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I'm not much of a fan of awards shows. A few years back, I pretty much gave up on them, largely because everyone involved in them decided to take the opportunity of a public appearance supposed to be focused on arts and entertainment to lecture me about politics. Still, if there's any one I still follow fairly closely then it'd be the Saturn Awards. For those unawares, the Saturn Awards are dedicated to the recognition of films in the realm of Science Fiction and Fantasy, so it's a natural that SciFiHistory.Net would kinda/sorta keep them on our radar.
In any event, the nominations for the 43rd annual Saturn Awards are out, and I'm copying and pasting the featured film selections below from their website. Take a gander at how many great genre entries there were in the last year. It's certainly an impressive list, and that bodes for some fierce competition.
Best Comic-to-Motion Picture Release:
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
In any event, the nominations for the 43rd annual Saturn Awards are out, and I'm copying and pasting the featured film selections below from their website. Take a gander at how many great genre entries there were in the last year. It's certainly an impressive list, and that bodes for some fierce competition.
Best Comic-to-Motion Picture Release:
- Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
- Captain America: Civil War
- Deadpool
- Doctor Strange
- Suicide Squad
- X-Men: Apocalypse
- Arrival
- Independence Day: Resurgence
- Midnight Special
- Passengers
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- Star Trek Beyond
- The BFG
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
- Ghostbusters
- The Jungle Book
- Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
- A Monster Calls
- Pete’s Dragon
- The Autopsy of Jane Doe
- The Conjuring 2
- Demon
- Don’t Breathe
- Ouija: Origin of Evil
- Train to Busan
- The Witch
- Allied
- Gold
- Hacksaw Ridge
- Hidden Figures
- The Legend of Tarzan
- The Magnificent Seven
- The Nice Guys
- 10 Cloverfield Lane
- The Accountant
- The Girl on the Train
- Jason Bourne
- Hell or High Water
- The Shallows
- Split
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
- Published on
Full disclosure: I tend to enjoy ‘found footage films.’ However, I fully understand that most people don’t or, at least, that’s been my online experience.
Now, this isn’t to say that I find all of these projects worthwhile; it’s only to underscore that whereas other critics might lambast storytellers for weaving even the simplest tale from the shaky-cam perspective, I tend to be less oppressive and more focused on the entire affair (story, characters, etc.). After all, if a film works then it works, and it deserves to be evaluated against its own merits and flaws the way any other would … but I’ll also admit on the front end that I had some issues with ROBOT WARS that I couldn’t reconcile come the big finish.
(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 three paragraphs for my final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at “things to come,” then read on …)
From the advertising materials:
“In a dystopian near future, a corporate heist goes wrong and the team members struggle to survive a desperate escape through the apocalyptic sprawl with their stolen prize, a weapon of unspeakable power. As they navigate the urban wasteland, they must contend with barbaric gangs, corporate death squads and the terrifying truth about the weapon they have stolen.”
Now, this isn’t to say that I find all of these projects worthwhile; it’s only to underscore that whereas other critics might lambast storytellers for weaving even the simplest tale from the shaky-cam perspective, I tend to be less oppressive and more focused on the entire affair (story, characters, etc.). After all, if a film works then it works, and it deserves to be evaluated against its own merits and flaws the way any other would … but I’ll also admit on the front end that I had some issues with ROBOT WARS that I couldn’t reconcile come the big finish.
(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 three paragraphs for my final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at “things to come,” then read on …)
From the advertising materials:
“In a dystopian near future, a corporate heist goes wrong and the team members struggle to survive a desperate escape through the apocalyptic sprawl with their stolen prize, a weapon of unspeakable power. As they navigate the urban wasteland, they must contend with barbaric gangs, corporate death squads and the terrifying truth about the weapon they have stolen.”
Science fiction remains one of the richest genres for storytellers.
I find it’s best to describe SciFi as a blanket that can be easily fitted over practically any sort of tale, be they dramatic, horrific, or comedic. As a consequence, many films and TV shows end up claiming the mantle of SciFi even though – at their heart – they bear little resemblance to one another. For example, Syfy’s update of Battlestar Galactica really looked nothing like the late 1970’s original: despite pillaging much of the franchise’s names and places, the new Galactica had more in common at times with CBS’s M*A*S*H than it did the swashbuckling adventures starring Lorne Greene, Dirk Benedict, and the late Richard Hatch.
