​​For the uninformed: Night Gallery (1969-1973) was an anthology program launched from the mind of Rod Serling, a gifted storyteller who had found previous fame and fortune with the format with the groundbreaking The Twilight Zone (1959-1964).  While the two shows share some thematic sensibilities as well as the propensity to rely entirely on guest stars in key roles, perhaps the significant difference is where Zone relied predominantly on Science Fiction as a backdrop for its tales Gallery tended to explore the supernatural, the occult, and the downright macabre at times.
 
To the show’s credit, Night Gallery enjoyed a pair of Primetime Emmy Awards (one in 1971 and again in 1972 in different categories).  While the program didn’t win, series creator Serling himself took home a 1970 Edgar Allen Poe ‘Special Edgar’ trophy for bringing the program to life, another much deserved nod toward the quality recognized in the man’s ongoing legacy at the time.
 
Recently, I had the good fortune of receiving a complimentary Blu-ray copy of Night Gallery: Season 03, and I wanted to spend some time reviewing a handful of the episodes for interested readers.
 
Today’s installment: The Return Of The Sorcerer was the third season’s season opener, a thirty-minute chiller starring Horror icon Vincent Price, TV’s popular Bill Bixby, and Tisha Sterling.
 
(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 episode’s IMDB.com citation page:
“Sorcerer John Carnby recruits young Noel Evans to translate an incomplete Arabic source book whose most fiendish passages involve being flayed over burning coals and slowly dismembered.”
 
Ahem.
 
Far be it from me to look to deeply into Night Gallery’s third season premiere, but – if I’m being perfectly honest – it’s a bit of a stinker.  This isn’t to say that it’s deficient in any one way in particular; rather, there’s a general silliness to the entire affair, one that might make audiences legitimately question just what the source material looked like before ending up as it did in this curious edit.  IMDB.com credits the script first as a story from author Clark Ashton Smith, a name that in some circles appears synonymous with pulp masters Robert E. Howard and H.P. Lovecraft.  Wikipedia.org states that Smith’s catalogue boasts entries in poetry and prose across the genres of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror.  Halsted Welles is credited with the screenplay, and – as is almost always the case with Serling’s programs – Rod himself is given ‘uncredited’ on the draft.
 
As for the story, Carnby (Price) is hellbent on finding a translator for some elusive text, though I’ll admit there’s no clear explanation for his central demand.  Instead, there are suggestions that it’s all tied back to a family curse (watch closely, and you’ll see Vincent appear in more than one role here) along with perhaps a jilted love affair with the fetching Fern (Sterling).  Noel Evans (Bixby) agrees with a bit too relative ease to continue the work vacated by previous experts, and he even succumbs to Fern’s affections despite the script providing absolutely zero foundation (and credibility) for their apparent tryst … unless, of course, it’s all magic to begin with.
 
But as the action unfolds, The Return Of The Sorcerer grows ever more opaque.
​

Carnby is constantly plagued by some offstage scratches, but the script never clarifies whether or not anyone else in the estate and onscreen is hearing them as well.  (There are suggestions, but no one else reacts to them even remotely as profoundly as does Price, that gawking fool.)  Furthermore, Evans doesn’t even seem to notice that he’s walking down hallways so thickly and obviously filled with ambient fog (if not smoke) one wonders why this pronounced brainiac didn’t ask if the fire detectors had current batteries.  Were we, the audience, to assume he couldn’t see this?  It’s as thick as soup!  About the time the lovely Fern shows up for dinner dressed more like a cocktail waitress at the local Marriott I figured I wasn’t supposed to take the sudden appearance of the most curious dinner guest ever – a seated ram, horns and all – as any surprise.  Why not have the horned beast sitting at the supper table?  Especially when Fern’s now carrying a frog for her to kiss at every opportunity.
 
There’s a bit more lunacy, and yet I don’t feel the need to underscore further how these antics serve to distract more than they endear an audience to the one-dimensional premise.  Sadly, this Sorcerer is all atmosphere and no substance, much like the unexplained fog filling the Carnby mansion.  Given Price and Bixby’s pedigree, I think it’s safe to say that I expected a bit more from this thirty-minute excursion into the dark arts, but it’s all far too muddled for my tastes.  Granted, I’m a full-blooded American male, so I enjoyed watching Sterling for her slim contribution here: while she’s fabulous to look at, I can’t help but wonder what all of her curious ramblings may’ve been about.
 
Night Gallery: Season 03 (1972-1973) was produced by Universal Television.  DVD distribution (for this particular release) is being coordinated by the good people at Kino Lorber.  As for the technical specifications?  Though I’m not trained video expert, I found the sights and sounds of this episode to be particularly solid.
 
Mildly recommended.
 
If you’re a fan of Price, then perhaps The Return Of The Sorcerer might, at best, qualify as a guilty pleasure.  If you’ve read the above, you’ll know that I didn’t find it all that interesting, much less good, but – as a talent – I suspect only Vincent could’ve accomplished what little he did here and make it palatable.  Bixby – a known commodity – is a bit wasted in a role that never quite develops, and the end result is a mixed bag of tricks that evokes only a passing visual flourish of a show that deserved a much stronger entry for its third (and final) season.
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Kino Lorber provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Night Gallery: Season 03 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

Ah, folks, in the words famously said several times by Mel Brooks: "It's good to be the king!"

