Re:tro Re:view - Bettie Page: The Alien Agenda #5!

 We now return to the adventures of Bettie Page in Bettie Page: The Alien Agenda #5!  Last chapter, we left Bettie and her friends, Sofia and Young-Ja, at the time lost Pyramid of the Sun!  They found Aztec warriors who were allied to “friends from the stars” and a final clue with an ancient tapestry!  The cover features cosplay by Ani-Mia in a jungle setting, she is also the writer of the issue with art by Celor.  Young-Ja explains on their flight currently over Kentucky atht the tapestry clue on the border was in Morse code.  This was coordinates that led back to the beginning near the Pentagon!  Sofia wonders about the government’s involvement.  Later, Bettie calls from her hotel room for Colonel Westbrook and told about a meeting at 4 in the morning.  

Bettie is wakened by her alarm clock and sees outside her hotel the mysterious man wih the hat.  She chases after him when she hears ringing from a phone booth.  Bettie tells Colonel Westbrook that she doesn’t think they are looking for a weapons stockpile.  He explains that the stockpile will be ordered to be destroyed, but Bettie is not certain about that action.  I do like the different colors, provided by Farah Nurmaliza, with the dark of night at the phone booth and the light of the colonel’s room. Bettie returns to join the others fror breakfast and gets them up to date.  Sofia resolves to protect the alien secret.  Young-Ja is eager join this mission and later we see Bettie getting ready.  Sofia confides with Bettie that she will stay if needed to protect the secret.  

The trio are outfitted in black leather outfits, a little secret agent, and more than a little Emma Peel.  They are discovered by a general with several armed soldiers!  He wants the location of the alien stockpile and Bettie tries to tell him that they are not weapons.  The general sees their resistance and is about to order his soldiers to open fire.  Then, a beam of light takes away the trio!  Bettie finds herself waking up to a knock at the door. The room is decorated with paintings that seem to reveal her journey.  Her visitors are two grey aliens in board shorts!  Their secret has to do with the dodo that went extinct in 1681. Bettie has fans across the galaxy(!) and can help the aliens with their secret!  Many questions are answered with a fun, upbeat ending to the journey in Bettie Page: The Alien Agenda #5!  

Five Flying Saucers out of Five!  

#BettiePageTheAlienAgenda, #Animia, #Celor, #Sofia, #YoungJa, #ColonelWestbrook 

House of the Dragon, “The Heirs of the Dragon”, Review!

House of the Dragon has opened its Red Keep doors to show the internal struggles of House Targaryen who rule with their dragons!  The series was created by Ryan Condal, he co-created the sci fi show, Colony, and George R.R. Martin.  The other showrunner is Miguel Sapochnik directed this pilot, and also directed episodes and was the executive producer for the earlier Game of Thrones series.  

I have to think the three showrunners are like the three dragons in the crest of the Targaryens!  This is the prequel to GoT that was wildly popular for HBO.  It debuted on 2011 and run until 2019.  Showrunners, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss adapted Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire that started with the novel, A Game of Thrones (1996).  For the most part, the series is based on Martin’s history of the Targaryens in Fire & Blood (2018).      

It begins with narration by an older Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) speaking about the weakened King Jaehaerys Targaryen (Michael Carter).  A chest by two porters is carried through Harrenhal, a great castle in Westeros.  His reign was peaceful, but his sons had died.  Jaehaerys has called a Great Council to determine his successor.  The Targaryens are known by controlling dragons, their white hair, and in the books, purple eyes.  

We see the potential rulers, the eldest child, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best) with Corlys Valeryon (Steve Toussaint) by her side.  Then, there is her cousin, Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) with his pregnant wife, Aemma Arryn (Sian Brooke) next to him.  The king takes a scroll from out of the chest and it is announced that the next king will be Viserys who is uneasy about becoming ruler of the Seven Kingdoms.  The lords have rejected Rhaenys because she is woman and this is at the heart of the show.  

