystina, from Grant Morrison’s Seven Soldiers: Shining Knight #1 (2005).  There is a number of characters; Atom, a closeup of Swamp Thing, then Zatanna, Starfire, and Aquaman.  It looks like all of these characters are fantastic and may not tie into the theme of recovering superheroes, still it opens up the series to cover the wider DC universe.  We get a mysterious rose washed up to the shore of a city river and a shadow appears.  Are we getting closer to revealing the mystery?  Booster Gold’s revelation of the Flash changes everything.  Then, we get the confession of Harley Quinn and her abuse by the Joker.  The confessions give insight to characters, but not much with the other characters.   

Three Pieces of Peach Pie out of Five! 

#HeroesinCrisis, #BloodintheWay, #CommanderSteel, #BoosterGold, #BlueBeetle

Star Wars: Resistance, “The First Order Occupation”, Review!

Some flapping creatures fly over the sea followed by a TIE fighter headed to the Colossus Base.  Synara argues with a droid, it sounds like the gate droid in Return of the Jedi (1983), who informs her that the station is on a lock down from the First Order.  Kaz walking with Neeku and Tam stops to watch a passing TIE fighter.  Neeku asks if Kaz is excited about the First Order presence.  Stormtroopers pass them.  An alien merchant is without his identification and falls.  Kaz runs over to them and the stormtroopers suspect he is the spy!  They ask Kaz his name and Neeku fills in the information.  The alien brings them his card and Kaz slips away with the others.  Tam maintains that they are just doing their job.  A sympathizer!  Captain Doza speaks with a hologram of Commander Pyre.  Doza doubts the occupation by the stormtroopers.  

STAR WARS: RESISTANCE -- “The First Order Occupation” -- Disney/Lucasfilm. 

Kaz tells Yeager about wanting to contact the Resistance.  Yeager takes him to aside to say not to make any contact.  Neeku has brought stormtroopers that question Kaz about pirate’s placing a spy on the station.  They are looking for Synara.  One stormtrooper gets a message and takes the other troopers, he says Kaz has to stay in the hangarKaz sneaks to see Synara when a crate falls on him.  He follows her with BB-8.  She contacts Kragan via hologram to take her out.  An alien is taken away by stormtroopers for breaking curfew.  Stormtroopers question others.  Kaz defends Synara’s actions.  I get that Kaz has a crush on Synara, but this relationship doesn’t make sense, there is no chemistry between either of them.  He sneaks around the base at night and walks up to Synara and she hits him.  He tries to warn her about the stormtroopers.  Kaz sneaks Synara in a crate with a welding helmet.  He has BB-8 open a security door.  An alarm goes off and stormtroopers rush over.  

She enters a shuttle as Kaz and BB-8 run from the stormtroopers.  They are cornered in a row of crates.  The stormtroopers are knocked out by Synara.  The shuttle takes off.  Kaz takes her to see Neeku.  He takes them to the turbo lift to reach escape pods that launch underwater.  Neeku sets off a steam pipe and runs with the stormtroopers following.  Kaz sends BB-8 to help him.  BB-8 sets off some smoke and the stormtroopers chase after him.  There are two stormtroopers and both are need to chase after one suspect?  Kaz helps Synara into the escape pod.  Kaz’s klutziness is not endearing, just a running joke.  He runs off as the stormtroopers reach the escape pod.  The escape pod passes a sea creature while Synara sends the signal to Kragan.  Kaz returns to the hangar and talks to Tam.  A screaming Neeku enters and collapses.  The escape pod breaches the surface and Synara sees the blinding light of a pirate ship and climbs a rope to see Kragan.  Of course with Synara gone, the spy suspicion will be on Kaz, not a brilliant move!  This is an ok episode, more about the pirates than the conflict with the First Order. 

Three Lightsabers out of Five! 

#StarWarsResistance, #TheFirstOrderOccupation, #Synara, #BB8

I Am the Night, “Phenomenon of Interference”, Review!

