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REVIEW: Hercules

HERC_BD_OSLV_3DEXTRASKW_MECHWhen your father is a god, your life is bound to be pretty interesting. As a result, it is never less than astonishing how often the story of Hercules ignores the rich source material, transplanting the demigod to whatever environment is currently in vogue with diminished results. Twice this year, we were treated to variant interpretations of the Greek myth with vastly different results. Coming in second and by far the inferior of the two, Brett Ratner’s Hercules is one of the weakest films of the year. Once more one wonders how Ratner keeps getting hired since clearly his limited directorial vision has been spent.

The film, out now from Paramount Home Entertainment, claims to be inspired by Radical Comics’ The Thracian Wars limited series, but veers far enough from it to be another story entirely. Hercules (Dwayne Johnson), cursed by Zeus’ wife Hera, has completed his twelve labors but remains a lost soul, wandering Earth. Thrace’s King Cotys (John Hurt) and General Sitacles (Peter Mullan) hire him to train their army, preparing it for a forthcoming war against Rheseus’ (Tobias Santelmann) forces. Herc, accompanied by his nephew Iolaus (Reece Ritchie), the amazon Atalanta (Ingrid Bolsø Berdal), and  Autolycus (Rufus Sewell), and his own nephew Iolaus (Reece Ritchie). Here’s a chance for screenwriters Ryan J. Condal and Evan Spiliotopoulos to breathe life into these people, using the late, great Steve Moore’s comics as inspiration. Instead, they come from central casting and the actors do little to make them interesting.

There are some nice moments but they come few and far between mindless, violent action and flat by-the-numbers strorytelling. You are not surprised by the plot twists, robbing you of the cathartic thrills a movie like this should be delivering.

These sword & sandal epics always look great when shot right and here, the high definition transfer is crisp, clean, and colorful. It is equally paired with the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack.

Among the extras is an extended cut that adds about three more minutes of vapid stuff, so you wonder why they bothered. Ratner and Producer Beau Flynn provide an audio commentary that acknowledges the dozens of previous screen incarnations and pays too little attention to the Radical publication. There’s An Introduction (5:32) from Ratner and Johnson; Hercules and His Mercenaries (11:07), which explores the supporting cast; Weapons! (5:24); The Bessi Battle (11:54), showcase the preparation going into filming the battle; The Effects of Hercules (12:28);  and an entertaining assortment of Deleted/Extended Scenes (15 clips, 14:38).

Tweeks: Fragile Delights!

fragile_chapter_01_by_shourimajo-d4acxgh-4182062Even though this month has brought The Tweeks sickness, they are still super excited about November.  You won’t find Maddy & Anya pushing an early Christmas (Snowflake red cups on Halloween, seriously, Starbucks?) but you will find them celebrating what is currently making them happy— stuff like the new Marvel movies announcement, the spoiler about Tom Hiddleston in Avengers: Age of Ultron, new movies on Netflix, Halloween candy, and the graphic novel, Fragile— which may have cured the girls of their aversion to Manga!

Box Office Democracy: “Nightcrawler”

It’s been a long time since I’ve gone to a movie as cold as I did for Nightcrawler. I hadn’t seen a trailer or even had it described to me. I think I’d seen a poster but it wasn’t terribly clear what kind of movie I was getting in to even as the lights went down. What I got was a film that was remarkably gripping and deeply affecting, a portrait of a remarkably disturbing individual, and a scathing indictment of the TV news business.

Jake Gyllenhaal is doing his best work since Brokeback Mountain here and maybe in his entire career. Lou Bloom feels like a sociopath who has read every pop-business book to grace the non-fiction bestseller list in the past ten years. That isn’t close to a good enough description but it’ll have to suffice because the performance really needs to be seen to be believed. He radiates menace while scarcely ever doing anything or raising his voice. He’s a bad feeling given physical form; he’s a demon of mundanity.

(more…)

Dennis O’Neil: Television Is Sacred

Well, I predicted it.

Mari and I sat in the living room until about nine, and then she turned out a front light and we returned to our sacred duty, watching television.