Rhaenyra also notes that Viserys is her father.  This was a decision by King Jaehaerys to prevent a war and Rhaenyra says, “the only thing that can tear down the House of the Dragon was itself.”  Then, we get the epic music of Ramin Djwaldi who also was the composer for GoT, and the symbol of House Targaryen.  In exposition, we are told it is the ninth year of King Viserys’ rule. 

172 years before the time of Daenrys Targaryen with Game of Thrones. Next, we see cloudy skies, and I’m already thinking, dragon!  Sure enough, the golden dragon, Syrax, races past.  This feels like the opposite of GoT, which goes to King's Landing, here it starts at that city, for the most part, an intro would just be going around the streets, and instead of seasons to get to adult dragons, here they are!  He flies down to the Red Keep, the castle of King’s Landing, then comes to a landing at the Dragonpit.  

Two dragon handlers with long poles speak to Syrax in High Valyrian, the formal language spoken by Targaryens. Then, his rider, young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock) dismounts.  She is greeted by Ser Harold Westerling (Graham McTavish), Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, if Rhaenrya would be harmed, he would be killed.  At a wagon, she meets her best friend, Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey). They are taken by an iron carriage to the Red Keep.  

Rhaenrya has changed from her black riding leathers to a white dress and meets with her mother, Queen Aemma, who is resting with her pregnant belly.  Rhaenrya is concerned about her mother.  The queen tells her daughter that the “The childbed is our battlefield.”  This becomes very important later.  She says to Rhaenrya that the dragonsmell is on her, I wonder what it is the smell.  King Viserys is sitting with his Small Council, his royal advisors.  Lord Corlys Valeryon, Master of Ships, warns the king about the Triarchy and their brutal leader, Craghas Drahas, called the Crabfeeder.  Rhaenrya enters and King Viserys reminds her that she is the King’s cupbearer.     

Lord Beesbury (Bill Paterson), Master of Coin, inquires about Viserys’ missing brother, Prince Daemon, who could have reported about the training of the City Watch.  Corlys brings up again the Triarchy danger that could cut off shipping lanes.  The conversation is shifted by the Hand of the King, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), who brings up the Heir’s Tournament.  

Viserys asks Grand maester, Mellos (David Horovitch), about the birth of his son.  He is certain it will be boy which Rhaenrya silently overhears. The political intrigue is what fascinates many GoT fans and will become important later.  Ser Harold Westerling leads Rhaenrya to a secret meeting at the Great Hall.  On the Iron Throne, is Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), he is also the rider of the long, snake-like headed dragon, Caraxes.  

The Iron Throne is made of the swords of a thousand enemies forged by Aegon the Conqueror.  Daemon casually sitting on it is a violation of everything the Seven Kingdoms are built on.  She sends the knight away and they have a conversation in High Valyrian.  He expects to be on the Iron Throne one day and is there for the tournament.  Daemon has also brought her a gift of a necklace made of Valyrian steel.  

This is a rare metal that can make swords forever sharp, light, and deadly like Daemon’s own blade, Nightsister.  He places it around her neck.  Next, we have the autumn leaves of the weirwood tree, Alicient is questioning Rhaenrya about Princess Nymeria in Dorne. Alicient believes she is worried about the new heir.  There is of course a face carved on the weirwood and the area is called the Godswood.  Rhaenrya knows all of the history and tears a page of the book for her best friend.  

King Viserys has a wound tended to by Grand Maester Mellos.  He says it is from sitting on the Iron Throne which has jagged edges.  It was meant by Aegon to have only careful rulers to sit on the Iron Throne.  Mellos speaks with Otto Hightower who wants the situation kept quiet.  Viserys agrees to have the wound cauterized.  He goes to see his wife trying to be comfortable in a bathtub.  She mentions Daemon and Viserys knows that the child will be a boy from his dream. 

Aemmon states that this will be her last child since she’s had difficulty and failures with other attempts.  Then, we have the Watch now wearing gold cloaks, thumping their chest armor to the arrival of Daemon Targaryen.  He says the city is corrupt and has his men go through the city to viciously punish the citizens and their “crimes.” Body parts are severed, it is gruesome, but should be expected in this world.  The next day, this is reported by the Hand to his king.         