One of the more prominent sub-sets of the general SciFi format is the dystopian tale, a variation that even itself allows for all kinds of narrative flexibility. One need only look to the big box office adaptations of the popular Young Adult series The Hunger Games to see the hidden potential of tapping a grim look at tomorrow, and even AMC’s entertainment juggernaut The Walking Dead can be considered overtly dystopian in its tone. Indeed, the possibilities are limited only by the imaginations of those wanting to spin some yarn.
ROBOT WARS (2016) tries hard to achieve some modest new ground by incorporating the ‘found footage format’ into the dystopian thriller, but I found its results decidedly mixed, the fault of which is largely owed to restrictions of the initial format.
Writer/director William L. Stewart crafted his story by incorporating several perspectives (within the film, his characters are ‘implanted’ with technology that grants the audience to witness events unfolding through their eyes), and – as such – a tale already muddled with a world not quite fully created or defined gets hamstrung by almost constantly shifting viewpoints: Person A argues with Person B, and on occasion the audience witnesses the argument through the eyes of the person speaking, essentially the same way it would any other film … so what’s the need for the structure IF it arguably isn’t any different from a conventional flick?
I find it’s best to describe SciFi as a blanket that can be easily fitted over practically any sort of tale, be they dramatic, horrific, or comedic. As a consequence, many films and TV shows end up claiming the mantle of SciFi even though – at their heart – they bear little resemblance to one another. For example, Syfy’s update of Battlestar Galactica really looked nothing like the late 1970’s original: despite pillaging much of the franchise’s names and places, the new Galactica had more in common at times with CBS’s M*A*S*H than it did the swashbuckling adventures starring Lorne Greene, Dirk Benedict, and the late Richard Hatch.
One of the more prominent sub-sets of the general SciFi format is the dystopian tale, a variation that even itself allows for all kinds of narrative flexibility. One need only look to the big box office adaptations of the popular Young Adult series The Hunger Games to see the hidden potential of tapping a grim look at tomorrow, and even AMC’s entertainment juggernaut The Walking Dead can be considered overtly dystopian in its tone. Indeed, the possibilities are limited only by the imaginations of those wanting to spin some yarn.
ROBOT WARS (2016) tries hard to achieve some modest new ground by incorporating the ‘found footage format’ into the dystopian thriller, but I found its results decidedly mixed, the fault of which is largely owed to restrictions of the initial format.
Writer/director William L. Stewart crafted his story by incorporating several perspectives (within the film, his characters are ‘implanted’ with technology that grants the audience to witness events unfolding through their eyes), and – as such – a tale already muddled with a world not quite fully created or defined gets hamstrung by almost constantly shifting viewpoints: Person A argues with Person B, and on occasion the audience witnesses the argument through the eyes of the person speaking, essentially the same way it would any other film … so what’s the need for the structure IF it arguably isn’t any different from a conventional flick?
The simplest answer (so far as this reviewer is concerned) is that WARS is a feature meant to be about technology: its central characters are on a mission to steal some world-changing device, so why not wrap it all up in a bow nice and neat with yet another technological angle for audiences?
Well, the problem there is that the ‘found footage format’ ends up being little more than a gimmick in Stewart’s hands when, quite frankly, it could’ve / would’ve / should’ve been something more.
2009’s District 9 – writer/director Neill Blomkamp’s SciFi/Satire – utilized the ‘found footage’ set-up by way of a carefully crafted in-person documentary; but even Blomkamp realized that narrative device would only take the audience so far into the ‘heart’ of the film. At a point midway through the feature, the ‘perspective’ approach disappears, and the real story – that of a human finding his identity while becoming something inhuman – begins. The documentarian approach gave the storyteller great ease to establish the parameters of the world in which his characters would play out their grand fable, and – once the foundation was built – the shackles were thrown off.
By comparison, Stewart’s WARS provides the theatrical set-up in its early moments: practically mirroring that which Paul Verhoeven’s ROBOCOP (1987) introduced viewers to the perspective of a half-man-half-machine crimefighter, WARS plays its cards in its first and second reels. But then Stewart proceeds to tell his story by incorporating several other points-of-view, many of which seem curiously unnecessary: so-and-so is shown running down a hallway, while so-and-so’s implant records a ride in an elevator. It’s easy to determine that the heist is in-progress, but so much of what unfolds feels superfluous.