We are now drawn into the world of Fauna Hodel as she enters the dangerous world of Los Angeles, 1965.  This episode is also directed by Patty Jenkins with Sam Sheridan’s script.  A taxi cab pulls up to a house, Fauna heads over to the house of her cousin, Tina (Shonique Shandai), and Big Momma (Ebony Jo-Ann).  Tina takes Fauna to the city on the bus.  Jay brings  his photos to Peter with his bruised face.  He mentions the lead on Dr. George Hodel.  His story on him ruined his career and ended with a mistrial.  Tamar, Fauna’s mother, was sent to a convent. Peter refuses to keep him on the case.  Tina and Fauna sees police officers threaten a black woman who tried to board the bus and a passenger who tried to help her.  We can see the racial tensions that will explode in the Watts Riots.  Fauna and Tina approaches the house of George Hodel.  It has an almost pyramid structure on the front.  She rings the doorbell.  No response.  Fauna calls into the house, but there’s nothing, Tina wants them to leave and takes her away.  This of course a hint at the reclusiveness nature of her grandfather, but also a warning?  

I AM THE NIGHT -- “Phenomenon of Interference” -- INDIA EASLEY -- Clay Enos/TNT. 

At a party, Fauna is with Tina, she meets Terrence (Justin Cornwell), and a party goer, Nero (Astro), hassles Fauna.  Terrence calls Fauna over to sit by him.  She says she’s looking for her father.  Night, after the party, Fauna walks with Tina and the others.  The mysterious man in the car is following her.  Jay returns to his hotel and takes a drunk woman, Lilly, in the hall to his apartment.  Jay lets her sleep on the couch.  He takes out his files trying to find Tamar Hodel.  Lilly wakes up and sees that Jay is obsessed with the case.  Jay hopes to find Tamar’s daughter.  She calls him a loser and wants cab fare.  Lilly blames her drug use on Jay.  Morning, Big Momma greets Fauna and says her mother loves her.  Big Momma answers the phone and it is Nero who tries to talk to Fauna, but Big Momma knows he’s trouble. Jay goes to the offices of Peter who explains the body in the morgue, Janice was working the streets, and his photo was scooped.  He wants Jay to follow up on the story.  Fauna tries to call Hodel again.  She says she is looking for her mother.  Corinna says her mother is deceased.  Fauna is persistent about going to her house and Corinna tells her to knock three times and then again.  

Jay heads to a bar, he asks his contact about Brody Styles.  He is told that Brody gives fake confessions for the police.  Fauna walks to the house and knocks.  The door opens and it is Corinna Hodel (Connie Nielsen) in a robe looking worried.  I’m getting a Norma Desmond-vibe.  Corinna mentions that she is an art collector.  This is an interesting part for Connie Nielsen.  She was of course in Gladiator (2000), a cult leader in the drama The Following (2014), and of course in Patty Jenkin’s Wonder Woman (2017) as Hippolyta.  As she makes some lemonade, Fauna goes to see pictures in a hall, possibly one of her father!  Corinna says Tamar was 6 when she met her and destroyed the family’s reputation.  At a restaurant, Jay meets with asking his former Marine friend, Eddie, about Brody, he gives Jay a place to check out, Chez Cher La Femme.  Fauna gets a ride from Corinna and Jay sees her in the car over the wall.  He follows them.  On the car ride, Corinna explains that Dr. Hodel was one of the “greatest minds of the 20th century.”  They reach a country club and Jay pulls away as a man leaves his car.  Jay gets a call for the lead to the other case.  We get some hints about George Hodel.  

I AM THE NIGHT -- “Phenomenon of Interference” -- INDIA EASLEY, CONNIE NIELSEN -- Clay Enos/TNT. 