They place small globes into fixtures on the table to mark that they are present.  Daemon is at the Small Council still with blood splatters on his face.  He defends his actions as making King’s Landing safe for the nobles arriving for the tournament.  Daemon is reminded of his wife, Lady Rhea, in the Vale.  He provokes Lord Hightower mentioning his wife has died.  Otto Hightower stands, but restrains himself.  Daemon Targaryen has a way of offending everyone for his own means.  Viserys says that Daemon will be held accountable for further rampages.  

Then, we have Daemon with his lover, Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno).  The appeal of GoT is also its adult content, violence and otherwise, so it is a very adult fantasy. She reassures him that he can’t be replaced by the king.  Rhaenyra arrives as her father presides over the opening of the tournament.  He also announces that the queen has started giving birth.  So the violence of the tournament is contrasted with the shocking birth of the heir. A formidable knight of the tournament is Set Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel).  House of the Dragon continues the familiar, yet an earlier world with Rhaenyra taking her uncertain, troubled destiny!      

Five Dragon Saddles out of Five! 

#HouseOfTheDragon, #TheHeirsOfTheDragon, #MillyAlcock, #EmilyCarey, #PaddyConsidine, #SianBrooke, #MattSmith, #RhysIfans, #SteveToussaint, #EveBest, #GrahamMcTavish, #SonoyaMizuno, #FabienFrankel 

Re:tro Re:view - Neverending Story!

The NeverEnding Story (1984) is a perfect fantasy with young Bastian reading about the adventures of Atreyu to save the world of Fantasia!  The film is about imagination, hope, adventure and what happens when the dreams ends! The film is based on the 1979 novel by Michael Ende with the original title, Die unendliche Geschichte.  It is directed by Wolfgang Petersen, who had died on August 12th, so this film feels like Petersen’s gift to us and inspires our imaginations.  He previously directed Das Boot (1981) and later Troy (2004).  Petersen co-wrote with Herman Wiegel who previously wrote the drama, Christiane F. (1981).  He has a cameo in the movie.  It begins with soaring sounds, fantastic cloud formations, and the theme song, composed by Girogio Moroder who recieved an Academy Award for Midnight Express (1978).  

The song was performed by Limahl (also has a cameo) with the singer, Beth Anderson.  The rest of the music is by Klaus Doldinger from the German group Passport.  Bastian (Barret Oliver) gasps and suddenly awakens.  Oliver was in the first movie and the sci fi sequel, Cocoon: The Return (1988).  The novel has his full name, Bastian Balthazar Bux.  He places a bookmark in the book he was reading when he fell asleep.  In the kitchen, his father (Gerald McRaney), in a business suit, get his breakfast ready.  McRangey worked mostly in television, I recognize him from the sitcom, Major Dad.  Bastian struggles to open the lid of jelly jar.  His father easily untwists it.  Bastian tells his father about a dream of his mother who passed away.  Father mentions his drawings in his math book, not trying out for the swim team, and he should not be daydreaming.  Bastian is walking on the city street and encounters three bullies who call him weirdo.  

They chase him to an alley and toss him in a dumpster.  Bastian dusts himself off returning to the street, but the bullies are there and Bastian runs again!  He takes refuge in an antique bookstore.  Bastian is told to leave by the store owner,  Carl Conrad Coreander (Thomas Hill).  The actor was also in the sci fi mini-series, V: The Final Battle playing Father Andrew Doyle.  Coreander points out the arcade and tries to explain books.  Bastian says he has read everything from Lord of the Rings to Tarzan.   He asks about the book Coreander is reading and he is told that his books are safe.  The bookstore owner is distracted by a phone call and tells Bastian to “forget about it.”  Bastian looks at The Neverending Story which has a symbol of two snakes wrapped around each other, the Auryn!  Bastian takes the book, Coreander smiles, and then he sees Bastian’s note that he will return it.  He races into the school’s hall with the book underneath his jacket.  Bastian peeks into the classroom and finds there is a math test. 

