– -Here at Foxsylvania, we value each and every one of our readers. So if you go to the beach this season, we urge you to be careful! If invited to a crab bake, first make sure that you are not on the menu. And as always, the admonition to never attempt to eat anything larger than your refrigerator remains sound advice…
Archive for the ‘movies’ category
A Public Service Announcement!
July 18, 2011Green Light for “The Lantern”
June 21, 2011
– – Movies about comic book heroes tend to be at least somewhat disappointing if not outright disasters, and the reception for “The Green Lantern” has been at best lukewarm. I can’t claim to be wholly objective about the movie, having been a big long-term fan of the comic book and the title character; with this bias remembered and acknowledged, I did find the movie a hoot, and wasn’t disappointed; the pluses at least outweighed the negatives.
Sitting in the darkened theater wearing my geeky 3D glasses and waiting for endless commercials and promos to end, I pondered how much the 3D filming would add to my theater experience; it certainly added $3 to my ticket price. Perhaps in any sequel, the Green Lantern could take on evil surcharges! Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan I feel was a good choice for the Green Lantern; he’s muscular without being bulky, and played the character well with a mixture of cockiness and vulnerability. The CGI Green Lantern suit with its Kato-type mask was impressive if unreal, and Hal Jordan flies in a wonderful floaty style, at times striking poses that are classically Green Lantern. With some but not enough of the action set in deep space, you also get to meet all too briefly a variety of intriguing aliens who constitute the “Green Lantern Corps,” cosmic good guys who serve as protectors of peace and justice; some of Jordan’s training occurs at the hands of a massive and harsh alien drill instructor.
The Green Lantern has a rich and rather complex mythology which I won’t go into here in detail, but suffice it to say that Green Lanterns can manipulate the energy of will into any kind of physical matter and utilize it; Superman can’t even do this stuff! A yellow energy drawing on fear represents their major opposition, with a creature utilizing it called Parallax who reminds me of “the Blob” or perhaps a dirty version of assorted nasty entities from Star Trek. When the best warriors of the Green Lantern Corps go to do battle with Parallax, it’s like the Federation fighting the Borg at Wolf 359 with similar results.
After Hal Jordan fights Hector Hammond, a catspaw of Parallax on earth who undergoes a repulsive metamorphosis, the ultimate showdown occurs in space…and if you see the movie, stay through the closing credits to see Sinestro turn to the Dark Side and hint at room for sequels! While not a perfect movie, with tweaking to emphasize the iconic Green Lantern elements this could be a worthwhile series…
Hail the Mighty Thor!
May 10, 2011
– – There’s something strangely cool about dressing up in Viking gear and then going to dine in a fine restaurant or attending the opening of Thor so attired; besides, who am I to judge, since I am, after all, a furry…whatever floats your boat!
Anyways, the Norse Hollywood Dining Vikings did exactly that, attending a screening of the movie in Glendale, California in a variety of chain mail and horned helmet regalia. They usually do a restaurant gig, but a little change kinda keeps things fresh, and besides, what could be more appropriate? Tony Swatton, de facto leader of the Dining Vikings, is a master blacksmith who designs custom-made weapons, armor, and props for television and film, including Thor.
So what if they look like they just made a Capital One credit card commercial?–I say may their cup of mead be always full!
–Look!–Godzirra!
April 8, 2011
– – Godzilla has been a presence on the movie monster scene since his first film appearance in 1954, surviving cheesy outings in rubber suits and the 1998 reinvention of the character for Sony which earned the disdain of long-time fans of the character. Worse still, movies like Cloverfield and War of the Worlds (the remake) produced a greater shock and awe factor. It seemed the glory days of the classic character were behind him…
But wait, there may be a dance in the old boy yet! Wikipedia reports a greater number of searches under Godzilla in the aftermath of Japan’s tsunami and nuclear reactor problems. Furthermore, Legendary Pictures has announced that they are ready to start developing a new movie based on the classic Toho Studios monster that will go back to the roots of the creature. Hopefully ready for a 2012 release, the new film may reboot this classic cultural icon…just in time for the end of the Mayan calendar!
Candy, Chicks, & Rock ‘N’ Roll!
