Good morning and Happy Thursday, gentle readers! The work week is starting to wind down -- finally -- so why not take a moment to enjoy an incredible 66 genre trivia citations, eh? Why, you may as well consider that ... Order 66! Hahahahahahaha ...
I know, I know, I know ... don't stick to comedy. I hear you.
In any event, welcome to the day, nonetheless.
Only but a few moments ago, I posted my review for the all-new Ultra HD 4K restoration of the incredible 1984 cult flick The Toxic Avenger (link is here), and I wanted to encourage folks to check that out, of course. It's definitely a B-movie from back in the day, but -- despite what you may've heard -- it's one of the smarter B-movies, and that's saying something. High camp and a modest bit of social commentary were blended together in a bawdy concoction that came down the pike from the fine folks at Troma Entertainment. While the end result is probably as good and as flawed as is any B-movie, good ol' Toxie deserves a chance to be rediscovered in his natural form ... for those unaware, there's a theatrical reboot that's currently making the festival rounds even as I write this. So maybe spend time with the original, eh? You might just learn why some creative folks felt that the intellectual property was ripe for a contemporary do-over.
While I'm on the subject, let me alert readers that I'll be covering the entire original Avenger franchise as the good people over at MVD Visual Entertainment provided me with a complimentary set of The Toxic Avenger Collection 4K which is set to 'street' later this month. It's an impressive assortment, and I'm only just beginning to unpack its loveliness. Keep your eyes on this space.
I know, I know, I know ... don't stick to comedy. I hear you.
In any event, welcome to the day, nonetheless.
Only but a few moments ago, I posted my review for the all-new Ultra HD 4K restoration of the incredible 1984 cult flick The Toxic Avenger (link is here), and I wanted to encourage folks to check that out, of course. It's definitely a B-movie from back in the day, but -- despite what you may've heard -- it's one of the smarter B-movies, and that's saying something. High camp and a modest bit of social commentary were blended together in a bawdy concoction that came down the pike from the fine folks at Troma Entertainment. While the end result is probably as good and as flawed as is any B-movie, good ol' Toxie deserves a chance to be rediscovered in his natural form ... for those unaware, there's a theatrical reboot that's currently making the festival rounds even as I write this. So maybe spend time with the original, eh? You might just learn why some creative folks felt that the intellectual property was ripe for a contemporary do-over.
While I'm on the subject, let me alert readers that I'll be covering the entire original Avenger franchise as the good people over at MVD Visual Entertainment provided me with a complimentary set of The Toxic Avenger Collection 4K which is set to 'street' later this month. It's an impressive assortment, and I'm only just beginning to unpack its loveliness. Keep your eyes on this space.
Holy mother of Dragons, has it been 32 years already?
Why, it seems like it was just yesterday that audiences of U.S. television syndication were first being introduced to the fan-favorite character of Ensign Ro Laren aboard her very own self-titled episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Actress Michelle Forbes was a solid phenomenon in the role of the Bajoran fighter who hitched her wagon to Starfleet in the aftermath of the Cardassian invasion. The character quickly rose to prominence in fandom, giving the actress the possibility to return to the airwaves for a solid two handfuls of episodes; and -- believe it or not -- she even enjoyed a resurgence in popularity not all that long ago when Ro herself turned up to deliver Admiral Jean-Luc Picard a dire warning in Picard's third (and final) season. (Interested in my thoughts on the season? Readers can find my review right here.)
It goes without saying the TNG crafted a solid assortment of secondary characters, but not all that many went on to establish the prominence that Ro did. I think of good deal of that is owed to the actress' abilities to both hit her dramatic marks and look good, which Forbes certainly did and does. While it's a shame that the Picard show gave her a kinda/sorta dark fate, I think it was clear that Ro was one never destined for a happy ending, per se. Still, it was great to know her when we did, and she'll live on in fan fiction and reruns in perpetuity.
Why, it seems like it was just yesterday that audiences of U.S. television syndication were first being introduced to the fan-favorite character of Ensign Ro Laren aboard her very own self-titled episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Actress Michelle Forbes was a solid phenomenon in the role of the Bajoran fighter who hitched her wagon to Starfleet in the aftermath of the Cardassian invasion. The character quickly rose to prominence in fandom, giving the actress the possibility to return to the airwaves for a solid two handfuls of episodes; and -- believe it or not -- she even enjoyed a resurgence in popularity not all that long ago when Ro herself turned up to deliver Admiral Jean-Luc Picard a dire warning in Picard's third (and final) season. (Interested in my thoughts on the season? Readers can find my review right here.)
It goes without saying the TNG crafted a solid assortment of secondary characters, but not all that many went on to establish the prominence that Ro did. I think of good deal of that is owed to the actress' abilities to both hit her dramatic marks and look good, which Forbes certainly did and does. While it's a shame that the Picard show gave her a kinda/sorta dark fate, I think it was clear that Ro was one never destined for a happy ending, per se. Still, it was great to know her when we did, and she'll live on in fan fiction and reruns in perpetuity.
Still, I know why you're here, at this point. Yes, it's always good to have a reflection or two or three upon the day -- highlighting if nothing else some individual person, place, or thing that makes it so special -- but let's get down to brass tacks. Here's what you're really looking for ...
That, my friends, is all I have for now.
As always, thanks for reading ... thanks for sharing ... thanks for being a fan ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
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