- Published on
Holy mother of dragons, folks ... did you see that? Did you see that today has an incredible 98 different trivia citations for you to enjoy? Good grief, I oughta win an award or something, no?
Nah, nah, nah. I do it for love. Nothing else.
In any case, good morning and Happy Tuesday, gentle readers. Here's hoping your week is shaping up exactly the way it should, meaning that all is well and things are well under control. Not so much at the Z-House: I'm puttering this morning around this place, doing laundry, and trying to commit to a review for The Creator. If I'm lucky, then I'll have it up for you later today, so keep your eyes peeled.
Otherwise ... 98 different trivia citations. Wowza. Quite a big haul, if I do say so myself.
Also, I wanted to do a quick recap on the MainPage announcements from yesterday.
In Memoriam: Suzanne Somers (1946-2023)
In Memoriam: Piper Laurie (1932-2023)
In Memoriam: Mark Goddard (1936-2023)
As I've often stated, I kinda/sorta hate doing those type of announcements, but they're part and parcel of life, it would seem. Taking a moment to reflect on the people, places, and events who've touched the worlds of All Things Fantastic is the proper thing to do if for no better reason than to remind each of us that life is short, make the best of it, and stop to smell the roses when and if life gives you the chance. Each of us gets one ticket -- so far as we know -- and I encourage you to check out the scenery before it's all gone.
In the meantime, keep plugging away. Keep doing that which brings you joy and/or makes you greater than you were yesterday. There are those who say that life itself is a long-distance race, and I suppose that's true. What I don't like about the analogy is that it implies there's some trophy waiting at the finish -- as if we were all in competition with one another. Yes, yes, and yes: I realize that there are some who say that's true, but I like to think that we're all in this game together. It isn't so much whether or not you win ... but that you do play the game. Keep at it.
We're all winners.
As always, thanks for reading ... thanks for sharing ... thanks for being a fan ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
Nah, nah, nah. I do it for love. Nothing else.
In any case, good morning and Happy Tuesday, gentle readers. Here's hoping your week is shaping up exactly the way it should, meaning that all is well and things are well under control. Not so much at the Z-House: I'm puttering this morning around this place, doing laundry, and trying to commit to a review for The Creator. If I'm lucky, then I'll have it up for you later today, so keep your eyes peeled.
Otherwise ... 98 different trivia citations. Wowza. Quite a big haul, if I do say so myself.
Also, I wanted to do a quick recap on the MainPage announcements from yesterday.
In Memoriam: Suzanne Somers (1946-2023)
In Memoriam: Piper Laurie (1932-2023)
In Memoriam: Mark Goddard (1936-2023)
As I've often stated, I kinda/sorta hate doing those type of announcements, but they're part and parcel of life, it would seem. Taking a moment to reflect on the people, places, and events who've touched the worlds of All Things Fantastic is the proper thing to do if for no better reason than to remind each of us that life is short, make the best of it, and stop to smell the roses when and if life gives you the chance. Each of us gets one ticket -- so far as we know -- and I encourage you to check out the scenery before it's all gone.
In the meantime, keep plugging away. Keep doing that which brings you joy and/or makes you greater than you were yesterday. There are those who say that life itself is a long-distance race, and I suppose that's true. What I don't like about the analogy is that it implies there's some trophy waiting at the finish -- as if we were all in competition with one another. Yes, yes, and yes: I realize that there are some who say that's true, but I like to think that we're all in this game together. It isn't so much whether or not you win ... but that you do play the game. Keep at it.
We're all winners.
As always, thanks for reading ... thanks for sharing ... thanks for being a fan ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
- Published on
From what I can recall, there were a whole helluva lot of people excited about 2023’s The Creator when its big, bold, and brash theatrical trailer dropped.
In fairness, some of the resulting excitement could be attributed to the fact that – as of late – many of fandom’s biggest intellectual properties have been seen as underperforming by a very large percentage of the audience. Star Wars – even its TV iterations – have kinda/sorta disappeared from the horizon, and – even though I’ve never been a big Marvel guy – the Mouse House’s explorations of All Things Spandex have stalled in terms of popularity and casual interest. (Do NOT get me started on the DC lineup!) Add to the equation that the recently-ended writers strike and the ongoing actors strike has ground the news cycle to a halt and maybe – just maybe – that whole “it’s never been a better time to be a fan” sensibility reminds us that, indeed, there has been a better time to be a fan … and it isn’t now. As you might guess, The Creator was perhaps anticipated by many as being able to fill a gaping chasm left in the entertainment landscape. It’s not uncommon for fans to embrace new ideas this way.
Well …
Sadly, The Creator opened to rather dismal box office numbers – I think it placed third in its first weekend on screens – and it’s resounding failed to ignite fires anywhere that I roam to gauge the heat. I have read a good deal on commentary about it being a somewhat ‘failed masterpiece,’ and – having seen it this past weekend – I’m not even sure I’d agree with that assessment. Frankly, I found it all a bit confusing, a surprising twist given the fact that I loved what writer/director Gareth Edwards did with Monsters (2010) and even more with Rogue One (2016). Perhaps trying to do too much with too little (story and money) truly cursed this outing to cultural obscurity, and maybe it’ll take some time to see if it can emerge as a bona fide cult classic if found and explored in the months and years ahead.
Still … I’m inclined to say “no,” and those who really want to know the particulars are advised to stay tuned.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
In fairness, some of the resulting excitement could be attributed to the fact that – as of late – many of fandom’s biggest intellectual properties have been seen as underperforming by a very large percentage of the audience. Star Wars – even its TV iterations – have kinda/sorta disappeared from the horizon, and – even though I’ve never been a big Marvel guy – the Mouse House’s explorations of All Things Spandex have stalled in terms of popularity and casual interest. (Do NOT get me started on the DC lineup!) Add to the equation that the recently-ended writers strike and the ongoing actors strike has ground the news cycle to a halt and maybe – just maybe – that whole “it’s never been a better time to be a fan” sensibility reminds us that, indeed, there has been a better time to be a fan … and it isn’t now. As you might guess, The Creator was perhaps anticipated by many as being able to fill a gaping chasm left in the entertainment landscape. It’s not uncommon for fans to embrace new ideas this way.
Well …
Sadly, The Creator opened to rather dismal box office numbers – I think it placed third in its first weekend on screens – and it’s resounding failed to ignite fires anywhere that I roam to gauge the heat. I have read a good deal on commentary about it being a somewhat ‘failed masterpiece,’ and – having seen it this past weekend – I’m not even sure I’d agree with that assessment. Frankly, I found it all a bit confusing, a surprising twist given the fact that I loved what writer/director Gareth Edwards did with Monsters (2010) and even more with Rogue One (2016). Perhaps trying to do too much with too little (story and money) truly cursed this outing to cultural obscurity, and maybe it’ll take some time to see if it can emerge as a bona fide cult classic if found and explored in the months and years ahead.
Still … I’m inclined to say “no,” and those who really want to know the particulars are advised to stay tuned.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Against the backdrop of a war between humans and robots with artificial intelligence, a former soldier finds the secret weapon, a robot in the form of a young child.”
Generally speaking, I think Science Fiction and Fantasy fans have long tolerated a bit of politics with their storytelling.
The truth is that this genre has always been at the forefront of presenting some of society’s most constructive criticism, be it conversations about how utopia is attainable or even what First Contact by an intelligent species other than our own (snicker snicker) might look like. Yes, we’ve examined the hard science of defense, teleportation, and space travel; and we’ve been willing to hold them up in even critical light, asking what it could mean for not our own but subsequent generations and how their world could be negatively impacted by all of it. Perhaps more than any other genre, ours begins with a concept that could court controversy right out of the gate; so fans have been accustomed to setting aside their differences if for no other purpose than to be entertained.