I kid, I kid, but sometimes the Review Gods do smile upon me ... and the very kind people at Kino Lorber recently treated me to a complimentary Blu-ray copy of that 1970's television classic Night Gallery.  I humbly accepted!

For those of you unaware, Night Gallery was the creation of Rod Serling, the man behind the ultimate television staple The Twilight Zone.  In fact, I've read that Serling himself saw Night Gallery as a kinda/sorta continuation of Zone -- to a degree -- though the program focused much more closely on Horror as a staple in its stories, dabbling in matters of the occult, ghosts, ghouls, and the like.  It premiered in 1970 and last three seasons, and I believe I've read the format was tinkered with just a bit over those three years.

Now, I haven't seen an awful lot of the show.  I have seen the original pilot telefilm (I think it aired in 1968 or 1969, which was actually quite good), and I have seen a handful of the first season episodes.  While I didn't find the show on the same level of quality as was The Twilight Zone, I still believe it's filled with some of the better stories captured for broadcast audiences of a certain era.  Production qualities were quite good, though I honestly felt its tales were a bit too grounded in what I'd call late 1960's and early 1970's sensibilities, which is to say that they were probably a bit light on narrative specifics, a bit overly theatrical.

Still, I would argue that Night Gallery offered an incredible line-up of guest stars, some of them very near their prime, and that fact alone might make a trip into the Gallery a good time for those of us who still appreciate the aging Thespian's ability to chew scenery the way only he or she could.

In any event, I'm going to spend a bit of time over the next few days watching a few of these episodes, and I'll be posting some reviews in this space for regular readers.  Do, please, check them out; and for fans of the original program it is available on DVD (Seasons 1 and 2 are already in the marketplace, and Season 3 drops next week).  What with the holiday season right around the corner, what household wouldn't benefit from something a bit different on the entertainment menu?

As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!

-- EZ

Dare I suggest: there isn’t a person among us who hasn’t in some way, shape, or form imagined how he or she would react in the midst of a critical crisis.
 
Some of this might be little more than a sad commentary on our age but given the prevalence of things like school or public shootings, we’ve had to take a more prepared step in countering these developments.  Back in the 1970’s and 1980’s, such events were commonplace in drive-in restaurants or workplace settings (if you believed the nighttime news broadcasts), and – having lived through that era as well – I can attest to the fact that each of us in our respective minds’ eyes tried to conceive of such a danger, what we might do about it, and whether or not we could assist our fellow man.  Hollywood has even gotten in on the act, churning out crowd-pleasing fare like First Blood (1982), Die Hard (1988), or even the vastly darker The Strangers (2008) … all variations on a formula that pitted the rugged individual against an oppressive force of evil that required a “come to Jesus” moment as a catalyst against senseless cruelty.
 
While Becky (2020) isn’t likely going to start a trend of pre-pubescent do-gooders going toe-to-toe against some homicidal maniacs, I think it’s still a damn effective piece of storytelling exploring much of the same substance.  Clearly, this young lady has had to push herself to the limits of what’s possible (or probable) in such dire circumstance.  While the flick may fall short so far as realists are concerned, those behind it might take comfort in knowing it’s still a nifty little piece of bloody work for those of us who don’t turn away from the controversial, the unnecessary, or the downright subversive.
 
You go, girl.  You go.
 
(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:
“Spunky and rebellious, Becky is brought to a weekend getaway at a lake house by her father Jeff in an effort to try to reconnect.  The trip immediately takes a turn for the worse when a group of convicts on the run, led by the merciless Dominick, suddenly invade the lake house.”
 
There’s a catharsis that goes along with reconciling the loss of a loved one that rarely – if ever – really aligns itself from stories of the youngest among us.  Most of this is probably owed to the fact that children aren’t screenwriters, so the adults in the room are vastly more comfortable in crafting fare that traffics in their own age group.  Kids – it would seem – are always depicted as far more resilient anyway, and given the reality that their lives are just beginning perhaps the yarn-spinners in Hollywood and beyond are simply content with letting them go with the flow?
 
Into this cinematic opportunity comes Becky (played by Lulu Wilson).  Clearly, the kid is not all right, so much so that she’s sheltered herself away from daddy dearest (Joel McHale) after a vicious battle with cancer claims the life of her mother.  Seeking to reconcile with his daughter on the cusp of wedding Kayla (Amanda Brugel) and bringing her young son Ty (Isaiah Rockcliffe) into his life, Jeff seems to be moving very fast … and that’s when reality rears its ugly head(s) in the guise of four escaped convicts who’ll stop at nothing to recover a mysterious key that’s gone missing at the central lakehouse.
​

Alas, the screenwriter team of Ruckus Skye, Lane Skye, and Nick Morris never invest so much as any explanation for how this key came to be in hiding at a house seemingly only owned by Jeff and his family (their belongings are everywhere, so am I to assume it’s only a rental?).  Nor do co-directors Jonathon Milott and Cary Murnion seem to be that interested in hammering out so obvious a plot point.  Instead, the film achieves maximum velocity reasonably well – after some interesting parallel set-ups to the lives of hardened criminals alongside ‘tweenagers’ – and goes full speed ahead, crafting out sequences one bloodier than the last in order to turn young Becky into the youngest version of Die Hard’s John McClane in screen record.
 
