- Published on
Unlike so many in the media and general Star Wars fandom, I actually questioned the whole idea of giving Obi-Wan Kenobi this limited series.
Loving the character as much as I do, I knew that I was going to tune in, so that was never in question. It’s just that – as I’ve said (or strongly implied) in my reviews of Parts 1 and 2 – I believe the movies had largely exhausted Kenobi’s true usefulness as a creation. (Again, folks, this is not meant as an insult to the purely fictional being – as if he cares or even notices me – or Ewan McGregor: characters have a shelf life, and so far as I cared I thought good ol’ Ben had fulfilled his purpose.) Part 1 – as languid as it felt – demonstrated part of my hesitation over seeing him brought back (really, what more was there for him to do?); Part 2 was an improvement because the writers gave him something familiar work we’d seen before; and Part 3? That’s where we are now, and I’m going to step into a bit of the web-based controversy with this hot take: personally, I loved it … but I understand why many didn’t.
You see, I was there with audiences when we first met Obi-Wan Kenobi, and – despite what I’ve read all over the Information Superhighway last night and this morning – I think we saw very different cuts of the original Star Wars. Nowhere in that groundbreaking and exhilarating motion picture was it explicitly said that Darth Vader hadn’t seen his mentor since the fall of the Jedi. I do understand why it was strongly implied that they hadn’t seen in twenty years (or thereabouts), but you can’t point me to a line (in the film) wherein Vader uttered those specific words: “Why, master, I haven’t seen you since Mustafar.” Something could’ve been said in the books. Something may’ve been stated in the comics. But it was not said in the movie. Not to my honest, aged recollection. Implied? Yes. Stated. No.
This is why I’d argue that the showrunners and their collective writing staff have definitely mined the nuance of language presented in A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of The Jedi for a precise set of meanings that they could – understandably, necessarily – exploit in order to spin this web of theirs. Realizing that word (“exploit”) brings with it some connotations, I’m not suggesting that they’re exploiting any plot hole in Lucas’s original films; rather I’m saying they found just enough wiggle room with which to insert this tale and still preserve the meaning of those cinematized words and moments.
After all, Star Wars has always clung to ideas “from a certain point of view.”
In that respect, I think what they’ve accomplished here is fairly monumental. It may not be revolutionary, but I think it’s minimally admirable. As storytellers, they’ve found a way to both redirect yet honor the spirit of the Original Trilogy – its events and circumstances – while expanding on them in ways lesser scribes could only hope to secure. If you find that complimentary of them, then so be it: I think it works … and I’m totally fine with being in the minority. Tip: I’ve been in the minority most of my adult life.
Loving the character as much as I do, I knew that I was going to tune in, so that was never in question. It’s just that – as I’ve said (or strongly implied) in my reviews of Parts 1 and 2 – I believe the movies had largely exhausted Kenobi’s true usefulness as a creation. (Again, folks, this is not meant as an insult to the purely fictional being – as if he cares or even notices me – or Ewan McGregor: characters have a shelf life, and so far as I cared I thought good ol’ Ben had fulfilled his purpose.) Part 1 – as languid as it felt – demonstrated part of my hesitation over seeing him brought back (really, what more was there for him to do?); Part 2 was an improvement because the writers gave him something familiar work we’d seen before; and Part 3? That’s where we are now, and I’m going to step into a bit of the web-based controversy with this hot take: personally, I loved it … but I understand why many didn’t.
You see, I was there with audiences when we first met Obi-Wan Kenobi, and – despite what I’ve read all over the Information Superhighway last night and this morning – I think we saw very different cuts of the original Star Wars. Nowhere in that groundbreaking and exhilarating motion picture was it explicitly said that Darth Vader hadn’t seen his mentor since the fall of the Jedi. I do understand why it was strongly implied that they hadn’t seen in twenty years (or thereabouts), but you can’t point me to a line (in the film) wherein Vader uttered those specific words: “Why, master, I haven’t seen you since Mustafar.” Something could’ve been said in the books. Something may’ve been stated in the comics. But it was not said in the movie. Not to my honest, aged recollection. Implied? Yes. Stated. No.
This is why I’d argue that the showrunners and their collective writing staff have definitely mined the nuance of language presented in A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of The Jedi for a precise set of meanings that they could – understandably, necessarily – exploit in order to spin this web of theirs. Realizing that word (“exploit”) brings with it some connotations, I’m not suggesting that they’re exploiting any plot hole in Lucas’s original films; rather I’m saying they found just enough wiggle room with which to insert this tale and still preserve the meaning of those cinematized words and moments.
After all, Star Wars has always clung to ideas “from a certain point of view.”
In that respect, I think what they’ve accomplished here is fairly monumental. It may not be revolutionary, but I think it’s minimally admirable. As storytellers, they’ve found a way to both redirect yet honor the spirit of the Original Trilogy – its events and circumstances – while expanding on them in ways lesser scribes could only hope to secure. If you find that complimentary of them, then so be it: I think it works … and I’m totally fine with being in the minority. Tip: I’ve been in the minority most of my adult life.
This doesn’t happen without some risk, it would seem, as fandom is up in arms over the show, calling it “fan fiction,” “hot garbage,” and – ahem – “downright blasphemous.” And I get the reaction. I get the frustration. I get the overall disappointment some are feeling, and – in total disagreement with the Mouse House – I fully approve of their collective venting online. They’ve been robbed! Of their childhood! Again! (And here we thought only George Lucas did that!) They feel cheated, and they wish to make their opinion known in no uncertain terms. It’s been said that art evokes a response from those who partake of it, and Star Wars should deliver no less. There is your response, Walt Disney.
But … as I said above, I enjoyed the episode. It was tense. It was revealing. It brought a new character or two and gave them depth. And it most certainly kept my interest.
Part 3, I thought, delivered a fabulously young and vengeful Darth Vader who would stop at nothing to draw out his former master for an inevitable rematch. Lest we not forget when these two last met, Anakin was – quite literally – in pieces while Obi-Wan stood angrily over him, crying out his fevered disgust over his pupil’s violations. Given Anakin’s condition, it was only obvious that Kenobi thought that was the end of their days together, so imagine my surprise at how visibly the tables had turned in this third hour? Aged and more than a bit confused, Kenobi is little more than a shell of his former self – a truly fallen Jedi Master – while his former student’s evil powers have truly blossomed in ways modern audiences have only now seen possible.
(Sidebar: other than a whole lot of Force-choking and some great line deliver in the Original Trilogy, I always found Vader a bit tame. Imposing? Yes. Daunting? Of course. Determined? No doubt. But … outside of being great with a lightsaber, I always thought he seemed a bit reserved. Just my two cents.)
This is the Dark Lord of the Sith I think all of us who were there for the original films have wanted to see for so, so long. (Yes, I realize that might sound ‘concerning,’ but you’re not my therapist.) He was striding about confidently. He easily chucking men, women, and children about with the Force, snapping necks, dragging them across the dirty streets. He was a man driven, a man possessed – as all Sith are – by their pure and utter hatred. Rather than hear about why Vader was feared and despised, Part 3 gave us visuals meant to be the stuff of nightmares; dare I say that even Kenobi couldn’t believe his eyes?
The episode also gave us a few more scenes to digest involving Kenobi and his traveling companion, li’l Leia, and many of them were also quite good.
Though I didn’t quite buy into the Jedi Master’s expressed desire when he admitted he wished he could’ve been the young princess’ father (erm … where did that come from, writers?), I did find their growing appreciation of one another very relatable given the circumstances. After all, there was a time when her true father was his best friend (if Jedis are allowed even that minimal attachment), and I think those sentiments alone are weighing more and more on the man as this story progresses. In fact, I’d argue that as he’s evolving to have a measure of ‘care’ for the girl, perhaps the storytellers are displaying exactly why Jedi are forbidden to love: it will, ultimately, prohibit a warrior from acting selflessly.
-- EZ
But … as I said above, I enjoyed the episode. It was tense. It was revealing. It brought a new character or two and gave them depth. And it most certainly kept my interest.
Part 3, I thought, delivered a fabulously young and vengeful Darth Vader who would stop at nothing to draw out his former master for an inevitable rematch. Lest we not forget when these two last met, Anakin was – quite literally – in pieces while Obi-Wan stood angrily over him, crying out his fevered disgust over his pupil’s violations. Given Anakin’s condition, it was only obvious that Kenobi thought that was the end of their days together, so imagine my surprise at how visibly the tables had turned in this third hour? Aged and more than a bit confused, Kenobi is little more than a shell of his former self – a truly fallen Jedi Master – while his former student’s evil powers have truly blossomed in ways modern audiences have only now seen possible.
(Sidebar: other than a whole lot of Force-choking and some great line deliver in the Original Trilogy, I always found Vader a bit tame. Imposing? Yes. Daunting? Of course. Determined? No doubt. But … outside of being great with a lightsaber, I always thought he seemed a bit reserved. Just my two cents.)
This is the Dark Lord of the Sith I think all of us who were there for the original films have wanted to see for so, so long. (Yes, I realize that might sound ‘concerning,’ but you’re not my therapist.) He was striding about confidently. He easily chucking men, women, and children about with the Force, snapping necks, dragging them across the dirty streets. He was a man driven, a man possessed – as all Sith are – by their pure and utter hatred. Rather than hear about why Vader was feared and despised, Part 3 gave us visuals meant to be the stuff of nightmares; dare I say that even Kenobi couldn’t believe his eyes?
The episode also gave us a few more scenes to digest involving Kenobi and his traveling companion, li’l Leia, and many of them were also quite good.
Though I didn’t quite buy into the Jedi Master’s expressed desire when he admitted he wished he could’ve been the young princess’ father (erm … where did that come from, writers?), I did find their growing appreciation of one another very relatable given the circumstances. After all, there was a time when her true father was his best friend (if Jedis are allowed even that minimal attachment), and I think those sentiments alone are weighing more and more on the man as this story progresses. In fact, I’d argue that as he’s evolving to have a measure of ‘care’ for the girl, perhaps the storytellers are displaying exactly why Jedi are forbidden to love: it will, ultimately, prohibit a warrior from acting selflessly.
-- EZ
- Published on
Monster movies have requirements, folks.
First off, the monster must be spiffily designed. It can’t look ordinary because monsters are extraordinary. This doesn’t mean that storytellers and producers have to go to ridiculous lengths to achieve this level of remarkable, but they should invest time, effort, and money in showing audiences something out-of-the-norm. If not, then what’s all of the fuss about?
Second, the monster must have a relatable story. Viewers want to get to know this special creature as much by being told about it as they learn from watching it move about its environment and interact with the regular and irregulars around it. While it might be a given that said monster has skills, strengths, and abilities beyond mortal men, these attributes need to exist within the narrative; otherwise, it’s all just sizzle with no steak.