And specifically, writer/director Gareth Edwards has tackled some political ideas in his quest to deliver some inspired pictures to the silver screen. Monsters (2010) used the backdrop of third world countries to take a look at how our entire planet might deal with an alien invasion of a different sort. Godzilla (2014) – by its very nature – loosely introduces the dangers of nuclear power and what it might unintentionally unleash on the world-at-large. Rogue One (2016) took a close look at the galaxy far, far away via its own military-industrial complex; and the creation of a planet-destroying space station showed audiences what unchecked military power can achieve when no one’s watching the watchers.
However, the politicization of these stories was extremely light. If anything, the resulting politics and/or political discussions were little more than an undercurrent – something that could be felt or even completely missed by the more casual viewers. Folks watching closely – critics, academics, etc. – could choose to make more of these elements were they so inclined, but Edwards never let them get in the way of weaving a good story – first and foremost.
Alas, a bit of nuance could’ve been used with The Creator as even its name – with its Biblical overtones – bit down and never let go.
Joshua (played by John David Washington) is a soldier whose specialty appears to be infiltration of terrorist groups. In the opening sequence, he’s been tasked with a deep cover assignment into enemy territory and has managed to align himself with a group of machine/human hybrids defending artificial intelligence from annihilation. He’s fallen in love with Maya (Gemma Chan), a cyborg who’s now pregnant with his child, and they’re smitten with the idea of spending forever together. But an unanticipated military assault brings their wedded bliss to an end with Maya seemingly killed in the exchange and Joshua recalled to the States.
“Against the backdrop of a war between humans and robots with artificial intelligence, a former soldier finds the secret weapon, a robot in the form of a young child.”
Generally speaking, I think Science Fiction and Fantasy fans have long tolerated a bit of politics with their storytelling.
The truth is that this genre has always been at the forefront of presenting some of society’s most constructive criticism, be it conversations about how utopia is attainable or even what First Contact by an intelligent species other than our own (snicker snicker) might look like. Yes, we’ve examined the hard science of defense, teleportation, and space travel; and we’ve been willing to hold them up in even critical light, asking what it could mean for not our own but subsequent generations and how their world could be negatively impacted by all of it. Perhaps more than any other genre, ours begins with a concept that could court controversy right out of the gate; so fans have been accustomed to setting aside their differences if for no other purpose than to be entertained.
And specifically, writer/director Gareth Edwards has tackled some political ideas in his quest to deliver some inspired pictures to the silver screen. Monsters (2010) used the backdrop of third world countries to take a look at how our entire planet might deal with an alien invasion of a different sort. Godzilla (2014) – by its very nature – loosely introduces the dangers of nuclear power and what it might unintentionally unleash on the world-at-large. Rogue One (2016) took a close look at the galaxy far, far away via its own military-industrial complex; and the creation of a planet-destroying space station showed audiences what unchecked military power can achieve when no one’s watching the watchers.
However, the politicization of these stories was extremely light. If anything, the resulting politics and/or political discussions were little more than an undercurrent – something that could be felt or even completely missed by the more casual viewers. Folks watching closely – critics, academics, etc. – could choose to make more of these elements were they so inclined, but Edwards never let them get in the way of weaving a good story – first and foremost.
Alas, a bit of nuance could’ve been used with The Creator as even its name – with its Biblical overtones – bit down and never let go.
Joshua (played by John David Washington) is a soldier whose specialty appears to be infiltration of terrorist groups. In the opening sequence, he’s been tasked with a deep cover assignment into enemy territory and has managed to align himself with a group of machine/human hybrids defending artificial intelligence from annihilation. He’s fallen in love with Maya (Gemma Chan), a cyborg who’s now pregnant with his child, and they’re smitten with the idea of spending forever together. But an unanticipated military assault brings their wedded bliss to an end with Maya seemingly killed in the exchange and Joshua recalled to the States.
Five years later, the U.S. military recalls the soldier to active duty when it appears that Maya is still alive and operating with a new cell, one that has perfected ‘the ultimate A.I. weapon’ that might turn the tide of war in favor of the machines. Moved by the chance to be reunited with the woman of his dreams, Joshua agrees to provide his support, though it looks increasingly likely that he’s only doing so for selfish reasons. When the crack commando discovers that the purported weapon is little more than a female child (Madeleine Yuna Voyles) that might be linked directly to him, he takes young Alphie on-the-run in hopes that they can evade capture long enough for them to rescue Maya and disappear into obscurity. Love is love, after all, so who’s to say a little love among enemies is wrong?
Edwards has crafted his war story with a few noticeable downsides.
First off, he’s written a yarn that’s wildly anti-American if not specifically anti-Western Civilization. From the film’s opening scenes, it’s very clear that the good ol’ United States of America – that Bastian of democracy that has saved the world from global conflicts at least twice – is clearly “on the wrong side of history” by having not only declared war on Artificial Intelligence but has fabricated evidence seemingly to convince whatever countries remain to join forces against the machines. Throughout the picture, Edwards has imbued only persons of color and/or persons of non-White heritage as being the good guys, even going so far as to enlist laudable actress Allison Janey in her most masculine role yet. She and her compatriots have no moral compass whatsoever, and they’ll maim, kill, and obliterate anything and anyone that gets in the way of achieving whatever U.S. interests are on the list.
Second, Edwards has kinda/sorta turned the world of tomorrow on its head compared to damn near anything in Science Fiction that’s come before. Namely, he’s asserted that Artificial Intelligence is the savior of our world, and he’s penned his script in such a way as to give only those characters augmented with such technology as being truly good, noble, and righteous. This, of course, flies in the face of damn near any reasoned argument that’s been made in the last ten years – why, even Edwards’ own industry has declared war on A.I. in the recent writers and actors strikes. Hasn’t the public forum been replete with some of our best and brightest warning us about the dangers of embracing this level of technology? Certainly, the Terminator and Skynet would be blushing over Edwards’ willingness to fall in love with such an idea.
Lastly, for reasons unknown Edwards seems to be operating from a frame of mind that the U.S. has legal rights to engage in open warfare in any country around the globe, and such a concept is astoundingly misinformed. Apparently, the writer has missed a whole slew of political thrillers that show the lengths to which America has to go just to get a single small squad of soldiers into any active arena outside of its own territories; so the fact that the Army of the Future would both have and maintain active fighting arsenals in each of the locales defies logic. Yes, I realize this is (A) fiction and (B) the future; but I can’t even begin to imagine any nation would surrender its sovereignty so easily given the fact that there never appears to be any authentic R-I-S-K from A.I. in this film. They’re essentially outcasts – the lowest of the low – so the fact that they pose any danger in any of this is almost laughable.
But the script’s problems aren’t all tied to the director’s political opinions.
Edwards has crafted his war story with a few noticeable downsides.
First off, he’s written a yarn that’s wildly anti-American if not specifically anti-Western Civilization. From the film’s opening scenes, it’s very clear that the good ol’ United States of America – that Bastian of democracy that has saved the world from global conflicts at least twice – is clearly “on the wrong side of history” by having not only declared war on Artificial Intelligence but has fabricated evidence seemingly to convince whatever countries remain to join forces against the machines. Throughout the picture, Edwards has imbued only persons of color and/or persons of non-White heritage as being the good guys, even going so far as to enlist laudable actress Allison Janey in her most masculine role yet. She and her compatriots have no moral compass whatsoever, and they’ll maim, kill, and obliterate anything and anyone that gets in the way of achieving whatever U.S. interests are on the list.
