Polar Bear Review!

Polar Bear follows the development of a bear family; a mother and her two cubs in the shrinking Arctic.  It is the latest Disneynature documentary which are usually dropped around Earth Day.  We get an overhead shot at the beginning of the blue-green sea and at the bottom is the torpedo-shape of a mother polar bear and her cub.  The narrator, Catherine Keener, speaks about home.  Then, we see the mother bear with her head and snout just above water with her cub behind her.  Disneynature does a combination of beautiful cinematography and story.  It is directed by Alastair Fothergill and Jeff Wilson who also directed Penguins (2019) for Disneynature.  The narrator is speaking as mama bear saying her home is changing with the melting of the ice.  I've been a polar bear up close in an animal facility, this one had a pale yellow coat, maybe because she's been away from the ice or it could be that the light affects its coat to look like ice.    

We get the bears swimming from the side now and later the outcroppings of ice and rock in the distance.  The shelf of polar ice is even further.  Then, we get an aerial view of the icy mountains where the narrators says she was born in an ice cave.  She says her earliest memories were playing with her twin brother and we see the lil’ cubs rolling around in the ice.  Their mother lies down next to them.  Mother bear starts walking as the cubs follow her.  The cubs slide down a hill.  The bear mother stops in mid motion and then sniffs prey.  Then, she races burying her body into the ice.  She tries again, lifting up, and smashing her forepaws down to break the ice.  I like seeing the hunting behavior, but smashing through the ice takes too long and the seal will escape.  Next, we see a spotted seal poking its head up.  The family continues on.  Eventually, mom leads them to a bay and leaps off a patch of ice.  

The cubs climb aboard as she swims as we see snow flakes drift past.  They reach an ice shelf and Mom pulls the cubs to the ice.  We see the icemelt waterfalls.  Mom leaves her cubs to stalk in the water and find a seal out on the ice.  Closeups as we see the head of Mom silently swimming up to a grey seal resting on the ice.  It sleeps as Mom slowly pulls herself out of the water.  The music is tense.  Then, the seal slips away.   Mom continues the hunt.  Next, we have a silver-coated leopard seal on some ice.  The polar bear suddenly emerges and drags the seal into the water.  We see the scattered ice floes of the summer.  Then, there is the sea with only patches of ice, no ice no seals, and no food for the polar bears.  We get an aurora borealis time lapse in winter.  Impressive nature photography is also in these specials.  In spring, the family goes to catch their food for the entire year.  Polar Bear has the threat of a male bear and other struggles of life on the disappearing Arctic world.   

Four Ice Floes out of Five! 

#PolarBear, #Disneynature, #EarthDay, #AlastairFothergill, #JeffWilson, #CatherineKeener 

Captain Carter #2 Review!

Captain Carter #2 continues her mission to take on Hydra, there is a surprise villain, and more complications and action!  Captain Carter breaks out of the MCU with the new series by Jamie McKelvie and Markia Cresta!  She is freed from the ice and returns to London.  There is her neighbor, Harley, and also Peggy Carter joins S.T.R.I.K.E. with an assistant in Lizzie Braddock.  A bus crashes and Captain Carter goes into hero mode against Hydra agents!  The issue 2 cover by McKelvie has Captain Carter throwing her shield as Lizzie is at her side with her gun!  It picks up with another collage of headlines of Captain Carter’s return.  A series of panels shows a television broadcast with an interview of PM Williams.  He defends S.T.R.I.K.E. over criticisms with the battle against Hydra.  The host interrupts him to break the news about the Eastpark Shopping Centre attack.  The shield crashes into the television screen, Captain Carter partially seen plucks up the shield before an energy blast shatters the television!  