He takes the key to the attic, it is a dusty, collection of objects, and Bastian pulls a mattress out.  Bastian opens the forbidden book, closeup on his eyes, and starts reading about the Howling Forest.  We see the pov shot of something massive moving through the forest.  A giant snail looks up while chomping on some leaves.   The creatures of Fantasia (called Fantastica in the novel) are realized by creature designer, Ul De Rico, and special effects director, Brian Johnson.  It is also noticed by Teeny Weeny (Deep Roy) dressed in formal suit and top hat.  Snoring is the bat and his rider, the Night Hob (Tilo Prückner) pops up his head to see.  He has wild hair with a goblin nose and ears. The camp is disturbed by the rolling sounds.   It is the arrival of the Rockbiter (also voiced by Oppenheimer), a giant made of rocks 33 years before Korg, whose stone bicycle comes to a stop in time.  He joins their camp and snacks on a limestone, his crumbs pelt the others.  

Rockbiter tells about the Nothing which has been taking away the North, it has also taken away other parts of Fantasia, Teeny Weeny’s land in the West, and the South of the Night Hobs.  They are all on the mission to tell the Childlike Empress at the Ivory Tower.  Teeny Weeny explains that he is riding a Racing Snail that zips through the forest.  The dark clouds gather as the Fantasia is wracked with the Nothing.  They reach an outlook to see the Ivory Tower, it has three parts of mountains parting like flower petals, a single, long white tower holds up the top part, a stigma on a flower.  One of the most beautiful visions in fantasy.  It has a bulb and three platforms that leads to the palace. The Empress (Tami Stronach) is not seen because she is dying from Fantasia’s destruction.  Stronach has mostly worked in theatre.  Instead, there is the bearded official in robes, Cairon (Moses Gunn). Looking through windows are the Night Hob and his bat.  There is wide variety of Fantasia citizens; giant heads of stone, a humanoid with an elephant’s head, and a mushroom person!  

Cairon knows about the threat of the Nothing and their only hope is a warrior from the Plains people. His name is Atreyu.  This fascinates Bastian who looks at book of Native American hunters. Atreyu (Noah Hathaway) appears and everyone including Bastian is stunned he is a boy.  Hathaway is also known for playing Boxey in the original Battlestar Galactica.  Cairon has a quest for him to save the Empress and Fantasia.  Atreyu accpets and is given an Auryn necklace, a symbol of the Empress.  He rides from the tower on his horse, Artax, and the others wish him well.  Storm clouds send lightning bolts, Bastian narrates that there was another quest, one for the giant wolf-creature, G’mork (another Oppenheimer voice!).  Artreyu and Artax have been traveling for a week and go to eat.  Bastian takes out a sandwhich and joins them.  They continue riding, G’mork has reached their last camp site, and then Bastian explains Bastian’s quest takes him to the Swamps of Sadness.  The name is literal name since this is traumatizing for kids, not for me at the time.

 

The swamp’s deadly mud would swallow anyone who has despair including Artax!  Great acting by Hathaway! Bastian also cries.  Atreyu continues on, I wonder if he is saved by the Auryn, and finds Shell Mountain. He climbs up it and calls for Morla, the Ancient One.  It starts to rise up and Bastian slips down its muddy side.  A massive, tortoise head appears and Bastian shouts in fear, this is heard by Morla and Bastian!  He shows her the Auryn.  She sneezes which is a wind blast that knocks Bastian in a tree to the mud!  Morla says she is allergic to youth!  She tells him about the Southern Oracle, 10,000 miles away!  Bastian is startled by the school’s bell sending students home.  At the attic, the lighning scares him, he is inspired by Artreyu’s courage, but a stuffed wolf’s head almost falls on him!  G’mork hunts Artreyu, he slogs along, and then we have from the skies a long, furry white shape.  As Bastian sinks in the mud, G’mork is about to close on him, and he is pulled away!  After days of sleep, Artreyu wakes up in the paws of the pearl white pebbled skin, and a furry, golden retriever head of one of the best dragons, a luck dragon named Falkor (his kind and humorous voice is provided by Oppenheimer)!  The Neverending Story is about imagination and hope, filled with fantastic lands and creatures, plus what happens when the dreams ends!   