Now, don’t get me wrong: I’ve absolutely no problem admitting that I had a helluva lot of fun with this one.  The storytellers achieve just enough cohesiveness to this back-to-basics carnival attraction of a young whippersnapper eeking out one win after another over some nasty ne’er-do-wells.  No, it may not be all that believable – seeing how Becky takes a solid hit to the chest from one of the screen’s physically biggest guys around (Robert Maillet, in a great role) and can still get up to walk it off not long after – but that’s the sheer vicariousness of a good thrill ride in action.   There’s not a wealth of realism any where in any of this … and that’s okay.  You’re meant to cheer our young lady of action, and – in that respect – this is about as lean and mean and obscene as audiences expect.
 
If anything, Becky does devolve into a modestly predictable ending – sorry, I won’t spoil it – and I expected a bit more from something that toyed so openly in areas other filmmakers likely wouldn’t experiment with.  After all, you’ve given her a serious blood lust, so why not let her take credit for all of the kills instead of – ahem – relying on a bit of fortunate assistance?  It isn’t as if the audience will be paying for her psychological evaluation after … will we?
 
Becky (2020) was produced by Yale Productions, BondIt Media Capital, Boulder Light Pictures, and a host of other contributors.  (For a complete list, you can check out IMDB.com.)  DVD distribution (for this particular release) is being coordinated via Ronin Flix.  As for the technical specifications?  Though I’m no trained video expert, I thought the accompanying sights and sounds to this feature presentation were all quite good.  As for the special features?  This Special Edition release should please fans of the project as the packaging boasts several featurettes exploring the behind-the-scenes efforts as well as an audio commentary with talent and crew.  It’s definitely a nice assortment.
 
Highly recommended.
 
My opinion of this might be in the minority, but I thoroughly enjoyed this grim, psychological revenge picture for what it was: Becky (2020) is probably not going to embraced by all, but fans of the cinematically subversive might want to check this out.  Granted, it still lacks a degree of realism some who think and write about film might aspire to, but that’s chump change … especially when the narrative focus is a ‘tweenager’ going hellbent apesh#t on some would-be attackers in her moments of blood rage.  Yes, it’s imperfect.  Yes, it’s missing a bit of pragmatism.  Yes, a few moments might be hard to swallow.  But any film that has Kevin James losing an eye can’t be all that bad … can it?
 
Can it?
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Ronin Flix provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Becky: Special Edition (2020) 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

First off, thank you to all of you who reached out to me via the World Wide Web over the weekend regarding the sad, sad news of Kevin Conroy's passing.  Naturally, I wanted to get something up, but I had a very busy past couple of days, and this is the first free moment I've had to actually sit down, offer a few thoughts, and commit to the space.

As I've mentioned before, some 'In Memoriam' posts hit harder than others, and that's because of the impact some of these talented folks have had on various franchises over the years.  This isn't to say not every person deserves some extra attention; clearly, we all have favorites -- for whatever the reason -- and I do try to manage these posts to honor contributions big and small ... but, try as I might, I'll probably never be able to do justice to everyone.

In any event ...

I've often waxed on about how it's difficult to discuss The Batman with folks in my age group.  Many of them are vastly more familiar with that -- ahem -- God-awful Batman satire program from the late 1960's that just didn't win me over as a fan.  Yes, I watched it -- probably as faithfully as did others -- and, yes, I suppose on one level it was perfectly entertaining.  I just never cared for it all that much.  Yes, great car.  Yes, great talent.  Just ... overall?  Not for me.

​The 1989 movie was a bit of a phenomenon, true.  Kudos to Warner Bros. and Timothy Burton for bringing a whole lot of converts to the wide, wide world of The Bat, as the property was finally given the measure of respect it so often deserved but never quite found.  In spite of some -- ahem -- curious zaniness that didn't feel natural to the flick, I enjoyed it well enough.  Again, it wasn't perfect -- and I will continue to insist that there has yet to be a perfect live action Batman film to date -- but it was acceptable for its time and place.

Perhaps the greatest thing to come out of the experience, however, was the resulting television program.  Batman: The Animated Series -- in my humble opinion -- finally gave The Batman his visual due.  The Bruce Timm and Paul Dini inspiration was incredibly respectful to the whole universe that had come before in the comic books, and these stories were crafted in such a way as to honor the legacy as well as bring all of its characters into a somewhat modern era.

The icing on that cake?  Kevin Conroy was pitch perfect as both Bruce Wayne and The Batman.