In a large panel, Hydra agents open fire with energy weapons that Captain Carter identifies as Baron Von Strucker’s tech.  She dodges another blast that strikes the Stark Industries shop. The Hydra rifleman fires again and we see Captain Carter flipping over the blast, and she is seen in a ghostly form in motion.  Nice work by colorist Erick Arciniega, but also we have an artistic depiction of a moving figure rather than snapshots of the flip.  She lands on the rifleman and the other cries out, “Hail Hydra!”  Then, he is shocked soundlessly screaming and falls as we have Lizzie Braddock with her smoking pistol.  S.T.R.I.K.E. agents take the mall hooligans into custody.  We move to the headquarters with an overhead shot of an office with cubicles.  We have Peggy Carter not able to find a trace of the Hydra connections even after stopping Baron Von Strucker, not Red Skull of the MCU.

Agent Braddock is frustrated and would rather have remained in the UK division of S.H.I.E.L.D. An agent brings in the latest headline, but Peggy is frustrated that she is given sole credit.  Chief Hunter interrupts them and informs Carter and Braddock about a shipment that may be Hydra weapons.  Carter questions who gathered the intelligence, but the chief keeps that a secret.  Two agents gossip about Braddock getting preference because of her father.  In the comics, her father, Sir James Braddock, died in Captain Britain #14 (1977). Lizzie walks away annoyed and they see their team including a happy, young agent, Collins, and a bored looking woman in a chair with a half moon necklace.  They take a helicopter to Immingham Dock on the east coast of England.  They are observing from the top of the crate with a leader, Georges Batroc.  He was in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and the What If…? episode, “The Watcher Broke His Oath” (2021).    

The S.T.R.I.K.E. team drops in and it becomes a gunfight.  Strangely, Captain Carter doesn’t throw the shield knocking down several of the gunmen.  Batroc tries to slip away as his men are captured and of course faces Captain Carter.  They start to fight and he says the shield gives her advantage.  She throws away the shield while Batroc draws a knife.  Of course, the shield bounces off a container and knocks out Batroc!  Clever with a comic book move.  Peggy takes in Batroc and then hears crying.  She opens a container door to find it filled with refugees.  Collins says Border Force will process them.  Agent Braddock is surprised that Chief Hunter didn’t realize that the mission had nothing to do with Hydra.  Captain Carter yawns needing sleep.  A photographer is taking pictures.  I have no idea why he would risk an active gun battle.  The next day, we have Peggy moving from her flat.  She sees Harley who is angry at her for allowing the Border Force to take the refugees.  

Her fellow neighbors argue that this will only result in detaining and deporting the refugees.  Topical, but it is two pages of political arguments.  Harley offers to get her updated apart from the official version.  Peggy can’t get answers from Hunter so she enters the office of PM Williams to be angry over being used for propaganda.  The Bobbies of the Thin Blue Line are there, but Williams says he only wants to talk and sends them out.  Peggy feels used for a mission outside of Hydra. She doesn’t resign and neither does Agent Braddock.  This betrayal is something like what Rogers encountered in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)?  Is PM Williams saying, “Hail Hydra”?  Once this informal meeting is over Williams makes a call to deal with them.  Carter and Braddock are walking and Lizzie admits that the PM was bringing up something from her past.  Her parents died ten years ago and her brother, Brian, is still missing.  Maybe he is in the Otherworld becoming Captain Britain?  Captain Carter #2 complicates her mission to take on Hydra with more back story on Lizzie Braddock and more action by this duo!  

Four Shields out of Five! 

   

#CaptainCarter, #JamieMcKelvie, #MarikaCresta, #LizzieBraddock, #PMWilliams, #ChiefHunter, #Batroc 

Batman `89 #5 Review!

We now return to Batman `89 after these commercial interruptions, the last issue was released on December 7th of last year!, the series was coming out with Superman `78 which finished on December 28th!  Sam Hamm, the writer of Batman (1989), has realized the Billy Dee Williams’ Two Face, Barbara Gordon, and Drake Winston, who is the Robin of this movie continuity.  Harvey Dent was campaigning for mayor, Selina Kyle, was checking on police files from Barbara Gordon.  Tensions are high with the protest by the neighborhood of Burnside.  Drake confronts Bruce Wayne.  Harvey Bullock was investigating the subway tunnels and has the found the hideout of Two Face!  

