Ken's Alternate Universe!

Focus On: Kurt Russell

Pretty Much Everywhere

With almost one hundred acting credits to his name, Kurt Russell has one of the longest and most storied careers in motion pictures and television. I’ve enjoyed pretty much everything that I’ve seen him in over the years. In this Focus On feature, we’ll take a look at Mr. Russell’s amazing career that is nearing sixty years in the making.

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His career started in 1962 as an extra on an episode of Dennis The Menace. He then went on to appear in episodes of shows such as Gilligan’s Island, The Fugitive, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., and Gunsmoke. In 1963 he had a bit part in It Happened At The World’s Fair with Elvis Presley. He also starred in multiple television series as a regular cast member including shows like The Travels of Jamie McPheeters.

As Russell grew older, he began a highly successful run in Disney films such as Follow Me, Boys (1966), The Barefoot Executive (1971), and The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969). He would star in ten films between 1966 and 1981 for the company, the last one being the animated The Fox And The Hound as well as appear in multiple roles on Wonderful World Of Color. His big break came in 1979 in the TV movie Elvis, in which he portrayed the King himself. Russell was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for his portrayal of Elvis and despite having such a long and popular career, it would be the highest award that he would ever be nominated for as of this writing.

1980 found Russell in the comedy Used Cars. In 1981, Russell took on the first of many iconic science fiction and action roles as Snake Plissken in John Carpenter’s Escape From New York. These two films would set the tone for the rest of Russell’s career as he would (and continues to) star in numerous comedies and action/sci-fi roles.

Horror fans know Russell for the role of R.J. MacReady in the sci-fi horror thriller The Thing. Also directed by John Carpenter, the film made a modest four million over its budget and was trashed by critics. It has since gone on to garner a massive cult following (including myself). Russell and Carpenter would team up again in 1986 for Big Trouble In Little China. The film bombed at theaters, but found its audience on home video and went on to become yet another cult classic for Russell.

Another cult classic for Russell is 1987’s Overboard, a comedy that featured Russell’s longtime partner, Goldie Hawn. The duo had been together for about four years when the film was released and despite bombing at theaters, it gained an audience on home video and television. It is also one of my wife’s favorite films.

The world premiere of Marvel Studios’ 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.' - Arrivals — Russell and Goldie Hawn at the premiere of Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, 2017.

The 1990’s saw Russell’s star grow substantially. He appeared in a number of highly successful films including Backdraft (1991), Unlawful Entry (1992), Tombstone (1993), Stargate (1994), Executive Decision (1996), and Breakdown (1997). Despite these successes, though, Russell appeared in a few bombs as well. As usual, some of these bombs have become cult classics. Some of the better “bombs” from Russell’s career in the 90’s includes Soldier (1998) and Captain Ron (1992). Russell also reprised his role as Snake Plissken in the 1996 bomb, Escape from L.A., which featured a hilarious surfing sequence with Peter Fonda. It was directed by John Carpenter, adding another film to the Russell/Carpenter roster of films.

The 2000’s found Russell holding his own as an older man in action films, westerns, dramas, and comedies. Some of his most popular roles since 2000 include Coach Herb Brooks in Disney’s Miracle (2004), the superhero father named Steve Stronghold in 2005’s Sky High (also a Disney film), Stuntman Mike in 2007’s Death Proof, and John “The Hangman” Ruth in 2015’s The Hateful Eight.

Of course, Russell’s biggest recent role is Ego from Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 (2017). It’s also one of my favorite performances by Russell despite it not being one of my favorite Marvel films. Some of my other favorite Russell roles include Coach Brooks, Wyatt Earp, and The Hangman.

I’ve been a fan of Kurt Russell as long as I can remember. He also seems to be a pretty cool guy off camera as well. I especially enjoy listening to him talk about filming Tombstone. He is often credited by Val Kilmer, who portrayed Doc Holliday in the film, as the person that kept the film from derailing during its production. Russell is one of the most successful steady working actors in cinema. He isn’t always listed with big name stars from the 80’s and 90’s like Tom Cruise, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Harrison Ford, and Mel Gibson, but he had just as many or more roles than all of them during that time. He had major successes and terrible bombs, but he always seems to return for one more film.

In short, Kurt Russell is awesome.

Thanks for reading. Be sure to check out some of Kurt Russell’s work. Of all of his films, the ones that I highly suggest checking out are (in order of release): Follow Me, Boys, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, Elvis, Escape From New York, The Thing, Big Trouble In Little China, Tango & Cash, Tombstone, Stargate, Miracle, and The Hateful Eight.

Throwback Thursday: Pirates of The Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Yo-ho!

It’s hard to believe that fifteen years have passed since Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was first released. The film spawned four sequels, all to varying degrees of success, that have managed to keep the franchise alive in our minds over the years. Black Pearl is still my favorite of all of the films in the franchise and I have a few thoughts on why that is.