Yes, he was perfect.  I've never come across anyone who seriously argued otherwise.  Of course, I have debated some choices in other DVD properties that Warner Bros. produced for the sell-thru marketplace, but -- near and far -- Conroy has been highly praised for his singular talents in the DC animated universe.  In fact, he's been so highly regarded that he continued bringing it to life in various spin-offs, sequels, and other intellectual property for the better part of three decades.  That, my friends, is an incredible legacy that speaks volumes to exactly how well everyone who is anyone in the entertainment business felt about the man's ability.

He was and will remain Batman for, likely, a very long time.

Alas, none of us lasts forever, and word reached my desk over the weekend of the actor's passing from cancer.

Prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Mr. Conroy.

May he forever rest in peace.

​-- EZ

Regular readers in this space know that I’m not a huge fan of the all-too-conventional slasher picture.
 
From time-to-time, I’m apt to remind folks that – while I find them a bit too predictable for my tastes – I can appreciate a blue-collar attempt to ratchet up the appropriate tension and deliver some bloody chills and spills.  Though I’ll admit that they’re rarely the kind of thing I’ll ever watch over and over, I can still marvel at those films that both stay-on-track as well as ‘stick the landing’ in the process.  Those ponying up something special – be it a unique plot twist or maybe even the suggestion of the supernatural – do tend to rate a bit higher on my ranking list … but at the end of the day I’m still prone to watch ‘em once and then get back to the business of exploring bodies with a bit more meat on them there bones.
 
Nightmare Man is a bit of a mixed pot.  It both is and isn’t ‘traditional,’ and the end result winds up being a bit too uneven to truly elevate it to the point of being something special.  Those preferring to dabble in the influence of the beyond should take note of its passable charm, though I do question just how special they’ll find it’s a bit-too-predictable second half even though it closes with the suggestion that some things that go bump in the night are truly beyond our grasp.
 
(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:
“After receiving a demonic African mask in the mail, Ellen Morris is attacked in her dreams by an evil being she calls ‘Nightmare Man’ and is labeled a paranoid schizophrenic by both her doctor and her husband.  When Ellen is brutally attacked again, this time after being abandoned on the side of the road while being transported to the hospital, she flees for her life and stumbles upon a remote cabin filled with friends …”
 
There’s a bit more, but regular readers know of my penchant to not spoil too much of the plot.  Yes, yes, yes, this is an older release finding new life on home video fifteen years later, but I’m a stickler for leaving some of the surprises to you – the audience – and I’ll leave it at that.
 
Suffice it to say, Nightmare Man both is and isn’t a conventional slasher picture.  Writer/director Rolfe Kanefsky – a busy, busy professional with over seventy projects currently to his name – packs this Nightmare with a little bit of everything; though it has the framework suggesting it’s a lean-and-mean butchering machine, it does both suggest and develop the theme of otherworldly evil – one that’s not quite as conventional as gets depicted in here – making the second half a bit more interesting than the first.  Those who prefer Horrors that are more than meets the eye should have their appetites sated when all is said and done.
​

Also, I’ve always been a fan of masked killer sagas, and this Nightmare does have a face only a mother could love.  The script attributes it as having properties that might help couples in trying to conceive (!!!???!!!), a somewhat laughable suggestion but one that doesn’t derail the plot as this one gets into the killing business reasonably quickly.  If anything, Kanefsky’s script perhaps focusing a bit too much on its dry melodrama – there’s truly no ‘happy couple’ at the core of any of these cinematic relationships – when what matters most in here is the gruesome façade chasing down the victims one after another.  That’s when this Nightmare works best, and that should be no surprise.
 
While most folks don’t come to a Horror feature looking for big performances, the film is aided by some familiar faces who manage to give something interesting to the project.  The comely Blythe Metz is a likeable lead; she balances the act between being a damsel-in-distress while questioning her sanity more than I think most actresses might bring to the role, so it’s easy to root for her survival in what might be an otherwise dim affair.  Johanna Putnam shines – albeit a bit briefly – as the former coed who’s trying to get beyond her carnal college days even though her best friend won’t let her grow up.  Lastly, B-Movie Queen Tiffany Shepis shows why she’s one of the best in the business – both in and out of her bra and panties – as she stands tall, kicks butt, and (sigh) eventually succumbs to some dark magic … as is the destiny of practically any pretty girl who ever appeared in such a picture.
 
Lastly, I’d be remiss in my duties if I failed to mention that the film garnered a bit of positive praise from appearances on the film festival circuit.  Kudos to all involved for reaching for the stars and actually taking hold of a few in the process.
 
Nightmare Man (2006) was produced by Paradign Pictures and Delusional Films.  DVD distribution (for this particular release) is being coordinated by the folks at Ronin Flix.  As for the technical specifications?  Though I’m no trained video expert, I thought that the sights and sounds within were all very good, but I will admit that a great deal of the night-time settings could’ve used a bit more light in a few passages.  Lastly, if you’re looking for special features, then you’ve plenty to look forward to as the disc’s packaging boasts interviews, making-of featurettes, extended scenes, behind-the-scenes, stills, promo materials, film score, and a comprehensive audio commentary featuring the cast and crew.  It’s a big collection, and we know that fans truly appreciate releases that go the extra mile.
 