The cover by interior artist Joe Quinones has the Michelle Pfeiffer Catwoman poised with her claws as she is almost out of an apartment lit purple with a “Hell Here” sign dropping the unlit O in the first word and the “T” at the beginning of the second word.  Cats are on the window sill as the shadow the Batman falls over them!  “Shadows Chapter Five” is by Hamm with art by Quinones.  A captive, Mr. Karp, is beaten and tied up while questioned by Two Face who holds a gun.  Harvey explains that Karp was used as bait for police and shows him the files.  Karp was involved in the attempted bank heist at the beginning of the series for a million dollars.  Two Face gives him the offer of Double or Nothing, which should be the sub-title of this issue, with a gun to Karp’s head in closeup.  

Harvey has flipped a coin and allows Karp to live, but he wants his crew including the Joker gang.  Karp admits that the Joker’s former flunkies are jailed, but there are copycats.  They move through the subway tunnels until hearing Two Face’s plan and agree to work with him.  Barbara Gordon is frustrated as an officer brings in one of Joker gang.  The punk mugs for the camera as he is booked.  We see Barbara at a newsstand as citizens gossip about the headlines on District Attorney Dent.  She gives a pass phrase to two officers trying to be undercover at a bench.  Barbara enters her apartment building and sees her father, Commisoner Gordon.  At her apartment, the commissoner asks about Harvey Dent, her boyfriend, and also about the missing file.  Barbara starts to argue with her father and he admits that he turned in his resignation for his failure in dealing with Harvey.  She sees Harvey’s note from the newspaper about a meeting at a park. 

Police officers track a speeding car, it’s the Batmobile!  Robin is driving and Batman tells him to take a ramp while the holograms are generated.  The pursuing police see three Batmobiles, new tech!  The Dynamic Duo pick up from the police radio a recall of all units.  The chase scene is all in diagonal panels like a camera at a Dutch angle in a film. A very cinematic touch by Quinones’ art.  We see the AA subway line passengers as the train comes to a sudden stop!  The conductor helps passenger exit as the tunnel has collapsed.  At the Batcave, Alfred notes that the subway tunnels around the police headquarters were blown up.  Reporter Summer Gleeson is interviewing Captain Ramirez about a gas leak that evacuated police headquarters when he is shot!  Summer takes cover as the police return fire.  Two Face announces to his gang in half-masks to take the police station while he heads to the evidence room.  Gordon is on the phone when he sees the gang in the building and heads off to deal with them. 

Police officers track a speeding car, it’s the Batmobile!  Robin is driving and Batman tells him to take a ramp while the holograms are generated.  The pursuing police see three Batmobiles, new tech!  The Dynamic Duo pick up from the police radio a recall of all units.  The chase scene is all in diagonal panels like a camera at a Dutch angle in a film. A very cinematic touch by Quinones’ art.  We see the AA subway line passengers as the train comes to a sudden stop!  The conductor helps passenger exit as the tunnel has collapsed.  At the Batcave, Alfred notes that the subway tunnels around the police headquarters were blown up.  Reporter Summer Gleeson is interviewing Captain Ramirez about a gas leak that evacuated police headquarters when he is shot!  Summer takes cover as the police return fire.  Two Face announces to his gang in half-masks to take the police station while he heads to the evidence room.  Gordon is on the phone when he sees the gang in the building and heads off with Harvey Bullock to deal with them. 

Outside of Gotham City, Batman and Robin see the Batsignal.  Robin wants the Batcycle and calls Alfred to ready it.  Alfred gives him the location and Robin takes off in the Batcycle, armored front with the bat tail and rocket engine, like a torpedo.  Two of the gang memebers have reached the rooftop seeing the Batsignal and close in on Gordon.  One is neeted against a wall and the other is knocked out by Batman!  Gordon updates Batman on the situation including the $31 million from the bank job in the evidence room and the snipers.  Batman makes certain that Robin has heard the update.  Batman leaps off the roof with his glider wing cape and Gordon clings to him.  The image divides the other panels, another brilliant art touch.  Robin activates his grapnel and smashes through a window kicking the sniper.  He knocks him out with his rifle butt.  Two Face has his gang about to empty the vault of the money. Bullock is wounded and Gordon ends up captured.  While Burnside gets the money to revitalize the neighborhood, the consequences of Two Face’s action comes down to Barbara, her father, and of course Batman!  Batman `89 #5 takes the dual road of Two Face and Batman to a last battle!    