At the country club restaurant, Corinna informs her that her grandfather specializes in STDs and about the proper dining utensils.  She takes Fauna to the art galleries beneath the restaurant.  She hears her name whispered by a mysterious man in the level above.  Fauna sees the stalker man in the gallery.  Jay follows a woman to see Wendy Sandowski (Mickey O’Hagan).  He asks her about Janice Brewster.  He shows her a picture of Brody Styles.  There is a knock at the door from some angry men.  Wendy says Janice met someone who was “nice and smart.”  Jay ignores the woman’s offer of drugs.  He wakes up with the woman complaining about losing her baby to a convent.  Fauna sees the plaque with George Hodel’s name, there are surreal paintings on the walls.  Fauna hides from the man, George Hodel, and then she sees him asking, “Do you have a favorite?”  The same man she saw at the bus stop.  He was following her and sent the man in the hat to watch her?  Fauna sees Corinna in a black shawl.  Jay runs in, but Corinna and Fauna have left.  I think the criss-cross of characters is interesting.  Frustrated to see that he has lost them, Jay punches out a security guard.  Corinna tells Fauna that she is not mixed race and her father is a French ballet dancer.  Fauna says she’s a liar since the father was on the birth certificate.  Fauna boards a bus and the man in the hat sits in front of her.  The threads of the mystery are tightening.  There are b&w photos at the end of Big Momma and others so we know that these are real people.    

Four Cameras out of Five! 

#IAmtheNight, #ShoniqueShandai, #EbonyJoAnn, #JustinCornwell

Dark Delicacies Relocation Fundraiser!

The best part of Dark Delicacies which was located in Burbank is Del and Sue, the owners, who are always there to talk to you.  Del has acting in some horror movies and a writer for several books; the horror anthologies, Dark Delicacies (2007), Dark Delicacies II: Fear (2007), and Dark Delicacies III: Haunted (2009).  He also the co-writer for The Book of Lists: Horror (2009), Vampires Don’t Sleep Alone (2014), and the anthology Midian Unmade: Tales of Clive Barker’s Nightbreed (2015).  One of the best parts of the store is seeing the signed items and looking through the book shelves to find interesting books on film, artwork, and others, a treasure hunt for book lovers.  There are gothic clothes, a shelf of signed CDs, jewelry, it is brightly lit, but full of dark items.  

Dark Delicacies store front, photo by the author.

The night of the sale, there was a young boy whose parents wondered if he was scared, nope, it was like a candy store, he looked in wonder at all of the supernatural, sci fi, and fantasy collectibles.  I’ve been to a few signings there and everyone is welcome.  Dark Delicacies opened in 1994 and has been a staple for fans and professionals. Director Guillermero del Toro tweeted his support for the fundraiser on January 20th, “Horror lovers - help Dark Delicacies!”   I was looking around the store and the best part is to find new and unusual items.  I saw a tank with the head of the Amphibian Man from The Shape of Water (2017).  I saw many items signed by Doug Jones who played many creatures from del Toro films.  

Amphibian Man in tank, one of the incredible auction items, photo by the author.

You can check the Dark Delicacies website to order them or the items from the relocation fundraiser.  There were signed posters from IT (2017), Walking Dead, and Pan’s Labyrinth.  Artwork, original and prints, film posters, and scripts.  I picked up an Aquaman script signed by David Leslie Johnson.  The fundraiser had five figures of horror; The Shape, Freddy Krueger, Jason Vorhees, Pinhead, and Leatherface, all there to take pics with fans!  Del hosted the auction, there were the posters, artwork, including the Dark Delicacies poster signed by Ray Bradbury and Forry Akerman.  The auction was very fun, a few items were picked up attending fans and online bidders, and I tried to last as long as I could, but was tired from the long day.  I hope everyone gets the chance to see Dark Delicacies which has a few upcoming signings.  

#DarkDelicacies, #DelHowison, #GuillermodelToro, #DougJones 

A Tribute to Julie Adams

We have lost Julie Adams on Sunday morning at the age of 92.  She started in films with Red, Hot and Blue (1949).  Then, had a lead role as Polly Medford in the western The Dalton Gang (1949).  She starred opposite James Stewart in another Western, Bend of the River (1952) directed by Anthony Mann.  Rock Hudson portrayed John Wesley Hardin with Adams in the 1953 Western, The Lawless Breed.  It was in 1954 that Julie Adams appeared in an iconic role as Kay Lawrence, in The Creature from the Black Lagoon.  She also co-starred with Donald O’Connor in the comedy Francis Joins the WACS (1954).  Next, she was in the comedy, The Private War of Major Benson (1955) with Charlton Heston. In 1962, Adams appeared as Dr. Monica Powers in the sci fi film, The Underwater City.  She played several parts in Perry Mason (1963-1965).  Adams starred with Elvis Presley in Tickle Me (1965).  

