DisneyPlus has released the 4th chapter of its new Star Wars streaming series, The Mandalorian, which continues to homage the early inspirations of Star Wars, namely the films of Akira Kurosawa (1961’s “Yojimbo”) and classic westerns (in this case, 1953’s “Shane” and 1967’s Italian-made “A Fistful of Dollars”). This week’s chapter , “Sanctuary”, was once…
Month: November 2019
The Mandalorian, Chapter 3: “The Sin” is fully committed…
Chapter 3 of “The Mandalorian” is now on DisneyPlus, and it’s the one that changes everything. The Madalorian (aka “Mando”) commits a ‘sin’ that alters the course of his life… *****STARSHIP-SIZED SPOILERS!!***** The Sin. Mando (Pedro Pascal) has finally acquired his ward-won prize; a 50-year old ‘child’ of the same species as former Jedi Master…
“Doctor Sleep” (2019); a sequel to “The Shining” we didn’t want or need, yet it works…
*****SHRUB-MAZE OF SPOILERS AHEAD!!***** The Shining (1980). Full disclosure: the late, great director Stanley Kubrick made one of my favorite movies of all time (“2001: A Space Odyssey”), though I’m not as in love with his 1980 adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Shining.” For clarity, I don’t hate it, either; in fact, I much admire…
“The Macra Terror”: Another classic Doctor Who story is regenerated…
Animated Regenerations. In November of 2006, BBC home video two animated versions of missing (i.e. deleted) Doctor Who serials of the classic Second Doctor story, “The Invasion.” Cosgrove Studios had produced the newly animated segments, which have paved the way for the BBC to reconstruct segments of other missing classic stories, such as “The Tenth…
The Mandalorian, Chapter 2: “The Child” matures quickly…
Clocking in at little over half an hour, the second chapter of The Mandalorian (“The Child”) has debuted on DisneyPlus, a few days after the premiere of Chapter One. This new chapter packs plenty of event into its brisk running time, as the Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal, in an amazing faceless performance) and his Ugnaught companion…
Star Trek Short Treks, 2.3: “Ask Not” offers a no-win scenario…
****STARSHIP-SIZED SPOILERS!!**** The latest Star Trek “Short Trek” has come online from CBS-All Access. Written by Kalinda Vasquez and directed by Sanji Senaka, “Ask Not” sees yet another non-regular cast character getting a spotlight, as she faces a no-win scenario. Story. The story opens with Starbase 28 under an unseen attack by the Tholians (crystalline…
Star Wars’ “The Mandalorian” is a space western that earns its bounty…
****BANTHA-SIZED SPOILERS AHEAD!!!**** The new streaming service Disney Plus (Disney+) has launched, and it’s let loose with a brand new, live-action Star Wars series that evokes the subtle world-building and strong visual narrative of the original “Star Wars” trilogy. Behind its exotic aliens, laser blasters and starships, “The Mandalorian” is spiritually an old-fashioned western… as…
“Star Trek: Discovery” Season 3 trailer breakdown…
****STARSHIP-SIZED SPOILERS AHEAD!!**** The season 2 finale of CBS All Access’ “Star Trek: Discovery” (“Such Sweet Sorrow” part 2) saw the crew of the titular starship following ‘red angel’ Michael Burnham forward in time 930 years to the late 32nd century… truly ‘going where no (Trek series) has gone before.’ Last month, at New York…
“2010: The Year We Make Contact” (1984): 35 years of a future past…
*****MONOLITH-SIZED SPOILERS AHEAD!***** Back in 1984, the Cold War was in full swing. Soviet Russia (before the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union) was the binary enemy of the United States; they were the ‘commie pinkos’ and we were the ‘capitalist swine’ (even in those days, I never bought that propaganda). The US space shuttle…
“Terminator: Dark Fate” offers yet another quasi-reboot of the Terminator multiverse…
****MIMETIC POLYALLOY SPOILERS AHEAD!!**** It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.. For those keeping score, the Terminator franchise (much like “ALIEN” & “ALIENS”) has two seemingly immutable entries; 1984’s original “The Terminator” and its amped-up sequel, “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” (1991). Both are classics of sci-fi action cinema. The post…