Before we continue… You’re vexed by that last statement? Teevee watching a sacred duty? Eh? Okay, consider: Almost beyond doubt there is a television in every home in our village. And almost beyond doubt, each of those television sets gets turned on and heeded each and every day except for those belonging to our townsfolk who may occasionally leave screens dark for religious reasons. Now, there is nothing else that is in every – every! – domicile. Mezuzahs, bibles, Boy Scout oaths, crucifixes, copies of the Declaration of Independence, scientology tracts, Buddhist sutras, the collected works of Ayn Rand – sure, you’ll see those here and there, but not everywhere. But we all own televisions and we all watch them once in a while, or oftener, and anything that’s done by everyone must be important and – correct me if I’m wrong – isn’t it a short step from “done by everyone” to “sacred”?

Glad we got that settled.

And no, I don’t know what we watched. Like that matters!

The faithful among you may remember that last week I attributed our lack of Halloween trick-or-treaters to the difficulty of trudging to the top of our hill, especially if you’re afoot and coming from the center of town, and the few dwellings on our particular block, and the utter absence of businesses.

I may have been mistaken.

Tomorrow, as I write this, is the day we good citizens vote. My lefty/hippie politics are no secret and so it’s reasonable to suppose that my Political Enemies (for surely they exist) decided to nullify whatever polling place influence I might have by diverting such costumed visitors who were bound for my front porch.

“Hey kid,” they might have hissed at some fledgling goblin (and don’t these types always hiss!), “those people at the top of the hill have sprayed their lawn with Ebola and are brewing up cyanide lemonade in their kitchen.”

The youngster would flee and Mari and I would be alone on our couch as the hours ticked by which, as a matter of fact, is what happened. Then, my Political Enemies might suppose, I would become so despondent at my being ignored that I would climb into the attic, hunker down between stacks of comic books, put my thumb in my mouth, and moan until well past voting day.

Not going to happen. (At least I don’t think it will happen, though voting day isn’t until tomorrow and who can predict the future? But no – I’ll probably steer clear of the attic.)

And what about you? Did you avoid the attic? Did you do your duty and vote?

I certainly hope so.

Unless you’re a Political Enemy.

REVIEW: How to Train Your Dragon 2

how-to-train-your-dragon-2-blu-ray-cover-57How to Train Your Dragon was an immensely successful adaptation of Cressida Cowell’s charming children’s book. The story ended nicely and had we never revisited the village of Berk, we would have been satisfied. However, in film, success demands milking the cow as far as audiences allow so we now have a sequel. Unlike so many other money grabbing attempts, this once actually advances the characters without rehashing the past.

Growing up is never easy, it has fueled countless movies and novels through the years so it is a challenge to effectively tell a sequel to a beloved children’s tale where the characters actually change. DreamWorks Animation, though, accepted the challenge when they green lit a follow-up to 2010’s smash hit. The sequel arrived to great critical acclaim in the summer and now, Fox Home Entertainment is making it available now via digital download with the Blu-ray edition to follow on Tuesday.

Everything about this film feels more grounded and more mature with the animators carefully aging our main characters five years so Hiccup (voice of Jay Baruchel)  is a hairy teenager. Having achieved the unthinkable, peace with the dragons, they have integrated to make the village of Berk a unique place in the world. As a result, we pick up and see Hiccup, aboard Toothless, as they go out exploring. The problem now is that Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler) wants him to come home and succeed him as chief.

First, though, Hiccup and Astrid (America Ferrara)  have to prevent Berk from being destroyed by a dragon army led by the mad Drago Bludvist (Djimon Hounsou). Through convoluted means, he now can hypnotize dragons and winds up taking control of Toothless, leading the siege that claims Stoick’s life while Toothless remains a prisoner. However, he is far from alone as he also encounters Valka (Cate Blanchett), a dragonrider who is revealed to be his long-lost mother.

The story, from writer/director Dean DuBois, nicely parallels the further maturation of both boy and dragon. Toothless may have the harder experience to recover from considering he is coerced into attacking a place he calls home and being somewhat responsible for the death of Hiccup’s dad.