     

Four Batarangs out of Five!  

#Batman89, #ShadowsChapterFive, #SamHamm, #JoeQuinones, #MrKarp

Re:tro Re:view - Future State: House of El #1!

Future State: House of El #1 weaves together a future of Superman's descendants making their stand on the moon as the forces of the Red King invade!  It ties into Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman #2 (2021) that introduced some of the House of El at the End of Time. The cover by Yanick Paquette has five members of the House of El as the older Kal-El sits on a throne. This cover is so intriguing, the future members of the House of El where we only had Jonathan Kent. 

The issue is part two of the Future State: Superman issues by Phillip Kennedy Johnson. He is also joined by Scott Godlewski who brings an epic splash page of the eclipsed Earth and buildings and flag of the House El burning. The house has lasted a thousand years and now this is their last story. Then, this moves to a massive battle over a two page spread of the House of El taking on Parademons!  Three pages and I want the whole story of what led to this scene.  This takes place on the Foress of Sanctuary on the moon.  

We have inside the battle heard outside as there is a Brainac, of the Brainiac-5 variety with blond hair.  He speaks in what seems like a Kryptonian dialect as he works on a computer console as it responds back in Kryptonian. His name, Brainiac-4, also known as Bry, is called out. His first appearance. So he is earlier version before Querl Dox in the Legion of Super Heroes. The members of the House of El fly in, the warrior, Khan-El, orders for med droids. 

His debut was in Immortal Wonder Woman #2. He married into the family, but is as much an El as any of them. Superman, Ronan Kent, asks for Khan-El’s Warzoons. These are the troops from Warworld. Ronan is the Superman of the 30th Century. This is his first appearance. He carries in a woman, you can easily see why he is Superman in the House of El, and asks about the United Planets. The galactic government during the time of the Legion introduced in Adventure Comics #340 (1966). Brainiac-4 reports that there is no contact.  

The other members recover in darkness as we see Superman fly over to Brainiac-4 who says they should evacuate. The father in ordinary clothes, Brandon Kent, offers concern over his daughter, Theand’r Ban-El. Her first apperance was also Immortal Wonder Woman #2. She has armor like a knight and a long, orange pony tail. Theand’r is also Tamaranean like Starfire and leads a group of Tamareanean warriors. She shrugs off his attention. 

Khan-El speaks to him about fighting along with his daughter. Brandon asks advice since Khan-El is in the battle with his wife, Alura Van-El! She wears the helmet and a blue facial covering. The last member who was in Immortal Wonder Woman #2. Alura is the leader  of the Valkyries. They are in shadow as the med droids administer to the survivors. The Warzoons continue the fight. They created Warworld that first appeared in DC Comics Presents #27 (1980). Kal-El Superman is currently on Warworld struggling to raise a revolution against the tyrant Mongul in Action Comics written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson. 

The war is also fought by A.I. and omniturrets, Brainiac-4 reports on their status, and also that the Red King is attacking the droids used for support. Then, we have the arrival of the Blue Lantern, Rowan Kent, the sister to Ronan!  She debuts in this issue. Rowan is the Blue Lantern of Earth, they are the Lanterns of hope, perfect for part of the Superman family. They first appeared in Green Lantern #25 (2007). She has the uniform of a Blue Lantern, but has the S symbol generated on her cuirass, chest armor, with an energy cape and spear. 