The Cast

Every single member of the cast in this film nailed their performance. So much has been said about Johnny Depp over the years as Captain Jack Sparrow that it’s difficult to add anything new to the conversation. Depp does a great job as the captain who is at times brilliant and at others completely clueless. He’s a slave to his vices and they hold a lot of weight in his decisions. He’s a womanizer, a thief, a drunkard, and, well, a pirate, but he manages to be likeable at the same time.

Orlando Bloom as Will Turner and Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swann play a perfectly love struck couple. Both of them turn in excellent performances that allow them to show off their comedic side as well. I believed that Will was willing to do anything for Elizabeth and vice versa.

Geoffrey Rush as Captain Barbossa was, at least in my opinion, just as brilliant in his role as Depp was as Sparrow. While Barbossa is definitely a bit more despicable than Swann, he has a certain charisma about him and even a hefty dose of honesty that makes you want to follow him into battle. The rest of the pirates, particularly Pintel (Lee Arenberg) and Ragetti (Mackenzie Crook), did wonderful jobs as well.

Although they don’t get as much attention as Depp, Rush, Bloom, or Knightley, Jonathan Pryce (Governor Swann) and Jack Davenport (Commodore Norrington) are just as worthy of praise. Pryce’s well meaning patriarch was portrayed as a relatively honest man who was just a tad bit cowardly. Norrington was the saddest character in the film in my opinion. He seemed to truly love Elizabeth despite having an ego as large as the British fleet. His character developed even more in the next two sequels.

The Music

If I hum a film’s theme or a particular character’s theme long after I’ve left the theater, it means that the music made a significant impression on me. If I hum those same tunes many years down the road, the film’s score really made an impression on me. Only a few scores have done this to me over the years, most of them composed by John Williams or Danny Elfman, but Hans Zimmer and Klaus Badelt’s score for Black Pearl is right up there with Williams and Elfman, as I find myself humming their theme at randoms times. The music added to the danger, adventure, and excitement of the story. It also added to the nautical theme of the film.

The Director

Gore Verbinski is a hit-and-miss director. When he’s on, he’s almost perfect. When he’s off, his films are still pretty good, but not for everyone. I thought that he did a great job with Black Pearl and its first sequel, Dead Man’s Chest. His direction in At World’s End was less impressive. To me, the third film in the series was confusing, rushed, and there were character changes that just didn’t jive with me. With Pearl, Verbinski kept things moving at a decent pace that allowed the plot to unfold on its own without falling behind all of the action in the film.

The Source Material

Say what you want about Disney, but they know how to tie nostalgia and adventure together in a film. Many people have fond memories of the classic Pirates of the Caribbean ride located at Disney’s theme parks, so it was a no-brainer for many of them to check out this film. Across all of the films in the series, Disney has managed to weave in certain parts of the ride as an Easter Egg for fans of the theme park attraction. I’m one of those suckers that looks for these Easter Eggs. Since 2006, Disney has modified the ride in their parks across the globe to include characters from the films.

For those unfamiliar with the theme park attraction, Disney made sure to highlight the action in the film’s trailer and used big names like Depp and Bloom to draw in other moviegoers. Everybody loves a pirate, right?

Conclusion

Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl wasn’t the first Disney film based on one of the the company’s theme park rides (that would be Tower of Terror, a 1997 television film starring Steve Guttenberg and Kirsten Dunst), but it is definitely one of the most successful ones. Pearl grossed just over 650 million dollars. Two of its sequels (Dead Man’s Chest and On Stranger Tides) grossed over one billion dollars each and the other two (At World’s End and Dead Men Tell No Tales) have both cleared the eight hundred million dollar mark. Without the surprise success of the first film, though, none of the sequels might have been made despite Disney saying that a trilogy was planned.

Other Disney theme park-based film franchises began and ended with one film. Tomorrowland (2015) bombed despite having amazing visuals and George Clooney as a star. Disney’s other 2003 theme park film, The Haunted Mansion, wasn’t scary enough for thrill seekers and many found that the plot was too adult for families with younger children. We won’t even talk about The Country Bears (which, sadly, has some brilliant music in it). Only Pirates has seemed to really connect with its audience. Another theme park-based film, Jungle Cruise, is scheduled for release in late 2019 and will star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Emily Blunt. I wonder if it will be the next big theme park franchise film series for Disney?

As always, thanks for taking time out of your day to read my thoughts. Did you enjoy The Curse of the Black Pearl like me? Whether you did or didn’t, let me know what you thought about the film in the comments section.

Yo-ho!

Teen Titans Go! To The Movies!

Jump City

I know that a lot of people (or at least a vocal minority) dislike the Teen Titans Go! animated series on Cartoon Network. They blame it for destroying the extremely exceptional Teen Titans cartoon and even Young Justice even though I believe that Cartoon Network itself should be blamed for the cancellation of either series. They are in the business of making money, and apparently TTG! makes a lot of money for them, so it’s probably “just business” for Cartoon Network. I’ve read many hate-filled diatribes against the series and witnessed plenty of people attacking it on social media.

But you know what? I don’t care.

I love the Teen Titans Go! series and when I found out that a film, Teen Titans Go! To The Movies, was on the way, I made sure to put in an extra amount of effort in order to see the movie.

