Author: Robert Greenberger

From the moment you saw the trailer, you knew exactly what you were going to get with Violent Night. The biggest selling points had to be the high concept and lead performer David Harbour. These days, he elevates just about everything he is in, so this already made it worth seeing.

The film opened to mixed reviews and reasonable box office, but Universal Home Entertainment seemed to release this in a rush, as a Blu-ray only release even as work begins on a sequel.

The Home Alone/Die Hard riffs are hard to miss but the inventiveness of the antics are amusing as a band of thieves led by John Leguizamo invade a Greenwich mansion to rob them blind. The bickering family spans three generations and most fill the stock character types one expects from such fare. It helps to have Beverly D’Angelo as the shrewish matriarch, able to go toe to toe with Leguizamo.

The most predictable yet heartwarming thread is the jaded Santa in need of a child’s blind faith in him to give him the strength to save everyone on Christmas Eve. The exchanges between Santa and Trudy (Leah Brady) are revealing and natural, well worth the tub of popcorn the film demands.

What’s unexpected is the violent backstory that shows Santa was once Nikamund the Red, a bloodthirsty Viking over a millennium ago and somehow he and his enchanted sledgehammer became jolly old Saint Nick. He keeps telling us how he doesn’t understand how Christmas magic works, but as long as someone (and the audience) believes, it’ll all work out.

I wish writers Pat Casey and Josh Miller made the characters less types and far less predictable, a weakness. Director Tommy Wirkola choreographs the action nicely and keeps things moving so the 112 minute feature rarely flags.

The 1080p digital transfer is perfectly satisfactory if unspectacular. It makes for perfectly good home viewer, aided by a matching DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack.

The Special Features include Deleted and Extended Scenes (19:02), seven missing scenes plus a handful of extended scenes; Quarrelin’ Kringle (3:45), a look at Harbour Santa’s Helpers: The Making of Violent Night (5:56); Deck the Halls with Brawls (6:04); and Audio Commentary featuring  Wirkola, Producer Guy Danella, Casey, and Miller gather to discuss the film.

Star Trek has endured since 1966 largely in part to the creators refusing to speak down to their audiences. Whereas “The Cage”, the first pilot shot in 1964, was deemed “too cerebral” by NBC execs, the show that made it on air rarely stopped being thought-provoking. When the three season mission ended, its next iteration was on Saturday morning television, where, once again, the writers and production team refused to dumb things down.

The best that the universe first imagined by Gene Roddenberry does for the viewer is present allegories and mine the human condition, optimistically seeking the best way for humanity to act. Its positive message was a balm in the turbulent 1960s and has been needed ever since.

That explains why the latest entry, Star Trek: Prodigy is so good, as it furthers the human adventure through a fresh assortment of alien characters. Designed for younger audiences, it arrived in fall of 2021 on Paramount+ before airing on Nickelodeon, ensuring it reached the widest youthful audience possible. And for the first time, their technical consultant was focused more on STEM education than scientific accuracy (there was that, too).

Paramount Home Entertainment today is releasing Star Trek: Prodigy Season 1, Volume 1, the first ten episodes.  Normally, I object to splitting seasons into halves like this, seeing it as a cash grab. However, creatively, the series, given a two-season commitment, was designed into four ten-episode arcs, so this works.

The basic premise begins in the faraway Delta Quadrant where we meet six people trapped on the Tars Lemora prison colony. Overseeing the prisoners is The Diviner (John Noble), a tyrant if ever we’ve seen one. Things get rolling when he dispatches the robot Drednok (Jimmi Simpson) after the escaped Medusan Zero (Angus Imrie). Before long, another prisoner Dal (Brett Gray) gets to escape, encounters the Diviner’s daughter Gwyn (Ella Purnell), and we’re off. The search for Zero leads to a rock slide that reveals the long-buried Federation starship Protostar. Before long, Dal, Gwyn, Rok-Tahk (Rylee Alazraqui), a Brikar; Jankom Pog (Jason Mantzoukas), a Tellarite; and Murf, a Mellanoid slime worm, are aboard the ship, activate its engines and rocket off the world, with the Diviner’s forces in pursuit.