She hugs her brother and says that the  invading army broke through the Lantern Corps! I love all of these characters worthy to take the legacy of Superman. Rowan explains that the Red King has brought the armies of Apokolips and New Genesis(!) and leads his army himself. She witnessed the forces sent by the United Planets, Thanagarians and the soldiers of Rann fall to the Red King. There was conflict between them in the Rann-Thanagar War limited series, but even combined with the other space faring troops can’t stop the Red King!  

Brainiac is not scanning for United Planets help like Superman ordered, instead he is working on the defense.  Alura Van-El asks what he is looking for with the star maps, but Bry doesn’t answer.  Another alarm as we get in a splash page, the invaders made up of various hostile aliens and Parademons.  Armed drones fire on the army, but are destroyed.  A Parademon grabs the throat of a woman, but he struck away by a beam!  

Alura Van-El leads her Valkyrie troops riding on Warworld engines and wear the Valkyrie helmets like Alura. A Parademon orders the release of the suspended, giant Promethean! These were giants that were bound to the Source Wall and debuted in New Gods #5 (1971). It roars and Superman explains that they are basically zombies so their vow not to kill is not broken. Khan-El fights back to back with Brandon as Superman flies into the battle. It continues with Theand’r flying towards the Promethean. Brandon sees a Parademon ready a Kryptonite weapon aiming for Theand’r! 

Brandon races at super speed, catching hold of the Parademons, and there is a Kryptonite explosion. Rowan tries to restrain Theand’r, but she is in a rage for the death of her father. We see in a series of panels, Theand’r flying through the stomach of the giant and then threw its cyclopean eye! Theand’r of Tamaran blazes with the power of her mother! At his controls, Bry has detected a signal, he sends an orphan box drone to fly towards it. Brainiac think there is now hope.

Bry goes out to tell Alura that now they have hope. Then, there is a blur and a sickening crunch.  His cybernetic body is sevred by the Black Rider! She first appeared in Future State: Superman: Worlds of War #1 (2021). The character is an avatar of death, this is the latest version, the original debuted in New Gods #3 (19711). Superman unleashes his heat vision, but the woman from Warworld escapes. The Red King speaks through the remains of Brainiac-4 and says that the next day, the House of El will fall. He asks the Warzoon if they will leave, and one swears that all of them will stand with the House of El. The loyalty there is awesome.  

The Valkyries, the Tamaranean Honor Guard, and the people of Earth pledge loyalty to Superman.  Alura takes off her helmet and regretfully vaporizes Bry.  After the battle, Ronan flies over to Theand’r in her solitude.  She stares at the Earth telling about stories that her father told her and wonders about Kal-El.  Superman still believes that Kal-El is not a legend as we see the survivors preparing for battle and binding wounds.  The assembled forces ready for the dawn, an incredible dark flag of the House of El, and the domed city of the Fortress of Sanctuary.  

Then, they have to face the vicious Doomsday clones (!) until the final appearance of the Red King, son of Kal-El!  You can see the comparisons not to the Game of Thrones which was mentioned by others, but Le Morte d’Arthur, with the Red King as Mordred.  This is a Camelot of the future, almost like the Camelot 3000 limited series, but with the House of El as the knights standing against the fall of Camelot. I've wondered about what led to the utopian future of the Legion of Super-Heroes.  This issue has a creative line-up of heroes that are now some of my favorites of the Superman family!  Future State: House of El , but brings the heroic descendants of Superman!     

Five Warworld Engines out of Five! 

#FutureState, #HouseOfEl, #PhillipKennedyJohnson, #ScottGodlewski, #RonanKent, #RowanKent, #KhanEl, #AluraEl, #TheandrBanEl, #BrandonKent, #Brainiac4, #TheRedKing  

Re:tro Re:view - Land of the Lost!