Five Auryns out of Five! 

#NeverendingStory, #WolfgangPetersen, #BarretOliver, #NoahHathaway, #TamiStronach, #DeepRoy, #TiloPruckner, #ThomasHill 

Captain Carter #5 Review!

The conclusion of Captain Carter #5 has her team standing against the threat behind HYDRA!  Let’s re:cap the last issue, the team of Peggy Carter, Lizzie Braddock, and Tony Stark use the skills of Harley.  She has discovered that the mysterious woman is Lady Jaqueline Falsworth.  Also, Lord Falsworth is exactly like the current day, Prime Minister Harry Williams!  Captain Carter with Stark’s hologram drone remote, read invisibility cloak, infiltrates Downing Street to attack PM Williams/Lord Falsworth.  He is faster and crushes the remote.  He calls in an armed team to arrest her and turns away saying to Peggy that “vampires are not real” with his inhuman eyes and fangs!  Captain Carter: Vampire Slayer!  

Captain Carter #5 features a cover by writer Jamie McKelvie with what Harley calls Carter’s Commandos fighting against hordes of glowing-eyed agents!  The first page has the Captain Carter headline, “Enemy of the People.”  The issue is by McKelvie and artist, Marika Cresta, picking up with Chief Lance Hunter getting a call from the prime minister.  He greets his driver, Jones, and goes over S.T.R.I.K.E.’s search for Agent Braddock.  Jones takes a different route and Hunter realizes that it is not his usual driver, but before he draws his gun, a hologram invisible gun is held at him!  Deactivating her hologram, it is Lizzie Braddock!  The driver is Tony Stark!  Lizzie says smiling in a close-up that they are going to rescue Captain Carter.  

At the S.T.R.I.K.E. Containment Facility, an agent gives Carter her meal.  Chief Hunter is being debriefed at Harley’s apartment about the situation.  He says that John Falsworth is the father of Lady Falsworth mentions that he couldn’t believe Carter’s actions and brings up they are all vampires.  This shocks the team!  Then, Lizzie shows a surprise of her own, using her telekinetic power to life a laptop.  They trust Hunter and uncuff him while Lizzie has him explain about hte containment facility.  Almost all dialogue, but these are lively scenes catching up everyone.  He explains as we see the building with extensions like spokes is called The Compass which is a facility to contain super beings.  Similar to The Raft in Captain America: Civil War (2016). 

It is secure, but Hunter brings in Harley to shut down the base’s security for the others.  An agent has seen Hunter and informs Falsworth.  Harley works her magic with the computers as Hunter distracts the guards.  She contacts Tony and Lizzie who pose as fire safety officers.  The system has detected them as they reach the security level as Tony heads over to Harley to help with the escape.  Harley warns Lizzie about the guards, but Lizzie has defeated them and brought Peggy’s uniform and shield!  It is a dual battle, but the vampire lord and vampiress may not be ready for Peggy’s Commandos!  A great take on vampires!  I hope for more adventures of this Captain Carter!  Captain Carter #5 wraps up the series with Peggy’s clever team defining the heroes of this universe!  

Five Shields out of Five!  

#Captain Carter, #JamieMcKelvie, #MarikaCresta, #CaptainCarter, #LizzieBraddock, #HarleyDavis, #TonyStark, #ChiefLanceHunter, #TheCompass, #STRIKE, #JohnWalsworth, #JacquelineFalsworth.  

She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, “A Normal Amount of Rage”, Review!