They don’t know one another, and no one understands how to operate the alien starship until they activate the ship’s training hologram, which is a recreation of Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew). Over the course of the first arc, they get to bond, learn how to operate the ship, and rocket ever closer to Federation space.

The stories are never less than imaginative with nice doses of action, drama, and humor, maintaining far better pacing than the overly frenetic other kids’ series Star Trek: Lower Decks. In the hands of series creators Kevin and Dan Hageman, they are abetted by writers Julie and Shawna Benson, Diandra Pendleton-Thompson, Chad Quandt, Aaron Waltke, Lisa Shoop Boyd, Nikhil Jayaram, Erin McNamara, and Keith Sweet.

Trek fans certainly will welcome the cameo appearances from beloved characters, from Spock (Leonard Nimoy in archival footage) to Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden). When the real Vice Admiral Janeway turns up, there’s cause for rejoicing. The rest of the vocal cast is strong, with excellent work from Noble, Gray, and Purnell. Recurring vocal artists Jason Alexander (a major Trek fan), Billy Campbell, Ronny Cox, and Daveed Diggs keep things engaging.

The series is set in 2383, five years after Janeway’s Voyager safely returned from the Delta Quadrant and we’re told the show will reflect the galactic events of the era, so we’re just before the Romulan attack that burned Mars.

The package includes two Blu-ray discs and four collectible cards. The 1080p high definition transfer is excellent, preserving the rich colors of the universe and all the CGI wonderment. The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio is up to the challenge of recreating the fine music, familiar sound effects, and dialogue. There are multiple special features which are all worth a peek, notably The Kobayashi Maru and The Prime Directive. Other features include The Tradition, The Protostar Pack, Gadgets & Gear, and The Protostar.

The show is quite fun to watch and the computer animation gives the entire series a unique look and feel, without losing that Star Trek feel. If you haven’t caught the show by now, this is your chance.

Mimosa
By Archie Bongiovanni
Surely Books /272 pages/ $24.99

The world of graphic novels has expanded enough to accommodate material for every age, interest, and persuasion. It’s refreshing to see imprints arise to direct material to these specific audiences and one of the biggest splashes has come from Abrams; Surely Books, curated by Mariko Tamaki. In just year, the new line has commanded respect and praise for their releases.

The latest, coming in March, is Mimosa from Archie Bongiovanni. The writer/artist from Minneapolis has been contributing graphic literature since 2019 and has focused steadily on the queer world and the families formed.

What makes this story compelling is that it focuses on aging and remaining relevant as life moves on. We pick up on a quartet of friends who have been together for a decade, having found one another as waiters and staying together though meetups, breakups, and everything in between. But, as Chris nears 40, they feel disconnected from the queer sphere, struggling to make connections and find romance while co-parenting Pepper.

The others are not far behind as Alex continues to struggle to make it as a painter, Elise enters a risky inter-office romance, and Jo is a dome who also teaches at Queerrr Rock Camp. They meet for brunch, they have group chats and try to be there for one another, but it’s getting hard. One plan to improve their lives is to host Grind, a dance night for older members of the LBGTQ+ community and it becomes a success, but even that isn’t enough as personal issues intrude.

Bongiovanni leisurely takes us through their ups and downs, with the 40^th birthday part looming in the distance. Until they get there, the four will argue, make up, ghost one another, and freak out when it’s least convenient. The nature of their friendships is put to the test and not everyone will remain connected by the time you reach the end.