The film centers on Robin, who is upset that the Teen Titans are looked down upon by everyone, including their fellow superheroes. To quote Superman, they are a bunch of “goofsters” that seem to cause more trouble than they prevent. After blowing an attempt to stop Balloon Man from wreaking havoc in Jump City and receiving a scolding from the Justice League (who save the day) for their failure, Robin and Co. attempt to get into the premiere for Batman Again.

Trailers for films coming out next summer, next, next summer, and even next, next, next summer appear as if they might be about Robin, but turn out being for, um, other associates of Batman that will remain nameless. Enraged, Robin determines to get his own movie to prove that he’s a true superhero. He’s convinced by his teammates that in order to get a film, he needs an arch nemesis.

Enter Slade, aka Deathstroke (although they never call him by that name), who the Teen Titans attempt to stop from stealing a crystal for his ultimate weapon (which will remain nameless). They fail yet again, but continue to try and stop Slade as he continues collecting items for his weapon.

The Teen Titans take a few other humorous measures in order to win their way onto the big screen, including an extremely funny sequence where they go back in time to prevent the creation of some of DC’s biggest heroes. Even funnier is their attempt to restore those heroes’ creation stories.

Will Robin achieve his dream of becoming a movie star? Will the Teen Titans get it together long enough to stop Slade? You’ll have to watch Teen Titans Go! To The Movies to find out. You won’t regret it.

The film roles along at a quick pace with just one moment in the third act that drags a bit. The struggle against Slade begins to wear thin for a little while, but a not-so-surprising twist occurs that injects new life into the plot.

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The cast features all of the original voice actors for the Teen Titans Go! series. Tara Strong (Raven), Khary Payton (Cyborg), Greg Cipes (Beast Boy), Hynden Walch (Starfire), and Scott Menville (Robin) have these characters down pat. Their comic timing was dead on as well. The supporting cast featured Nicolas Cage as Superman, Will Arnett as Slade, Kristen Bell as Jade Wilson, Jimmy Kimmel as Batman, Halsey as Wonder Woman, Meredith Salenger as Supergirl, Lil Yachty as Green Lantern, Wil Wheaton as the Flash, and a whole host of other celebs big and small in some hilarious roles. Be on the lookout for Michael Bolton as Tiger and Patton Oswalt as Atom. They are featured in a couple of my favorite moments in the film. There’s also a couple of cameos from one particular person that always seems to find their way into comic book films. I won’t spoil who that is in this review.

The music is fun and inventive in the film. It features some hilarious takes on standard tunes typical of most children’s movies including inspirational tunes, songs meant to amaze, and an occasional rap. My kids and I sang along with and laughed at the songs the entire time.

The animation is exactly what you’d expect from Teen Titans Go! Warner Bros. didn’t stray too far from formula with the design of the characters and blended different types of animation in at just the right moment for humorous effect.

Speaking of humor, Teen Titans Go! To The Movies has something for everyone. They have slapstick comedy and sophomoric jokes for the youngsters, but for comic and comic film fans, the humor goes much, much deeper. TTG! hits high and low with punches directed at themselves, other shows on Cartoon Network, and the many, many films featuring Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and pretty much every other stereotypical superhero film out there. Some of the jokes cut very deep and some of them are just stone cold (especially during one hero’s origin story sequence). I was shocked at how brutal some of the in-jokes were in the movie. No stone was left unturned (including Martha). Just know that the adult humor is brilliantly hidden from the kiddies and the slapstick comedy is fun for everyone.

One of the best things about this film is that some of DC’s classic heroes that aren’t necessarily front and center these days gets to shine in this film, even if it’s just for a moment. It was great to see the Spectre, Booster Gold, Red Tornado, and other heroes on the screen. It was also cool to see the Challengers of the Unknown on the big screen. I’m sure some of you are googling them as I write this but trust me, they are real DC heroes.

DC and Warner Bros. obviously had a great time making this film. It was nice to see them take shots at their many films and classic characters. This movie is funny and worth seeing in a theater. If you’re still sour over the cancellation of Teen Titans, get over yourself and smile for a little bit by watching Teen Titans Go! To The Movies. It’s one of the best superhero films I’ve seen in a long time!

Thanks for reading my review of Teen Titans Go! To The Movies. It really is an excellent film that is great for the whole family. It has an excellent blend of humor for kids and adults. Sadly I didn’t get to see Ant-Man And The Wasp before it left theaters, so I’ll have to wait on my review for that film. There’s still a chance that I’ll get to see Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom before it leaves theaters and I’ll review it if I can.

Until next time, true believers!

Throwback Thursday: Degrassi High

Toronto, Ontario, 1980 Something

Growing up in rural Louisiana in the 80’s/90’s meant that cable television was a wild dream and the local ABC, CBS, NBC, and PBS affiliates were my primary viewing options. As a teenager, most of the characters that I was given to identify with came packaged in comedies like Saved By The Bell and California Dreams or soap operas such as Beverly Hills, 90210. These shows, while entertaining to a degree, didn’t present teens with a realistic view of life.