She-Hulk: Attorney At Law starts off with comedy and brings in the superhero side!  The first episode clocks in at 38 minutes so basically it is a sitcom.  It is currently streaming on Disney+.  The introduction of the character was in Savage She-Hulk #1 (1979) by Stan Lee and John Buscema.  Sensational She-Hulk #1 (1989) by John Byrne had Jennifer Walters face bizarre characters from the Marvel Universe, brought in humor with superhero action, and break the Fourth Wall with readers.  It was really She-Hulk #1 (2004) by Dan Slott and Juan Bobillio that formed the current version with her firm working on superhuman law with goofy super threats.  It begins with a closeup of Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany), deputy district attorney, speaking about power.  Maslany is known for her multpile roles in the sci fi series, Orphan Black, also the crime drama, Destroyer (2018), and was in the lawyer mini-series, Perry Mason (2020).  Jen is a fun character, Maslany brings the charm, she has worked hard to become an attorney, turned into a superhero, and has to balance both lives.  

She is given encouragement from her best friend and paralegal, Nikki Ramos (Ginger Gonzaga).  The actress was in episodes of the comedy, Kenan, the Jim Carey drama/comedy, Kidding, and the show about stand up comedians, i’m dying up here.  She chastizes attorney, Dennis Bukowski played by Drew Matthews who has criticized her practice closing statement.  They send away Dennis. Nikki praises her speech, but says she should finish with the “savage Jen Walters look.”  Jen looks up with a frustrated expression that Nikki says is perfect.  It seems like the savage term references the original comic book title!  Nikki confides to Jennfier that if the statement doesn’t work that she could “Hulk out.”  She is walked out by Jen who reenters her office to tell the viewers that she’s a Hulk!  The aside is less a comic moment, but more Jennifer bringing the audience up to date.   

This goes back to “A Few Months Ago”, she is driving with her cousin Bruce, as in Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo).  The Adam Project featured Ruffalo, he voiced the Hulk in episodes of What If…?, and played recently Bruce Banner (in hologram form) in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021).  Bruce has updated her on what he has on his Avenger activities and also shows her the Gamma Suppression Device on his wrist that helps his arm to heal and keeps him in human state.  The Infinity Gauntlet in Avengers: Endgame (2019) damaged his arm.  He notices her invention, Cheetos and chopsticks, so there is no Cheetos fingers!  Jen returns to her theory on the dating history of Steve Rogers.  Their discussion continues when a ringed starship drops to the road in front of them!  The car swerves off the road and starts to go into a roll spilling Cheetos!  

Jennifer is able to get out the car, but slices her arm on a piece of metal.  She goes to check on Bruce who is restrained by his seat belt and wedges open the door.  Jennifer drags her cousin out and his blood drops into her wound!  Green veins appear on her wrists.  Then, we see her reflection in the car door as she gives a Hulk roar.  The comics origin had Jennifer shot and Bruce was forced to give her a blood transfusion to save her life.  On the ground, Bruce also roars turning green.  She runs and then everything turns black.  Jennifer wakes up in human form at night and finds the Ideal Sports Bar.  She sneaks in the back way to the women’s washroom to clean up.  Four women appear, they are shocked, so they give her shoes, a pink coat, and try to clean her up.  She just needs a phone which they give her and then waiting outside, three men start catcalling her.  Jennifer’s eyes flare green and then she roars at them which has them screaming!  

Jennifer wakes up in an unknown place, her shirt is splattered with green and red, hinting at the different Hulk colors?  She takes a black Led Zepplin t-shirt, finds she is in a tropical place, and sees a battered Ultron helmet.  Jennfier heads down steps to hear loud Spanish music.  It is leads to a massive lab which has her cousin now as Smart Hulk.  He spent his time there to integrate both halves into Smart Hulk.  Jennifer asks about the spaceship and Bruce identifies it as a Sakaaran Class-Eight Courier Craft from the planet he was on in Thor: Ragnarok (2017).  He explains that they are unique being able to synthesize the Gamma Radiation.  Bruce used her blood to heal his arm and then places the samples into a unit that vaporizes the blood with lasers. He says there is no going back to her old life.  Jen seems weak so we find that her cousin has made her pancakes.  He brings his record of his growth as the Hulk and also tells her it will take fifteen years to master.  