Second, Edwards has kinda/sorta turned the world of tomorrow on its head compared to damn near anything in Science Fiction that’s come before. Namely, he’s asserted that Artificial Intelligence is the savior of our world, and he’s penned his script in such a way as to give only those characters augmented with such technology as being truly good, noble, and righteous. This, of course, flies in the face of damn near any reasoned argument that’s been made in the last ten years – why, even Edwards’ own industry has declared war on A.I. in the recent writers and actors strikes. Hasn’t the public forum been replete with some of our best and brightest warning us about the dangers of embracing this level of technology? Certainly, the Terminator and Skynet would be blushing over Edwards’ willingness to fall in love with such an idea.
Lastly, for reasons unknown Edwards seems to be operating from a frame of mind that the U.S. has legal rights to engage in open warfare in any country around the globe, and such a concept is astoundingly misinformed. Apparently, the writer has missed a whole slew of political thrillers that show the lengths to which America has to go just to get a single small squad of soldiers into any active arena outside of its own territories; so the fact that the Army of the Future would both have and maintain active fighting arsenals in each of the locales defies logic. Yes, I realize this is (A) fiction and (B) the future; but I can’t even begin to imagine any nation would surrender its sovereignty so easily given the fact that there never appears to be any authentic R-I-S-K from A.I. in this film. They’re essentially outcasts – the lowest of the low – so the fact that they pose any danger in any of this is almost laughable.
But the script’s problems aren’t all tied to the director’s political opinions.
Arguably, the entire film is founded on never really explaining much of its science. For example, Alphie somehow has been given the seemingly magical ability of turning on and turning off power to damn near anything big or small: the only applicable rule is that she must be in close proximity to it. As the film wears on, it becomes unclear just how close she has to be – early sequences has her reasonable far away from power stations and the like while the big finish requires her to be seated aboard America’s premiere airship, the Nomad. Why the change? If she only had to be close by, then why change the rules to require her to be on it? Is that because it was more cinematic? If so … fail. And that big campaign at the end? When did Alphie and Josh draw it up? At one point, they’re only together privately for a few seconds, and there’s absolutely no way they could’ve concocted this on-the-fly. It just makes zero sense, and that cheapens what could’ve been an otherwise effective and emotional finale.
If one sets aside the obvious politicization, then all we’re left with are the performances.
Sigh.
Washington – as much as he tries – evokes very little emotion in any of this. His best moments are those involving Maya, as he makes no real connection to Alphie until fairly late in the picture. Chan did fabulous work aboard the AMC series Humans – this is not her first rodeo as it pertains to playing synthetic people – but she’s wasted here, seemingly cast more as robotic eye candy than anything resembling an A.I. with the ability to feel real pain and grow real relationships. The young Voyles does a better-than-average job handling the precocious kid duties here, and – honestly – I think she deserved a better script, one that might’ve paired her up with adults capable of sharing the screen with this fledgling actress who might have a bright future. It’s so hard to tell, mostly because so much of this just felt empty to me.
The Creator (2023) was produced by 20th Century Studios, New Regency Productions, and Entertainment One. The film is presently screening around the world theatrically. As for the technical specifications? An awful lot has been written about the film’s extremely affordable budget, especially as it pertains to its pretty vast reliance on special effects. In that respect, yes, The Creator is very impressive. Stylistically? Again, I’ll avoid nitpicking, but I will add it didn’t feel all that epic in a few spots. As for the special features? As I watched this one on the silver screen, there were no special features under consideration.
Recommended, but …
Don’t be confused, folks: I struggled with a great deal of The Creator (2023) when it comes to its world building, its character definitions, and its rather obvious (if not shamefully so) politics; and yet it’s still a flick that’s worth seeing. The performances work reasonably well for the story as crafted, and the effects work is mostly very good quality. I tried to be very clear above on what I felt were some narrative drawbacks, and I’d be remiss to take another visit to this dark tomorrow even if a sequel were possible. It just wasn’t all that interesting on the fundamental levels, making it a miss so far as this old school SciFi junkie is concerned.
-- EZ
If one sets aside the obvious politicization, then all we’re left with are the performances.
Sigh.
Washington – as much as he tries – evokes very little emotion in any of this. His best moments are those involving Maya, as he makes no real connection to Alphie until fairly late in the picture. Chan did fabulous work aboard the AMC series Humans – this is not her first rodeo as it pertains to playing synthetic people – but she’s wasted here, seemingly cast more as robotic eye candy than anything resembling an A.I. with the ability to feel real pain and grow real relationships. The young Voyles does a better-than-average job handling the precocious kid duties here, and – honestly – I think she deserved a better script, one that might’ve paired her up with adults capable of sharing the screen with this fledgling actress who might have a bright future. It’s so hard to tell, mostly because so much of this just felt empty to me.
The Creator (2023) was produced by 20th Century Studios, New Regency Productions, and Entertainment One. The film is presently screening around the world theatrically. As for the technical specifications? An awful lot has been written about the film’s extremely affordable budget, especially as it pertains to its pretty vast reliance on special effects. In that respect, yes, The Creator is very impressive. Stylistically? Again, I’ll avoid nitpicking, but I will add it didn’t feel all that epic in a few spots. As for the special features? As I watched this one on the silver screen, there were no special features under consideration.
Recommended, but …
Don’t be confused, folks: I struggled with a great deal of The Creator (2023) when it comes to its world building, its character definitions, and its rather obvious (if not shamefully so) politics; and yet it’s still a flick that’s worth seeing. The performances work reasonably well for the story as crafted, and the effects work is mostly very good quality. I tried to be very clear above on what I felt were some narrative drawbacks, and I’d be remiss to take another visit to this dark tomorrow even if a sequel were possible. It just wasn’t all that interesting on the fundamental levels, making it a miss so far as this old school SciFi junkie is concerned.
-- EZ
- Published on
Good morning and Happy Monday, gentle readers!
How was your weekend? Here's hoping it was nothing short of spectacular!
Yes, yes, and yes: I'm back in the fight this morning, though today's contributions will admittedly be a bit light (most likely). I still have a few items to get to today that'll keep me from the blog, so you'll all have to make do with whatever content I can stuff into the seams, as they say. Apologies, but today is the last day of the vacation, so there's that.
Still, I'm leaving you with an astonishing 64 different trivia citations to behold, so that has to count for something, no? Well, it should tide you over until I can get up something original for you to digest.
I did manage to take in The Creator yesterday. Sigh. It was ... okay, at best. Visually exciting, but I still had an awful lot of questions. I'm tinkering on a review, so keep your eyes peeled.
How was your weekend? Here's hoping it was nothing short of spectacular!
Yes, yes, and yes: I'm back in the fight this morning, though today's contributions will admittedly be a bit light (most likely). I still have a few items to get to today that'll keep me from the blog, so you'll all have to make do with whatever content I can stuff into the seams, as they say. Apologies, but today is the last day of the vacation, so there's that.
Still, I'm leaving you with an astonishing 64 different trivia citations to behold, so that has to count for something, no? Well, it should tide you over until I can get up something original for you to digest.
I did manage to take in The Creator yesterday. Sigh. It was ... okay, at best. Visually exciting, but I still had an awful lot of questions. I'm tinkering on a review, so keep your eyes peeled.
Confession time: it took me more than a single viewing to get into the world of Smallville.
You have to understand, folks: I'm probably one of the planet's biggest Superman fans, and I wasn't all that thrilled initially with the idea of seeing him as the typical American high schooler. The first time I saw the pilot episode, I wasn't all that impressed, so I tuned it out. However, somewhere around the show's third or fourth season, I gave it another chance. The second time? Why, it felt a bit more organic. A bit more authentic. This time, I hung with it for a few episodes, and I accepted it as another incarnation of Big Blue. I hung with it all the way through the ninth season ... at which point it had kinda/sorta veered so far off the rails with its original storytelling that it soured for me. I've never watched that tenth season, and I've been told by a few online fans that I'm not missing all that much. Maybe someday I'll give it a whirl.