Thankfully our friends to the north, specifically Kit Hood, Yan Moore, and Linda Schuyler, saw a need for a realistic program that tackled tough issues that tweens and teens faced on a daily basis. After Schuyler’s series The Kids Of Degrassi Street came to an end in 1986, Degrassi Junior High began airing in 1987. The series carried over a number of the actors from Kids and placed them in new roles. The series continued until 1989 when most of the kids moved on to high school. This gave life to Degrassi High.

Both series tackled many heavy issues that weren’t found on any other teen based series at the time. Degrassi Junior High took on teen pregnancy when one of the core characters, Spike (Amanda Stepto), became pregnant. She went through with the pregnancy and gave birth to a daughter, Emma, who would eventually be the character to bridge the series into 2001’s Degrassi: The Next Generation. The series also placed characters in situations involving child abuse, bullying, epilepsy, alcohol and drug abuse, and young romance, among other things.

Degrassi High dealt with many of the same issues as Degrassi Junior High, but on a much larger scale. Students dealt with racism, divorced parents, cancer, mixed race relationships, and abortion. Suicide was featured from the point of view of both the individual that committed the act and those left behind after the deed was done. As in real life, some of the teens made good decisions, but many of them made the wrong choice as well. They handled the consequences of their actions to varying degrees.

Of course, the series wasn’t entirely focused on turmoil. There were plenty of fun moments littered throughout the series as well. Many of these moments played out through the actions of Joey Jeremiah (Pat Mastroianni), Archibald “Snake” Simpson (Stefan Brogren), and Derek “Wheels” Wheeler (Neil Hope). The trio formed a band known as The Zit Remedy and had one hit (at least on Degrassi Street). They often found themselves in awkward or silly situations that provided a much needed injection of humor in an otherwise very dramatic show. Another strong comedic source was the relationship between Alexa Poppadopolos (Irene Courakos) and Simon Dexter (Michael Carry). Simon did pretty much any and everything that Alexa told him to do. The pair would eventually marry on the show.

The series was responsible for a number of my earliest crushes including Spike, Caitlin Ryan (Stacie Mistysyn), Stephanie Kaye (Nicole Stoffman), Heather and Erica Farrell (Maureen and Angela Deiseach), and Michelle Accette (Maureen McKay). I also idolized a lot of the teen guys on the show, hoping to be as cool as they were in my opinion. I really identified with Snake’s awkwardness and the somewhat nerdy Yick Yu (Siluck Saysanasy) and Arthur Kobalewscy (Duncan Waugh).

Despite its sometimes controversial content (at least in the eyes of adults in the late 80’s), the series was wildly popular in Canada and became very successful in the United States thanks to PBS. When the series was given new life in 2001, fans of the classic series tuned in with just as much or more enthusiasm as did the younger demographic that the series was aimed at on television. Fans wanted to catch up with Joey, Snake, Wheels, Lucy, Spike, and Caitlin. Through Emma (played by Miriam McDonald in the new series), classic characters were tied to the new series and it went on to have a fourteen season run before spawning yet another series called Degrassi: Next Class.

Most of the cast members from Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High faded out of the spotlight once the series ended. Dayo Ade, who portrayed BLT in the series, has gone on to have a solid acting career with roles in everything from Lost to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Anais Granofsky, who played Lucy Fernandez, has had multiple supporting roles and works behind the camera as well. Stefan Brogren, Pat Mastroianni, Stacie Mistysyn, and Amanda Stepto all returned to the series with Degrassi: The Next Generation. Both Brogren and Stepto were regular cast members for most of the seasons, with Mastroianni and Mistysyn having recurring roles. Sadly, Neil Hope passed away in 2007. Estranged from almost all of his family and friends, his death wasn’t learned about by them until 2012.

Few shows had an impact on me as did Degrassi. I lived for the day to day lives of these teenagers, many who looked, acted, reacted, or dealt with issues just like I did at the time. The series was a trailblazer then and its impact can still be felt today. In all of television history, few shows were willing to take on the issues that this series tackled.

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane. I’ll have a few reviews in the near future and hopefully another Focus On feature. Did you watch Degrassi back in the day? If you did, let me know how you felt about the show and if it had an impact on your life in the comments section.

Outpost: San Antonio, TX

Remember The Alamo!

My family and I took a quick trip to San Antonio, TX a few weeks ago and, as always, the place didn’t disappoint us at all. We arrived late in the afternoon but had enough time to venture to the Alamo, where Texian and Tejano soldiers and numerous volunteers from the United States of America (of which Texas was not a part of at the time) bravely died defending their belief in a Texas free of Mexican control. Estimates of the actual number of those that died vary between 150 and 250 brave souls. If you’ve never been to the Alamo, I highly recommend visiting it at least once in your lifetime. It is a truly moving experience to visit this place.

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Outside of the front doors of the Alamo is a great monument to the defenders of Texas. It is a massive monument and does well to honor those that fought at the mission. Across the street are a number of stores, restaurants and tourist venues.