At story’s end, Hiccup has been through the emotional wringer although he fortunately winds up in a better place as a result of the experiences, making one and all proud. Now, don’t get me wrong, despite the heavier emotional tone, the movie still has plenty of action and humor with excellent animation.

Streaming this via Digital HD is clean and clear so if that’s your preference, you have little fear. Additionally, the digitals download and Blu-ray come chock full of extras. First up is the short, entertaining adventure Dawn of the Dragon Racers (26:37). The bonus features include Fishleg’s Dragon Stats (12:04); Drago’s War Machines (2:56), as Gobber the Belch narrates an inside look at the fierce creatures; Berk’s Dragon World (4:19); Hiccup’s Inventions in Flight (3:32), and an assortment of  Deleted Scenes (12:13). Additionally, there is some interesting commentary from the production team: Simon Otto, Bonnie Arnold, Dean DeBlois, and Pierre-Olivier Vincent. Where No One Goes: The Making of How To Train Your Dragon 2 (54:39)– Writer-Director DeBlois guides us through how this went from notion to film.

Mike Gold: The Fifth of November

v-for-vendetta-2799445This is a special day at La Casa del Oro. It’s my daughter’s birthday. Adriane Nash, also a ComicMixer (if you wonder how she got that job, I strongly suspect years and years of working at and managing comic book stores played a significant part), turns… ah, it’s not my place to say. But she’s one year older than she was yesterday.

Adriane was born on November 5th due, in no small part, to her mother Linda’s fantastic sense of humor. In case you didn’t know, November 5th is also Guy Fawkes Day.

If you’re not an anarchist you might not know about Guy Fawkes. According to Wiki (as well as a couple dozen books in my library, just in case you’re uncertain of my politics) he was a member of a group of English Catholics who planned the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605. This was a somewhat complicated plan to assassinate King James I on November 5 1605, blow up the House of Lords, and put a Catholic monarch on the throne. Make no little plans, as Daniel Burnham liked to say. Guy was in charge of the gunpowder they stockpiled in Westminster Palace. Somebody ratted him out and the government did what they did in those days: they spent several days questioning and torturing the malcontent, and ultimately he fessed up.

On January 31, the day of his execution, Fawkes jumped from the scaffold where he was to be hanged and broke his neck, a far, far, far less painful death than being drawn and quartered and semi-hanged and disemboweled and all that stuff you saw Mel Gibson go through in Braveheart. Brits just can’t let go of this one: on this date, Guy Fawkes Day, he is routinely hanged in effigy or tossed on a bonfire (his effigy, not his bones). Fireworks and frivolity ensue.

   Remember, remember!

   The fifth of November,

   The Gunpowder treason and plot;

   I know of no reason

   Why the Gunpowder treason

   Should ever be forgot!

   Guy Fawkes and his companions

   Did the scheme contrive,

   To blow the King and Parliament

   All up alive.

   Threescore barrels, laid below,

   To prove old England’s overthrow.

   But, by God’s providence, him they catch,

   With a dark lantern, lighting a match!

   A stick and a stake

   For King James’s sake!

   If you won’t give me one,

   I’ll take two,

   The better for me,

   And the worse for you.

   A rope, a rope, to hang the Pope,

   A penn’orth of cheese to choke him,

   A pint of beer to wash it down,

   And a jolly good fire to burn him.

   Holloa, boys! holloa, boys! make the bells ring!

   Holloa, boys! holloa boys! God save the King!

   Hip, hip, hooor-r-r-ray!

Oh, yes. Guy Fawkes and his story served as the inspiration for the truly classic Alan Moore / David Lloyd graphic novel V For Vendetta, which also happens to be my all-time favorite graphic novel. The likeness David employed became synonymous with the contemporary anarchist movement, the anti-World Trade Organization movement, and was also adopted by many in the Occupy movement three years ago.

Last Friday, I had one trick-or-treater wearing a V mask. Then again, I had another trick-or-treater dressed up as Ebola.

Both received extra candy.