Julie Adams, at The Hollywood Collector's Show, 2003, photo by the author.

She was in a 1967 episode of the spin-off spy series, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.  She played Martha Howard the wife of the professor in The Jimmy Stewart Show (1971-1972).  In 1972, Adams was in “The Miracle at Camafeo” episode of the Night Gallery.  Adams starred with John Wayne in the crime drama McQ (1974).  She also appeared as Dr. Laura Scott in the horror thriller Psychic Killer (1975).  Adams was in the “Life and Death” (1978) episode of The Incredible Hulk.  She had the recurring part as Eve Simpson in Murder, She Wrote (1987-1993).  Adams had a cameo part in a 1999 episode of the sci fi time travel show Sliders.  She played Amelia in “A Tale of Two Cities” episode of Lost.  Julie Adams wrote about her film career in her book, Lucky Southern Star: Reflections From the Black Lagoon (2011).  She meet her many fans at conventions and also many other events.  Creature from the Black Lagoon inspired Guillermo del Toro for The Shape of Water (2017) where he had the creature romancing the girl.  I can still Kay Lawrence swimming in the Black Lagoon while the Gill Man looks on.   

#JulieAdams, #CreaturefromtheBlackLagoon, #BendintheRiver, #LuckySouthernStar

The Hollywood Show: February 2019!

William Shatner meets with fans, Hollywood Show, photo by the author. 

It was a rainy day in Los Angeles, fairly heavy and also rare, but I had a great time at the Hollywood Show rain or shine.  The show held at the Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel which is a great chance to meet some celebrities.  I went to the show last year, July 28th, so you can catch up on the article there.  It continues today, Super Bowl Sunday?, has a show for Las Vegas, and in Chicago, March 22nd to the 24th.  I saw on the Facebook page a video of the room so I knew the show was open.  The first thing I noticed was a very long line that extended out into the hotel lobby.  This was the photo op line.  Inside, it was crowded, not to the point where I had difficulty moving down the lanes, except at a few popular areas.  On the left corner was all Star Trek, both sides of the lane!  Nichelle Nichols, her Farewell Tour Final Appearance!, and I was able to say hi to her.  Down the lane was Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden, and Brent Spiner, I had the chance to wish him a happy birthday, he had no plans for his birthday so had a great show and his table was busy.  Next to him was Jonathan Frakes, Denise Crosby, and John de Lancie.  Almost a full Next Generation crew!  William Shatner was also there, but at another table for line management.  

James Remar still fights like a Warrior, Hollywood Show, photo by the author. 

One of the side tables near the right side was the actors from The Warriors (1979).  Michael Beck (who played Swan) was there, he now sports a beard, but looks ready to take on the Baseball Furies.  Next to him was Deborah  Van Valkenburgh, she was Mercy in the film, and also played Jackie Rush in the comedy Too Close For Comfort.  Then, there was James Remar, he was Ajax in The Warriors, but also Cephalo in The Shannara Chronicles television series, and currently Gambi in Black Lightning!  It was great to talk to all of these actors.  I also saw Richard Dean Anderson, he had a line forming and several assistants at his table, very popular so I hope he returns.  Also at the show was Harry Hamlin.  He was of course Aaron Echolls in Veronica Mars (2004-2006), Michael Kuzak in L.A. Law (1986-1991), and also Perseus in Clash of the Titans (1981).  Hamlin told me about filming the throwing of Medusa’s head at the end of the movie.  It weighed 30 pounds and his right arm was worn from throwing so he switched to his left arm which is in the movie!  I also saw Parker Stevenson and expect an interview soon!  Lastly, I saw Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, whose had roles in Kubo and the Two Strings (2016), and recently the Man in the High Castle series, but he had a great part as Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat (1995).  “Finish him!”  It was a memorable experience to attend the Hollywood Show.  

#HollywoodShow, #MichaelBeck, #DeborahVanValkenburgh, #JamesRemar, #RichardDeanAnderson, #HarryHamlin, #ParkerStevenson, #CaryHiroyukiTagawa