Still, I have a lot of respect for the little show that could. For a time, it was arguably some of the smartest superhero writing on television. Of course, it had highs and lows -- all shows do -- but it definitely became something special for those who still believe a man can fly. True story.
You have to understand, folks: I'm probably one of the planet's biggest Superman fans, and I wasn't all that thrilled initially with the idea of seeing him as the typical American high schooler. The first time I saw the pilot episode, I wasn't all that impressed, so I tuned it out. However, somewhere around the show's third or fourth season, I gave it another chance. The second time? Why, it felt a bit more organic. A bit more authentic. This time, I hung with it for a few episodes, and I accepted it as another incarnation of Big Blue. I hung with it all the way through the ninth season ... at which point it had kinda/sorta veered so far off the rails with its original storytelling that it soured for me. I've never watched that tenth season, and I've been told by a few online fans that I'm not missing all that much. Maybe someday I'll give it a whirl.
Still, I have a lot of respect for the little show that could. For a time, it was arguably some of the smartest superhero writing on television. Of course, it had highs and lows -- all shows do -- but it definitely became something special for those who still believe a man can fly. True story.
Well -- lo and behold -- there's a good deal more for all of you to enjoy on this day, so let me get you to where you're all wanting to go ...
As always, thanks for reading ... thanks for sharing ... thanks for being a fan ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
- Published on
As I've often written, not every icon I cover in this pages are hip deep in the world of Science Fiction and Fantasy.
As Fate would have it, not every motion picture or television star lands a job in a SciFi show. Not every male or female is destined to captain a starship, suit up in spandex, or face the Apocalypse and come out ahead. While that would be grand, indeed -- just think of how many shows we'd have to choose from -- life just doesn't transpire that way ... and, as I've said, we have to find ways to celebrate those little moments when a celebrity only dabbles in the realms of the Fantastic ... such is the case today with a memorial post for the great and funny Suzanne Somers.
This lovely lady is an actress who made millions laugh with her work aboard the sexy sitcom Three's Company back in the days of my youth. In the role of Chrissy Snow, she kinda/sorta personified the whole 'dumb blonde' for a generation; though her character always had a heart of gold, she couldn't be counted on for something like defusing a nuclear warhead if her life depended on it. (But if her body depended on it? Well, that might be a different story!) She had pretty impeccable comic chops, and she had a body like few are gifted. As a pin-up, I believe she appeared in the pages of Playboy Magazine twice, so there's something to be said for natural beauty for those who like Googling.
In 1977, she guested aboard an episode of The Six Million Dollar Man, one of the biggest SciFi juggernauts of that TV generation; and that's chiefly how I get the opportunity to give her a proper nod in these pages.
Alas, word reached my desk only yesterday that the lady inevitably succumbed to a long, long, long battle with cancer.
Our thoughts and prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Ms. Somers.
May she forever rest in peace.
-- EZ
As Fate would have it, not every motion picture or television star lands a job in a SciFi show. Not every male or female is destined to captain a starship, suit up in spandex, or face the Apocalypse and come out ahead. While that would be grand, indeed -- just think of how many shows we'd have to choose from -- life just doesn't transpire that way ... and, as I've said, we have to find ways to celebrate those little moments when a celebrity only dabbles in the realms of the Fantastic ... such is the case today with a memorial post for the great and funny Suzanne Somers.
This lovely lady is an actress who made millions laugh with her work aboard the sexy sitcom Three's Company back in the days of my youth. In the role of Chrissy Snow, she kinda/sorta personified the whole 'dumb blonde' for a generation; though her character always had a heart of gold, she couldn't be counted on for something like defusing a nuclear warhead if her life depended on it. (But if her body depended on it? Well, that might be a different story!) She had pretty impeccable comic chops, and she had a body like few are gifted. As a pin-up, I believe she appeared in the pages of Playboy Magazine twice, so there's something to be said for natural beauty for those who like Googling.
In 1977, she guested aboard an episode of The Six Million Dollar Man, one of the biggest SciFi juggernauts of that TV generation; and that's chiefly how I get the opportunity to give her a proper nod in these pages.
Alas, word reached my desk only yesterday that the lady inevitably succumbed to a long, long, long battle with cancer.
Our thoughts and prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Ms. Somers.
May she forever rest in peace.
-- EZ
- Published on
Twin Peaks remains one of the greatest unsung properties in the realms of the Fantastic, and -- alas -- the franchise has lost another one of its central players: word reached my desk over the weekend of the passing of the celebrated actress Piper Laurie.
Much like so many, hers is not a name one might immediately identify with Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. Across her storied career, she did make a few entries into these realms, though her time aboard Peaks is likely the biggest for so many who traffic in this space. Still, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention a few other stops that are worth our attention.
In 1985, she played 'Aunt Em' aboard the Walt Disney Company's attempt to recapture some screen magic with Return To Oz. The flick did enjoy a 1986 Oscar nomination in the category of 'Best Special Effects' along with a 1986 Saturn Award nomination in the category of 'Best Fantasy Film.'
Furthermore -- around the same time -- the lady paid a pair of visits to the world of the mid-1980's incarnation of Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone for CBS.
In 1989, she guested aboard the popular TV serial Beauty And The Beast with Ron Perlman and Linda Hamilton.
In 2000, she played a role aboard the pay cable telefilm Possessed, an exploration of a controversial exorcism that the Catholic Church performed in the United States.
In 2012, some college kids again found themselves in some dark territory -- namely, Horror -- and the actress headlined a little something something called Bad Blood.
While those are the biggest ticket items I see on her resume, there were a few others. But this storied actress -- with an incredible 11 award wins to her name -- will certainly be missed by those who celebrate talent on screens big and small.
Our heartfelt prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Ms. Laurie.
May she forever rest in peace.
-- EZ
Much like so many, hers is not a name one might immediately identify with Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. Across her storied career, she did make a few entries into these realms, though her time aboard Peaks is likely the biggest for so many who traffic in this space. Still, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention a few other stops that are worth our attention.
In 1985, she played 'Aunt Em' aboard the Walt Disney Company's attempt to recapture some screen magic with Return To Oz. The flick did enjoy a 1986 Oscar nomination in the category of 'Best Special Effects' along with a 1986 Saturn Award nomination in the category of 'Best Fantasy Film.'
Furthermore -- around the same time -- the lady paid a pair of visits to the world of the mid-1980's incarnation of Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone for CBS.
In 1989, she guested aboard the popular TV serial Beauty And The Beast with Ron Perlman and Linda Hamilton.
In 2000, she played a role aboard the pay cable telefilm Possessed, an exploration of a controversial exorcism that the Catholic Church performed in the United States.
In 2012, some college kids again found themselves in some dark territory -- namely, Horror -- and the actress headlined a little something something called Bad Blood.
While those are the biggest ticket items I see on her resume, there were a few others. But this storied actress -- with an incredible 11 award wins to her name -- will certainly be missed by those who celebrate talent on screens big and small.
Our heartfelt prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Ms. Laurie.
May she forever rest in peace.
-- EZ
- Published on
Back in the days of my distant youth, I can remember days when all of the guys were talking about Lost In Space.
Where I grew up in the middle of nowhere, the Irwin Allen show was pretty popular mostly because -- if I remember correctly -- it was one of the first live-action shows on television right after school. (No, no, and no: this isn't first-run, but rather this was the days when the program was syndicated.) So if you wanted to watch something in between school time and supper time then the hour-long Lost In Space fit the bill pretty perfectly. While I was never that big a fan of it, I'll admit to watching quite a bit of the episodes over and over and over again, and that was because it fit the bill for reasonably interesting Science Fiction of that bygone era.