As a cis-gender older white guy, I wasn’t sure if I would connect with anything here, but I get unrequited love, disastrous romances, and the struggles of raising a child. If any character comes up weak, its Pepper whose age is tough to pin down, coming across as very young at first and then a tween by the end. And as a teacher with more than a few LBGTQ+ students, I am conscious of their specific concerns. Bongiovanni does a fine job intertwining the storylines and showing us the depth of the relationships. The art is cruder than I like and minimal in its detail, but everything you need for comprehension is present. The black, white, and blue color scheme helps convey the melancholy and pain.

Some of the storytelling could have been condensed with entire pages given over to single images that don’t, in my opinion, need them. The pacing is causal enough to undercut some of the emotional impact of certain scenes.

The overall sense of community and the evolving nature of friendship and family is nicely explored as we get invested in the major characters and their own exes, coworkers, and new friends. Despite its raw sexual dialogue, this would be a fine read for teens entering this world.

When director James Gunn took on a soft reboot of The Suicide Squad, he brought in some familiar members, some less familiar characters, and one who was, at best, tangential to the team in the comics. Yet, with a keen eye for casting, the director knew exactly who would make Peacemaker work despite his odd Pat Boyette-designed costume and weird rationale provided by co-creator Joe Gill. Christopher Smith loved peace so much he would violently assure it.

In the form of former pro wrestler turned actor John Cena, the character played it so straight that he was hysterical in an already gonzo film. Apparently, Gunn was so enchanted with the performance that he idly began writing a backstory miniseries and when he mentioned it to producing partner Peter Safran, he was encouraged to sell it. HBO Max snapped it up and it is now available on Blu-ray from HOB Home Entertainment.

The title credits alone make this having as it has become iconic and imitated.

Sifting through the DCEU and 80 years of DC Comics, Gunn cherrypicked the essential elements to tell us how Smith became the vigilante, spending much of the series exploring the strained (to put it mildly) relationship between Smith and his father (Robert Patrick), the bigoted White Dragon. Ironically, Auggie Smith designed many of Peacemaker’s helmets, each with its own attribute.

After recovering from his life-threatening injuries from the motion picture, we pick up with Smith attempting to resume his simple life. ARGUS had other ideas and forced him to accompany them on Project Butterfly, which proved to be the season-long threat with an alien lifeform that fled its dying planet and has been surreptitiously taking over seemingly thousands of Americans.

The odd team was comprised led by Clemson Mutt (Chukwudi Iwuji), Johnny Economos (Steve Agee), Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), and newcomer Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks), who we learn was coerced into working with ARGUS at the behest of her mother, Amanda Waller (Viola Davis). Everyone not only gets something to do, but each gets their moment to shine, and their interactions are delicious with sharp character writing.

The x-factor comes in the form of Peacemaker’s neighborhood friend and wacko, Adrian Chase (Freddie Stroma), who dons the Vigilante outfit but never fully grasps how serious the stakes are.

The season is a personal delight for me seeing characters I once edited on the screen in fully realized form. There are also cameos from Jason Momoa and Ezra Miller along with silhouettes of the other Justice Leaguers.

The 1080p high definition transfer captures all the color tones nicely and has no obvious flaws. The DTS lossless audio track is also just fine.

The discs come with a boatload of Special Features, mostly taken from HBO Max: Teaser Trailer (3:00), Trailer (3:00), Peacemaker and Vigilante: BFFs (2:00), The Story so Far (4:00), How to Properly Give a F*ck (1:00), Dramatic Comic Book Readings with Chukwudi Iwuji (2:00), Gag Reel (9:00), Unlocking the Quantum Unfolding Storage Area (2:00), So What do you Really Thing of Peacemaker? (2:00), Danielle Brooks Explains the DC Universe (1:40), Keep the Tweets (2:00), Dance for Peace (2:00), On the set with Steve Agee (2:00), Project Butterfly Team Member: Eagly (2:00), Project Butterfly Team Member: Murn (1:00), Project Butterfly Team Member: Vigilante (1:00), Project Butterfly Team Member: John Economos (1:00), Project Butterfly Team Member: Harcourt (1:00), Project Butterfly Team Member: Adebayo (1:00), Project Butterfly Team Member: Vigilante (1:00),  Under the Helmet (3:00), Big Daddy Issues: Peacemaker’s Search for Inner Peace (5:00), and Making the World Safe for Violence: Peacemaker’s Team (12:00).