Mildly recommended.
 
Though I’m not as big a fan of conventional slasher-style flicks as the next online media knucklehead, I can appreciate a flick that comfortably stakes out its territory and adheres to the basic rules that govern such entertainment: in that respect, Nightmare Man revels in its grim efficiency, only occasionally flirting with some sights and sounds that might be enough to win converts to the sub-genre.  My issues with it involve its narrative construction – I’m not a big fan of films that center on the “is she or isn’t she” crazy narrator – and the fact that it never quite settled into embracing its magical surrealism enough to sell the bloody sizzle.
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Ronin Flix provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Nightmare Man 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

In a recent interview, two of Andor’s supporting players – Denise Gough as ‘Dedra Meero’ and Kyle Soller as ‘Syril Karn’ – shared the observation that – ahem – the villains they play in this iteration of the Star Wars universe are actually ‘heroes’ in the broader framework of the show.  While it could be thematically argued that perhaps these two talents’ observation needs a bit more context to be considered even remotely accurate, I’d argue that we’d have to be looking at the biggest piece of historical revisionism of a fictional property to get anywhere near the point where agents of the Galactic Empire are ‘the good guys’ in this universe far, far away.  Suspecting just how deeply Kathleen Kennedy wants to wipe the slate clean and kinda/sorta start over with her own interpretation of things, who knows where Andor might go next … but, yeah, look for the white males to continue to be the source of all things evil.
 
Indeed, stranger things have possibly happened since the Mouse House took the reins of Star Wars, and I shudder at the prospect of just how, say, Vader himself might emerge to be the source for all that is good in this program.  This isn’t to say that the show deserves some credit for perhaps trying to add a bit of nuance to what’s otherwise a reasonably classic tale of good-versus-evil.  I guess, rather, it’s that I’m an old, old dog, and I’d rather not have some new trick forced down my throat as some late-breaking development.  Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer knowing just who’s wearing the black hats as well as knowing whom I am supposed to cheer for.
 
Still, I think “Nobody’s Listening” – the ninth episode in Andor’s first season – does represent a small yet monumental step forward: with the reality of an endless incarceration serving as the fate awaiting those who’ve run up against the dark legal side of Palpatine’s Empire, audiences are finally given an all-new reason to hate the status quo.  Once you enter this prison, there’s genuinely no way out – it would seem – and this development appears to be the catalyst that’ll unite freedom fighters – maybe even those properly sentenced – in their bid to overthrow Imperial aggression.
 
Given the predicament, I think it best for me (in the very least) to stop thinking so much about Andor, certainly as it either compares or doesn’t to the wider tapestry of the George Lucas creation.  Because they’re insisted “this is the adult Star Wars,” I suspect its storytellers require a different rubric with which to consider good and bad.  Yes, that might even leave enough wiggle room for Meero and Karn to somehow (miraculously!) be players we should be secretly cheering on, though their somewhat shared affinity to torture as well as making the lives of others into an absolute sh#tstorm compels this free-thinker to – ahem – freethink otherwise.
 
As a performance piece, Andor includes much of what’s come before, which is to say that it’s palatable at best though predictable at worst.  While there might be some suggestions as to who our heroes and villains are (Gilroy himself is on record as suggesting Mon Mothma derives from – ahem – Nancy Pelosi), the creatives have all produced small moments worth a bit of attention.  Though Diego Luna remains his dour self (imbuing Andor with enough anger to spawn a rebellion all by himself, it would seem), the always interesting Andy Serkis has touched on just the right measure of spineless conformity and institutional self-loathing to elevate an otherwise routine turncoat ‘Kino Loy’ into the fledgling rebel you always knew had to be in the universe but had yet to encounter.  Hopefully he’ll last a bit longer than one suspects, but folks who’ve toed the traditional company line for so long and so faithfully tend to wind up as worm food sooner as opposed to later.  Only time will tell.
 
If nothing else, kudos to “Nobody’s Listening” for finally serving up a rallying cry for those who would seek an end to their forced servitude.  It was a brilliant moment delivered with a tug on the heartstrings, and – for what that’s worth – Star Wars doesn’t strike as many of those harmonizing chords these days as perhaps it should.  (Fandom … sigh … it can be so divisive!)  Audiences hungry for escapist fare do have cause to tune in at this point onward … all I can say is that I do wholeheartedly hope that now that we’ve found the heart of what looks to be a building rebellion that we don’t squander it on another handful of episodes delivering us nowhere new or interesting.
 
(Here’s looking at you, Boba Fett.)

​-- EZ

Ever since Science Fiction has been around for the masses-at-large, storytellers have demonstrated an interest in ‘the making of a man.’
 
Why, even the immortal literature classic Frankenstein – from Mary Shelley – couldn’t pass up on the idea of what it takes to both manufacture an all-new breed of mankind while positing exactly what measure of science would be required to give it life.  The novel has long been credited with founding the wider SciFi movement in its earliest days, and it’s this ongoing interest in ‘life from lifelessness’ that has fueled tales both dark and light across the motion picture industry.
 