Mark Goddard was Major Don West, a kinda/sorta younger version of what William Shatner was doing with his 'captain' over on that other, more cerebral franchise; and it's pretty clear that his character was always intended to be that young, brash hero who'd rush in to save the day against all odds and maybe even his own personal safety. Sadly, that kind of (cough cough) "toxic masculinity" would seem to be in short supply these days, but for those of us who grew up at a time when men were men Goddard played his part perfectly ... and he stole the heart of a young Robinson lady along the way.
Alas, none of us lasts forever, and I just noticed this morning that the actor has sadly passed away.
He continued working well after his time aboard Lost's three seasons in the Final Frontier, but I suspect that those of us who grew up in that generation will always remember him out there doing what he could to keep himself and the Robinson family safe from some of television's weirdest creatures. Hopefully those memories will always bring a smile to the face of fans everywhere.
Our deepest sympathies are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Mr. Goddard.
May he forever rest in peace.
-- EZ
Where I grew up in the middle of nowhere, the Irwin Allen show was pretty popular mostly because -- if I remember correctly -- it was one of the first live-action shows on television right after school. (No, no, and no: this isn't first-run, but rather this was the days when the program was syndicated.) So if you wanted to watch something in between school time and supper time then the hour-long Lost In Space fit the bill pretty perfectly. While I was never that big a fan of it, I'll admit to watching quite a bit of the episodes over and over and over again, and that was because it fit the bill for reasonably interesting Science Fiction of that bygone era.
Mark Goddard was Major Don West, a kinda/sorta younger version of what William Shatner was doing with his 'captain' over on that other, more cerebral franchise; and it's pretty clear that his character was always intended to be that young, brash hero who'd rush in to save the day against all odds and maybe even his own personal safety. Sadly, that kind of (cough cough) "toxic masculinity" would seem to be in short supply these days, but for those of us who grew up at a time when men were men Goddard played his part perfectly ... and he stole the heart of a young Robinson lady along the way.
Alas, none of us lasts forever, and I just noticed this morning that the actor has sadly passed away.
He continued working well after his time aboard Lost's three seasons in the Final Frontier, but I suspect that those of us who grew up in that generation will always remember him out there doing what he could to keep himself and the Robinson family safe from some of television's weirdest creatures. Hopefully those memories will always bring a smile to the face of fans everywhere.
Our deepest sympathies are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Mr. Goddard.
May he forever rest in peace.
-- EZ
- Published on
Well, well, well ... even spacemen need a couple days off, peeps ...
Good morning and Happy Wednesday, gentle readers. It's the middle of the week yet again -- the Hump Day, as it's more commonly known -- and I just wanted to pop in for a few minutes today to let you know that I'll be off the grid for a few days. The wifey and I are heading into the Great Unknown for a personal escape. As I'm a bit under-the-weather, we'll likely be taking things a lot easier than we had originally intended (getting old sucks, don't let anyone tell you any different), but that should never stop one from escaping the Daily Grindhouse for more colorful pursuits. Don't you worry: if I do and/or see anything really exciting, then I'll be sure to share in this space. Keep your eyes peeled, as they say.
Otherwise, it's grim times, folks.
I don't need to tell you that there are developments in the wide, wide world that never bode well. War is Hell -- truer words have never been spoken and/or written -- and while I do generally try to avoid delving into such complex global matters I'd be remiss if I didn't say minimally that events are in motion that might likely change the face of civilization for certain parts of our Big Blue Marble. It's sad that some feel the need to act out on their violent impulses -- I'll not even try to posit myself as one who understands the complexity of foreign affairs because I'm the last person any of you should be looking to for either a history lesson much less guidance -- but I am all for folks defending themselves against aggression ... whatever that action may entail.
But -- as I said -- that's really not the purpose of this announcement, so I'll let that be.
In the meantime, keep chasing whatever dreams fuel your imagination, folks. So far as we know, this is the only ride we get; and each of us should endeavor to make it one for the history books!
Also ... enjoy the peace and quiet as yours truly tries to catch up on his sleep. Haha!
As always, thanks for reading ... thanks for sharing ... thanks for being a fan ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
Good morning and Happy Wednesday, gentle readers. It's the middle of the week yet again -- the Hump Day, as it's more commonly known -- and I just wanted to pop in for a few minutes today to let you know that I'll be off the grid for a few days. The wifey and I are heading into the Great Unknown for a personal escape. As I'm a bit under-the-weather, we'll likely be taking things a lot easier than we had originally intended (getting old sucks, don't let anyone tell you any different), but that should never stop one from escaping the Daily Grindhouse for more colorful pursuits. Don't you worry: if I do and/or see anything really exciting, then I'll be sure to share in this space. Keep your eyes peeled, as they say.
Otherwise, it's grim times, folks.
I don't need to tell you that there are developments in the wide, wide world that never bode well. War is Hell -- truer words have never been spoken and/or written -- and while I do generally try to avoid delving into such complex global matters I'd be remiss if I didn't say minimally that events are in motion that might likely change the face of civilization for certain parts of our Big Blue Marble. It's sad that some feel the need to act out on their violent impulses -- I'll not even try to posit myself as one who understands the complexity of foreign affairs because I'm the last person any of you should be looking to for either a history lesson much less guidance -- but I am all for folks defending themselves against aggression ... whatever that action may entail.
But -- as I said -- that's really not the purpose of this announcement, so I'll let that be.
In the meantime, keep chasing whatever dreams fuel your imagination, folks. So far as we know, this is the only ride we get; and each of us should endeavor to make it one for the history books!
Also ... enjoy the peace and quiet as yours truly tries to catch up on his sleep. Haha!
As always, thanks for reading ... thanks for sharing ... thanks for being a fan ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
- Published on
Having grown up in the absolute heyday of direct-to-video schlock, I can assure you that I’ve seen more than my fair share of silver screen disasters.
Back in the day of the original VHS explosion, I and my friends would damn near pick up anything off the shelves for rental. All it had to do was have the promise in its packaging of being remotely entertaining. Considering just how low the bar for entertainment was set for a bunch of high school men, we sat through so much visual garbage that I’m sure I’ve lost count of how many buckets of low-budget blood I’ve seen spilled. Suffice it to say, I like to think I’m a better reviewer for having experienced so very much that my readers will thankfully never have to endure; but that hasn’t stopped filmmakers from attempting to assemble such like-minded fare in the more modern era. The truth is that there will likely always be an audience for bad films, so I suggest everyone involved just buckle up, pop some corn, and always – always – expect the worst.
But even I can be gobsmacked, it would seem, as I just concluded a home screening of a little ‘something something’ that truly broke new ground in the world of cinematic lunacy: 2006’s Lycan Colony looked to be a backwoods potboiler about misplaced teen lust paving the way to a small town’s confrontation with werewolves when – lo and behold – this extremely low-budget Peyton Place morphed into one of the biggest sources of unintended laughter I’ve seen in ages. It’s so bad it gives ‘bad’ a new definition, but that never stops this embarrassment of riches from pushing through its lowest of lows and, minimally, bringing audiences to its big (cough cough) feel good ending.
Egad.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Some small towns hold many secrets. Two siblings and a newly settled doctor’s family are about to find out this town’s darkest secret … the hard way. The town folks are good and evil werewolves! And all things are not as they appear.”
Back in the day of the original VHS explosion, I and my friends would damn near pick up anything off the shelves for rental. All it had to do was have the promise in its packaging of being remotely entertaining. Considering just how low the bar for entertainment was set for a bunch of high school men, we sat through so much visual garbage that I’m sure I’ve lost count of how many buckets of low-budget blood I’ve seen spilled. Suffice it to say, I like to think I’m a better reviewer for having experienced so very much that my readers will thankfully never have to endure; but that hasn’t stopped filmmakers from attempting to assemble such like-minded fare in the more modern era. The truth is that there will likely always be an audience for bad films, so I suggest everyone involved just buckle up, pop some corn, and always – always – expect the worst.