In a testing room, Jen hasBruce to test her emotional threshold.  She suggests a Pixar movie, very funny!  The testing doesn’t go well and Bruce realizes that she breaks the room and has kept her Jennifer Walters’ identity.  Jen wonders about when she transforms back to human and thinks it is when she is unconscious, sleeping.  Bruce warns about the possible death and destruction from being a Hulk.  Jen agrees to the training.  I like both Hulks leaping, they land, and Jen has the caveman pose and voice saying, “Men!  Men!”, too funny!  Bruce is acting out of concern for Jen and thinks of her as a superhero, but Jen just wants to go back to her life as a lawyer.  They have bottles of drink at a bar that Bruce built with Tony.  Later, Jen says she can control her anger, which she does when she’s cat called (not all the time) and mansplained, she Hulks out and shifts back.  Jennifer is about to drive away in a jeep, but they get into a super Hulk fight.  Jen has summed up everything, she is about to give her closing statement, when the wall shatters by Titania (Jameela Jamil)!  The actress is known for playing Tahani Al-Jamil in The Good Place and voiced Wonder Woman in this year's DC League of Super-Pets.  Very funny end credit scene!  She-Hulk: Attorney At Law is a lawyer sitcom with the perfect balance of comedy!    

      

Five Cheetos Chopsticks out of Five! 

#SheHulk, #AttorneyAtLaw, #ANormalAmountOfRage, #TatianaMaslany, #MarkRuffalo, #GingerGonzaga, #JameelaJamil, #DrewMatthews 

Strolling Through the (Theme) Park One Day: Warner Bros. Studio Tour Plus!

I finally made it back to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour and decided to try the upgrade Plus which is a bit more expensive.  The tour building is across from its former location which gives more space and houses the Warner Bros. Studio Store, plus DC Universe and Harry Potter exhibits.  There are some costumes of Flight Attendent next to the check-in desk.  Before the time of your reservation, you can enter a room with some props, there was Phoebe’s guitar from Friends, and then check in at the counter.  To the left is the regular tour, and to the right is the plus and I think other more expensive tours.  This had a lounge with couches and tables, some Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood Official Guides which you can pick up for free, and a table of snacks, drinks, and desserts. 

                                                                          The Abbott Elementary set at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour, author’s photo. 

I think the guide which I get at most theme parks because they are great mementos, photos, and explain the various parts of the studio.  It goes for $13 with the snacks, desserts, and drinks, I think it runs at $20 which is a great value with the cost of the tour.  You are lead into the screening room, I’ve seen the overview before on other tours, and then taken to the tram for your group.  We started at the Jungle, I remember this clearly from Horror Made Here as Camp Crystal Lake, it was first planted for the movie Santiago (1955). Then, we were taken to the Props Department which was said to be special to this tour, but I’ve been there a few times on the regular tour.  There are props from The Maltese Falcon (1941) and the president’s desk from the West Wing, I took a photo there on another tour.  

Throughout the tour, the tourists kept asking if an actor was on the lot and where they were, even if they were at the studio, no guide is going to lead a tour there.  There is a room of Agent Smith doubles from The Matrix Reloaded (2003), armor from The Last Samurai (2003), and the leg lamp from A Christmas Story (1983)!  Then, there was a ride to New York Street which features a Central Park that has the fountain from the opening of Friends.  Nice, but I was more interested in the courthouse which was used for the Gotham Police Department in Adam West’s Batman!  I only passed by there in other tours, now I got a photo climbing the steps, I’m Batman!  The guide mentioned that the same scene was used throughout the series with a woman in a flower hat casually looking at Batman and Robin headed to the Batmobile.  This was re-used because the show didn’t want to pay stunt rates for the scene!  

                                                                   The steps Batman races down with Robin in Batman , New York Street, photo by the author. 