To complicate matters, WARS’ overall story ends up spooling out in occasionally hard-to-hear exchanges between far too many characters, none of whom are developed enough for us about which to care. The benefit to the ‘found footage’ format is that audiences are forced to go along for the ride; but if it isn’t all spelled out in a fashion that makes the trip interesting beyond the format then you end up feeling like you’ve been strapped to a chair and forced to watch an experimental film about God knows what where everything happens whether it’s needed or not. The people don’t matter because you’ve never really met them, so their fates are circumstantial. Come the big finish, you want to care about what happens to these characters you’ve come to know, but that doesn’t happen here, at least not to the point wherein any of it felt authentic.
Well, the problem there is that the ‘found footage format’ ends up being little more than a gimmick in Stewart’s hands when, quite frankly, it could’ve / would’ve / should’ve been something more.
2009’s District 9 – writer/director Neill Blomkamp’s SciFi/Satire – utilized the ‘found footage’ set-up by way of a carefully crafted in-person documentary; but even Blomkamp realized that narrative device would only take the audience so far into the ‘heart’ of the film. At a point midway through the feature, the ‘perspective’ approach disappears, and the real story – that of a human finding his identity while becoming something inhuman – begins. The documentarian approach gave the storyteller great ease to establish the parameters of the world in which his characters would play out their grand fable, and – once the foundation was built – the shackles were thrown off.
By comparison, Stewart’s WARS provides the theatrical set-up in its early moments: practically mirroring that which Paul Verhoeven’s ROBOCOP (1987) introduced viewers to the perspective of a half-man-half-machine crimefighter, WARS plays its cards in its first and second reels. But then Stewart proceeds to tell his story by incorporating several other points-of-view, many of which seem curiously unnecessary: so-and-so is shown running down a hallway, while so-and-so’s implant records a ride in an elevator. It’s easy to determine that the heist is in-progress, but so much of what unfolds feels superfluous.
To complicate matters, WARS’ overall story ends up spooling out in occasionally hard-to-hear exchanges between far too many characters, none of whom are developed enough for us about which to care. The benefit to the ‘found footage’ format is that audiences are forced to go along for the ride; but if it isn’t all spelled out in a fashion that makes the trip interesting beyond the format then you end up feeling like you’ve been strapped to a chair and forced to watch an experimental film about God knows what where everything happens whether it’s needed or not. The people don’t matter because you’ve never really met them, so their fates are circumstantial. Come the big finish, you want to care about what happens to these characters you’ve come to know, but that doesn’t happen here, at least not to the point wherein any of it felt authentic.
ROBOT WARS (2016) (aka KILL BOX) is produced by High Octane Pictures. DVD distribution is being handled via Breaking Glass Pictures. As for the technical specifications? This is a ‘found footage film,’ and – as such – it incorporates various snippets of coverage from a variety of perspectives: there is some herky-jerky-ness associated with several of the long-term views, but all-in-all it isn’t nearly as bad as I’ve experienced with other projects; sadly, the sound quality wasn’t very good consistently, and as the screener I was provided had no subtitles available I did find some elements of the story difficult to follow. Lastly, the disc included no special features.
(MILDLY) RECOMMENDED. If ‘found footage films’ are ‘your thang,’ then you might find some pleasure with ROBOT WARS, but I suspect it won’t be all that memorable for you. Still, as I’m always guilty of saying about less-than-stellar efforts, there was a germ of an idea in there worth being explored in greater detail. Unfortunately, the narrative restraints of a ‘found footage flick’ offers really only a narrow track – one increasingly thin as a film wears on – and characters suffer as a consequence … which generally leads to audiences suffering, assuming any show up in the first place.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Breaking Glass Pictures provided me with a promotional DVD screener of ROBOT WARS 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.