Land of the Lost (1974-1976) was a groundbreaking Saturday morning series that brought viewers to a Lost World of dinosaurs, Sleestak, and mysterious Pylons!  The series was created David Gerrold and developed with Allan Foshko.  Gerrold is known for writing the classic Star Trek episode, "The Trouble with Tribbles" (1967).  This series was produced by Sid & Marty Krofft who usually had puppets and costume characters in their series.  They produced a rebooted series in 1991-1992 which followed the Porter family.  The brothers also produced the comedy film, Land of the Lost (2009).  The Lost Land concept has a long history that may have started with Jules Verne’s novel, Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864).  Professor Lidenbrock explores a volcano in Iceland, travels deep underground finding a subterranean river, and discover a world of dinosaurs and an apeman.  There were many films and tv movies made of the novel including the 2008 Brandan Fraser film.  

Next, The Lost World (1912) by Arthur Conan Doyle.  The expedition led by Professor Challenger in South America finds a plateau with dinosaurs and ape people.  There was a memorable 1960 movie directed by Irwin Allen and a syndicated series in 1999-2002.  Finally, there was Edgar Rice Burroughs’ At The Earth’s Core (1914) which had David Innes traveling in an iron mole to reach the Hollow Earth of Pellucidar.  It is ruled by deadly Mahars, flying reptile people, and their servants, Sogoths, gorilla men.  In 1976, there was a movie starring Doug McClure as Innes and Peter Cushing as Abner Perry.  The series pilot, “Cha-Ka” written by David Gerrold starts with the intro.  We are introduced to the Marshall family; The father and forest ranger, Rick Marshall (Spencer Milligan), his son a teen about 17 years old, Will (Eure), and 13 years old preteen daughter, Holly (Kathy Coleman). Milligan was in the first two seasons and then Rick's brother, Jack (Ron Harper) joined his nephew and niece's adventures. 

The Marshall family is setting out on a raft on a Wyoming river when the “greatest earthquake ever known” strikes!  The 1906 San Francisco earthquake is estimated to be 8.0 on the Richter scale!  This is realized with miniatures and chroma key which may look dated, but is still fun!  They plunge down into the mists, “a thousand feet below”!  The family is wakened by a Tyrannosaurus Rex.  Dinosaur effects were stop motion and puppets for close-ups.  The Marshalls run and find refuge in a cave with the T-Rex roaring in frustration.  The theme song is sung by Wesley Eure!   This truly was Jurassic Park (1993) for me as a small kid.   We see the landscape of the Land of the Lost with the eerie music of Jimmie Haskell.  The land is seen by the Marshalls in the bushes who hear the roar of the T-Rex and start to run.  A coelophysis, a theropod dino, dubbed Spot by Holly, manages to escape the T-Rex that Holly nicknames Grumpy.  

The family manages to get cover and Rick explains that they are in another world.  He saw at night that there are three moons in the sky!  Rick continues that they fell on an endless waterfall and thought they fell through a “hole in space.”  I like the sci fi idea of a time and space vortex since you simply can’t travel in the mountains and find the Land of the Lost.  They hear Grumpy roar and run again.  Rick heads back to the cave to see if it is safe.  He has Will watch over his sister, Holly hears a sound, they both catch the sounds of chanting.  Holly heads there with Will following and he discovers there is a strange, three-sided Pylon.  Will finds that the Pylon feels like he is “touching nothing” and they are distracted by the voices. Inside are crystal pads that control the time vortexes.  Hiding behind a fallen tree, they look over, and see three hairy people repeating, “Ota”, Pakuni for fire.  A Pakuni Dictionary was developed by Victoria Fromkin.  There is a larger one, a father later known as Ta (Joe A. Giamalva), and two young ones including daughter, Sa (Sharon Baird).  Basically, a reflection of the Marshall family. 

Will and Holly wonder about these people.  Then, they hear Grumpy roar as it looms over the ape-people.  One of the young ape men (Philip Paley) has fallen and Holly sees that the T-Rex is closing on him!  It chases after the other two. Will wants to escape, but Holly wants to help the wounded ape boy so Will picks him up and they start to run.  Grumpy turns to chase after the trio, but gets caught between two trees.  When they get to safety, Holly offers the ape boy her canteen, Will pours water from it to give to the ape boy.  They try to introduce themselves to the stranger.  He points to himself and says, “Chaka.”  Will tries to show Chaka that they are human and he responds that he is a Paku (Pakuni is plural).  Rick joins them and wants to take Chaka to the cave.  Rick and Holly lower the basket from the cave and Will helps with Chaka.  They are interrupted by Grumpy.  Will takes Chaka from the basket and the T-Rex goes to Holly and Rick at the mouth of the cave.  They escape into the cave and Grumpy tears up the basket.  Will and Chaka take cover behind a rock.  