Then, a trip to Midwest Street which had the church that had The Exorcist: Forbidden Screening house at Horror Made Here, I did not go in, but this time we entered the set, new for me. This also had the gazebo from Gilmore Girls which is also a photo op.  Hennessy Street, this part of the studio, pointed out by the guide that it was named after Dale Hennesy, production designer of Annie (1982).  At the end of the tour, we passed by the exterior of the Abbott Elementary set which had some construction going on in front of it.  Then, the tour finished at Stage 48: From Script to Screen which also had Central Perk Cafe, the restaurant where the plus tour gets a free meal so good value. New was costumes of Sub-Zero and Scorpion from Mortal Kombat (2021), also weapon props, and costumes from the recent Kung Fu show.  In the next room, the blue jumpsuit from this year’s Elvis, and then the concert outfit from Selena:The Series.    

Also, new for me was the sets and costumes from The Big Bang Theory.  Then, there was a shuttle back to the main building which leads to a door opening to DC and Harry Potter.  I saw a display of first appearance comics, the original building had the first appearances of the Justice League, I wonder where did they go?  Next were costumes of The Riddler and Oswald Cobblepot from The Batman.  On the left side of a wall is the costumes from Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.  On the right side, is the DC Universe starting with the Batmobile and the uniforms of The Batman and Selina Kyle also from The Batman. Impressive.  To the right, are displays of Wonder Woman, Amazon bows and shields, and props from Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), no wishstone.  The photo op is her golden wings with you holding the lasso that lights up!  Then, on the left wall is the six costumes from Justice League (2017) or Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021).  Cyborg was a mannequin prop.   

                Costumes of Wonder Woman (Lynda Carter), Superman (Christopher Reeve), and Batman (Michael Keaton), DC Universe, author’s photo. 

Next to it is a display of props and the costume from Shazam! (2019).  The right side continues with Superman, there is the Daily Planet desk of Lois Lane, three Superman capes from various movies.  Aquaman, new for me was the photo op holding Aquaman’s trident with a great background, and a tank-like window with the Trench Creature’s Costume, you can see it for two seconds before it glares red and then fades to black.  This finishes with an entire wall showing screens that reveal the Batcave with a rotating platform with all of the Batmobiles!   Also there is the Batwing from Beavis, the Batpod, and the Batmobile from Batman (1989).  Near the exit is a stunning display of Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman costume!, Superman’s costume worn by Christopher Reeve from Superman III (1983), and Batman’s costume from Tim Burton’s Batman.  

The Harry Potter section had Newt Scamander’s room, the window has a Mooncalf peeking in, an interactive potion making room, the Herbology room with Mandrakes, that were all asleep (non working animatronics) at the time.  There also was an interactive wall where you can borrow a wand to practice. It is a wider space than the earlier area, but it is missing more props and costumes.  In 2014, I saw the banking goblin, the manky Port Key boot, the cloak of a Dementor, and the big Aragog prop among many others.  It is the same with the DC exhibit which had Ra’s al Ghul’s costume, the Neutron Bomb prop from The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Poison Ivy, Batgirl and Robin’s Batman & Robin (1997) costumes, plus more.  There was a Picture Car Vault in a warehouse, but that was closed.  Only four Bat vehicles were on this tour, but I heard mention that the building’s basement will be filled with vehicles later.  The Warner Bros. Studio Tour Plus and non-Plus is fun especially for movie lovers.  There’s always something new, tours go to new areas, and wakl throughs so it has great repeatability.      

#WarnerBrosStudioTour, #WBTourHollywood, #TheFlightAttendant, #FriendsTV, #TheJungle, #MalteseFalcon, #WestWing, #TheMatrixReloaded, #LastSamurai, #AChristmasStory, #GilmoreGirls, #AbbottElementary, #Batman, #ElvisMovie, #TheBigBangTheory, #TheBatman, #WonderWoman, #JusticeLeague, #Shazam, #Aquaman, #FantasticBeasts