(MILDLY) RECOMMENDED. If ‘found footage films’ are ‘your thang,’ then you might find some pleasure with ROBOT WARS, but I suspect it won’t be all that memorable for you. Still, as I’m always guilty of saying about less-than-stellar efforts, there was a germ of an idea in there worth being explored in greater detail. Unfortunately, the narrative restraints of a ‘found footage flick’ offers really only a narrow track – one increasingly thin as a film wears on – and characters suffer as a consequence … which generally leads to audiences suffering, assuming any show up in the first place.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Breaking Glass Pictures provided me with a promotional DVD screener of ROBOT WARS 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
Oh, my goodness gracious ... isn't this one of the signs of the Apocalypse? Wasn't it foretold that when and if Bumblebee left the Transformers' franchise to branch out on his solo career it would spell the doom of man?
I kid, I kid, but maybe not so much as I just read the news over at Deadline.com (link) that one of the beloved centerpieces for the Michael Bay entertainment juggernaut is getting his own spin-off feature. Seriously: do people still watch these films? I think the last one I saw was the flick where they went to the moon or unraveled a lunar conspiracy or something to that effect. Otherwise, the films seem to be largely reasons to invest in a special effects budget.
Now, I don't begrudge the Transformers their success. As you know, I'm probably as huge a fan of All Things SciFi as there is, but at some point methinks enough might be enough and it becomes time to retire a property until such a time as audiences grow hungry for it once more. I'm guessing some accountant has looked at the books close enough to determine how profitable a spin-off could be, so let's all just wish 'The Bumbler' well in this new adventure.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
I kid, I kid, but maybe not so much as I just read the news over at Deadline.com (link) that one of the beloved centerpieces for the Michael Bay entertainment juggernaut is getting his own spin-off feature. Seriously: do people still watch these films? I think the last one I saw was the flick where they went to the moon or unraveled a lunar conspiracy or something to that effect. Otherwise, the films seem to be largely reasons to invest in a special effects budget.
Now, I don't begrudge the Transformers their success. As you know, I'm probably as huge a fan of All Things SciFi as there is, but at some point methinks enough might be enough and it becomes time to retire a property until such a time as audiences grow hungry for it once more. I'm guessing some accountant has looked at the books close enough to determine how profitable a spin-off could be, so let's all just wish 'The Bumbler' well in this new adventure.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
- Published on
Stardate 03.02.2017.A: Today's SciFi-ShoutOut - Jessica Mae OsBorne's 'No Tribble At All' SciFi Blog
Regular readers of SciFiHistory.Net know that I'm prone to give occasional SciFi-ShoutOuts to the peoples and places I stumble across in my humble research into All Things SciFi, and -- once more as a clarification -- these nods are in no way, shape, or form intended to give any measure of authenticity to anyone else's political, social, or artistic interpretations: these are only intended to say that 'Little Ol' Me' found it, liked what I found, and thought it worthy of some modest promotion to like-minded folks.
(Now that THAT ugly disclaimer is out of the way ...)
Earlier in the week, I found Jess's No Tribble At All blog wherein this talented knucklehead waxes on much in the same way many of us do about All Things SciFi which interest her. At first blush, hers are definitely more 'commentary-style pieces' (meaning that she's a thinker and a writer and she likes to put those two tasks together in some longer prose pieces), and while I wouldn't say that I agreed with her on a few quibbles she still can sling nouns and verbs into some convincing arguments. I'd heartily recommend to those interested to check it out.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
(Now that THAT ugly disclaimer is out of the way ...)
Earlier in the week, I found Jess's No Tribble At All blog wherein this talented knucklehead waxes on much in the same way many of us do about All Things SciFi which interest her. At first blush, hers are definitely more 'commentary-style pieces' (meaning that she's a thinker and a writer and she likes to put those two tasks together in some longer prose pieces), and while I wouldn't say that I agreed with her on a few quibbles she still can sling nouns and verbs into some convincing arguments. I'd heartily recommend to those interested to check it out.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
- Published on
Meh. I wasn't much of a fan of the late 1980's / early 1990's War of the Worlds program, but that never stops me from getting their episode information listed in my daily citations. I liked where it all begin -- picking up a few decades after the events of the original motion picture -- but from there it quickly became a kinda/sorta hard act to follow. Still, it deserves the mention in these corridors of information; so I wanted to let you know that the entries are all there!
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
- Published on
20th Century Fox has dropped a new trailer for the forthcoming installment in the Alien franchise -- titled Alien: Covenant -- and it definitely looks like a "return to form" for the popular space saga.