Holly remarks that the T-Rex has a brain of a walnut, dino facts!, and Rick has them get the “flyswatter.”  This is a sharpened wooden pole that they run into Grumpy to drive him away.  Rick fashions a rope to pull up Chaka.  A pterandon flies overhead.  Later, Rick tells Holly to get water to clean Chaka’s wound.  Holly has her father’s lighter for a pot at the fire.  Wesley jokes that his sister could burn fire, sibling rivalry love it!, so his father has him cook for the next two days!  We see the three moons at night.  Rick cleans the wound and then has sticks with hankerchiefs tied around them to act as a brace around Chaka’s leg.  The survivalist aspect of the show was really helpful when I was a kid.  A version of Survivor well before that series began.  We later get the Lost City of the Swa-Lu, this is an early name for the reptile men called the Sleestak.  They have green scales, a yellow chest and belly, fringes on their neck, wide mouths, bulbous, black eyes and horns at the top of their heds.  Another character is Enik (Walker Edmiston), who looks a bit like his later Sleestak descendants, but is an Altrusian, wears an orange robe, and is intelligent. Land of the Lost is a clever and thrilling series that has relatable characters, and elaborate world building!        

#LandOfTheLost, #SidAndMartyKrofft, #DavidGerrold, #Rick, #SpencerMilligan, #Holly, #KathyColeman, #Will, #WesleyEure, #Chaka, #PhilipPaley, #Ta, #JoeAGiamalva, #Sa, #SharonBaird, #Grumpy, #Enik, #WalkerEdmiston    

Hollywood Show, April 16, 2022!

The Hollywood show returns to the Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel, filled with 90 celebrities, and the chance to meet, talk, and possibly get some signed items!  This was the previous location of the Hollywood show from its venue at the Westin LAX hotel.  The event has expanded since the days it was at Burbank.  The convention center is now packed, one queue was to let in ticket holders and another to let others purchase tickets.  There was no signage for either.  Then, the halls were confusing, on the left was Danny Trejo who had a line that went down the hall.  To the right was the tables for the Back to the Future guests, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, and Thomas Wilson.  Their lines went one way, then out of the center in two directions.  I think next to them was a tent for photo ops, they had a room for photo ops at the LAX hotel.   

                                                                                          Hollywood Show, dealer room, photo by the author. 

Against the far wall was the table for Marty Krofft and there was many items like Della Casa Designs’ H.R. Pufnstuff Official Freddy the Flute.   In the middle was the main room, this was to the right, the George Lopez 20th Anniversary Reunion; Constance Marie, Belita Moreno, and Valente Rodgriguez.  The table across the way had Paige Turco at the end, I think popular with the TMNT crowd.  In the center far table, also was the Land of the Lost guests; Joe A. Giamalva who was Ta, father of Cha-Ka, Philip Paley who played the Pakuni Cha-Ka, Kathy Coleman, and Wesley Eure, if you were lucky, Wesley and Kathy would sing the theme song of the show!  They had mock-ups of the Altrusian skull, forerunners of the lizard Sleestak.  It was great to see all of them plus Coleman had her book, Run, Holly, Run!, about the show and her life, recommended!  On the opposite table was creator David Gerrold who had duplicates of scripts and the show’s Writer’s Guide!  Plus, he was known for creating the Tribbles for Star Trek and had scripts for TOS and the animated series.  

                                                                Altrusian skull at the Land of the Lost table, Hollywood Show, photo by the author. 