March 24, 2011
– – Most Easter family movies are old school cartoons better left forgotten, but Hop may set the bar higher. Featuring E.B., the teenage son of the Easter Bunny who plays a mean set of skins and wants to become a drummer in a rock ‘n’ Roll band, the hare destined for greatness splits for Hollywood only to be hit by the car of Fred the slacker in L.A. Alas, one cannot escape their destiny…
Taking the Easter Bunny heir in as he recovers, Fred discovers that he has the world’s worst house guest, and that they both are running from adulthood; do ‘ya blame ’em? Hop blends state-of-the-art animation with live action, and features some cute touches, such as the all-female special forces of the Easter Bunny, the Pink Berets, who really kick tail!
Coming to theaters from Universal Pictures on April 1st…it will leave you wanting candy, and singing the song!
–Hey, It’s “Hood!”
February 22, 2011
– – Everyone loves a werewolf, and I’ll certainly be rooting for him in Red Riding Hood, a Gothic imagining of the classic fairy tale in which a young woman is confronted by a wolf, this time with a teenage love triangle at its center. If elements of this sound familiar, it should be…it’s by the director of the popular Twilight series.
Only loosely based on the fairy tale, they’ve tacked some years onto the title heroine’s age so as to make her eye candy, and in general sexualized the story…but selling tickets is the name of the game! Several trailer/previews are to be found on the ‘net, where the commentary of potential viewers seems to range from, “I can’t wait to see it!,” to (my fave) “This movie is gonna rain with bad reviews!”
Coming to theaters March 11th from Warner Brothers Pictures…
Fur Wars…
January 29, 2011
– – Even the Dark Lord of the Sith is no match for the Power of the Fur!
Let’s Roll, Kato!
January 13, 2011
– – I was enjoying the Syfy channel’s marathon on the classic 1966-67 The Green Hornet tv series which aired in my area Tuesday night.- -Yes, I enjoyed it…and yes, I do need to get a life!
Unlike the far more successful Adam West Batman series of the same time period, the Green Hornet was not intended to be high camp, and may have failed for that reason as well as for its lack of wildly outrageous villains which helped make Batman memorable.
While hokey, contrived, and dated by today’s standards, The Green Hornet tv series can still be appreciated on a variety of levels, most notably for Bruce Lee’s Kato and the fight scenes. While Van Williams as The Green Hornet tended to throw haymakers at his opponents until they collapsed, Lee’s Kato launched devastating precision martial arts attacks, at times effortlessly decking multiple opponents. He was the real deal as well, and The Green Hornet served to introduce Lee to an American audience, foreshadowing roles where he wouldn’t have to play a valet.
With its 1960’s hairstyles, clothing, and vehicles I’ve accordingly got a soft spot for the old series, and it was good to see it taken out of mothballs in anticipation of the upcoming The Green Hornet movie. I wish them well, and may they be worthy of their heritage!
“Sharktopus” Arrives!
September 25, 2010
– – We all know that the government does terrible things behind our backs, like the calamitous Plum Island experiment that created yours truly.–Well, it would appear that the Navy has engineered a half-shark, half-octopus killing machine as a super-weapon which, of course, gets out of control as genetically-engineered creatures are prone to do…life would be so dreary if they didn’t!
The sharktopus shows a perverse predilection for beautiful blond women in bikinis, dragging them off boats, beaches, and bungee cords…gotta love the big lug! He also is not deterred by machine gun fire, otherwise the movie might be over quickly.
Coming from B-movie king Roger Corman and boasting a cheesy theme song, the absurd, low-budget made-for-tv movie Sharktopus may be a real hoot! –Witness the glory that is Syfy this Saturday night!
“Alien” Prequel Coming…
September 8, 2010
– – The Alien franchise has operated with mixed success since 1979, with in my opinion Alien and Aliens being the best of the lot.- -Well, a prequel and perhaps even two are supposedly coming in 2011 or 2012 (hopefully before Dec. 21st), with Ridley Scott at the helm and the film(s) likely to be shot in 3D.- -We’ll even find out what happened with the “Space Jockey,” that poor alien devil found on Zeta Reticuli!
The prequel will be set in 2085, about 30 years before Sigourney Weaver made her first memorable appearance as Ellen Ripley with the Nostromo, and will in the words of Scott be “…really tough, really nasty.”
…and that’s just how it should be!- –Count me in!
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