After a brief visit in downtown San Antonio, we headed to our hotel, the Hilton San Antonio Hill Country. I highly recommend staying in this hotel as it is located near SeaWorld San Antonio. It offers a shuttle to and from the park and also has nightly attractions for the entire family. You can roast marshmallows and make s’mores in the campfires located in the courtyard at night. You can also watch a family movie, play basketball, eat hamburgers and hot dogs, or swim in one of the three pools or relax in the jacuzzi. There’s also a restaurant on site and a gym with ellipticals, weight machines, and other exercise equipment. This is our favorite hotel in the area and have stayed here on multiple occasions.

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On our second day in San Antonio, we visited SeaWorld San Antonio. We rode all of the big coasters including the Steel Eel, the Great White, the Wave Breaker, and the Shamu Express. We watched a few shows as well. My personal favorite was the Beluga Whale/White-Sided Dolphin, and Macaw show, Ocean Discovery. I also enjoyed the Animal Conservation Center. There we got up close and personal with an owl and learned about animals that are cared for at the park that aren’t necessarily of the aquatic persuasion.

Since it was July, it was very hot at the park. Luckily we found the Chill Out Bar located next to the Great White roller coaster. The bar offered liquid nitrogen frozen ice cream and a number of cool adult beverages including frozen Jack & Coke. The best part of the bar is that you get to keep the cup that your drink is served in when you’re done! Oh, and it’s one of the few places in the park that serves drinks with straws. The straws are paper, though, and completely biodegradable.

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We also went to Discovery Point, located just outside of the entrances to SeaWorld San Antonio and Aquatica, the SeaWorld water park. There, visitors are given the opportunity to have experiences with dolphins, beluga whales, and sea lions. There’s also Explorer’s Reef, home to a number of sharks and exotic fish.

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SeaWorld San Antonio offers both education and fun. My entire family enjoyed the day at the park and plan on returning again in the future. There’s still plenty of things left for us to explore at the park, and I recommend allowing at least two days to really take in many of the attractions.

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We left early on Sunday morning after attending Mass at Prince of Peace Catholic Church near our hotel. We then made an unexpected trip back to Austin (but no sightseeing this time) and then headed home later that evening. Our trip naturally included a few stops at Buc-ee’s Travel Centers across Texas and when we got home, we immediately wanted to return to San Antonio.

As always, thanks for reading. I’ll have a post about the latest Hurricane Pro Wrestling event that I attended in Beaumont, TX in the very near future. I’m still hoping to check out Ant-Man and the Wasp and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom before they leave theaters, and I also want to see Teen Titans Go! To The Movies. If by some miracle of fate I get to see any of these films, I’ll post a review.

Throwback Thursday: Godzilla (1998)

Twenty Years Ago

Today’s edition of Throwback Thursday may not necessarily be a good memory for some of my readers. It features an infamous version of a beloved kaiju that was meant to be a tentpole franchise for TriStar Pictures. Sadly, the film was ripped to shreds by critics and fans had mixed reactions to the movie.

Godzilla has been a major part of Japanese culture since 1954. There have been multiple films about the giant lizard with atomic breath. In fact, there have been almost thirty films created featuring the King of the Monsters. In 1998, Hollywood took a shot at making their own version of the big lizard and bombed despite pulling in a profit on the film.

The film definitely had a few things going for it before its release. There was a massive marketing push prior to the film that gave potential audiences only a glimpse at Godzilla’s foot. Specific instructions were given to all of the marketing partners to not reveal the monster in its entirety. I remember being harassed by customers at Kay-Bee Toys (I was working there during the film’s release) who wanted a sneak peek at the beast. We had a bunch of merchandise on the shelves featuring the classic look of Godzilla as well as Mecha Godzilla, Mothra, and other popular kaiju. This only made customers want to see the monster even more. I had customers come into the store daily for a couple of weeks prior to the film’s release begging to see the new toys for the film. They were wasting their breath, as we didn’t get the toys in until the week of the film’s release and we weren’t allowed to open the boxes until after the movie’s release.

Along with the excellent marketing strategy, the film was under the guidance of Dean Devlin (writer/producer) and Roland Emmerich (director/writer). They were fresh off of the successful popcorn flick Independence Day and had two other popular films, Universal Soldier and Stargate, under their belts. The duo appeared to be unstoppable when it came to making blockbusters at the time.

The film also had a solid core cast that included Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Hank Azaria, and Harry Shearer. It was also expected to be the film that launched Maria Pitillo into mega stardom but she instead received a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress. I’ve never seen why she was even nominated for the award. Her character was thin from the get-go and that wasn’t her fault.

The film’s supporting cast was also excellent. It included Kevin Dunn, Michael Lerner, Arabella Field, Doug Savant, and Nancy Cartwright. My personal favorite supporting actress in the film was Vicki Lewis. I fell in love with her in 1995 when I first saw her on the sitcom NewsRadio. I’ve actively sought out her work ever since. Eagle-eyed Degrassi High fans might even catch a glimpse of Pat Mastroianni, who is best known for his role of Joey Jeremiah from the Canadian teen drama.