Lastly – and this is where there’s always room of disagreement – the monster should kinda/sorta suffer a fate not entirely of its own creation. There’s often a pathos around these beings – the kind that evokes the sympathy of the audience – because each of us have felt like an outsider at some point. It’s this bond – this connection with the thing – that elevates the strange from the mundane to the unique, forcing us to care about this … this … this beast and its plight.
In this respect, writer/director Gianfranco Parolini delivered Yeti: Giant Of The 20th Century for mass consumption. As imperfect and – ahem – occasionally laughable as the feature is, it still fits well within the prescribed format of the traditional monster movie. So set aside your preconceived notions of shlock always being only shlock. Put on your kid glasses. Make some popcorn. You might just find yourself entertained in spite of all of your best impulses … and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
(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 …)
First off, the monster must be spiffily designed. It can’t look ordinary because monsters are extraordinary. This doesn’t mean that storytellers and producers have to go to ridiculous lengths to achieve this level of remarkable, but they should invest time, effort, and money in showing audiences something out-of-the-norm. If not, then what’s all of the fuss about?
Second, the monster must have a relatable story. Viewers want to get to know this special creature as much by being told about it as they learn from watching it move about its environment and interact with the regular and irregulars around it. While it might be a given that said monster has skills, strengths, and abilities beyond mortal men, these attributes need to exist within the narrative; otherwise, it’s all just sizzle with no steak.
Lastly – and this is where there’s always room of disagreement – the monster should kinda/sorta suffer a fate not entirely of its own creation. There’s often a pathos around these beings – the kind that evokes the sympathy of the audience – because each of us have felt like an outsider at some point. It’s this bond – this connection with the thing – that elevates the strange from the mundane to the unique, forcing us to care about this … this … this beast and its plight.
In this respect, writer/director Gianfranco Parolini delivered Yeti: Giant Of The 20th Century for mass consumption. As imperfect and – ahem – occasionally laughable as the feature is, it still fits well within the prescribed format of the traditional monster movie. So set aside your preconceived notions of shlock always being only shlock. Put on your kid glasses. Make some popcorn. You might just find yourself entertained in spite of all of your best impulses … and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
(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 product packaging:
“This 1977 Italian King Kong rip-off is non-stop fun and camp action. Starring the gorgeous Antonella Interlenghi as ‘Jane’ who discovers her ‘Tarzan’ in the form of a giant Yeti that is taken into captivity and put on public display. When the Yeti breaks loose, it’s Godzilla-style special effects galore as he smashes through the city, crushing the bad guys and searching for his new love, Jane.”
Despite what you or anyone else might think, there is no requirement that any motion ever be of high quality. Certainly, there exists a growing handful of storytellers who spent time cutting their teeth in the world of genre entertainment – exploitation fare and the like – and more than likely many of them would tell you they made a certain film because they thought it would result in a fun experience. Some of them would even tell you that they had an awful lot of fun making said inferior flicks, and maybe they privately hoped in some small way that the merriment behind-the-scenes translated into somehow magically to the screen.
If enjoyed Yeti is a guilty pleasure, then lock me up and throw away the key. Its effects are imperfect. Its dialogue is downright laughable. Its character rarely – if ever – fit within the rubric of what’s the status quo. But – yes – I’ll admit I damn near laughed all the way through this.
Because I’m a connoisseur of films big and small, I’d read a fair amount about this one before I decided to screen it. The fact that I knew full well going into it that the feature has its own reputation I probably emerged on the tail end of it less chagrined than others who write it. Also, I’ve admitted time-and-time-again in this space that I do – to my very core – love a good monster movie, and the writing and production team here maintained a surprising level of consistency to the quirkiness and most inane moments. The fact that you – as a viewer – could probably never tell exactly how tall at any given moment this Yeti was supposed to be? Why, that’s the stuff of a good drinking game … if drinking is your thing. (I swear, I didn’t touch the stuff. Not today, anyway.)
As for the performers?
“This 1977 Italian King Kong rip-off is non-stop fun and camp action. Starring the gorgeous Antonella Interlenghi as ‘Jane’ who discovers her ‘Tarzan’ in the form of a giant Yeti that is taken into captivity and put on public display. When the Yeti breaks loose, it’s Godzilla-style special effects galore as he smashes through the city, crushing the bad guys and searching for his new love, Jane.”
Despite what you or anyone else might think, there is no requirement that any motion ever be of high quality. Certainly, there exists a growing handful of storytellers who spent time cutting their teeth in the world of genre entertainment – exploitation fare and the like – and more than likely many of them would tell you they made a certain film because they thought it would result in a fun experience. Some of them would even tell you that they had an awful lot of fun making said inferior flicks, and maybe they privately hoped in some small way that the merriment behind-the-scenes translated into somehow magically to the screen.
If enjoyed Yeti is a guilty pleasure, then lock me up and throw away the key. Its effects are imperfect. Its dialogue is downright laughable. Its character rarely – if ever – fit within the rubric of what’s the status quo. But – yes – I’ll admit I damn near laughed all the way through this.
Because I’m a connoisseur of films big and small, I’d read a fair amount about this one before I decided to screen it. The fact that I knew full well going into it that the feature has its own reputation I probably emerged on the tail end of it less chagrined than others who write it. Also, I’ve admitted time-and-time-again in this space that I do – to my very core – love a good monster movie, and the writing and production team here maintained a surprising level of consistency to the quirkiness and most inane moments. The fact that you – as a viewer – could probably never tell exactly how tall at any given moment this Yeti was supposed to be? Why, that’s the stuff of a good drinking game … if drinking is your thing. (I swear, I didn’t touch the stuff. Not today, anyway.)
As for the performers?
Yes, yes, and yes: the dreamy Antonella Interlenghi is a teenage dream here. The script tries very hard to make her sound and act understandably older – Parolini’s film has her paired up with actor Tony Kendall as a love interest, and he’s easily two decades older than she is (and looks much older than that). Li’l Jim Sullivan (as Herbie, Jane’s brother) makes the most of the role; his limited dialogue makes it hard to pin down exactly what the writers wanted his age to be, so have fun trying to figure that one out on your own. Edoardo Faieta stars as the film’s – ahem – globe-trotting billionaire, but he plays the part more like the ringleader of a failed circus … and they dress him just about as winningly! Every single item of forced characterization only raises the bar on the laughs … and I’m quite certain they weren’t intended at the outset.
While others will probably expend a fair amount of criticism over the film’s flawed special effects (they vary from awful to benign, in most cases), I found them picture perfect when paired with how I received the film as pure camp. Even setting aside the questionable effectiveness of trying to construct a life-sized giant to appear onscreen in a few key scenes, there’s an irrepressible charm to some of it. Seeing those giant legs and those crane-operated limbs working what practical magic they can was a gleeful experience for me … and I can only hope some of you out there parse the negative rhetoric and enjoy this stinker for what it is: unbridled lunacy.
I know, I know, I know. That’s a tall drink of water.
Right on down to the Yeti’s fully erect nipple.
Yeti: Giant Of The 20th Century (1977) was produced by Stefano Film. DVD distribution (for this particular release) is being coordinated by Code Red. As for the technical specifications? The Blu-ray packaging indicates that this release has been remastered in HD from the original Italian 35MM camera negative; and – despite some obvious grain and dimension issues inherent to the original production – I think this looks and sounds probably about as well as anyone might expect. (Dare I say that, maybe, it looks even better?) Lastly, this is a bare bones release, meaning that there are absolutely zero special features. For what that’s worth, I think it’s a miss: audiences who flock to B-Movies and cult stuff love to have even minimal extras to look forward to … and I suspect this one would’ve had some followers, shlock though it obviously is.
Recommended. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, I know. What am I doing, giving this one a recommendation? Well, as B-movies go, I had a helluva lot of fun with this one. By giving it a casual thumbs up, I’m merely saying it entertained me. Is it a great movie? Well, not so much. Would I want it on my professional resume? Well, maybe not. Do I feel guilty over chuckling my way through it? Well, not at all. If the first goal of any flick is to entertain, then this one did its job. And – before you ask – yes, I have seen far worse. It’s a monster movie. It’s loaded with questionable effects work. I laughed. Sometimes, that’s good enough for me.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Code Red provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Yeti: Giant Of The 20th Century by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review; and their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
While others will probably expend a fair amount of criticism over the film’s flawed special effects (they vary from awful to benign, in most cases), I found them picture perfect when paired with how I received the film as pure camp. Even setting aside the questionable effectiveness of trying to construct a life-sized giant to appear onscreen in a few key scenes, there’s an irrepressible charm to some of it. Seeing those giant legs and those crane-operated limbs working what practical magic they can was a gleeful experience for me … and I can only hope some of you out there parse the negative rhetoric and enjoy this stinker for what it is: unbridled lunacy.
I know, I know, I know. That’s a tall drink of water.
Right on down to the Yeti’s fully erect nipple.
Yeti: Giant Of The 20th Century (1977) was produced by Stefano Film. DVD distribution (for this particular release) is being coordinated by Code Red. As for the technical specifications? The Blu-ray packaging indicates that this release has been remastered in HD from the original Italian 35MM camera negative; and – despite some obvious grain and dimension issues inherent to the original production – I think this looks and sounds probably about as well as anyone might expect. (Dare I say that, maybe, it looks even better?) Lastly, this is a bare bones release, meaning that there are absolutely zero special features. For what that’s worth, I think it’s a miss: audiences who flock to B-Movies and cult stuff love to have even minimal extras to look forward to … and I suspect this one would’ve had some followers, shlock though it obviously is.
Recommended. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, I know. What am I doing, giving this one a recommendation? Well, as B-movies go, I had a helluva lot of fun with this one. By giving it a casual thumbs up, I’m merely saying it entertained me. Is it a great movie? Well, not so much. Would I want it on my professional resume? Well, maybe not. Do I feel guilty over chuckling my way through it? Well, not at all. If the first goal of any flick is to entertain, then this one did its job. And – before you ask – yes, I have seen far worse. It’s a monster movie. It’s loaded with questionable effects work. I laughed. Sometimes, that’s good enough for me.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Code Red provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Yeti: Giant Of The 20th Century by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review; and their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
- Published on
Ugh.
Sorry, folks, but in the words of Popeye: “I’ve taken all I can stand, and I can’t stands no more!”
Those of you who read here regularly know full well that I do try – very hard – to avoid some of the political issues that get wrapped up in the entertainment industry. Like many of you, I try to retain a positive outlook on all things genre … but – equally like many of you – I get more than a bit tired when producers, actors, movers, and shakers try to shove their messaging down our collective throat. More and more, these folks take to blaming fandom for much of what’s wrong in their own industry, and that’s just plain wrong.