But even I can be gobsmacked, it would seem, as I just concluded a home screening of a little ‘something something’ that truly broke new ground in the world of cinematic lunacy: 2006’s Lycan Colony looked to be a backwoods potboiler about misplaced teen lust paving the way to a small town’s confrontation with werewolves when – lo and behold – this extremely low-budget Peyton Place morphed into one of the biggest sources of unintended laughter I’ve seen in ages. It’s so bad it gives ‘bad’ a new definition, but that never stops this embarrassment of riches from pushing through its lowest of lows and, minimally, bringing audiences to its big (cough cough) feel good ending.
Egad.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Some small towns hold many secrets. Two siblings and a newly settled doctor’s family are about to find out this town’s darkest secret … the hard way. The town folks are good and evil werewolves! And all things are not as they appear.”
Back in the 1980’s, one of the exercises a professor of film studies took us through – with noble intentions, mind you – was to watch a failed production for the purpose of figuring out the how’s and the why’s of its failure. Now – admittedly – that isn’t easy to do because – as an audience – we’re not privy to a good deal of what could’ve been going on behind-the-scenes that may or may not have contributed to crafting a particularly uninspired experience; but I think you can imagine where the instructor wanted us to go. He desired our dissection of plot. He intended for us to dissemble the visuals with the intent of discerning weaknesses. He hoped we could both identify storytelling deficiencies and suggest ways out of that corner a storyteller had painted him, his cast, and his crew into, all with a desire to salvage what went wrong and maybe put things right.
Well … that’s a hard line to toe when you’re starting out with something like Lycan Colony.
As a film, it has too many small(ish) storylines going in disparate directions. I suspect that in the mind of its writer/director Rob Roy that maybe it made perfect sense, and – were I to toss back a few beers – I might agree. But on a purely conscious level, I can’t quite make sense of what the filmmaker set out to achieve with something so incredibly low-budget and horrifically performed. While it hints of little more than a small town’s attempt to have its own The Howling, there just isn’t enough intestinal fortitude here of a central thread for this Colony to be more than the sum of its parts.
Because it’s clearly handicapped by the lack of any true financial investment, I don’t believe it’s necessary (nor productive) to point out some of the deficiencies of the props, sets, make-up, creature FX, and more. (I learned long ago – and made peace with the fact – that some productions simply don’t have as much money as others, and that sucks.) But Roy and his merry band do try – in rather elementary fashion – to construct a story here – one that involves werewolves, witches, and the aura of small town society – and I guess (on that same elementary level) they’re deserving of a bit of … erm … praise? I’m just not finding the right words today. Apologies.
I’ve often written about differences between big studio productions and B-Movies, allowing enough wiggle room for the reality that indie productions sometimes introduce a third tier that never quite gets enough recognition. Still, what you have with Lycan Colony is that fourth category – a truly homegrown almost community-theater-style film – that’s not quite schlocky enough to be true schlock. It winds up being little more than a filmed curiosity – one that somehow keeps churning scene after scene in spite of now authentic forward momentum … and I just don’t quite know what to call it.
Yes, yes, and yes: some folks call it sh#t. Some folks call it garbage. Some folks call it inferior. And yet there are still folks like me who’ll watch it and take the occasion to sound of on it because – like any work of art – it’s deserving of some attention, however modest. In that respect, I’ll admit to some confusion mostly because I’m entirely uncertain if I was supposed to take any of this seriously. It’s so obviously flawed here and there – with jarring cuts and musical tracks popping in and out at seemingly random times – that I can’t quite wrap my head around its mildly hallucinogenic appeal (but only mild, folks). Effects inclusions are downright laughable, suggesting that they were more of an afterthought than part of the original premise; and it’s hard to reconcile the constantly shifting tone much less the humble impact of so many uninspired performances.
Well … that’s a hard line to toe when you’re starting out with something like Lycan Colony.
As a film, it has too many small(ish) storylines going in disparate directions. I suspect that in the mind of its writer/director Rob Roy that maybe it made perfect sense, and – were I to toss back a few beers – I might agree. But on a purely conscious level, I can’t quite make sense of what the filmmaker set out to achieve with something so incredibly low-budget and horrifically performed. While it hints of little more than a small town’s attempt to have its own The Howling, there just isn’t enough intestinal fortitude here of a central thread for this Colony to be more than the sum of its parts.
Because it’s clearly handicapped by the lack of any true financial investment, I don’t believe it’s necessary (nor productive) to point out some of the deficiencies of the props, sets, make-up, creature FX, and more. (I learned long ago – and made peace with the fact – that some productions simply don’t have as much money as others, and that sucks.) But Roy and his merry band do try – in rather elementary fashion – to construct a story here – one that involves werewolves, witches, and the aura of small town society – and I guess (on that same elementary level) they’re deserving of a bit of … erm … praise? I’m just not finding the right words today. Apologies.
I’ve often written about differences between big studio productions and B-Movies, allowing enough wiggle room for the reality that indie productions sometimes introduce a third tier that never quite gets enough recognition. Still, what you have with Lycan Colony is that fourth category – a truly homegrown almost community-theater-style film – that’s not quite schlocky enough to be true schlock. It winds up being little more than a filmed curiosity – one that somehow keeps churning scene after scene in spite of now authentic forward momentum … and I just don’t quite know what to call it.
Yes, yes, and yes: some folks call it sh#t. Some folks call it garbage. Some folks call it inferior. And yet there are still folks like me who’ll watch it and take the occasion to sound of on it because – like any work of art – it’s deserving of some attention, however modest. In that respect, I’ll admit to some confusion mostly because I’m entirely uncertain if I was supposed to take any of this seriously. It’s so obviously flawed here and there – with jarring cuts and musical tracks popping in and out at seemingly random times – that I can’t quite wrap my head around its mildly hallucinogenic appeal (but only mild, folks). Effects inclusions are downright laughable, suggesting that they were more of an afterthought than part of the original premise; and it’s hard to reconcile the constantly shifting tone much less the humble impact of so many uninspired performances.
So … thank you, Lycan Colony. I still don’t know what to make of you. But thank you, all the same.
Lycan Colony (2006) was produced by Wits’-End Entertainment. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Visual Vengeance. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to both see and hear how poorly all of this was strung together, and I can’t help but wonder if a single film school student couldn’t have improved some of the sights and sounds in editing. This is downright atrocious at times: display ratio keep shifting here and there, the film has color overlays that make zero sense, and the soundtrack is jarringly amateurish to say the least.
But, hey, if you’re looking for special features? Visual Vengeance is definitely emerging as a prominent player in the world of schlock, and they’ve ponied up not one but two commentary tracks for those interested in knowing a bit more. There’s also an interview with Roy; the full RiffTrax version of the production; a blooper reel; a music video; the theatrical trailer; and a good handful of packaging extras including stickers, artwork, and an essay. This is a surprisingly inclusive collection, and hats off (again) to Visual Vengeance for doing their homework. It’s always appreciated!
Sorry, folks, but this one is hard to recommend … unless you’re a connoisseur of just plain bad cinema.
What I did find overwhelmingly disappointing about Lycan Colony (2006) is that about the time something interesting manages to work its way into this increasingly curious failure, it’s almost as if Rob Roy went into overdrive trying to snuff out such goodness, not unlike throwing a sack of puppies off a bridge into a raging river. And, yes, there are a few inspired nuggets in here – some not entirely original, some not entirely sane – but the film just can’t escape its maker’s own worst impulses to throw something bizarre into the mix when it needn’t be there at all. It’s no wonder this one has received the RiffTrax treatment … as maybe there’s never been a more deserving production.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Visual Vengeance provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Lycan Colony (2006) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Lycan Colony (2006) was produced by Wits’-End Entertainment. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Visual Vengeance. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to both see and hear how poorly all of this was strung together, and I can’t help but wonder if a single film school student couldn’t have improved some of the sights and sounds in editing. This is downright atrocious at times: display ratio keep shifting here and there, the film has color overlays that make zero sense, and the soundtrack is jarringly amateurish to say the least.