The creature effects looked pretty good. They were primarily CGI with a few practical effects thrown in for good measure. The baby Godzillas in the film reminded me of the velociraptors from Jurassic Park. The destruction of the city was also a combination of computer and practical effects.

Despite having all of this going for it, the film was still panned by critics. They complained about everything from the absurdity of the story to the terrible casting choices (at least in their opinion). Moviegoers made the film a success, but it wasn’t enough for the studios to move forward with a second and third film as was originally planned.

For what it’s worth, I enjoyed the film. I tossed out everything that I knew and loved about the original Godzilla films and watched it for what it was: A Devlin-Emmerich Popcorn Flick. These guys were Michael Bay before Michael Bay was cool. All of their films have sleek productions and moments of awesomeness, but ultimately they are forgettable flicks that wow the eyes but do nothing for the brain.

I own the film on DVD. I watch it from time to time. I’m especially fond of watching it when it is raining outside and the temperature is slightly cool. I don’t know why, but it just feels right to watch the film in this fashion.

How about you? Did you enjoy this film or wish it would be banned from the planet? Let me know in the comments section. Oh, and if you happen to run into Vicki Lewis, tell her that I still have a major crush on her.

Thanks for reading. I’ll have an Outpost entry on my page in a few days and hopefully a review of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Ant-Man and the Wasp soon!

Calcasieu Serialfest Chapter 5!

Sulphur, LA

If you’ve ever enjoyed watching films such as Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Rocketeer, Star Wars, or almost any of the current crop of superhero films, you owe a little debt of gratitude to the classic serials of the early twentieth century. Almost every aspect of modern action and adventure films has been influenced by these cliffhangers. From special effects to storylines, these films set the foundation for the popcorn flick of today.

A celebration of these serials took place in Sulphur, LA over the weekend at the Brimstone Museum. Calcasieu Serialfest celebrated its fifth year (or chapter) by highlighting the career of Kirk Alyn, the first man to ever don the cape of Superman in a live action film. Episodes from some of his most popular serials including Blackhawk, Radar Patrol Vs. Spy King, and Federal Agents Vs. Underworld, Inc. were shown and cosplayer Bill Necessary offered up some interesting facts about Alyn between episodes.

Other serials featured included The Adventures of Captain Marvel, The Perils of Pauline, and The Fighting Marines, among others. Necessary would give historical information on many of these as well, often in the costume of the hero that was being featured. He changed into multiple costumes during the event, including Superman, Captain Marvel, and the Lone Ranger. He happily posed for photos with attendees of the event as well.

The event was entirely free, which is rare in today’s world. Free popcorn and drinks were offered throughout the showing of the serial chapters, and lunch was provided as well. Numerous door prizes were also handed out. These included comic books featuring heroes that found success in cliffhangers such as Flash Gordon and The Green Hornet, and serial posters. I was lucky enough to win quite a few of the comic books, and there were also some free prints available to everyone at the welcome table. My favorite print was of Alyn and Noel Neill as Clark Kent and Lois Lane.

At the end of the event, a few of us hung around in order to play Fortune & Glory, an RPG that takes place in the same universe where classic serials occur. In other words, there were tons of Nazis, mobsters, robots, monsters, and cliffhanging moments to deal with during the game. It was really fun to play, and I look forward to playing it again.

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This year’s event drew the largest crowd that I’ve ever seen. From what I was told, people traveled from all over southwest Louisiana and even parts of east Texas to attend the celebration. That’s great news to hear, as this wonderful event deserves more attention than it has been getting in the local area. It offers up something that doesn’t get much attention from most mainstream pop culture and comic con events as they focus on what’s popular at the moment and not so much on what actually set the foundation for it all.

Next year’s event will focus on the work of Howard and Theodore Lydecker, masters of miniature work and special effects. Considering that most of these productions were done on a shoestring budget, the Lydeckers did a brilliant job with what little money and technology they were given at the time. I can’t wait to see and learn more about these men.

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I want to personally thank Patrick Bennett, Bill Necessary, Thom Trahan, and the Brimstone Historical Society for putting on such an excellent event. Each year gets better and it’s great to see these often forgotten films get some attention from a group that appreciates them and the artists that brought them to life. I also want to thank all of my readers for taking a little time out of their day to read about this event. I’ll have more posts coming later this week!

DC Impresses At SDCC

Positive

Positive is a word that hasn’t been used very much when talking about the DCEU. With Justice League failing to attract large audiences last year (despite actually being a decent film) and BvS and Suicide Squad underwhelming critics, DC’s lone shining star in recent years at the movies was Wonder Woman. But news out of San Diego Comic Con from sources like Hollywood Reporter and the Wall Street Journal and buzz on social media is showing that both Aquaman and Shazam! are getting a lot of positive vibes from fans and “professionals” alike. Here are both trailers for you to check out. My own thoughts will follow.