So I’ve elected that – whenever the spirit moves me – I’m going to allow a Warp Core Breach.
Sorry, folks, but in the words of Popeye: “I’ve taken all I can stand, and I can’t stands no more!”
Those of you who read here regularly know full well that I do try – very hard – to avoid some of the political issues that get wrapped up in the entertainment industry. Like many of you, I try to retain a positive outlook on all things genre … but – equally like many of you – I get more than a bit tired when producers, actors, movers, and shakers try to shove their messaging down our collective throat. More and more, these folks take to blaming fandom for much of what’s wrong in their own industry, and that’s just plain wrong.
So I’ve elected that – whenever the spirit moves me – I’m going to allow a Warp Core Breach.
OK, Walt Disney. Enough is enough. I’m calling your bluff, and I’ll letting my readers know that I’m calling your bluff.
Enough with declaring fandom is racist. You did this with your inferior Sequel Trilogy, and you’re doing it again now.
Let’s get this out of the way right now: Moses Ingram deserves to be treated better.
Culturally, it’s just grown far too easy for folks to throw around that race card. I’m not saying racism isn’t a thing because clearly it is, it has been, and you know what? It likely always will be. In part, that's owed to the fact that there are those in various positions of power who, unfortunately, stoke fires instead of helping to put them out. In fact, they profit from it. There’s an awful lot of money that can be made off of racial strife, and history shows that the weakest among us intellectually will almost always stoop to labeling someone something that’s fully intended to unleash the hounds of social media on an enemy to have them vanquished once and for all. And when it’s been proven that there’s no such thing as ‘bad advertising,’ why not just call it racism and reap the benefits?
This is wrong.
Yes, it’s just as wrong as folks behaving as racists.
If anyone wants to have an intelligent dialogue about Ingram – the Mouse House’s latest poster child for racism – then such a debate can and should be allowed. She’s risen to prominence for her work outside of Disney's Star Wars Empire, but now that she’s been cast as what appears to be a villain in that galaxy far, far away it would seem that she’s been foisted into the spotlight over what has been reported as racial hate. The actress – and Disney as well as her co-stars – have gone on record denouncing hate (as well they should) that she’s alleged to have received across social media. Instead of talking about her work in the show, they’d rather talk about you and your racist roots.
Again – for the record – Moses Ingram deserves to be treated better.
Now …
If this is a widespread series of attacks, then I’ll admit I’ve honestly not seen them. What I did see were a curious series of posts from Ingram herself with some screencaps of several comments that were, quite frankly, damn stupid. One of them was clearly a racist observation while the others were – again – frankly damn stupid. Were I on a jury and those other messages were presented to me by the defense, then I’d be inclined to say, “You haven’t convinced me of anything … well, except that some people are, frankly, damn stupid.”
Enough with declaring fandom is racist. You did this with your inferior Sequel Trilogy, and you’re doing it again now.
Let’s get this out of the way right now: Moses Ingram deserves to be treated better.
Culturally, it’s just grown far too easy for folks to throw around that race card. I’m not saying racism isn’t a thing because clearly it is, it has been, and you know what? It likely always will be. In part, that's owed to the fact that there are those in various positions of power who, unfortunately, stoke fires instead of helping to put them out. In fact, they profit from it. There’s an awful lot of money that can be made off of racial strife, and history shows that the weakest among us intellectually will almost always stoop to labeling someone something that’s fully intended to unleash the hounds of social media on an enemy to have them vanquished once and for all. And when it’s been proven that there’s no such thing as ‘bad advertising,’ why not just call it racism and reap the benefits?
This is wrong.
Yes, it’s just as wrong as folks behaving as racists.
If anyone wants to have an intelligent dialogue about Ingram – the Mouse House’s latest poster child for racism – then such a debate can and should be allowed. She’s risen to prominence for her work outside of Disney's Star Wars Empire, but now that she’s been cast as what appears to be a villain in that galaxy far, far away it would seem that she’s been foisted into the spotlight over what has been reported as racial hate. The actress – and Disney as well as her co-stars – have gone on record denouncing hate (as well they should) that she’s alleged to have received across social media. Instead of talking about her work in the show, they’d rather talk about you and your racist roots.
Again – for the record – Moses Ingram deserves to be treated better.
Now …
If this is a widespread series of attacks, then I’ll admit I’ve honestly not seen them. What I did see were a curious series of posts from Ingram herself with some screencaps of several comments that were, quite frankly, damn stupid. One of them was clearly a racist observation while the others were – again – frankly damn stupid. Were I on a jury and those other messages were presented to me by the defense, then I’d be inclined to say, “You haven’t convinced me of anything … well, except that some people are, frankly, damn stupid.”
Sure: Moses Ingram deserves to be treated better if she’s been treated any less by anyone, fans or beyond. I do agree that in this day and age one might think that we would be a bit beyond this conversation, but it endures for a whole lot of reasons, not just the one you folks want to attach to such behavior. Sadly, this corporate response has become the go-to approach to dealing with criticism as it’s proven to be the easiest way to shut critics up.
But you know what: in this life – the only one we get so far as I know – we all deserve to be treated better.
Just because someone doesn’t like your work or someone doesn’t like the script or someone doesn’t like a particular character … none of that makes anyone racist. However, since our society has sadly made a habit of hurling the race card at any and damn near every opportunity – especially at fandom – its meaning has been watered down to the point that “if I’m offended, then I’m calling you a racist.” In point of fact, that is not what racism is. That is not what racism looks like. That is not what any of us should be putting out on social media platforms responsibly if we’re trying to have an intelligent discussion about race and bigotry.
For the record, Walt Disney, I seem to remember that you folks were kinda/sorta caught up a creek behind the eight ball with your pants down around your ankles (sorry about mixing metaphors!) with Kelly Marie Tran. For those unaware, Tran was the actress in the Sequel Trilogy who (again) alleged to have been attacked for her race on social media; those of us who went looking for these attacks never quite found them (again, there was a lot of ignorance that one might assume was racially motivated, but an examination revealed a lot of misunderstood parsing, if you ask me). She walked away from social media because of what she deemed bigotry … and, why, it seemed like the end result was that her already superficial character was treated even more superficially by JJ Abrams when he delivered her a vastly decreased role in The Rise Of Skywalker.
So … that’s how you confront racism? You scale back an actress' screen time?
And while I’m on the subject of defending races, where were you, Walt Disney, when John Boyega was rather famously REMOVED from your advertising at some country's request? Again, the actor spoke out against such treatment; from what I recall, you folks had closed door meetings with him to shore up a solution but yet again what I saw was a near removal from the major plotlines of The Rise Of Skywalker … which only forced the actor to speak up yet again. Your response then? Another series of closed door meetings to discuss the actor’s concerns.
Now you want to parade both this actress and her costars out into the public square to attack fandom.
You want more? Would you like to talk about Mulan and China and the Uyghurs? I’m guessing you don’t, but if you want to have that discussion then let’s have that discussion. Or how about we talk about how you folks really feel about strong women? You didn't lift a finger to defend actress Gina Carano -- except to remove her from your line-up -- while allowing Pedro Pascal to use the exact same metaphor (about socialism) on the exact same platform (it's called Twitter) that got her let go, did you?
Sigh.
Again. I don’t think any of us would ever try to argue that racism doesn’t exist. It does. As I said, it likely will for some time. Life is imperfect, and sometimes each of us has to find a way to get through some very ugly incidents hoping against hope that tomorrow will be changed for the better.
But the Walt Disney company and its paid talent are the LAST PEOPLE ON EARTH I’m taking advice from.
No.
The Harvey Weinstein class doesn’t get a free pass on condemning fandom. And last I checked you folks were in business with Harvey Weinstein, right? For a few years? I’m not implying anything. I’m just stating a fact.
You want racism dealt with? Then you take action against the racists. Teach them a lesson. I think we’d all support that, and isn’t that what you folks really want? You want us all to come together? Let us support you. You go ahead and make their lives as difficult as you feel persons of color have it if that’s what you need to feel good about yourselves. Let those bigots suffer the consequences of their own ignorance. Prove your point in a court of law and then live with the consequences of that.
In the meantime?
Moses Ingram deserves to be treated better.
But maybe clean up your own house.
-- EZ
But you know what: in this life – the only one we get so far as I know – we all deserve to be treated better.
Just because someone doesn’t like your work or someone doesn’t like the script or someone doesn’t like a particular character … none of that makes anyone racist. However, since our society has sadly made a habit of hurling the race card at any and damn near every opportunity – especially at fandom – its meaning has been watered down to the point that “if I’m offended, then I’m calling you a racist.” In point of fact, that is not what racism is. That is not what racism looks like. That is not what any of us should be putting out on social media platforms responsibly if we’re trying to have an intelligent discussion about race and bigotry.
For the record, Walt Disney, I seem to remember that you folks were kinda/sorta caught up a creek behind the eight ball with your pants down around your ankles (sorry about mixing metaphors!) with Kelly Marie Tran. For those unaware, Tran was the actress in the Sequel Trilogy who (again) alleged to have been attacked for her race on social media; those of us who went looking for these attacks never quite found them (again, there was a lot of ignorance that one might assume was racially motivated, but an examination revealed a lot of misunderstood parsing, if you ask me). She walked away from social media because of what she deemed bigotry … and, why, it seemed like the end result was that her already superficial character was treated even more superficially by JJ Abrams when he delivered her a vastly decreased role in The Rise Of Skywalker.
So … that’s how you confront racism? You scale back an actress' screen time?
And while I’m on the subject of defending races, where were you, Walt Disney, when John Boyega was rather famously REMOVED from your advertising at some country's request? Again, the actor spoke out against such treatment; from what I recall, you folks had closed door meetings with him to shore up a solution but yet again what I saw was a near removal from the major plotlines of The Rise Of Skywalker … which only forced the actor to speak up yet again. Your response then? Another series of closed door meetings to discuss the actor’s concerns.
Now you want to parade both this actress and her costars out into the public square to attack fandom.
You want more? Would you like to talk about Mulan and China and the Uyghurs? I’m guessing you don’t, but if you want to have that discussion then let’s have that discussion. Or how about we talk about how you folks really feel about strong women? You didn't lift a finger to defend actress Gina Carano -- except to remove her from your line-up -- while allowing Pedro Pascal to use the exact same metaphor (about socialism) on the exact same platform (it's called Twitter) that got her let go, did you?
Sigh.