With Doom Patrol moving to HBO Max for their frenetic third season, the shows looks and feels much the same: an energetic mess that has a heart lying underneath the chaos and disjointed storytelling. Now available on Blu-ray from Warner Home Entertainment, the 10 episodes unfold quickly.

We immediately dispatch the cliffhangers leftover from season two and plunges us into new issues, stemming from the death of the Chief (Timothy Dalton) and soon after the death of the team. In fact, it takes the Dead Boy Detectives (Sebastian Croft and Ty Tennant)—lifted from the Sandman universe and destined for their own series—to help locate the spirits. Meantime, a woman calling herself Laura De Mille (Michelle Rodriguez), arrives from 1949 and seems to be replacing the Chief as a leader. Once revealed as their long-time comics foe Madame Rogue, things take a deadlier turn.

While season two was mainly about Robotman (Brendan Fraser) and Crazy Jane (Diane Guerrero), this season, it’s Elasti-Girl (April Bowlby) finally taking the spotlight. The slow dance between Rita Farr and Laura De Mille is a delight, thanks to fine performances. By season’s end, Rita seems ready to be the team’s true leader.

Larry (Matt Bomer) seems to be rid of his Negative Man energy, which is a mixed blessing, while Crazy Jane’s multiple personalities vie for attention, continuing her arc from last season.

We get the Garguax the Destroyer (Stephen Murphy), the Brotherhood of Evil, and the Sisterhood of Dada for good measure. But, the problem with the series remains fractured, focusing too much on individual story arcs and nowhere near enough team interplay. These are a bunch forced together by circumstance, who have bonded into a family of misfits, all robbed of their humanity, and yet, all showing their uniqueness hasn’t robbed them of anything at all.

With season four about to drop, now is a good time to revisit these episodes and refresh yourself because the pacing requires you to pay attention.

All ten episodes look sharp with a solid 1080p transfer and an equally good audio track.

Only two Special Features are here: Life After Death (14:00) with a look at the season; and Filter Not Included: Robotman’s Best Lines (3:00).

Any parent who somehow finds themselves watching HBO’s addictively compelling Euphoria must pray their children know no one like Rue or are raising anyone like her. The series, which debuted in 2019 just as the world locked down, has only grown in popularity. My high school students, apparently, didn’t trip over it until season two arrived earlier this year. Given the higher profile and awards it has justly earned, HBO has combined the two seasons onto DVD for home consumption, no subscription required.

Rue, played with a rawness by Zendaya, is a 17-year-old whose life began to spiral out of control after the death of her father. Alcohol, drugs, and sex were combined in varying quantities as she sought a balm, but repeated attempts at rehab proved futile. As the show’s narrator, Rue shows us her pessimistic outlook on life and helplessness; without a real sense she’s seeking redemption or salvation.

In her circle of friends, we have others who have their own issues, giving series creator Sam Levinson (who gave us an all-American spin on the Israeli series of the same name) a chance to fully explore the issues confronting today’s youth. The series is stunningly cast with the ensemble delivering captivating performances, which explains why Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Colman Domingo, and Martha Kelly all received two Emmy nominations each, with the series star winning twice.

People drop in and out of her orbit depending on Rue’s needs or absences, beginning with her best friend Lexi (Maude Apatow), who seeks to find her voice and get out from under the shadow of her older, sexier sister Cassie (Sweeney). Cassie is trying to correct her life after sexual promiscuousness and has learned some harsh life lessons early.