As expected, Aquaman drew the biggest attention on social media. Ever the punching bag of comic “fans” that never picked up an issue of Aquaman and only know him from Saturday morning cartoons or Robot Chicken, Jason Momoa’s turn as Arthur Curry is looking to be a pretty solid one. It looks like the film will focus on Curry’s battle with his half brother, Orm (Patrick Wilson), also known as Ocean Master, as the two battle for Atlantis. The movie looks like it might take a few pages from the Throne of Atlantis storyline featured in DC’s New 52 run of the character. If that’s the case, unknowing moviegoers are going to get a big fat fist of flounder planted on their jaw when they see what Aquaman is really capable of when his powers are fully realized.

Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is also featured in the trailer, and hopefully the film will do him and the rest of the characters justice. I’m also excited to see how Amber Heard’s Mera comes across in the film. Fans of the comics know just how powerful Mera is, and I hope that DC and Warner Bros. let Heard flesh out the character’s full potential.

There’s a serious overall tone to the film’s trailer (with minor humor injected here and there) and that’s a positive in my book. Instead of going full buddy comedy and (at least in my opinion) ruining what could have been a great story as Marvel did with Thor: Ragnarok (yes, I know that I’m in the minority with that opinion), it appears that director/writer James Wan, writer Geoff Johns, and writer Will Beall are attempting to tell an interesting story that relies as much on plot as it does on action.

Shazam! got plenty of positive feedback as well. Again, it looks like Warner Bros. is going with the New 52 version of the character and if that is the case, then this film really does need to be a buddy comedy. A friend of mine said that it reminded him of the Tom Hanks vehicle, Big, and I have to agree with him. Zachary Levi is basically going to be a kid trapped in a superhero’s body, and the trailer reflected the humor in that extremely well. We also got a brief glimpse of Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong), who will no doubt bring a bit of seriousness to the film. I’m also hoping for a cameo or more from Ray Fisher as Cyborg. I’d love to hear Zachary Levi chant, “Vic-Toe-Ree,” and see Cyborg roll his eyes in disgust.

I really hope that both of these films do well. In my opinion, DC has more iconic heroes than Marvel and they really need to be given better representation on film. I honestly believe that the bulk of movie fans that watch the Marvel films rarely or never actually read a comic book and that’s sad because Marvel does have some great stories on the page. Nobody outside of the comic book shop ever heard of the Guardians of the Galaxy or Black Panther prior to their introduction in the MCU, but here they are, some of Marvel’s biggest heroes within the last few years.

I also believe that this is one of the main reasons (but not the only one) that DC hasn’t done as well with recent films. In my opinion, DC and Warner Bros. rely too much on the assumption that moviegoers are already familiar with the storylines and/or characters culled from the comics, and they leave the theater feeling confused, angry, or bored. Honestly, if you didn’t know that it was Parademons attacking Batman in his nightmare or the Flash contacting him in another dream sequence, you just aren’t that familiar with the comics. Marvel figured this out many films ago, and DC needs to come to the same realization.

In any case, moviegoers are about to get a dose of two (three if you count Mera) of the most powerful beings in the DC Universe. Sure, “fans” are already making Finding Nemo jokes about the movie’s poster and I’ve even seen a few people say that they didn’t know that Ariel from Disney’s The Little Mermaid was in the film (an obvious slight at the very powerful Mera), but in the end, I’m confident that both Aquaman and Shazam (who’ll always be the real Captain Marvel in my book) will get a little more respect once these films hit the theaters.

Thanks for reading and be sure to let me know what you think about both film trailers and the DCU as a whole in the comments section.

Throwback Thursday: Blade

The Daywalker

Before Black Panther‘s rise as a significant film in Marvel and cinematic history for its success and cultural impact and before Deadpool was erroneously declared the first R-rated superhero film, 1998’s Blade gave us an African American lead based on a superhero and a strong R-rating (But even Blade wasn’t the first R-rated comic film. There were quite a few before it, including Fritz The Cat and The Punisher).

Celebrating its twentieth anniversary next month, Blade was an excellent Wesley Snipes vehicle that told the tale of the title character portrayed by Snipes as he takes on vampires with his friend and mentor, Abraham Whistler (Kris Kristofferson). In the film, Blade’s primary adversary is Deacon Frost (Stephen Dorff), a “made” vampire who is intent on overthrowing the pure-blood vampires in order to take control of vampire society. In order to do this, Frost needs the blood of Blade in order to awaken the the blood god known as La Magra.

The film, at least in my opinion, was an even bigger risk than Marvel’s Iron Man film. While Iron Man was definitely a B grade hero when his film was released, most general audiences were at least mildly familiar with the character. Blade was pretty much unknown outside of comic circles, and the internet was still in its infancy, so that meant that “hardcore” and so-called “lifelong” fans didn’t amazingly appear thanks to Wikipedia and other web sources as they do these days for so many different comic book films featuring lesser known characters like Ant-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, and, yep, even ol’ Black Panther.

The film featured an excellent cast with established (although not necessarily well known) performers such as Kristofferson and Udo Kier and up-and-comers such as Donal Logue and Sanaa Lathan. Adult film star and techno musician Traci Lords used her small role in the film as a stepping stone into a more mainstream acting career. Many saw the film as an attempt for Dorff to revive his career as well. Arly Jover was also in the film and has achieved moderate success overseas since being in Blade.