But, hey, if you’re looking for special features? Visual Vengeance is definitely emerging as a prominent player in the world of schlock, and they’ve ponied up not one but two commentary tracks for those interested in knowing a bit more. There’s also an interview with Roy; the full RiffTrax version of the production; a blooper reel; a music video; the theatrical trailer; and a good handful of packaging extras including stickers, artwork, and an essay. This is a surprisingly inclusive collection, and hats off (again) to Visual Vengeance for doing their homework. It’s always appreciated!
Sorry, folks, but this one is hard to recommend … unless you’re a connoisseur of just plain bad cinema.
What I did find overwhelmingly disappointing about Lycan Colony (2006) is that about the time something interesting manages to work its way into this increasingly curious failure, it’s almost as if Rob Roy went into overdrive trying to snuff out such goodness, not unlike throwing a sack of puppies off a bridge into a raging river. And, yes, there are a few inspired nuggets in here – some not entirely original, some not entirely sane – but the film just can’t escape its maker’s own worst impulses to throw something bizarre into the mix when it needn’t be there at all. It’s no wonder this one has received the RiffTrax treatment … as maybe there’s never been a more deserving production.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Visual Vengeance provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Lycan Colony (2006) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
- Published on
Any casual reader of Dark Horse Comics’ various incarnations of the Predator stories throughout the publisher’s run with the intellectual property can tell you that the franchise had fantastic storytelling potential.
Having sat through a good number of better-than-average yarns, it was clear that the Predator offered creative angles for writers and readers alike. The singular hunter – or even a small band of them working in unison – could be situated in damn near any environment – primitive or advanced – and then the story could practically write itself. Granted, it may’ve been thematically limited – it’s not like the dynamics of the hunter and the hunted could necessarily lend itself to every hot button topic of the day (say, “pronoun usage”) – but it sure seemed to this member of the audience that scripters and artists had no difficulty exploring some reasonably hefty ideas against the backdrop of what it meant to be “in the hunt.” A good time was had by all.
Now, theatrically, that wasn’t the case. (And, yes, I’m speaking only from my perspective.)
Predator 2 (1990) exchanged the real jungle for an urban variety; and – while I thought the setting was equally promising the script by Jim and John Thomas just kinda/sorta left me cold. Danny Glover was, arguably, a step down from Arnold Schwarzenegger of the original; and I think the big city street life just wasn’t used as effectively as it could have been. 2010’s Predators – a futuristic, bloody potboiler – essentially repackaged the original but rocketed its elite commandos to an alien jungle planet; so I was equally disappointed in something that resembled what had already been done before. As for 2018’s The Predator? Well, frankly, it had some solid potential – again the focus was on a crack team of military commandoes squaring off against the grisly headhunter – but it fairly quickly devolved into little more than macho chicanery, never quite confronting the true menace of the hunters suddenly becoming the hunted … thus, it pretty much tanked.
This brings us to 2022, and 20th Century Fox truly took everything back, back, and back to the drawing board with the franchise in Prey. Screenwriters Patrick Aison and Dan Trachtenburg took the Thomas’ idea into the days of the American West, pitting a tribe of Comanche Indians in a quest to get out alive from the ultimate hunt-of-their-lives when a Predator decides to match his wits, skills, and weaponry against any adversary deemed a threat. The result is a primitive and back-to-basics thrill ride that deserves a bit of extra attention from fans who may’ve given up on the next-big-thing in the Predator universe.
Why, it could’ve even been plucked from the pages of a Dark Horse Comic …
Having sat through a good number of better-than-average yarns, it was clear that the Predator offered creative angles for writers and readers alike. The singular hunter – or even a small band of them working in unison – could be situated in damn near any environment – primitive or advanced – and then the story could practically write itself. Granted, it may’ve been thematically limited – it’s not like the dynamics of the hunter and the hunted could necessarily lend itself to every hot button topic of the day (say, “pronoun usage”) – but it sure seemed to this member of the audience that scripters and artists had no difficulty exploring some reasonably hefty ideas against the backdrop of what it meant to be “in the hunt.” A good time was had by all.
Now, theatrically, that wasn’t the case. (And, yes, I’m speaking only from my perspective.)
Predator 2 (1990) exchanged the real jungle for an urban variety; and – while I thought the setting was equally promising the script by Jim and John Thomas just kinda/sorta left me cold. Danny Glover was, arguably, a step down from Arnold Schwarzenegger of the original; and I think the big city street life just wasn’t used as effectively as it could have been. 2010’s Predators – a futuristic, bloody potboiler – essentially repackaged the original but rocketed its elite commandos to an alien jungle planet; so I was equally disappointed in something that resembled what had already been done before. As for 2018’s The Predator? Well, frankly, it had some solid potential – again the focus was on a crack team of military commandoes squaring off against the grisly headhunter – but it fairly quickly devolved into little more than macho chicanery, never quite confronting the true menace of the hunters suddenly becoming the hunted … thus, it pretty much tanked.
This brings us to 2022, and 20th Century Fox truly took everything back, back, and back to the drawing board with the franchise in Prey. Screenwriters Patrick Aison and Dan Trachtenburg took the Thomas’ idea into the days of the American West, pitting a tribe of Comanche Indians in a quest to get out alive from the ultimate hunt-of-their-lives when a Predator decides to match his wits, skills, and weaponry against any adversary deemed a threat. The result is a primitive and back-to-basics thrill ride that deserves a bit of extra attention from fans who may’ve given up on the next-big-thing in the Predator universe.
Why, it could’ve even been plucked from the pages of a Dark Horse Comic …
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Naru, a skilled warrior of the Comanche Nation, fights to protect her tribe against one of the first highly-evolved Predators to land on Earth.”
If Google.com can be trusted, then a little ‘something something’ like Prey was made for the affordable price of $65 million dollars; and studios would be well to take whatever lesson they can from the endeavor. In fact, Prey is arguably smarter than any other sequel to the 1987 blockbuster that helped usher in the big screen success of Arnold Schwarzenegger, and – other than including one of the property’s signature aliens – it functionally has nothing to do with it. One might even think of it as little more than a creative riff on the ideas established in the first film because every other component of it stands on its own two feet, a rarity for an authentic sequel if ever there were.
Sadly, Prey was made for Hulu – the popular streaming portal – so there’s no way a reasonable person could estimate whether or not it could’ve recouped its production costs as a feature film, but I’m inclined to think that it could’ve done solid numbers. While understandably smaller than perhaps any other incarnation in the franchise, it’s still a compelling and thrilling story of a little warrior that could – this one female – who learns the lesson that surviving as a prey will likely mean one has to use more brain than brawn … though co-opting a bit of space-age technology and using against your attacker will never go out of style.
But in an age wherein studio tentpole features – like Star Wars and/or the wider Marvel Universe – has budgets spiraling upwards to the half-billion-dollar mark, it’s growing harder and harder for the producers behind such fodder to generate real profits. A humbler attempt – not unlike Prey – might just be the answer presently eluding those suits: instead of putting out a trilogy of flicks at that high price, why not figure out a way to do one big picture and two small ones and still preserve what makes your IP successful with audiences? Granted, it won’t be easy, and yet Prey might represent a safer way forward for the studios in the modern era.
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Naru, a skilled warrior of the Comanche Nation, fights to protect her tribe against one of the first highly-evolved Predators to land on Earth.”