What Korean auteur Park Hoon-Jung’s latest effort does – The Witch: Part 2 – The Other One – with its considerable effects work is it gives the Frankenstein story yet one more contemporary makeover, one that’s meant to inspire audiences with the incredible shock-and-awe.  Though it likely could’ve been successful with a ‘less-is-more’ aesthetic, why keep it simple when studios are willing to pony up more special effects sequences than were truly needed?
 
(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:
“After a mysterious girl emerges as the sole survivor of a bloody raid on the research facility behind the top-secret Witch Program, she is rescued by a pair of civilians who soon realize the girl is both very powerful and in very grave danger.  However, as the assassins tasked with locating and silencing the girl move ever closer, the lives of everyone around her fall under increasingly great peril.”
 
As you can guess, the problem with joining any ongoing saga ‘in progress’ is that newcomers to it are likely to be missing a great deal of context.  For as efficiently as The Witch: Part 2 – The Other One irons out some of these particulars for audiences, it’s still – say – the middle chapter in what’s likely being reported as a trilogy; and I’ll have to admit being more than a bit confused about what exactly is going on in this somewhat bizarre cinematic universe.  By appearances, the bottom line is that there’s some obvious genetic tinkering going on in this Korean extravaganza – one that’s intent on creating a race of superhumans who can neither die nor be defeated – but that’s about all that came clean in its one-hundred-and-forty-minute running time.
​

Alas, the script alone could’ve used a bit of pruning, though I’m not entirely certain where cuts might begin.  Accomplished and acclaimed writer/director Park Hoon-Jung starts slowly but ramps up the action very quickly, layering on one government conspiracy after another, in a tale about competing agencies trying to get the business of cloning all under control (or not, maybe).  While the pace isn’t relentless, it’s certainly one that doesn’t quite do the overall picture any favors: about the time it appeared as if I knew who the good guys were, another plot twist took the narrative in another direction, and come the big finish I’m no longer convinced that there were any ‘white hats’ in the reckless onslaught of bigger and bigger death sequences of the closing 30-minute showdown.
 
Still, The Witch tries very hard to gain some mileage out of small moments, and Park gives each of his fresh-faced players – yes, even the villainous ones – probably just enough screen time that they should’ve been more memorable than they were here.  A clearer plotline – one that might’ve more accurately spelled out just who all of these players were, why they were constantly at odds, and what their respective secret missions were – would’ve definitely eliminated some confusion.  The performances work well enough – the screen-chewing superkillers are all equally vile, as they should be – but without a bit more information and context this one was just a bit too hard to swallow as a separate meal.
 
The Witch: Part 2 – The Other One (2022) was produced by Next Entertainment World.  DVD distribution (for this particular release) is being coordinated via the good people at Well Go USA Entertainment.  As for the technical specifications?  While I’m no trained video expert, I thought the sights and sounds were quite good, though there’s an obvious over-reliance in the big finale for some – ahem – not-very-convincing CGI effects work … but it is what it is.  As for the special features?  There’s an all-too-brief behind-the-scenes featurette that barely fits the bill.
 
Mildly recommended.
 
2018’s The Witch: Part 1 – The Subversion was apparently a bit of a cinematic phenomenon – at least enough to give it a sequel – but as I’d not seen it I can only admit to being lost throughout so very much of The Witch: Part 2 – The Other One’s action and premise.  Superficially, it would appear to involve some competing groups of superhumans – there are hints of genetic tampering along with some other nefarious government actions – but, honestly, it’s all a bit confusing.  The fact that it’s clearly left open for another one suggests your understanding and enjoyment of it might require seeing Part 1 … if for no better reason than to know just whom you’re supposed to be rooting for in this visual soup.
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Well GO USA provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of The Witch: Part 2 - The Other One (2022) 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

The business of making movies is -- well -- big business, and the comic book cinematic universe just keeps chugging along at the speed of light and sound.

While this particular sub-genre of Action/Fantasy films has been enjoying a newfound respectability from an industry that used to treat these projects like red-headed stepchildren, Marvel Studios deserves the lion's share of the credit for ushering in this whole new world.  Unlike others, I'm not inclined to single out any single performer, director, or creator as being so key that he, she, or it couldn't have been replaced somewhere or sometime along the way, but there are no doubt some key movers and shakers who are all-too-happy to take such credit.  So far as I honestly care, I'm interesting in see good stories told with a degree of passion and professionalism; as such, I'm just happy to see this train moving down the tracks.

Where I do tend to diverge from the group think in the whole DC Vs Marvel argument is this whole buggaboo about managing them.

For example, Kevin Feige has done an incredible job in cementing Marvel Studios as a hugely successful cornerstone for the Walt Disney Company.  He's hired good talent.  He's recruited top storytellers.  He's insisted on an internal continuity to all of these various productions, tying them together with crossovers and cameos, much to the delight of Marvel's most ardent fans.  And he's certainly kept his eyes on an awful lot of moving pieces, so much so that it's easy to agree he's probably the person best-suited to do what needs to be done in that universe.