Admittedly, I had some issues with Ridley Scott's last adventure, Prometheus (2012), most of which are owed to the fact that the director himself never quite made it clear if he intended for it to continue building upon the mythology or stand alone within the same universe. (I tend to think it was the latter, in which I case I couldn't help but ask "why" over and over again.) The script was tepid with characters and ideas not quite clearly developed, but it certainly was a slickly produced effort worthy of the time and discussion of SciFi fans. Sometimes, that's the best we can hope for in this modern era.
Take a gander at the preview compliments of the knuckleheads over at YouTube.com:
Admittedly, I had some issues with Ridley Scott's last adventure, Prometheus (2012), most of which are owed to the fact that the director himself never quite made it clear if he intended for it to continue building upon the mythology or stand alone within the same universe. (I tend to think it was the latter, in which I case I couldn't help but ask "why" over and over again.) The script was tepid with characters and ideas not quite clearly developed, but it certainly was a slickly produced effort worthy of the time and discussion of SciFi fans. Sometimes, that's the best we can hope for in this modern era.
Take a gander at the preview compliments of the knuckleheads over at YouTube.com:
As always, thanks for reading, live long and prosper, and remember in space no one can hear you scream.
- Published on
I've mentioned countless times on these pages that I'm no Marvel fan. It isn't that I dislike their properties; rather, I was raised on DC Comics, so I just never developed the same kind of love, respect, and admiration for the other side of the comic book tracks. I did try getting into several of the books when I was a bit older (late teens and early twenties), but I only dug a few standalone series and events while never quite identifying with any of the singular heroes.
However, the news that the incredible Anson Mount is Marvel-bound has me somewhat interested.
For those who missed it, Mount headlined AMC's pretty terrific history drama Hell On Wheels through its five seasons as railroad man Cullen Bohannon, and -- despite some pretty interesting and equally talented guest stars -- he was the reason to stick with it. Essentially, he played an emotionally tortured Confederate who moved north (for personal reasons) always in pursuit of justice the old-fashioned way. Folks (like me) who hung with the program will tell you that with the exception of Season 2 it was a fabulous experience, often times flirting with the real history of nation-building while giving Mount one more reason to do what he did best, even if that meant the cost occasionally of his own peace of mind.
This morning, I read on Deadline (link) that he's been cast to bring Black Bolt to life as the lead for Marvel's Inhumans for ABC TV, and the program is even getting some kind of IMAX-style treatment. So I guess I'll have to brush up on my mutant mythology as he's probably the only reason I have at this point to give it a try ... but that's a solid enough excuse. Seriously, I don't often plug other genres, but Hell On Wheels is worth the time.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
However, the news that the incredible Anson Mount is Marvel-bound has me somewhat interested.
For those who missed it, Mount headlined AMC's pretty terrific history drama Hell On Wheels through its five seasons as railroad man Cullen Bohannon, and -- despite some pretty interesting and equally talented guest stars -- he was the reason to stick with it. Essentially, he played an emotionally tortured Confederate who moved north (for personal reasons) always in pursuit of justice the old-fashioned way. Folks (like me) who hung with the program will tell you that with the exception of Season 2 it was a fabulous experience, often times flirting with the real history of nation-building while giving Mount one more reason to do what he did best, even if that meant the cost occasionally of his own peace of mind.
This morning, I read on Deadline (link) that he's been cast to bring Black Bolt to life as the lead for Marvel's Inhumans for ABC TV, and the program is even getting some kind of IMAX-style treatment. So I guess I'll have to brush up on my mutant mythology as he's probably the only reason I have at this point to give it a try ... but that's a solid enough excuse. Seriously, I don't often plug other genres, but Hell On Wheels is worth the time.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
- Published on
I've often said and written something to the effect that "life isn't always so much about getting the big moments right but rather celebrating the achievements of the smaller ones."
Despite how hard we might try, this game of life is rarely 'picture perfect,' and instead we all find balance in knowing we put our best foot forward in pursuit of things more likely within our grasp. This isn't to say we don't dream big because we do: rather it's a mature acknowledgement that existence is and always has been imperfect, so take the goodness in small doses and you're more likely to find happiness in the day-to-day pursuit of your memories.
Bill Paxton was the ultimate cinematic underdog.