Again. I don’t think any of us would ever try to argue that racism doesn’t exist. It does. As I said, it likely will for some time. Life is imperfect, and sometimes each of us has to find a way to get through some very ugly incidents hoping against hope that tomorrow will be changed for the better.
But the Walt Disney company and its paid talent are the LAST PEOPLE ON EARTH I’m taking advice from.
No.
The Harvey Weinstein class doesn’t get a free pass on condemning fandom. And last I checked you folks were in business with Harvey Weinstein, right? For a few years? I’m not implying anything. I’m just stating a fact.
You want racism dealt with? Then you take action against the racists. Teach them a lesson. I think we’d all support that, and isn’t that what you folks really want? You want us all to come together? Let us support you. You go ahead and make their lives as difficult as you feel persons of color have it if that’s what you need to feel good about yourselves. Let those bigots suffer the consequences of their own ignorance. Prove your point in a court of law and then live with the consequences of that.
In the meantime?
Moses Ingram deserves to be treated better.
But maybe clean up your own house.
-- EZ
- Published on
PROGRAMMING NOTE
The kind folks at Liberation Hall have been good enough to provide yours truly with a complimentary set of RoboCop: The Series; and I’m going to spend a fair amount of time with it over the next few days. Interested readers are encouraged to watch this space as I’ll be doing some individual episodes reviews – and maybe even a few extra articles – in order to both promote the product as well as relive a show I’ve read so much about but am only just getting to know.
If you’re interested in picking up your very own copy of RoboCop: The Series, then you can follow the link right here for more details. It’s available in either Blu-ray or traditional DVD.
If you’re interested in picking up your very own copy of RoboCop: The Series, then you can follow the link right here for more details. It’s available in either Blu-ray or traditional DVD.
The transition from the big screen to the small screen can be a risky proposition.
By their very nature, feature films invest a significant chunk of their budgeted change into making characters, costumes, environment, and set pieces look larger-than-life: it’s why they call it ‘the movies,’ after all. In some cases – especially when you’re dealing with franchise properties – no expense is spared in giving the motion picture the visual clout needed to compete in the ultimate venue of big and bold cinematic ideas. Audiences can expect to be more than reasonably entertained in exchange for the price of a ticket, and studios are inclined to put-up-or-shut-up with the hopes of wooing them back again should the prospect for a sequel get introduced.
Still, RoboCop: The Series has made an obvious investment.
The producers have gone to good lengths to recreate Robo’s Old Detroit precinct house, assorted lab environments, and even some mileage within the city itself … and a good portion of it is on display in “Prime Suspect,” the procedural’s second episode of its only season in original broadcast existence. The short skinny? Well, it all looks pretty good, though the digital compression employed by this set’s distributor does rear its ugly head in a few spots late in the show. While they didn’t destroy the experience, they certain through a layer of rust onto an otherwise good-looking hour.
(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 …)
By their very nature, feature films invest a significant chunk of their budgeted change into making characters, costumes, environment, and set pieces look larger-than-life: it’s why they call it ‘the movies,’ after all. In some cases – especially when you’re dealing with franchise properties – no expense is spared in giving the motion picture the visual clout needed to compete in the ultimate venue of big and bold cinematic ideas. Audiences can expect to be more than reasonably entertained in exchange for the price of a ticket, and studios are inclined to put-up-or-shut-up with the hopes of wooing them back again should the prospect for a sequel get introduced.
Still, RoboCop: The Series has made an obvious investment.
The producers have gone to good lengths to recreate Robo’s Old Detroit precinct house, assorted lab environments, and even some mileage within the city itself … and a good portion of it is on display in “Prime Suspect,” the procedural’s second episode of its only season in original broadcast existence. The short skinny? Well, it all looks pretty good, though the digital compression employed by this set’s distributor does rear its ugly head in a few spots late in the show. While they didn’t destroy the experience, they certain through a layer of rust onto an otherwise good-looking hour.
(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 product packaging:
“Corrupt TV evangelist Reverend Bob Taker launches an anti-RoboCop campaign, calling the cyborg a ‘tool of Satan.’ When Taker is mysteriously murdered, the evidence points to RoboCop. Mayor Friendly, whom RoboCop has caught taking bribes from notorious Old Detroit underworld boss, Vlad ‘Dutch’ Molotov, orders the law enforcement cyborg shut down.”
One of the lessons I’ve learned from interviewing a handful of behind-the-scenes creatives in the television production business is that writers – when they’re taxed for time – are very prone to borrow from some of what’s come before.
As an example, a film as popular as the action spectacle Die Hard (1988) has seen an incredible number of small screen reinventions for a variety of properties. Need more? Well, cinematic benchmarks like 1954’s Seven Samurai or even the war classic The Dirty Dozen (1967) have been revamped – in a very toned-down fashion – to fit the needs of many genre shows. When the formula works, then why not use it to great effect whenever you can, even when that requires you do so on a budget? I’ve been assured this technique gets bandied about quite often in writers’ rooms, and I’ve seen the results – good and bad – in programs all around the TV dial.
RoboCop’s “Prime Suspect,” is essentially a small screen reworking of The Fugitive (1993), a hugely successful remake of the popular 1960’s TV show. In the film, Harrison Ford stars as Dr. Richard Kimble, a man wrongly accused of killing his wife; he escapes the police and spends the remainder of his time up in lights tracking down the real perpetrators and seeing them brought to justice. While “Prime” removes the marital angle, many other elements survive the translation, all the way down to the fugitive Robo coming face-to-face with the lawman hot on his trail in the city sewer system.
And you know what?
It works not just well but extremely well, so much so that I wish this episode had been the program’s pilot episode. I wouldn’t have seen it expanded to a two-parter – though that certainly could’ve worked wonders, too – but the story tapped into just the right balance of exploring Robo’s existential predicament with questions about his civic responsibilities and the fate of his human soul while dishing out the kind of conflict, fisticuffs, and action audiences have come to expect from franchise entities. This ‘felt’ bigger than life – much like The Fugitive did before it – and I believe it’s a fabulous stand-alone yarn.
One of the additions to the expanding Robo-mythology introduced in that pilot involves actress Andrea Roth. Her character ‘Diana Powers’ was murdered in the two-parter as the show’s villains needed an exceptional human brain to enact their citywide neural network technology; this gives her the ability to – ahem – appear as an almost technological ‘fairy god mother’ who both counsels and assists RoboCop in his pursuit of justice. Though I wasn’t a fan of how that script made use of this addition, “Prime” dials it back a bit, building a relationship of support for the two actors to bounce off one another. Given this welcome twist, it’ll be interesting to see where future episodes take the pairing.
“Corrupt TV evangelist Reverend Bob Taker launches an anti-RoboCop campaign, calling the cyborg a ‘tool of Satan.’ When Taker is mysteriously murdered, the evidence points to RoboCop. Mayor Friendly, whom RoboCop has caught taking bribes from notorious Old Detroit underworld boss, Vlad ‘Dutch’ Molotov, orders the law enforcement cyborg shut down.”
One of the lessons I’ve learned from interviewing a handful of behind-the-scenes creatives in the television production business is that writers – when they’re taxed for time – are very prone to borrow from some of what’s come before.
As an example, a film as popular as the action spectacle Die Hard (1988) has seen an incredible number of small screen reinventions for a variety of properties. Need more? Well, cinematic benchmarks like 1954’s Seven Samurai or even the war classic The Dirty Dozen (1967) have been revamped – in a very toned-down fashion – to fit the needs of many genre shows. When the formula works, then why not use it to great effect whenever you can, even when that requires you do so on a budget? I’ve been assured this technique gets bandied about quite often in writers’ rooms, and I’ve seen the results – good and bad – in programs all around the TV dial.
RoboCop’s “Prime Suspect,” is essentially a small screen reworking of The Fugitive (1993), a hugely successful remake of the popular 1960’s TV show. In the film, Harrison Ford stars as Dr. Richard Kimble, a man wrongly accused of killing his wife; he escapes the police and spends the remainder of his time up in lights tracking down the real perpetrators and seeing them brought to justice. While “Prime” removes the marital angle, many other elements survive the translation, all the way down to the fugitive Robo coming face-to-face with the lawman hot on his trail in the city sewer system.
And you know what?
It works not just well but extremely well, so much so that I wish this episode had been the program’s pilot episode. I wouldn’t have seen it expanded to a two-parter – though that certainly could’ve worked wonders, too – but the story tapped into just the right balance of exploring Robo’s existential predicament with questions about his civic responsibilities and the fate of his human soul while dishing out the kind of conflict, fisticuffs, and action audiences have come to expect from franchise entities. This ‘felt’ bigger than life – much like The Fugitive did before it – and I believe it’s a fabulous stand-alone yarn.
One of the additions to the expanding Robo-mythology introduced in that pilot involves actress Andrea Roth. Her character ‘Diana Powers’ was murdered in the two-parter as the show’s villains needed an exceptional human brain to enact their citywide neural network technology; this gives her the ability to – ahem – appear as an almost technological ‘fairy god mother’ who both counsels and assists RoboCop in his pursuit of justice. Though I wasn’t a fan of how that script made use of this addition, “Prime” dials it back a bit, building a relationship of support for the two actors to bounce off one another. Given this welcome twist, it’ll be interesting to see where future episodes take the pairing.
RoboCop: The Series was produced by Robocop Productions Ltd., Rysher Entertainment, and Skyvision Entertainment. DVD distribution (for this particular release) is being coordinated via Liberation Hall. This Blu-ray set contains five discs and boasts a runtime of approximately seventeen hours.
As for the technical specifications?
Well, I’ve read online that some longtime fans of the show are a bit upset with this release: the episodes have all been formatted 16:9 for widescreen televisions but the show was original broadcast in standard 4:3. My expertise is certainly not in the technical areas covered by some who do reviews, but I can say – after viewing a few episodes – there are some hiccups regarding cropping. It’s nothing glaring – only a handful of scenes ended up looking shot with a person’s head out-of-frame – so I’m not inclined to make a big deal out of it. However, there are also a few scenes of obvious grain I suspect are a result of the increased focus; again, it’s nothing ‘tragic,’ but it is what it is. (I’ve seen other shows broadcast on HD channels reformat older programming that looks vastly worse than this.)
As for the special features?
The set provides a handful of the typical behind-the-scenes whatnot including extras kinda/sorta repackaged from the show itself. Cast profiles are also a nice touch, along with some other documentary-style shorts about the show, some of its props, etc. (FYI: much of it is printing and photographs, so be prepared for some reading the fine print.) For what it’s worth, I thought it a nice assortment for folks either casual or die-hard enthusiasts of the greater RoboUniverse. Well done.