The film was surprisingly successful and went on to have two sequels and a television series. The first sequel, Blade II, is considered an excellent film and possibly the best Blade film to date. The second sequel, the abysmal Blade: Trinity, featured what should have been a great cast trapped inside a poorly directed and written film. Oh, and Ryan Reynolds wouldn’t shut up long enough for Blade or anybody else to get a word in edgewise. I personally never saw the TV series, so I’m not sure how that played out.

The film was loaded with action and atmosphere. From the opening sequence featuring Blade eliminating tons of the undead at a vampire rave to the great face-off with Frost, Snipes’ Blade was constantly hero posing. He made every move that he made so much more cool than it actually was on the screen. The techno beats throughout the film gave it a much needed injection of urgency and the music was the perfect co-pilot during the multiple fight sequences featuring varied martial arts and swordplay.

The CGI was decent for its time, and the climactic ending against Frost was re-edited because, gasp, the CGI squad didn’t like what they created. There were plenty of stunts and practical effects in the film as well.

With the success of Black Panther, talk has begun about there possibly being a revival of the Blade film franchise. I truly hope that Blade returns to the big screen. I don’t believe that Wesley Snipes will reprise the role unless they go with an “old Blade” story similar to the Logan movie that signed off on Hugh Jackman’s portrayal of Wolverine. If this were to happen, there are plenty of young black actors waiting in the wings to take over the role of the Daywalker.

Blade seems to have been lost in the shuffle of comic book films over the last decade or so. With the success of Disney’s Marvel films, Blade, older incarnations of the Punisher, and the campy Captain America film from 1990 have all fallen to the wayside. I can understand why Cap’s old movie has vanished, as well as the Dolph Lundgren Punisher flick, but Blade doesn’t deserve to be forgotten.

If you haven’t watched any of the Blade films, I highly recommend that you do so. You will not regret it. Be warned that the Technicolor, Happy Times versions of today’s Marvel heroes are nothing like the grittier, angry Blade of the 1990’s. It’s definitely a fun film, though, and I’m happy to say that I saw it in the theater way back in ’98.

Thanks for taking a trip down memory lane with me today and thanks for reading my post. I’m headed to Calcasieu Serialfest this weekend and will have a full report as soon as possible. I’ve also got an Outpost feature just itching to be posted and I need to write up another Focus On feature soon.

Stay batty, folks!

Adventure! Danger! Romance!

The Edge Of Your Seat!

This Saturday, July 21st, at the Brimstone Museum in Sulphur, LA, the epic cliffhangers of the 1930’s and 40’s will make a grand return at Calcasieu Serialfest! I’ve personally attended this event all but one year and have enjoyed it every time. I’ve blogged about this event before, and all of my regular readers know how much I love classic cliffhangers, so it should be no surprise that I will be in attendance this year.

Each year this event highlights one specific actor and showcases them in some of their most beloved roles. This year the festival focuses on Kirk Alyn, who was the first actor to portray a live action version of Superman. He is also known for portraying another comic book hero, Blackhawk, leader of the Blackhawk Squadron. That character is currently tied to a project being headed up by Steven Spielberg.

While Alyn will get the lion’s share of attention at the event, other actors and actresses will also get a chance to shine. Based on the event’s Facebook page some of the other stars attendees will get to see on the screen include Grant Withers, Lee Powell, and Evalyn Knapp.

One of the best things about this event is that it is free to attend. There’s free popcorn and drinks to enjoy while watching the serials and there’s even a free lunch! Door prizes will be given out as well. You can also expect to see a cosplayer or two in attendance if the last couple of years are any indication.

If you are in the area, please make plans to attend this very cool and very unique festival. It’s a celebration of an era that spawned modern day superhero films and blockbuster franchises such as Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark. I know of no other event similar to this one in southwest Louisiana or east Texas, so attend if you are able!

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The Brimstone Museum is located at 900 South Huntington Street in Sulphur, LA. The festival will open at 10 A.M. and serials will play until 5 P.M. Admission is free to this event. I will be in attendance (possibly incognito as a surprise villain) and I hope to see all of you there. For more information, please refer to the festival’s Facebook page and be sure to share the event and the page with your friends.

I’ll have a full report after the event. Look for my post early next week. It will include photos of the event, cosplayers, door prizes, and anything else that I deem fit to blog about in my post.

As always, thanks for reading and I hope that I see you this weekend in Sulphur at Calcasieu Serialfest!

All photos appearing in this post have been taken from the Calcasieu Serialfest Facebook page. I have received no compensation for this post or any other post that I have ever created. If and when something like that should happen, I’ll let everyone know.

Pretty Much Everywhere

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Yo-ho!

The Cast

The Music

The Director

The Source Material

Conclusion

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Jump City

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Toronto, Ontario, 1980 Something

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Remember The Alamo!

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Twenty Years Ago

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Sulphur, LA

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Positive

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The Daywalker

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The Edge Of Your Seat!

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