Perhaps the most sympathetic character in her circle is the newly arrived Jules (Hunter Schafer), a transgender girl who enters a turbulent romance with Rue, and they almost run away together, but when that doesn’t pan out, things grow tense. Jules has other issues, including having had sex with Cal Jacobs (Eric Dane), father of Cassie’s ex Chris (Algee Smith), who has a habit of recording his conquests, masking a deeper issue that surfaces in season two.

Rue takes her issues out on everyone, each a means to a particular end, all in service to end her pain. Zendaya’s bravest performance may be seen in season two’s “Stand Still Like the Hummingbird” when she lashes out at everyone, including her younger sister Gia (Storm Reid) and mother Leslie (Nika King). Her acting is subtle and demonstrates the impressive range, from the quiet contemplative “Trouble Don’t Last Always”, where she sits in a diner with her sponsor Ali (Colman Domingo) to “Hummingbird” where the pain and snot come out in equal amounts of anguish.

The show filled the Covid-19 gap with two one-hour specials, the first focusing on Rue and Ali and the second on Jules in therapy. Both work as standalone dramas while providing important insight into the characters.

It should be noted the parents get placed in a harsh spotlight as well. It’s not just Cal who does damage since Cassie and Lexi’s mom Suze (Alanaa Ubach), visibly has a handy glass of wine, ready for the next one.

The other adults round out the perspectives with Ali an interesting ally to Rue and drug dealer Fezco (Angus Cloud), forming an unexpectedly deep friendship with Lexi.

While other shows about teens range from the banal (Saved by the Bell) to the absurd (Riverdale) to the almost believable (Sex Education), this one is all about exploring the darker side of the teenage experience with few moments of genuine joy and almost no emphasis on being students preparing for their future as adults. Their learning is happening nowhere near school but the homes, bedrooms, and back alleys of their world.

The sixteen episodes plus two specials are included on five DVD discs which look fine but one wishes for at least Blu0ray to capture all the subtitles of the gray world they live in. The Special Features all come from HBO’s broadcast of the series, including “Euphoria in Conversation: Zendaya and Sam Levinson”; Storyboard to Scene; Euphoria Scene Breakdown; Euphoria Unfiltered: Zendaya; “Enter ‘Euphoria’”; “Enter Euphoria’ Part 1: Rue”; “Enter Euphoria Part 2: Jules”; “Euphoria: The Craft”; “Costumes of Euphoria”, and Euphoria Set Tour with Sydney Sweeney.

Silver: Of Treasures and Thieves Book One
By Stephan Franck
Abrams ComicArts/224 Pages/$24.99

When you think you’ve seen every interpretation of vampires, someone comes along to prove you wrong.  In this case, Stephan Franck offers us vampires on a heist caper successfully mixing gothic horror and crime noir.

Frank, a supervising animator on The Iron Giant, wrote and drew the story across four volumes over the last decade or so. Now, Abrams ComicArts has wisely seen to it to collect these into two handsome volumes, the first of which is now available.

Franck starts with characters and legacies directly tied to Bram Stoker’s Dracula so there are many familiar names, including Vlad Tepes himself. But we focus mainly on other players as the criminals gather to raid a castle in European. Our protagonist is James Finnigan seeking bar of pure silver that is coveted by the castle infested with vampires, who have long sought this relic. That the bar and information is found in the crypt of the Harker Foundation, beginning connections between Franck’s world and Stoker’s.

A gang of human criminals is contrasted with the vampire cult, corrupted living versus the undead masquerading as the living, with immortality warping their worldview. To them, immortality isn’t necessarily a great thing, and it has left them with ennui, lacking a purpose beyond drinking blood to survive.

Franck does a nice job delineating his characters, letting us into their lives in bits and pieces, notably during an extended train trip to the castle. There are a variety of types that any good heist story requires, complete with a vampire among them who has a separate agenda. The vampires themselves are a little less diverse but no less interesting.

The page construction and artwork make reading this a pleasure, as does the heavy paper stock that allows every line to reproduce with clarity. This story is for any good fan of adventure, crime, and horror as the three genres converge into something refreshingly entertaining.