Highly Recommended. While I wasn’t quite won over with the two-part premiere episode (“The Future Of Law Enforcement” which can be found here), “Prime Suspect” was a winner so far as plot, circumstance, and characters. Not every character introduced in these forty-five minutes was put to best use, but I can’t help but wonder if the showrunners were merely positioning a few key players for return appearances or bigger twists in the tales to come. Alas, the formatting issue really destroys a few good scenes (especially in the hour’s final moments) as it’s glaringly obvious that this was digitally skewed in order to preserve what was originally filmed. Argh.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Liberation Hall provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Robocop: The Series by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review; and their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
As for the technical specifications?
Well, I’ve read online that some longtime fans of the show are a bit upset with this release: the episodes have all been formatted 16:9 for widescreen televisions but the show was original broadcast in standard 4:3. My expertise is certainly not in the technical areas covered by some who do reviews, but I can say – after viewing a few episodes – there are some hiccups regarding cropping. It’s nothing glaring – only a handful of scenes ended up looking shot with a person’s head out-of-frame – so I’m not inclined to make a big deal out of it. However, there are also a few scenes of obvious grain I suspect are a result of the increased focus; again, it’s nothing ‘tragic,’ but it is what it is. (I’ve seen other shows broadcast on HD channels reformat older programming that looks vastly worse than this.)
As for the special features?
The set provides a handful of the typical behind-the-scenes whatnot including extras kinda/sorta repackaged from the show itself. Cast profiles are also a nice touch, along with some other documentary-style shorts about the show, some of its props, etc. (FYI: much of it is printing and photographs, so be prepared for some reading the fine print.) For what it’s worth, I thought it a nice assortment for folks either casual or die-hard enthusiasts of the greater RoboUniverse. Well done.
Highly Recommended. While I wasn’t quite won over with the two-part premiere episode (“The Future Of Law Enforcement” which can be found here), “Prime Suspect” was a winner so far as plot, circumstance, and characters. Not every character introduced in these forty-five minutes was put to best use, but I can’t help but wonder if the showrunners were merely positioning a few key players for return appearances or bigger twists in the tales to come. Alas, the formatting issue really destroys a few good scenes (especially in the hour’s final moments) as it’s glaringly obvious that this was digitally skewed in order to preserve what was originally filmed. Argh.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Liberation Hall provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Robocop: The Series by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review; and their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
- Published on
I realize my opinion may be a little jaded, but I’ve never felt Star Wars – as a franchise – has written its roles for children very well.
For example, young Jake Lloyd did what he could to elevate some rather juvenile speeches when he played the youngest incarnation of Anakin Skywalker in Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Though the kid was derided a bit by fandom, my grievances with it were directed more at the story, which I felt never quite congealed around any particular point of view. Saddled with introducing several significant characters who’d stretch the length of the Prequel Trilogy, the script needed a stronger focus on the young man in order to give him the chance to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the talented ensemble. I suppose it is what it is, but I can’t help but bringing that up as it relates to the state of the franchise.
By contrast, Disney+’s The Mandalorian started to right that ship just a bit. Because that property introduced Grogu and even managed to pair the fledgling padawan up with a few children in one of the show’s best installments, Star Wars finally – ahem – found a way to showcase the youngest among us that didn’t require some fancy narrative trickery about bringing balance to the Force. In more cases than not, children require the assistance, tutelage, and guidance of adults in order to make their way in the world; even Grogu consequently brought out the best in Din Djarin, making him fully realize his role as a responsible parent in the galaxy far, far away.
Now Obi-Wan Kenobi has gotten into the act.
Part 1 showed viewers a young Luke Skywalker behaving much like a kid would – playing with toys – while trying to avoid his chores with an earnest Uncle Ben. The script went one step further by showing Luke’s twin sister Leia doing much the same – sneaking out of the Alderaan palace to spend some quality time with her robot companion in the forest. But it went even a step further as audiences came to see this Leia was being trained to serve in some royal capacity, a future position she only begrudgingly accepted at her father’s encouragement. Some of the young lady’s delivery felt a bit clunky, in my opinion: a budding ten-year-old actress can only do so much with what’s on the written page … but, thankfully, she was given better material in this second episode.
For what it’s worth, I thought Part 2 was a vast improvement over Part 1 if for no other reason than things actually happened.
For example, young Jake Lloyd did what he could to elevate some rather juvenile speeches when he played the youngest incarnation of Anakin Skywalker in Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Though the kid was derided a bit by fandom, my grievances with it were directed more at the story, which I felt never quite congealed around any particular point of view. Saddled with introducing several significant characters who’d stretch the length of the Prequel Trilogy, the script needed a stronger focus on the young man in order to give him the chance to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the talented ensemble. I suppose it is what it is, but I can’t help but bringing that up as it relates to the state of the franchise.
By contrast, Disney+’s The Mandalorian started to right that ship just a bit. Because that property introduced Grogu and even managed to pair the fledgling padawan up with a few children in one of the show’s best installments, Star Wars finally – ahem – found a way to showcase the youngest among us that didn’t require some fancy narrative trickery about bringing balance to the Force. In more cases than not, children require the assistance, tutelage, and guidance of adults in order to make their way in the world; even Grogu consequently brought out the best in Din Djarin, making him fully realize his role as a responsible parent in the galaxy far, far away.
Now Obi-Wan Kenobi has gotten into the act.
Part 1 showed viewers a young Luke Skywalker behaving much like a kid would – playing with toys – while trying to avoid his chores with an earnest Uncle Ben. The script went one step further by showing Luke’s twin sister Leia doing much the same – sneaking out of the Alderaan palace to spend some quality time with her robot companion in the forest. But it went even a step further as audiences came to see this Leia was being trained to serve in some royal capacity, a future position she only begrudgingly accepted at her father’s encouragement. Some of the young lady’s delivery felt a bit clunky, in my opinion: a budding ten-year-old actress can only do so much with what’s on the written page … but, thankfully, she was given better material in this second episode.
For what it’s worth, I thought Part 2 was a vast improvement over Part 1 if for no other reason than things actually happened.
Part 1 expended an awful lot of time with scenery and long shots of Kenobi watching from afar, and I felt it mostly meandered a bit too softly into a reintroduction of the aging Jedi into polite society. Those long sequences slowed the narrative down, serving up more of some protracted pretty images instead of moving the story forward. Granted, the episode picked up pace a wee bit with li’l Leia’s kidnapping, but that catalyst was mostly wasted with a lot more subsequent standing around and talking about action instead of engaging in it. Thankfully, Part 2 sees Kenobi returning to the mode he spent a good portion of Star Wars: Episode II – Attack Of The Clones in which he was tasked by the Jedi Council – almost like a private investigator – with unraveling the mystery of the planet Kamino.
Furthermore, Part 2 benefits from some great screen time shared between Kenobi and li’l Leia, and that’s mostly what I touched on from above.
Kids need to be kids … and, yes, Walt Disney, that even means royal kids, too. Pairing our young princess up with a mechanical counterpart is one thing, but she needs to behave in a way that shows she’s of sound body and mind, questioning the world around her even if that means not liking what she learns as answers. (FYI: that’s called “growth.”) That’s what Part 2 did very well: not long after Kenobi rescues her, Leia suspects he’s withheld information (tip: he has) and then acts appropriately on that jeopardy. She does exactly what a kid would do: she runs away.
Still, it bears mentioning that introducing the aging Jedi Master to li’l Leia has created a sticking point for fans … or should I call this a disturbance in the Force? Previously, A New Hope kinda/sorta loosely established that Princess Leia never previously met Obi-Wan, that she’s coming to him at the urging of her father. But … well … this series shows that is far from the case. Will there be some clarification? Like a droid, will her mind be wiped of the interaction? A Jedi mind trick maybe? Or are fans just to accept that the film events are being ‘retconned’ by new material? Hopefully, this will be addressed in some way (positively) as I’d agree with those who call it a plot hole (of sorts).
Also: may I ask what skills the Inquisitors actually bring to the workplace? It would appear – outside of the obvious Force tools – that these knuckleheads lack any other legitimate cognitive skills. They simply stroll around in an almost thuggish way exercising the full whim and will of the Galactic Empire. Certainly, a case could be made that they don’t know how to put two-and-two together if now – ten years later – said ‘gutter trash’ Reva has dug into the Jedi Archives and found a link between Kenobi and Bail Organa. What? Did no one think to look in there before? Not in ten years? Didn’t Anakin – now Darth Vader – even suggest a link? What have you Inquisitors been doing in all this time? Just enjoying free Imperial travel perks?
So, yeah, there’s still some wrinkles that need a bit of ironing, but – as I said – Part 2 moves along at a much better pace stylistically than did its predecessor … so let’s hope all involved keep it moving forward from here on out.
-- EZ
Furthermore, Part 2 benefits from some great screen time shared between Kenobi and li’l Leia, and that’s mostly what I touched on from above.
Kids need to be kids … and, yes, Walt Disney, that even means royal kids, too. Pairing our young princess up with a mechanical counterpart is one thing, but she needs to behave in a way that shows she’s of sound body and mind, questioning the world around her even if that means not liking what she learns as answers. (FYI: that’s called “growth.”) That’s what Part 2 did very well: not long after Kenobi rescues her, Leia suspects he’s withheld information (tip: he has) and then acts appropriately on that jeopardy. She does exactly what a kid would do: she runs away.
Still, it bears mentioning that introducing the aging Jedi Master to li’l Leia has created a sticking point for fans … or should I call this a disturbance in the Force? Previously, A New Hope kinda/sorta loosely established that Princess Leia never previously met Obi-Wan, that she’s coming to him at the urging of her father. But … well … this series shows that is far from the case. Will there be some clarification? Like a droid, will her mind be wiped of the interaction? A Jedi mind trick maybe? Or are fans just to accept that the film events are being ‘retconned’ by new material? Hopefully, this will be addressed in some way (positively) as I’d agree with those who call it a plot hole (of sorts).
Also: may I ask what skills the Inquisitors actually bring to the workplace? It would appear – outside of the obvious Force tools – that these knuckleheads lack any other legitimate cognitive skills. They simply stroll around in an almost thuggish way exercising the full whim and will of the Galactic Empire. Certainly, a case could be made that they don’t know how to put two-and-two together if now – ten years later – said ‘gutter trash’ Reva has dug into the Jedi Archives and found a link between Kenobi and Bail Organa. What? Did no one think to look in there before? Not in ten years? Didn’t Anakin – now Darth Vader – even suggest a link? What have you Inquisitors been doing in all this time? Just enjoying free Imperial travel perks?
So, yeah, there’s still some wrinkles that need a bit of ironing, but – as I said – Part 2 moves along at a much better pace stylistically than did its predecessor … so let’s hope all involved keep it moving forward from here on out.