In his most memorable work, rarely was he front and center: he was either part of an ensemble or he was cast as one of those background characters who brought his A-game to a B-role. With Bill, you could always be certain that no matter how many minutes of screen time he had or how many lines he was given from the script he was going to attack every moment with the kind of quality workmanship needed to make the project succeed. He turned in the kind of effort that drew attention to the sum total of the affair rather than inherit a role for notoriety or personal acclaim; and that's probably why his skills surpassed the limitations of his contemporaries.
In fact, his resume reads like a syllabus for any aspiring actor to study. The Terminator. Weird Science. Near Dark. Predator 2. Tombstone. Apollo 13. Twister. HBO's Big Love. Edge of Tomorrow. TV's Hatfields & McCoys. (I could go on and on as his genre contributions are all particularly fantastic, but methinks you get the point.) Rarely was he cast in the typical leading man role -- where the "bigger than life" quality often sends marquee names -- but instead he fleshed out those secondary men who excelled despite their flaws and gave a motion picture some much needed flavor. He turned small moments -- like I mentioned above -- into the stuff of film legend.
His passing was sudden, and I suspect the news rocked your world as much as it did mine. In one of the comment boards I frequent, I wrote that he was truly one of Hollywood's least expected geniuses and arguably one of its most unappreciated ones as well. In short, he delivered exactly what a picture needed in a way uniquely ... well ... 'Paxtonian,' and he will be sorely missed.
Despite how hard we might try, this game of life is rarely 'picture perfect,' and instead we all find balance in knowing we put our best foot forward in pursuit of things more likely within our grasp. This isn't to say we don't dream big because we do: rather it's a mature acknowledgement that existence is and always has been imperfect, so take the goodness in small doses and you're more likely to find happiness in the day-to-day pursuit of your memories.
Bill Paxton was the ultimate cinematic underdog.
In his most memorable work, rarely was he front and center: he was either part of an ensemble or he was cast as one of those background characters who brought his A-game to a B-role. With Bill, you could always be certain that no matter how many minutes of screen time he had or how many lines he was given from the script he was going to attack every moment with the kind of quality workmanship needed to make the project succeed. He turned in the kind of effort that drew attention to the sum total of the affair rather than inherit a role for notoriety or personal acclaim; and that's probably why his skills surpassed the limitations of his contemporaries.
In fact, his resume reads like a syllabus for any aspiring actor to study. The Terminator. Weird Science. Near Dark. Predator 2. Tombstone. Apollo 13. Twister. HBO's Big Love. Edge of Tomorrow. TV's Hatfields & McCoys. (I could go on and on as his genre contributions are all particularly fantastic, but methinks you get the point.) Rarely was he cast in the typical leading man role -- where the "bigger than life" quality often sends marquee names -- but instead he fleshed out those secondary men who excelled despite their flaws and gave a motion picture some much needed flavor. He turned small moments -- like I mentioned above -- into the stuff of film legend.
His passing was sudden, and I suspect the news rocked your world as much as it did mine. In one of the comment boards I frequent, I wrote that he was truly one of Hollywood's least expected geniuses and arguably one of its most unappreciated ones as well. In short, he delivered exactly what a picture needed in a way uniquely ... well ... 'Paxtonian,' and he will be sorely missed.
- Published on
Full disclosure: I don't watch awards programming. To be perfectly honest, I gave up on them years ago when both the presenters, the nominees, the winners, and the networks decided it was more important to celebrate their political perspectives than to truly honor their craftsmanship.
(And for you haters: no, I'm not saying that they shouldn't have political positions. No, I'm not saying that they can't spout off about their political positions. I'm only saying that an awards show really should be reserved for the purposes of honoring the contributions to art. After all, you don't go to a gymnastics event hoping for a basketball game to break out. If actors, directors, and the like want to push an agenda then they should be required to go out and purchase a political ad so that I can turn the channel when that stuff starts.)
Still, it's great to see that genre work like Science Fiction and Fantasy garners some attention from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, so major kudos go out today to the craftsmen and women of Warner Bros' Suicide Squad for bringing home the Oscar for Best Makeup and Hair Styling. The film was trashed to Holy High Heaven upon its theatrical release, but it's nice to see that Academy members found some merit in what I thought was an old-fashioned comic book movie without all the heavy-handedness seriousness of the usual Marvel affairs as well as Christopher Nolan's Bat-flicks.