In comparison (with a notable exception here or there I'm not getting into because that's not the point of this piece), the DC Universe films have been all over the map.  Some have been embraced as cultural and creative blockbusters (the Batman films from Christopher Nolan), while the rest ... well, they know who they are so I'll leave them functionally unnamed at this point.  It's this lack of a figurehead behind-the-scenes some argue have accounted for low to zero cohesiveness in these various projects, and fans have long clamored for Warner Bros. to "put up or shut up" in finding their own version of Feige to pick up the slack.

So ... egads ...

It's been reported that James Gunn and Peter Safran -- two names that have been joined at the hip for some time now -- have been blessed with stewardship of the all-new DC Studios ... meaning that now we're even basically copying Marvel's production house namesake as we are their storytelling sensibilities, it might seem.  (For those unaware, Gunn was responsible for bringing the Guardians Of The Galaxy films to the silver screen.)  While some of the reporting indicates that Warner Bros. top honcho David Zaslav -- a name met with probably as much controversy as Gunn's has been historically -- will still be involved in perhaps some way, audiences need either find comfort or seek refuge in knowing that changes are a'brewing on the DC horizon.

If anything, the timing of this announcement seems a bit suspect to me.

Though Zaslav had promised a central braintrust was being considered for the DC projects, media reports (cough cough) had almost been unanimous in implying that this responsibility would somehow be falling onto actor Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's shoulders.  (Can you smell what he's cooking?)  Johnson himself has even appeared to have been laying the groundwork for such responsibility, taking each and every occasion over the last year to hype up his Black Adam (2022) as being the golden-jeweled gamechanger Warner Bros' needed.  However, only a week or two into Black Adam's respectable but far from gamechanging box office performance, the big Zas annointed Gunn and Safran with the shared crown.  (No word yet on what all of this might mean for Johnson's political future, but maybe he'll be teaming up with Stacey Abrams in that whole 'President Of The Universe' title for Star Trek on Paramount+.)

I've always said that I, as a viewer, rarely invest too much interest in cast and crew information because I've learned -- over time -- that ultimately what matters to me is a good story.  Good stories endure.  They can feature both good and bad actors, and they often times are blessed (or cursed) with the involvement and skilled cooperation of good and bad directors, writers, craftspeople, and the like.  I will say that Gunn's predilection for quirky characters -- with even quirkier, darker, and more subversive situations -- may not produce the kind of box office the WB thinks ... but, as always, I'm certainly willing to be proven wrong.  Yes.  Proven wrong again.

​-- EZ

Well, well, well …
 
Another end to an era within the broader phenomenon that is the SciFi/Fantasy juggernaut Doctor Who as star Jodie Whittaker bid adieu to the role, an incarnation that saw the once popular program lose another million (or so) in regular viewers (depending upon which source one chooses to believe).  Showrunner Chris Chibnall is also departing – perhaps with his tail between his legs, as they say – and the BBC has brought back previous-showrunning-mastermind Russell T. Davies perhaps in hopes of bringing back a bit of elegance to the franchise that saw some of its highest numbers ever under his tenure.  In a bit of last-minute tinkering, Davies also brought back previous Doctor David Tennant – in a well-hidden turn of events – whose popularity alone might help rejuvenate the program if (and only if) the stories can get back into territory audiences can again embrace.
 
Sigh.
 
But, as her crowning achievement in world of Who, Whittaker went out with a respectable bang: “The Power Of The Doctor” honestly felt a bit to me like it was perhaps Chibnall and company’s most formulaic outing.  It felt like – unlike so much of what he’d crafted before – the showrunner went to great lengths to check every box on that list of what audiences expect in a regeneration episode.  You’ve gotta have big villains?  Check!  You’ve gotta have big guest stars?  Check!  You’ve gotta have a scenario worth of bringing one incarnation of the Doctor to a close?  Check!  So while there certainly was no freshness of concept here, at the very least audiences’ appetites would be satiated with what they’ve come to expect from a big finish.
 
As a consequence, it’s still a bit difficult to find much to praise in “The Power.”
 
I guess it’s safe to suggest that Chibnall introduced what could be termed a Doctor Who heaven.  This proposed afterlife rests on the edge of a great chasm, and previous versions of the Doctor himself inhabit a single body, morphing from one to the next with no rhyme or reason (except to serve the narrative, of course).  Given that – ahem – Whittaker was supposed to be one of those incarnations, I can’t explain the logic for why she wasn’t equally trapped in that singular body talking to herself – well, except Chibnall likely wanted viewers to know she wasn’t yet passed on – but I hope you get the point.  If not, here it is: it was clearly a screenwriter’s invention, and so obvious a ploy tends to weaken the plot.
 
Also, the showrunner brought back a little something called ‘forced regeneration,’ a Who phenomenon that hadn’t seen the light of day in over fifty years of the show’s long tenure.  (Yes, folks, Who has certainly been around a long, long time!)  The villainous ‘The Master’ has decided that he now wants to take on the ongoing personae of The Doctor himself (or herself, it would seem), leaving Whittaker in existential limbo (referenced above).  By triggering her demise, The Master is then able to slip his consciousness and physical form into her body, and now he intends to … well … this is where it gets more than a bit nebulous.
 