-- EZ
- Published on
Good morning, readers!
And ... yet ... sigh.
It's never been truer that we, culturally, lose a little something something with each passing generation, you know? I don't say that as an insult: rather, it's just an honest observation made by a fellow such as myself in response to watching our society grow and change across a generation or two. My contemporaries were brought up understanding 'history' or 'facts' to be certain nuggets of acquired knowledge, and they weren't open to opinions or interpretations. What we knew we knew ... and what we have proven through the establishment of standards never changed.
But today's young'uns do look for a bit more ... erm ... flexibility, I guess would be the right word.
Back when blogs were first made into a thing on the Information Superhighway, they were about allowing the voice of a single person being heard in this public square; however, I've been informed by a "Millennial" that (cough cough) blogs stopped being that about a decade ago and now they're meant to be centers for the open exchange of ideas, opinions, preferences, whatnot, etc.
While I still argue that's nonsense -- if you want to voice your opinion, then go and start your own blog -- I'm not above giving fans who are interested the opportunity to share and share alike, but there still has to be reasonable parameters. Message boards (yes, I'm that old) are set up for that kinda web-based dialogue -- not blogs, at least not so far as I'm concerned -- but I do agree that reader opinions have merits when and if they're substantiated by authentic journalism.
Wow. I'm really a dinosaur, no?
In any event, I'm going to cater to a suggestion I received in the way I see fit, not the way it was entirely offered. Here's the thing: on July 17th, the phenomenal Science Fiction classic RoboCop turns an incredible 35 years young. To celebrate, I've just begun -- behind the scenes -- to put together some trivia announcements and the like -- I'm looking at possibly doing a thirty-days-of-posts kinda thing -- so I'm inviting anyone interested in offering up his or her or it or they's (geesh) opinion of the seminal film alongside mine in these posts. If you want to get in on the affair, then here are my requirements:
First, you must be a real person. I'm not getting into allowing others to broadcast their fictional identity (unless it's already established AND proven) as little is truly gained by that. If you're willing to have your name attached to your opinion of RoboCop (the first film, the franchise, etc.), then I'm willing to look at what you have to say and include it in an article or blog post or whatever.
Second, you must be alright with some editorialization. Here, I'm talking about the obvious, folks: language. If you're only interested in stringing along a series of F-bombs and some otherwise colorful metaphors, then I'm going to EDIT your opinion so that's it's usable. I have a reputation to protect in this space, so be prepared for me to make editorial changes. (I'm not changing your opinion; I'm just making sure it's been expressed in such a way as it makes both of us look like we know what we're doing.)
Third, you can send me said opinion -- preferably in 100 words or less (unless, of course, you and I agree otherwise) -- in an email (not attachments) to editor@SciFiHistory.Net. I'm willing to read, review, and respond to anyone wishing to get in on this small affair. My only wish is that we keep it to 100 words or less because posts have a way of growing untenable otherwise.
This way, I'm giving truly interested readers who want to participate a bit more in my blog space with the opportunity to do so. Should the responses demonstrate to me that folks are legitimately fascinated with such input, then yes I'm willing to do more of it. As I tried to be clear above, that's really what message boards are for -- not traditional blogs -- but I can certainly understand and appreciate anyone who wishes to up the ante a bit. I just have to have some control over it as I've seen all too well the kinds of spam I have to navigate if I don't.
So there.
I'm meeting interested parties halfway.
Put up or shut up.
And, yes, I'd love to see folks put up. I've always believed this space could be so much more than what it is conventionally; I've just never had readers reach out enough to warrant doing more. Now that I've invited it, let's see what happens.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
And ... yet ... sigh.
It's never been truer that we, culturally, lose a little something something with each passing generation, you know? I don't say that as an insult: rather, it's just an honest observation made by a fellow such as myself in response to watching our society grow and change across a generation or two. My contemporaries were brought up understanding 'history' or 'facts' to be certain nuggets of acquired knowledge, and they weren't open to opinions or interpretations. What we knew we knew ... and what we have proven through the establishment of standards never changed.
But today's young'uns do look for a bit more ... erm ... flexibility, I guess would be the right word.
Back when blogs were first made into a thing on the Information Superhighway, they were about allowing the voice of a single person being heard in this public square; however, I've been informed by a "Millennial" that (cough cough) blogs stopped being that about a decade ago and now they're meant to be centers for the open exchange of ideas, opinions, preferences, whatnot, etc.
While I still argue that's nonsense -- if you want to voice your opinion, then go and start your own blog -- I'm not above giving fans who are interested the opportunity to share and share alike, but there still has to be reasonable parameters. Message boards (yes, I'm that old) are set up for that kinda web-based dialogue -- not blogs, at least not so far as I'm concerned -- but I do agree that reader opinions have merits when and if they're substantiated by authentic journalism.
Wow. I'm really a dinosaur, no?
In any event, I'm going to cater to a suggestion I received in the way I see fit, not the way it was entirely offered. Here's the thing: on July 17th, the phenomenal Science Fiction classic RoboCop turns an incredible 35 years young. To celebrate, I've just begun -- behind the scenes -- to put together some trivia announcements and the like -- I'm looking at possibly doing a thirty-days-of-posts kinda thing -- so I'm inviting anyone interested in offering up his or her or it or they's (geesh) opinion of the seminal film alongside mine in these posts. If you want to get in on the affair, then here are my requirements:
First, you must be a real person. I'm not getting into allowing others to broadcast their fictional identity (unless it's already established AND proven) as little is truly gained by that. If you're willing to have your name attached to your opinion of RoboCop (the first film, the franchise, etc.), then I'm willing to look at what you have to say and include it in an article or blog post or whatever.
Second, you must be alright with some editorialization. Here, I'm talking about the obvious, folks: language. If you're only interested in stringing along a series of F-bombs and some otherwise colorful metaphors, then I'm going to EDIT your opinion so that's it's usable. I have a reputation to protect in this space, so be prepared for me to make editorial changes. (I'm not changing your opinion; I'm just making sure it's been expressed in such a way as it makes both of us look like we know what we're doing.)
Third, you can send me said opinion -- preferably in 100 words or less (unless, of course, you and I agree otherwise) -- in an email (not attachments) to editor@SciFiHistory.Net. I'm willing to read, review, and respond to anyone wishing to get in on this small affair. My only wish is that we keep it to 100 words or less because posts have a way of growing untenable otherwise.
This way, I'm giving truly interested readers who want to participate a bit more in my blog space with the opportunity to do so. Should the responses demonstrate to me that folks are legitimately fascinated with such input, then yes I'm willing to do more of it. As I tried to be clear above, that's really what message boards are for -- not traditional blogs -- but I can certainly understand and appreciate anyone who wishes to up the ante a bit. I just have to have some control over it as I've seen all too well the kinds of spam I have to navigate if I don't.
So there.
I'm meeting interested parties halfway.
Put up or shut up.
And, yes, I'd love to see folks put up. I've always believed this space could be so much more than what it is conventionally; I've just never had readers reach out enough to warrant doing more. Now that I've invited it, let's see what happens.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
- Published on
If I remember correctly, fandom was widely split over just how effectively the original Jedi Master – George Lucas, himself – launched an all-new delivery of films to the masses. His Prequel Trilogy began with a little something something called Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.
Without reliving the entire controversy, I think it’s safe to suggest that viewers were a bit confused about why this saga would begin with Anakin Skywalker being so young. This wide-eyed, peace-loving Tatooinian (is that the proper word?) brought with him some kinda/sorta juvenile antics and attitudes that took Star Wars back to the realm of the kids. JarJar Binks delivered a kind of ‘babyspeak’ to everyone around him in the film, pushing the envelope for what level of intellectual development Lucas was truly going for with the picture. And cries of ‘yippie’ and the like were a far cry from the late teen years of Luke Skywalker and the decidedly more adult tone audiences had embraced with A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, so maybe – maybe – there’s something legitimate to their complaint. I’m not saying it’s right or wrong: I’m only saying it’s likely grounded in reason, flawed or not.
Think what you will of the Sequel Trilogy (personally, I didn’t much care for it), I’d agree with anyone who said that JJ Abrams and his collaborators at least ignored some of that kidcentricity (now I’m just making words up!). Though Finn, Rey, and Poe may’ve been hamstrung by these creative worldbuilders’ collective inability to craft a suitable outline (for consistency’s sake alone), none of the rebels or resisters approached young Anakin’s naivety or JarJar’s goofiness. Tonally, the Sequel Trilogy ‘felt’ a bit closer to the Original Trilogy, though I’m already on record as saying the Disney stuff lacked consistency as well as coherence in a few places.
So I was honestly a bit surprised when the Mouse House announced that they wanted to revisit the character of Obi-Wan Kenobi in a new streaming property, and I’ll tell you why simply: what more truly needed to be said about his character?
I dabble in writing fiction from time-to-time, and one of the tools I cling to as an author is making sure that each character has both a narrative purpose and is used to that best potential. I don’t craft them casually: I want to know why I made them and put them in this universe because – once they accomplish the reason for being – they do have a shelf-life. Like (hopefully) you and me, they do reach the end of their usefulness; if that sounds cold or crass, I apologize … but of all things I’ve ever been called that I agree with is that I’m a realist. Stories function on their own economy, and something that doesn’t need to be there shouldn’t be. That involves characters, and so far as I can tell the great Kenobi had met and delivered all of his ‘beats.’
To resurrect a character whose – ahem – best narrative days were behind him can be a treacherous task, and I’m kinda/sorta feeling the folks behind this limited series may have bitten off more than a Bantha can chew. Part I debuted just last week (along with Part II, which I’ll review separately), and I found so very much of it underwhelming if not a bit confusing. It's nearly all 'set-up' -- a curious but necessary choice -- but kinda/sorta spoils some of what has been already established in lore (i.e. Kenobi's secret isn't so secret, it seems).
Without reliving the entire controversy, I think it’s safe to suggest that viewers were a bit confused about why this saga would begin with Anakin Skywalker being so young. This wide-eyed, peace-loving Tatooinian (is that the proper word?) brought with him some kinda/sorta juvenile antics and attitudes that took Star Wars back to the realm of the kids. JarJar Binks delivered a kind of ‘babyspeak’ to everyone around him in the film, pushing the envelope for what level of intellectual development Lucas was truly going for with the picture. And cries of ‘yippie’ and the like were a far cry from the late teen years of Luke Skywalker and the decidedly more adult tone audiences had embraced with A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, so maybe – maybe – there’s something legitimate to their complaint. I’m not saying it’s right or wrong: I’m only saying it’s likely grounded in reason, flawed or not.