Otherwise, the event didn't catch my eye ... except for that whole Best Picture kerfuffle.
Now, call me a conspiracist if you must, but am I the only one who thought it more than a bit questionable that a host like Jimmy Kimmel -- a man REVERED amongst his peers for his legendary and epic pranksmanship -- headlined an event that ended with arguably one of the biggest screw-ups in film history? No one seriously thought -- right away -- that this was owed to his hand? Yes, I've read all of the theories and explanations coming out of the Price Waterhouse suits today, but come on! In something like 80+ years a 'punking' of this sort never came close to happening, and this one was picture perfect ... just like one would expect from an "entertainer" whose pranksmanship skills are legendary.
What? Too soon?
Also, wasn't it more than a bit curious that it would happen to a film like LaLa Land, a flick about "celebrating the chasing of dreams," only to have the dreams of those affiliated with it dashed by a last second SNAFU ... by an accounting firm?
I'm not saying Kimmel did it. I am saying that karmic payback has always been a b#tch.
Well -- for an awful lot of reasons -- mama raised a cynic, whether she intended to or not. Call me a conspiracist (as I said) if you must. I will always doubt Kimmel's explanation.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
(And for you haters: no, I'm not saying that they shouldn't have political positions. No, I'm not saying that they can't spout off about their political positions. I'm only saying that an awards show really should be reserved for the purposes of honoring the contributions to art. After all, you don't go to a gymnastics event hoping for a basketball game to break out. If actors, directors, and the like want to push an agenda then they should be required to go out and purchase a political ad so that I can turn the channel when that stuff starts.)
Still, it's great to see that genre work like Science Fiction and Fantasy garners some attention from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, so major kudos go out today to the craftsmen and women of Warner Bros' Suicide Squad for bringing home the Oscar for Best Makeup and Hair Styling. The film was trashed to Holy High Heaven upon its theatrical release, but it's nice to see that Academy members found some merit in what I thought was an old-fashioned comic book movie without all the heavy-handedness seriousness of the usual Marvel affairs as well as Christopher Nolan's Bat-flicks.
Otherwise, the event didn't catch my eye ... except for that whole Best Picture kerfuffle.
Now, call me a conspiracist if you must, but am I the only one who thought it more than a bit questionable that a host like Jimmy Kimmel -- a man REVERED amongst his peers for his legendary and epic pranksmanship -- headlined an event that ended with arguably one of the biggest screw-ups in film history? No one seriously thought -- right away -- that this was owed to his hand? Yes, I've read all of the theories and explanations coming out of the Price Waterhouse suits today, but come on! In something like 80+ years a 'punking' of this sort never came close to happening, and this one was picture perfect ... just like one would expect from an "entertainer" whose pranksmanship skills are legendary.
What? Too soon?
Also, wasn't it more than a bit curious that it would happen to a film like LaLa Land, a flick about "celebrating the chasing of dreams," only to have the dreams of those affiliated with it dashed by a last second SNAFU ... by an accounting firm?
I'm not saying Kimmel did it. I am saying that karmic payback has always been a b#tch.
Well -- for an awful lot of reasons -- mama raised a cynic, whether she intended to or not. Call me a conspiracist (as I said) if you must. I will always doubt Kimmel's explanation.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
- Published on
For those of you who may've missed the announcement last week, I'm pleased to share that Rogue One: A Star Wars Story -- the first stand-alone film for the franchise set a long time ago in a galaxy far away -- is set to release on home video on April 4th. Naturally, that's great news for purists who are seeking to pick up a copy or even the most casual of Star Wars fans. I read the announcement over on Bluray.com, and you can do the same right here: there's some terrific information about the special features included with the various releases (look for some retailers to have their own extras), so you might want to know which specific set you want to own.
Also, I'd be a fool if I didn't give a Shout-Out to my own review of the theatrical release: you can find that read on the SciFiHistory.Net blog right here. In short, I thought it was pretty awesome, though not without a few quibbles here and there.
As always, thanks for reading ... and may the Force be with you!
Also, I'd be a fool if I didn't give a Shout-Out to my own review of the theatrical release: you can find that read on the SciFiHistory.Net blog right here. In short, I thought it was pretty awesome, though not without a few quibbles here and there.
As always, thanks for reading ... and may the Force be with you!