 

101 Dalmatians Gets Diamond Edition Treatment in February

101-damlmatians-e1415107476499-2845151Pick your favorite spot to watch—anytime and anywhere—and get ready for a fun-filled adventure with the Diamond Edition of 101 Dalmatians! Pongo, Perdita and their super-adorable puppies are in for thrills, hilarious spills and an epic action-packed adventure when they face off with Cruella De Vil, Disney’s most fabulously outrageous villainess. When Cruella dognaps all of the Dalmatian puppies in London, brave animal heroes launch a daring plan to save all puppies from Cruella’s clutches! Unleash all the excitement and suspense of Disney’s 101 Dalmatians, a beloved classic you’ll want to share with your family again and again!

Cast:                                      Rod Taylor (Inglorious Bastards, The Birds) as Pongo, J. Pat O’Malley (The Jungle Book, Alice in Wonderland) as Jasper and Betty Lou Gerson (The Fly, Cats Don’t Dance) as Cruella de Vil

Producer:                   Walt Disney
 
Directors:                            Wolfgang Reitherman, Hamilton S. Luske and Clyde Geronimi
 
Writers:                               Story by Bill Peet. Based on the book “101 Dalmatians” by Dodie Smith
 
Release Date:                    February 10, 2015 (Direct Prebook: 12/16; Distributor Prebook: 12/30)
 
Product SKUs:                        Digital HD & SD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, Disney Movies Anywhere & On-Demand
 
 


Ratings:                                G in US & Canada (bonus materials are not rated)
 
Feature Run Time:          Approximately 79 Minutes
 
Aspect Ratio:                     1:33:1
 
Audio:                                  Blu-ray: 7.1 DTS-HDMA / 1.0 Dolby Digital (English); 5.1 DTS-HDHR (French) & 5.1 Dolby Digital (Spanish)
 
Languages:                         English, French and Spanish
 
Subtitles:                            English (ESL/SDH), French and Spanish

Your Guide to the Owning the Keys to the Batcave

batman_10-e1415107821880-8426702Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) sets a new standard for accommodating Bat-fans from the uber-avid to caped-casual with the upcoming release of Batman: The Complete Television Series on November 11, 2014. The most anticipated home entertainment release of all time will be available in several distinct packaging choices with varying content and bonus materials. These offerings include multiple national physical options – most notably, the Limited Edition Blu-ray™ box set – as well as varying digital selections, and a few specialty alternatives.

riddler_pie-e1415107863749-2586104“We understand the widespread demand for Batman: The Complete Television Series, and we also appreciate the varying degrees of fandom surrounding this release,” said Rosemary Markson, WBHEG Senior Vice President, TV Brand Management and Retail Marketing  “To that end, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has created an option for virtually every fan’s level of interest, whether that be basking in the highly collectable Limited Edition Blu-ray set or simply enjoying this landmark series in its beautifully re-mastered exhibition on Blu-ray™, DVD or Digital HD.”

egghead-e1415107890429-5185748As the ultimate collector’s pièce de résistance, the Limited Edition box set (SRP $269.97) is a numbered, beautifully packaged set and spotlights all 120 episodes in spectacularly-re-mastered footage on Blu-ray™. The package comes complete with an exclusive Hot Wheels® Replica Batmobile, 44 vintage replica trading cards, the Adam West Photobook with never-before seen images from Adam West’s private archives, an extensive Episode Guide and Ultraviolet Digital Copy of all 120 episodes. Also included is more than three hours of extended content with featurettes such as “Hanging with Batman,” a true slice of life in the words of Adam West; “Holy Memorabilia, Batman!” a journey into the most sought-after collectibles through the eyes of three extraordinary collectors; “Batmania Born! – Building the World of Batman,” which explores the art and design behind the fiction; “Bats of the Round Table,” a candid conversation with Adam West and celebrity friends like director Kevin Smith, DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Jim Lee, radio personality Ralph Garman and actor Phil Morris, chatting all things Bat ’66; “Inventing Batman in the words of Adam West,” a rare treat for the fans as Adam discusses his script notes on bringing Batman to life in the first and second episodes; and “Na Na Na Batman!” where some of Hollywood favorite’s stars and producers recount their favorite Batman memories.  Bonus features also contain a few goodies from the archives including Burt Ward’s original screen test with Adam West, the Batgirl pilot and more!

penguin_21-e1415107920177-9321391Also coming to retail stores on November 11 are the Batman: The Complete Television Series DVD set (18 DVDs, extensive Episode Guide, more than three hours of enhanced content, SRP $199.70) and Batman: The Complete First Season DVD set (5 DVDs, SRP $39.98).