Think what you will of the Sequel Trilogy (personally, I didn’t much care for it), I’d agree with anyone who said that JJ Abrams and his collaborators at least ignored some of that kidcentricity (now I’m just making words up!). Though Finn, Rey, and Poe may’ve been hamstrung by these creative worldbuilders’ collective inability to craft a suitable outline (for consistency’s sake alone), none of the rebels or resisters approached young Anakin’s naivety or JarJar’s goofiness. Tonally, the Sequel Trilogy ‘felt’ a bit closer to the Original Trilogy, though I’m already on record as saying the Disney stuff lacked consistency as well as coherence in a few places.
So I was honestly a bit surprised when the Mouse House announced that they wanted to revisit the character of Obi-Wan Kenobi in a new streaming property, and I’ll tell you why simply: what more truly needed to be said about his character?
I dabble in writing fiction from time-to-time, and one of the tools I cling to as an author is making sure that each character has both a narrative purpose and is used to that best potential. I don’t craft them casually: I want to know why I made them and put them in this universe because – once they accomplish the reason for being – they do have a shelf-life. Like (hopefully) you and me, they do reach the end of their usefulness; if that sounds cold or crass, I apologize … but of all things I’ve ever been called that I agree with is that I’m a realist. Stories function on their own economy, and something that doesn’t need to be there shouldn’t be. That involves characters, and so far as I can tell the great Kenobi had met and delivered all of his ‘beats.’
To resurrect a character whose – ahem – best narrative days were behind him can be a treacherous task, and I’m kinda/sorta feeling the folks behind this limited series may have bitten off more than a Bantha can chew. Part I debuted just last week (along with Part II, which I’ll review separately), and I found so very much of it underwhelming if not a bit confusing. It's nearly all 'set-up' -- a curious but necessary choice -- but kinda/sorta spoils some of what has been already established in lore (i.e. Kenobi's secret isn't so secret, it seems).
The installment opens with a review of the greater Star Wars history involving the character, and this recap is used to segue into another look at some younglings trapped inside Coruscant’s Jedi Temple during the execution of Order 66.
Masters very quickly come under attack, and – instead of focusing on their own wellbeing – they take to defending their pupils. It appears as if a small group of trainees gets away – hint: we’re never given the identities of these students, but I’m guessing that’ll play into the series’ full arc before all is said and done. Before you know it we’re whisked off to Tatooine – ten years later – where a band of Imperial Inquisitors show up knowing full well that there are Force users in hiding on the planet. Despite their successfully finding (and losing!) a former youngling in a tavern, it would appear that not all is well amongst the Inquisitor staff; there's some obvious infighting, along with trust issues, and then we zoom in on a distant slaughterhouse where the older, grizzled Kenobi spends his days chopping up meat, troubled by Force visions, and guarding young Luke Skywalker from afar.
Before this first episode is over, however, it would seem that Kenobi’s secret isn’t quite as protected as Star Wars fandom had been previously led to believe. Jawas know where he is (and they’re known to share anything for a price). He’s been seen in town and recognized by that young user almost caught earlier by the Inquisitors. Why, even Bail Organa comes a’callin’ when he needs the master’s help: young Leia Organa is kidnapped, and – you guessed it – “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope.”
To the show’s credit, both Skywalker children get a bit of screen time – Leia vastly far more than Luke (this is the era of Kathleen Kennedy, after all, where men and boys are lesser creatures) – but the focus shifts comfortably between the known locales of Tatooine and Alderaan. Bail and his daughter have a healthy cinematic relationship – he’s rearing her for the role she'll eventually play in the wider Star Wars’ mythology, and their father/daughter dynamic elevates the otherwise slow hour – though he probably allows her a bit too much legroom when it comes to expressing her (oh so snarky and negative) opinions a bit too freely, especially for a ten-year-old. (No wonder she gets kidnapped!)
That's why I opened this review referencing Star Wars' kidcentricity (Ok, I'm using it again, so does that make it an official word?). The kids are back. Kenobi's young Leia 'felt' very similar in some ways to Lucas's young Anakin. Clearly, Disney knows kids are watching, and they've created a spark with li'l Leia. Let's see if they can properly cultivate this spark to a full rebellious fire. And I said 'properly,' Disney! Let's get it right!
Alas, it’s hard to make all that much positive or negative of Part 1. I thought the pace was a bit slow: once the opening action sequence at the Jedi Temple ends, there’s really nothing new in this universe it would seem. Clearly, most of the time is spent setting up the particulars needed to take this particular journey to that galaxy far, far away. Character introductions and re-introductions are about as efficient as we’ve come to expect from these streaming series. Production quality is excellent, and the hour ends as Kenobi accepts the responsibility handed to him – albeit reluctantly – and heads into space on an available transport … secret be damned.
-- EZ
Masters very quickly come under attack, and – instead of focusing on their own wellbeing – they take to defending their pupils. It appears as if a small group of trainees gets away – hint: we’re never given the identities of these students, but I’m guessing that’ll play into the series’ full arc before all is said and done. Before you know it we’re whisked off to Tatooine – ten years later – where a band of Imperial Inquisitors show up knowing full well that there are Force users in hiding on the planet. Despite their successfully finding (and losing!) a former youngling in a tavern, it would appear that not all is well amongst the Inquisitor staff; there's some obvious infighting, along with trust issues, and then we zoom in on a distant slaughterhouse where the older, grizzled Kenobi spends his days chopping up meat, troubled by Force visions, and guarding young Luke Skywalker from afar.
Before this first episode is over, however, it would seem that Kenobi’s secret isn’t quite as protected as Star Wars fandom had been previously led to believe. Jawas know where he is (and they’re known to share anything for a price). He’s been seen in town and recognized by that young user almost caught earlier by the Inquisitors. Why, even Bail Organa comes a’callin’ when he needs the master’s help: young Leia Organa is kidnapped, and – you guessed it – “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope.”
To the show’s credit, both Skywalker children get a bit of screen time – Leia vastly far more than Luke (this is the era of Kathleen Kennedy, after all, where men and boys are lesser creatures) – but the focus shifts comfortably between the known locales of Tatooine and Alderaan. Bail and his daughter have a healthy cinematic relationship – he’s rearing her for the role she'll eventually play in the wider Star Wars’ mythology, and their father/daughter dynamic elevates the otherwise slow hour – though he probably allows her a bit too much legroom when it comes to expressing her (oh so snarky and negative) opinions a bit too freely, especially for a ten-year-old. (No wonder she gets kidnapped!)
That's why I opened this review referencing Star Wars' kidcentricity (Ok, I'm using it again, so does that make it an official word?). The kids are back. Kenobi's young Leia 'felt' very similar in some ways to Lucas's young Anakin. Clearly, Disney knows kids are watching, and they've created a spark with li'l Leia. Let's see if they can properly cultivate this spark to a full rebellious fire. And I said 'properly,' Disney! Let's get it right!
Alas, it’s hard to make all that much positive or negative of Part 1. I thought the pace was a bit slow: once the opening action sequence at the Jedi Temple ends, there’s really nothing new in this universe it would seem. Clearly, most of the time is spent setting up the particulars needed to take this particular journey to that galaxy far, far away. Character introductions and re-introductions are about as efficient as we’ve come to expect from these streaming series. Production quality is excellent, and the hour ends as Kenobi accepts the responsibility handed to him – albeit reluctantly – and heads into space on an available transport … secret be damned.
-- EZ
- Published on
Though I could be wrong, I think it’s obvious that a character named ‘Crash Corrigan’ was likely meant to appeal to the same audience of its day that was heading into to movie houses for a trip to Mongo with a fellow named ‘Flash Gordon,’ don’t you? Of course, there’s nothing wrong with a little competition, especially when it benefits fans of genre entertainment who do so appreciate the exploits of our heroes up on the silver screen, so let’s assume that’s exactly what the folks at Republic Pictures intended with their release of Undersea Kingdom on this day in 1936.
Here's the plot summary as provided by our friends at IMDB.com:
“Crash Corrigan, a recent graduate of Annapolis, and Diana, a go-getting reporter, join Professor Norton for a search for the source of a string of earthquakes, Atlantis. They ride Prof. Norton’s rocket submarine searching the sea, and little Billy Norton, the professor’s son, stows away, of course. When they find Atlantis they are caught in a war between peaceful Atlanteans, note their white capes, and war-mongering Atlanteans, note their black capes. After many harrowing moments for Crash, Diana, Prof. Norton, and Billy, they barely get away with their lives when they escape a tower of Atlantis raised to the surface for the sole purpose of dominating or destroying the Earth (which one depends on the compliance of the upper world dwellers.)”
Ahem …
So it’s easy to see the similarities. Both franchises have a leading trinity of characters – the hero, the heroine, and the scientist – as well as a blazing rocketship that’s going to deliver them to some far off, exotic location wherein evil has its sights set on destroying our Big Blue Marble. In fact, the film’s Wikipedia.org citation suggests in its opening paragraph that Undersea was Republic’s direct response to Flash’s popularity at the box office, so I think it’s safe for us to conclude the property was always intended to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in film history as similar theatrical fare.
As I’ve not seen any box office reportage from the era regarding Undersea’s numbers, I have also read that this was only Republic’s second cinematic serial (it was a twelve-chapter affair delivering a total of 226 minutes). I also know that there were still producing serials into the 1950’s, so I’m willing to assume that their productions did well enough to fuel these efforts for, at least, two decades, though I do know that serials pretty much disappeared in that era as audiences were transitioning (of sorts) from the silver screen to the small screen. Even Republic’s Commando Cody: Sky Marshal Of The Universe underperformed in theaters but found new life on the Boob Tube. (Isn’t it interesting that in today’s market – the days of ten-episode limited streaming series – it would seem that the big budget serial has made a return to form?)
Folks wanting to know a bit more about Crash are encouraged to check out the film’s Wikipedia page as that’s the best source of info I’ve been able to find on it to date. I have seen a couple of low-priced versions available on DVD over on Amazon.com, so it appears as if the property is in public domain.
-- EZ
Here's the plot summary as provided by our friends at IMDB.com:
“Crash Corrigan, a recent graduate of Annapolis, and Diana, a go-getting reporter, join Professor Norton for a search for the source of a string of earthquakes, Atlantis. They ride Prof. Norton’s rocket submarine searching the sea, and little Billy Norton, the professor’s son, stows away, of course. When they find Atlantis they are caught in a war between peaceful Atlanteans, note their white capes, and war-mongering Atlanteans, note their black capes. After many harrowing moments for Crash, Diana, Prof. Norton, and Billy, they barely get away with their lives when they escape a tower of Atlantis raised to the surface for the sole purpose of dominating or destroying the Earth (which one depends on the compliance of the upper world dwellers.)”