Ahem.
​

Apparently, The Master’s goal is to now travel about time and the galaxies as the Doctor but his intent is to leave a trail of death and destruction in the good man’s (or good woman’s) name wherein the legitimate Doctor would leave happiness, candy, and roses.  But there’s also this little subplot and The Master destroying the Earth in the process … so apparently no one will be around in this wide, wide universe to truly appreciate the Doctor’s trials and tribulations as that’s largely what we know as being the time traveler’s history, right?  Though the audience is occasionally treated to fables involving the Doctor’s do-gooding with other planets, I’ve always had the impression that the vast majority of these deeds involve the Earth, so in destroying it The Master certainly sacrifices the lion’s share of history with which to remake in his image.
 
Kinda lame, no?
 
Well, if one is looking for logic from villainy, then one would do well to avoid looking too deeply into “The Power.”  As so, so, so many who review programming online have pointed out, the Doctor’s regeneration sequence has never involved a change of clothes … but in Whittaker’s big finish when she’s morphing into the afore-inhabited David Tennant, there’s also a brand-new change of clothes!  Now, yes, that might be a first for the franchise, but here’s hoping that it very well may involve a series of events (or, at least, a plausible fictional explanation) as Tennant explores just where the beloved being will be going when the show resumes in a year or so.
 
As for Whittaker’s legacy?
 
Gosh.  You know, that’s a tough nut to crack.  I’ve said before – and I pretty much stick to it here – I’ve had no overwhelming problem with the actress’ work on the show.  Doctor Who has always been a program that embraces a kinda/sorta wide-eyed innocence to its stories, and Jodie has certainly maintained that focus.  So very much of the Doctor’s adventures has always been about doing the right thing even despite the circumstances and making it all come out shockingly fantastic in the end, and I supposed the actress stuck that landing each time she was asked to do it.  All of that brouhaha that was rustled up early on – the business about the male Doctor now being reincarnated as a woman – I just honestly paid little attention to.  While I can say I understood both sides of it, I pretty much stuck by “it’s the stories that matter,” and I feel vindicated in that.
 
Namely: the stories just weren’t all that good.
 
There could be any number of reasons why that could be, but I can assure you that absolutely none of those reasons tie back to the gender of the lead.  Some of it could be that Chibnall expressly spent the bulk of his first season as showrunner promising to take the show somewhere different – hoping to introduce new creatures and new species – when maybe want audiences truly want is a continuation of normalcy.  The fact that neither he nor Whittaker were all that interested in where the show was as a bit of legacy programming perhaps influenced them to dabble in directions audiences just didn’t or hadn’t thought about; and I suppose there will be vastly more written on the show’s successes and/or failures in the years ahead.
 
Also – and, again, I’ve tried to remain consistent on this every time I’m asked – Whittaker wasn’t really blessed with any exceptional companions.  (OK, haters, this is not a reflection on any actor or actress’ skills in the role; this is just an observation that this assortment of characters was fairly uninteresting.)  While I’ve no interested in hashing each of these characters about – though I’ll reserve my right to do so at some later date, should I choose – I will say that, honestly, the only one I cared about and/or enjoyed seeing was Graham.  Yes, G-R-A-H-A-M.  The occasional curmudgeon.  He was the only human among the bunch that I connected with as he almost always – even at his ripened age – conveyed a sense of dealing with the extraordinary when it presented itself to the team.  Though I didn’t care for his particular backstory, I loved what this character brought to each and every adventure – even the somewhat boring ones – and I’m glad Who proved yet again that there’s one more reason to respect your elders for the young’uns in the audience.
 
As a final episode, was “The Power Of The Doctor” all that it could’ve been?
 
Well, I don’t think any finale is ever everything it could be, but Whittaker went out a bit more strongly than she came in … and that’s something I think we can all be thankful for.

​-- EZ

Good morning, and Happy Thursday, peeps!

I just wanted to pass along a quick note regarding why the original content on the MainPage this week has been a bit ... well ... slow.  That's because your editor-in-chief -- your very own Imperious Leader -- has come down with a gnarly case of the COVID.  Yes, the gift that keeps on giving and taking and destroying our greater society at large has finally rested on my shoulders somehow -- still have no idea how I came down with it as no one in my immediate quarters (that I'm aware of) have shown symptoms.  As so many online have opined about it, I can confirm that, yes, it's probably as bad and as frightening as a virus can be.  Despite all of my best efforts to shake it loose from me bones, it just keeps hanging on and hanging on and hanging on, mostly in the form of a fever, a flushing, and some God awful body aches.  Most of each day, I'm able to get the fever under control, and then the fatigue hits in, and I'm down for the count.

In any event, I do have some items I'm working on -- one review just about written and another one in the hopper, as they say -- so keep your eyes peeled.

In the meantime, send any of that galactic healing energy my way, if you would please.

​-- EZ