DC Entertainment has also created a limited time only offer exclusive to comic book retailers that includes the Limited Edition Blu-ray set packaged with BATMAN: THE TV STORIES HC, a hardcover Batman ’66 comic book.

Fans hoping to add the Caped Crusader’s classic TV series to their digital collection will be pleased to find a trio of options available on November 11. When purchased as a bundle, the digital version of Batman: The Complete Television Series includes all three seasons of the series in either HD or standard definition, as well as the entire slate of enhanced content features from the physical complete series offerings.

In addition, individual seasons of the landmark series will be available digitally in either HD or SD. “Batman: Season 1” offers all 34 first-season episodes; “Batman: Season 2, Part 1” and “Batman: Season 2, Part 2” offer the first and second 30 episodes of that season, respectively; and “Batman: Season 3” has the final 26 episodes of the series.

In late October, there will also be a special Direct Response promotional program seen on television that will feature a few specialty editions of the series on Blu-ray and DVD. These include: the Complete Classic Batman Collection on Blu-ray (SRP $174.95) and on DVD (SRP $149.95), both of which include over 50 hours of entertainment, starting with all 120 episodes from the landmark series; and the Classic Batman Collection (SRP $99.95), featuring 64 of your favorite original broadcast episodes fully remastered in a 12-DVD set. These sets will be available to purchase via telephone or on batmanondvd.com.  All three options also come with:

  • Over 3 Hours of ALL NEW bonus materials (identical to Limited Edition box set)
  • Adam West Naked on DVD: Watch as Adam takes you behind the scenes of your favorite episodes!
  • The Original 1966 Batman Movie DVD starring Adam West and Burt Ward
  • Detailed Episode Guide
  • Your Own Show Script from the Episode ‘The Joker is Wild’
  • A Personal Letter from Adam West to you!

Michael Davis: The Milestone Contract

As luck would have it I now know why I’m not mentioned as a co-creator of Static, although I created the Static universe from my own life story. I’ve just found the original Static Shock TV deal Milestone did with Warner Bros. and it explains everything.

Here, in its entirety, is the 1993 Milestone television deal for Static:

In the unlikely event that someone here in Hollywood decides it’s a good idea to develop a live action Static show, said show can ONLY be broadcasted on B.E.T.

The show must air after Sanford & Son but before Good Times. It is to be broadcasted at 2am every MLK Day, but only during leap year. 

The role of Arnold Hawkins AKA Static must go to Gary Coleman and the role of Willis (formally Richie) must go to Todd Bridges. If one of those fine actors is dead or in rehab the network will wait until they are both available.

All the Milestone partners, save one, will receive credit. 

Let the name of Davis be stricken from every book and tablet, stricken from all press and news, stricken from every mention of Static.

Let the name of Davis be unheard and unspoken, erased from the memory of Milestone, for all time.

So let it not be written, so let it be done.

Bruce Seti I, V.P. Business Affairs, Jan.15, 1993

Yeah, we signed that deal. We were young, what can I say?

 

The Point Radio: Gavin MacLeod’s TV Love Affair

From classic character roles to MARY TYLER MOORE to the bridge of THE LOVE BOAT, Gavin MacLeod has entertained TV audiences for decades and his stint as Captain Stubbing is one he is especially proud of. Gavin talks about his favorite moments on the show and why it is so beloved even today. Plus we wind up our look at THE LEAGUE by talking with the brainy couple who started it all, Jeff and Jackie Schaffer.

THE POINT covers it 24/7! Take us ANYWHERE on ANY mobile device (Apple or Android). Just  get the free app, iNet Radio in The  iTunes App store – and it’s FREE!  The Point Radio  – 24 hours a day of pop culture fun. GO HERE and LISTEN FREE  – and follow us on Twitter @ThePointRadio.

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