If Google.com can be trusted, then a little ‘something something’ like Prey was made for the affordable price of $65 million dollars; and studios would be well to take whatever lesson they can from the endeavor. In fact, Prey is arguably smarter than any other sequel to the 1987 blockbuster that helped usher in the big screen success of Arnold Schwarzenegger, and – other than including one of the property’s signature aliens – it functionally has nothing to do with it. One might even think of it as little more than a creative riff on the ideas established in the first film because every other component of it stands on its own two feet, a rarity for an authentic sequel if ever there were.
Sadly, Prey was made for Hulu – the popular streaming portal – so there’s no way a reasonable person could estimate whether or not it could’ve recouped its production costs as a feature film, but I’m inclined to think that it could’ve done solid numbers. While understandably smaller than perhaps any other incarnation in the franchise, it’s still a compelling and thrilling story of a little warrior that could – this one female – who learns the lesson that surviving as a prey will likely mean one has to use more brain than brawn … though co-opting a bit of space-age technology and using against your attacker will never go out of style.
But in an age wherein studio tentpole features – like Star Wars and/or the wider Marvel Universe – has budgets spiraling upwards to the half-billion-dollar mark, it’s growing harder and harder for the producers behind such fodder to generate real profits. A humbler attempt – not unlike Prey – might just be the answer presently eluding those suits: instead of putting out a trilogy of flicks at that high price, why not figure out a way to do one big picture and two small ones and still preserve what makes your IP successful with audiences? Granted, it won’t be easy, and yet Prey might represent a safer way forward for the studios in the modern era.
Naru (played by Amber Midthunder) is the Comanche lady who has grown tired of being one of her tribe’s regular women and, instead, longs to prove herself in the woods as a hunter. She’s amassed a skill set that has taken her only so far; but when she fails to achieve the big kill against a lion terrorizing the village it would appear her dreams have finally been derailed. It’s at this point that she decides she’ll need to go out on her own – to locate and neutralize an all-new Predator that’s begun hunting on their sacred land – a decision that sets most of Prey’s better moments in motion. Lithe and athletic, she’s a natural in the wild, but she’s quick to come face-to-face with the reality that some objectives can never be reached by doing the ordinary. She’ll need to achieve the extraordinary if she’s to get out with her life … and that’s what she does.
Yes, yes, and yes: I can hear the voices of a few of the usual suspects crying that Prey might be little more than repackaged ‘female empowerment,’ but the truth to the rest of the story is that Naru only makes this journey as far as she does with the help of those warriors around her … and they’re all male. So while I understand how some might take what little they’ve learned about the film and dismiss it as modern politicization (would the Comanches accept a female in the role of war father?), such a castigation is an insult to the film as a whole. There’s far more to be taken away as lessons learned in this flick – especially when it comes to the ultimate showdown between the two warriors – and I’ve long ago learned that sometimes it’s best to set aside my own political opinions for the sake of being entertained. No, I’m not always able to do it … and, yet, when the storytellers accomplish it with so much bloody affection as they do here, I can live with myself and the fact that I enjoyed it.
Prey (2022) was produced by 20th Century Studios, Davis Entertainment, and Lawrence Gordon Productions. Presently, the film is available for viewing on Hulu or purchase on physical media via a variety of retail outlets. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I thought that the film’s sights and sounds were of exceptional quality, along with some fabulous special effects and even the occasional in-camera trickery. If you’re looking for special features? Technically, there are none on the DVD, but the disc does boast a variety of audio tracks including a Comanche version. Impressive, no?
Highly recommended.
Feel free to disagree – I’ve been wrong before – but I think it’s taken over three decades to get a sequel to 1987’s Predator that both captures the thrill of the original hunt and deserves to stand alongside it on any video collector’s shelf. 2022’s Prey is exceptional – the story of a girl who both embraces and rejects her role in this small universe and lives to talk about it. Performances across the board are wonderful; the effects and cinematography work about as well as possible; and the hunt is once more absorbing. Naru might be a fraction the size of Arnold Schwarzenegger, but that wouldn’t stop me from betting on her survival in the future.
-- EZ
Yes, yes, and yes: I can hear the voices of a few of the usual suspects crying that Prey might be little more than repackaged ‘female empowerment,’ but the truth to the rest of the story is that Naru only makes this journey as far as she does with the help of those warriors around her … and they’re all male. So while I understand how some might take what little they’ve learned about the film and dismiss it as modern politicization (would the Comanches accept a female in the role of war father?), such a castigation is an insult to the film as a whole. There’s far more to be taken away as lessons learned in this flick – especially when it comes to the ultimate showdown between the two warriors – and I’ve long ago learned that sometimes it’s best to set aside my own political opinions for the sake of being entertained. No, I’m not always able to do it … and, yet, when the storytellers accomplish it with so much bloody affection as they do here, I can live with myself and the fact that I enjoyed it.
Prey (2022) was produced by 20th Century Studios, Davis Entertainment, and Lawrence Gordon Productions. Presently, the film is available for viewing on Hulu or purchase on physical media via a variety of retail outlets. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I thought that the film’s sights and sounds were of exceptional quality, along with some fabulous special effects and even the occasional in-camera trickery. If you’re looking for special features? Technically, there are none on the DVD, but the disc does boast a variety of audio tracks including a Comanche version. Impressive, no?
Highly recommended.
Feel free to disagree – I’ve been wrong before – but I think it’s taken over three decades to get a sequel to 1987’s Predator that both captures the thrill of the original hunt and deserves to stand alongside it on any video collector’s shelf. 2022’s Prey is exceptional – the story of a girl who both embraces and rejects her role in this small universe and lives to talk about it. Performances across the board are wonderful; the effects and cinematography work about as well as possible; and the hunt is once more absorbing. Naru might be a fraction the size of Arnold Schwarzenegger, but that wouldn’t stop me from betting on her survival in the future.
-- EZ
- Published on
Good morning and Happy Monday, gentle readers!
Yes, yes, and yes: it's an all-new week, and that means it's an all-new you, one no longer shackled with the troubles and tribulations of what came before. So whatever you do to make sure you attack it with all the zeal you can. You'll continue to grow into the person you're meant to be as a consequence of pushing forward, and that's the person I think every one of us wants to see you become as well. Keep at it.
Not an awful lot to report on this morning. Just catching up with some of the world news myself after hitting the couch for a quick power nap. I thought I'd slept well but sometimes the body tells me differently. But over the weekend I managed to squeeze in a theatrical viewing of 1932's The Mummy (on Saturday) and The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002) on Sunday, so I'm definitely a happy camper right now. I'll probably put up a review on The Mummy here later this morning, depending upon what the day has in store. (Might need to run out to the doctor's, depending upon what they tell me on the phone later this morning.) But keep your eyes peeled. I'll definitely have something more for the MainPage as that is one of my daily goals.
As for today, there are a few big birthdays in the arena of All Things Fantastic, so please be sure to check out the page. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised ...
Yes, yes, and yes: it's an all-new week, and that means it's an all-new you, one no longer shackled with the troubles and tribulations of what came before. So whatever you do to make sure you attack it with all the zeal you can. You'll continue to grow into the person you're meant to be as a consequence of pushing forward, and that's the person I think every one of us wants to see you become as well. Keep at it.
Not an awful lot to report on this morning. Just catching up with some of the world news myself after hitting the couch for a quick power nap. I thought I'd slept well but sometimes the body tells me differently. But over the weekend I managed to squeeze in a theatrical viewing of 1932's The Mummy (on Saturday) and The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002) on Sunday, so I'm definitely a happy camper right now. I'll probably put up a review on The Mummy here later this morning, depending upon what the day has in store. (Might need to run out to the doctor's, depending upon what they tell me on the phone later this morning.) But keep your eyes peeled. I'll definitely have something more for the MainPage as that is one of my daily goals.
As for today, there are a few big birthdays in the arena of All Things Fantastic, so please be sure to check out the page. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised ...
As always, thanks for reading ... thanks for being a fan ... thanks for sharing ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