On the near wall of the hall was George Chakiris from the original West Side Story (1961).  He will always be Bernardo for me.  There were many other celebs going down the hall including Robert Wuhl, creator of the series, Arliss, he was in Bull Durham (1988) and Batman (1989).  There was also Harry Hamlin who is known for playing Michael Kuzak on L.A. Law, Mad Men, and was Perseus in Clash of the Titans (1981).  Finally, there was Patrick Wayne, son of John Wayne, he was in The Searchers (1956) and played Pat Garrett in Young Guns (1988).  I was interested that he played the lead in Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977).  Later, the next table over had Charo whose queue went out the door.  At the far side was the Mouseketeers; Bobby Burgess, Tommy Cole, and Sharon Baird.  In the center table was Larry Wilcox and Erik Estrada from CHiPs, Estrada was outgoing and friendly to all of his fans. 

It was really cool to see Willie Tyler & Lester, wow I got the attention of Lester and it took me back to small kid time.  It was great to see ya Lester and Willie Tyler!  I saw Adam Wylie from Picket Fences wanted to say hi to a passerby who just kept walking on, rude.  Another aisle had another Sid & Marty Krofft show, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters; Johnny Whitaker, who played the lead, Johnny Stuart, and Scott Kolden, was his brother Scott Stuart.  I was walking towards the hotel and saw Marla Gibbs from The Jeffersons walking towards the convention center.  The accoustics for the room were terrible, of course there is the dull roar of the many conversations, but the celebrities could not hear me through my mask.  The convention center is not built for ease of movement, sound, and the celebs with long lines.  Some celebs only took cash, makes sense, but I didn’t want to keep going to the ATM and would like to use card.  The Hollywood Show is fun, a little crowded, but had many celebs that the guests had fun talking to and getting things signed!  

#HollywoodShow, #DannyTrejo, #ChristopherLloyd, #LeaThompson, #ThomasWilson, #MartyKrofft, #JoeAGiamalva, #PhilipPaley, #KathyColeman, #WesleyEure, #ConstanceMarie, #BelitaMoreno, #ValenteRodgriguez, #PaigeTurco, #DavidGerrold, #GeorgeChakiris, #RobertWuhl, #HarryHamlin, #PatrickWayne, #Charo, #BobbyBurgess, #TommyCole, #SharonBaird, #LarryWilcox, #ErikEstrada, #WillieTyler, #AdamWylie, #JohnnyWhitaker, ScottKolden, #MarlaGibbs 

Happy Birthday Emma Watson!

Happy Birthday Emma Watson!  She is of course known as Hermione Granger and started working in film with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001).  Then, there was Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007).  Watson provided the voice of Princess Pea in the animated film, The Tale of Desperaux (2008) based on the book by Kate DiCamillo.  She returned to play Hermione in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009).  In between the Harry Potter films, she also played Hermione in Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (2010) for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction.  Then, she finished the series with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011).  

Watson played Lucy, working on the set of Marilyn Monroe’s film in My Week with Marilyn (2011).  She had a romantic part as Sam in the drama, The Perks of Being a Wallflower directed by Stephen Chbosky who wrote the book.  Next, she was Nicki, a part of The Bling Ring (2013), directed by Sofia Coppola.  Watson played herself in the supernatural comedy, This is The End (2013).  Darren Aronofsky co-wrote and directed Noah (2014) with Emma Watson playing Ila, wife of Noah’s son.  Then, she was in the drama, The Colony (2015).  Watson also played Angela Gray in another drama, Regression (2015). It was in 2017 that she had the lead, Belle, in the live action adaptation of the Disney animated film, Beauty and the Beast.  Watson was also Mae in The Circle (2017) based on the Dave Eggers’ novel.  She played Meg March in Little Women (2019), directed by Greta Gerwig.  Recently, she appeared in the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts special.  Happy Birthday Emma Watson!  

#EmmaWatson, #TheTaleOfDesperaux, #HarryPotterandtheDeathHallowsPart2, #TheBlingRing, #BeautyandtheBeast, #TheCircle, #LittleWomen, #HarryPotter20thAnniversary, #ReturnToHogwarts