Ahem …
So it’s easy to see the similarities. Both franchises have a leading trinity of characters – the hero, the heroine, and the scientist – as well as a blazing rocketship that’s going to deliver them to some far off, exotic location wherein evil has its sights set on destroying our Big Blue Marble. In fact, the film’s Wikipedia.org citation suggests in its opening paragraph that Undersea was Republic’s direct response to Flash’s popularity at the box office, so I think it’s safe for us to conclude the property was always intended to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in film history as similar theatrical fare.
As I’ve not seen any box office reportage from the era regarding Undersea’s numbers, I have also read that this was only Republic’s second cinematic serial (it was a twelve-chapter affair delivering a total of 226 minutes). I also know that there were still producing serials into the 1950’s, so I’m willing to assume that their productions did well enough to fuel these efforts for, at least, two decades, though I do know that serials pretty much disappeared in that era as audiences were transitioning (of sorts) from the silver screen to the small screen. Even Republic’s Commando Cody: Sky Marshal Of The Universe underperformed in theaters but found new life on the Boob Tube. (Isn’t it interesting that in today’s market – the days of ten-episode limited streaming series – it would seem that the big budget serial has made a return to form?)
Folks wanting to know a bit more about Crash are encouraged to check out the film’s Wikipedia page as that’s the best source of info I’ve been able to find on it to date. I have seen a couple of low-priced versions available on DVD over on Amazon.com, so it appears as if the property is in public domain.
-- EZ
- Published on
Happy Monday, people, and welcome to the start of an all-new week!
In case you somehow missed it, the annual Star Wars Celebration -- the annual event that gets held at the Mouse House's official grounds -- took place over the weekend. As you can imagine, a fair amount of news bytes and blurbs have emerged from the expensive fan-friendly event, some of which I might be featuring in this space over the next several days. (Sorry, kids, I'm not like other outlets, the kinds with a wealth of staffers who can run through press releases and scribble up rundowns. At present, this is all just me, so I've gotta find the time.) Not all of it looked all that interesting -- if I'm being perfectly honest -- but we'll see what rises to the top.
One of the biggest announcements -- so far as this knucklehead is concerned -- in the return of Star Wars: The Bad Batch for its second season this fall. It streams on Disney+, and it explores the events and situations involving a group of defective clones in the days when the Empire was beginning to weed out these troops in favor of trained -- ahem -- normal folk. Set after Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith but well before A New Hope, it explores that fertile period in which that galaxy far, far away was in transition to what it would become when audiences were first introduced to it by George Lucas and company back in the late 1970's.
For what it's worth, Season 1 was pretty glorious. We spent a fair amount of time getting to know these irregulars -- Tech, Wrecker, Hunter, Echo, and Omega -- and establishing the particulars of their circumstances (being on the fringes of a burgeoning Empire as well as being on-the-run from a brother-at-arms who bought the Imperial line); so it'll be nice to get back into action to see what awaits them in this all-new crop of episodes. I don't have a press release to copy-and-paste -- I'm not yet on the inside with the Lucasfilm folks, though I was for a time -- but I can post the released trailer as it's up on the good ol' reliable YouTube as of today.
In case you somehow missed it, the annual Star Wars Celebration -- the annual event that gets held at the Mouse House's official grounds -- took place over the weekend. As you can imagine, a fair amount of news bytes and blurbs have emerged from the expensive fan-friendly event, some of which I might be featuring in this space over the next several days. (Sorry, kids, I'm not like other outlets, the kinds with a wealth of staffers who can run through press releases and scribble up rundowns. At present, this is all just me, so I've gotta find the time.) Not all of it looked all that interesting -- if I'm being perfectly honest -- but we'll see what rises to the top.
One of the biggest announcements -- so far as this knucklehead is concerned -- in the return of Star Wars: The Bad Batch for its second season this fall. It streams on Disney+, and it explores the events and situations involving a group of defective clones in the days when the Empire was beginning to weed out these troops in favor of trained -- ahem -- normal folk. Set after Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith but well before A New Hope, it explores that fertile period in which that galaxy far, far away was in transition to what it would become when audiences were first introduced to it by George Lucas and company back in the late 1970's.
For what it's worth, Season 1 was pretty glorious. We spent a fair amount of time getting to know these irregulars -- Tech, Wrecker, Hunter, Echo, and Omega -- and establishing the particulars of their circumstances (being on the fringes of a burgeoning Empire as well as being on-the-run from a brother-at-arms who bought the Imperial line); so it'll be nice to get back into action to see what awaits them in this all-new crop of episodes. I don't have a press release to copy-and-paste -- I'm not yet on the inside with the Lucasfilm folks, though I was for a time -- but I can post the released trailer as it's up on the good ol' reliable YouTube as of today.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
-- EZ
- Published on
Mark my words, folks: Fox TV’s The X-Files was (and remains) one of the best genre series in the history of television.
Now, I don’t want to get into some of the smaller arguments involving the show. Chiefly, when I talk about The X-Files I’m essentially speaking of the original series run – the 1993-2002 9 series event – and not the – ahem – curiously uninformed relaunch (Series 10 and 11) and the movies. X worked best when it stayed reasonably true to its original formula; while I’ll concede that Seasons 8 and 9 also had their share of problems, many of those hours are still vastly superior to what audiences were subjected to when Fox and Chris Carter decided to go back to the well. In many cases, the stories of Mulder and Scully and the supporting crew hold up exceedingly well even today, and I’m always encouraging folks to go out and either discover it (if they’ve not seen it) or re-discover it (if they’re interested in reliving it).
Thankfully, there’s another way for those of us who experience that phenomenon in its original run: in 2020, publisher Harry N. Abrams teamed up with author Paul Terry with the release of The X-Files: The Official Archives: Cryptids, Biological Anomalies, And Parapsychic Phenomena (ISBN 1419735179). I actually finished this thing a few weeks back and have been meaning to put up a short review for interested parties as it just might be the kind of thing to get your fellow X-phile as a birthday or holiday present.
It's not what you’d call a hardcover edition, but the front and page are prepared on super heavy cardboard style stock. Printed in dimensions similar to the basic coffee table book, the inside pages also appear heavier than normal as Terry’s construction is dynamic – he’s actually assembled the reproduced FBI reports (along with supporting printed evidence) that the agents would’ve filed in their office subsequent to completing many of their biggest, boldest, brassiest investigations. Many of these incident reports are only a handful of pages, but for those of us who like to kinda/sorta relive the better episodes this is one way to go about it that might give you a new perspective.
Now, I don’t want to get into some of the smaller arguments involving the show. Chiefly, when I talk about The X-Files I’m essentially speaking of the original series run – the 1993-2002 9 series event – and not the – ahem – curiously uninformed relaunch (Series 10 and 11) and the movies. X worked best when it stayed reasonably true to its original formula; while I’ll concede that Seasons 8 and 9 also had their share of problems, many of those hours are still vastly superior to what audiences were subjected to when Fox and Chris Carter decided to go back to the well. In many cases, the stories of Mulder and Scully and the supporting crew hold up exceedingly well even today, and I’m always encouraging folks to go out and either discover it (if they’ve not seen it) or re-discover it (if they’re interested in reliving it).
Thankfully, there’s another way for those of us who experience that phenomenon in its original run: in 2020, publisher Harry N. Abrams teamed up with author Paul Terry with the release of The X-Files: The Official Archives: Cryptids, Biological Anomalies, And Parapsychic Phenomena (ISBN 1419735179). I actually finished this thing a few weeks back and have been meaning to put up a short review for interested parties as it just might be the kind of thing to get your fellow X-phile as a birthday or holiday present.
It's not what you’d call a hardcover edition, but the front and page are prepared on super heavy cardboard style stock. Printed in dimensions similar to the basic coffee table book, the inside pages also appear heavier than normal as Terry’s construction is dynamic – he’s actually assembled the reproduced FBI reports (along with supporting printed evidence) that the agents would’ve filed in their office subsequent to completing many of their biggest, boldest, brassiest investigations. Many of these incident reports are only a handful of pages, but for those of us who like to kinda/sorta relive the better episodes this is one way to go about it that might give you a new perspective.
Based on the title alone, however, I want you to understand one thing: this isn’t a full accounting of The X-Files episodes. This isn’t a compendium, though it certainly functions in ways similar to one. This volume explores only those installments featuring said ‘cryptids’ (think monsters), biological anomalies (plagues, viruses, etc.), and parapsychic phenomena (ghosts, near death events, etc.); and it covers the entirety of X’s run up through the films and Seasons 10 and 11. Any plotlines touching on these foci in even the smallest way get some exposure here, and in some cases you get reportage from more than just our two major players.
To my surprise, it’s an incredibly brisk read, as well. I’m not one who – when reading – likes to get bogged down in a lot of details or exposition, so reading the agents’ summation of the details (the who’s, how’s, what’s, etc.) was a fascinating way to relive many of the show’s great stories. From time-to-time, Mulder or Scully might slip in a bit of a quip about or against the other, so I even got a chuckle out of the occasional offhand observations that crept into the work. After I finished it, I passed it over to the wifey, as she’s honestly an even bigger fan of the show than I am, also considering it one of TV’s best franchises ever.
I offer this up with the highest recommendation … and, unlike other sites, I’m not paid to pass along product endorsements. This was a purchase all of my own – I would have made it whether or not I intended to pen a quick review of it – and I loved it through-and-through. As I thought about the work as reading it, I realized that – yes – likely any and every fan of the show would get a real kick out of an all-new way of revisiting the past … so I wanted to share it with you folks today.
Link: Amazon.com
As always, thanks for reading … and the truth is out there!
-- EZ
To my surprise, it’s an incredibly brisk read, as well. I’m not one who – when reading – likes to get bogged down in a lot of details or exposition, so reading the agents’ summation of the details (the who’s, how’s, what’s, etc.) was a fascinating way to relive many of the show’s great stories. From time-to-time, Mulder or Scully might slip in a bit of a quip about or against the other, so I even got a chuckle out of the occasional offhand observations that crept into the work. After I finished it, I passed it over to the wifey, as she’s honestly an even bigger fan of the show than I am, also considering it one of TV’s best franchises ever.
I offer this up with the highest recommendation … and, unlike other sites, I’m not paid to pass along product endorsements. This was a purchase all of my own – I would have made it whether or not I intended to pen a quick review of it – and I loved it through-and-through. As I thought about the work as reading it, I realized that – yes – likely any and every fan of the show would get a real kick out of an all-new way of revisiting the past … so I wanted to share it with you folks today.
Link: Amazon.com
As always, thanks for reading … and the truth is out there!
-- EZ