Hawaii Five 0 celebrates the Big 50

It is the 50th anniversery of the crime show Hawaii Five 0. For a record 12 seaaons, Jack Lord and his elite detectives faced all manner of criminals and masterminds in the stunning backdrop of Hawaii. It was a landmark show (with imaginative storylines and tough action especially in its early years) shot on location and paved the way for shows like Magnum P.I. and it's own reboot going strong at 9 seasons and with easter egg reverence to the original. Through it all, Morton Stevens' signature theme has stood the test of time. "Book 'em Danno."

MidAtlantic Nostalgia Convention 2018

The latest edition of The MidAtlantic Nostalgia Convention was a solid success.  Despite the absences of Barbara Eden, Peter Marshall, and Loni Anderson (who may come next year), the show featured many celebrities including a Hart to Hart reunion of stars Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers. There was a WKRP in Cincinnati reunion of Tim Reid, Howard Hesseman, and Jan Smithers. Oliver!, the Oscar winning film of 1968 was represented by its stars, Mark Lester and Shani Wallis. Original Creature from the Black Lagoon monster Ricou Browning, St. Elsewhere TV star Ed Begley Jr., Diahann Carroll TV's first black female solo star, Falcon Crest TV star Morgan Fairchild, Emmy winner Kristy McNichol from TV's Empty Nest and Family, and several others.

There were Q&A sessions with many of the group of celebs.  I also met Wagner (I was a huge fan of his first TV show, It Takes a Thief) who was very accommodating with his fans. He looked great at 88 and so did Powers. Fairchild was and still is a beauty. Carroll was almost unrecognizable under sunglasses on Day 1, but that changed on the following days when she removed them. Yes it cost a fee to get autographs and pictures, but the prices were reasonable by industry standard as well as at the door. The celebs were all generous with their fans and it showed.  There also were continuous movie/TV showings and even a radio show reenactment.

As usual, there were many memorabilia vendors selling posters, stills, trading cards, comics, toys, games, dvds, and other imaginative tie-ins.  Daughter Laura had her vinyl creations and jewelry and was able to meet several celebs too. This was Linda's first convention on Friday and she came the next day dressed as her favorite star, Lucille Ball in I Love Lucy! I was able to see friends and family attend for the first time and reunited with others even from Facebook. I also made new friends even in line who shared mutual interests. Martin Grams and his team have done it again. Cannot wait to see his lineup build for next year!

THE X FILES Celebrates 25 Years

It's the 25th anniversary of the groundbreaking TV classic The X Files. For 11 seasons and 2 films this scifi series about paranormal and unexplained phenomenon dealt with a myriad of subjects and some long story arcs with extraterrestrials. Told with conviction by top flight writers (including Vince Gilligan before his Breaking Bad) and acted with genuine chemistry by David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson (who won an Emmy Award), it was influenced by everything from The Outer Limits, Kolchak:The Night Stalker, and Twin Peaks, and inspired a generation of films and shows (Stranger Things, Black Mirror). What was special about it was that the shows were written up to an audience. It had its monster of the week but it dealt in science and myth for an educated viewer. And the repartee and dark humor from its stars was perfect. When it was on its game, it was as good as anything on TV. "The Truth Is Out There."

Goodbye Bandit

 

Movie star Burt Reynolds passed at 82. A shock since he was one of those iconic box office mega stars from the 1970s and 1980s having turned down many super roles that others would gain fame from Star Wars to Terms of Endearment to Die Hard and many more. But before you feel badly, he was top box office longer than most stars in Hollywood history for several consecutive years starting with the classic Deliverance through Smokey and the Bandit to the Longest yard to directing efforts like the underrated Sharky's Machine and serious roles in Starting Over and later a career revival and Oscar nomination in Boogie Nights.

His TV career spanned many decades from Gunsmoke to his Dan August detective to the comedy ensemble Evening Shade. He was just as appealing on numerous talk shows especially the great Johnny Carson. Although his health (he also suffered through doing many physical stunts) and finances suffered in recent years, he was actively filming projects including Tarentino's latest right up to the end. Who could forget his smile and laugh? Goodbye Bandit.

 

CRAZY RICH ASIANS and Universal Love

Chinese culture and tradition clash in the thoroughly entertaining Crazy Rich Asians, based on a best- selling trilogy.  This marks a rare American studio film featuring a predominantly Asian cast (directed by Jon M. Chu) and signals a further cinematic resurgence in recent years of heretofore underrepresented groups e.g. Wonder Woman and Black Panther. 

When college students, Rachel (Constance Wu) and Nick (Henry Golding) fall in love in New York, they plan to attend his best friend’s wedding in Singapore, where Nick’s family, the Youngs, are spectacularly wealthy.  Surrounded by a collection of family members and friends, some with hidden agendas, Rachel is anxious to make a good impression especially with Nick’s strong willed mom (Michelle Yeoh).  It becomes a battle of wills as loyalties are tested and secrets revealed.  Can true love survive?

The well-paced film exudes confidence in its performances with Yeoh and Awqwafina (as a college friend) as standouts. There is a Pretty Woman vibe with Rachel as a resourceful underdog fighting for respect and acceptance.  The cityscape of Singapore, beautifully shot, serves as a stunning backdrop to the festivities including a lavish wedding and reception, and the sumptuous displays of Asian cuisine are simply mouthwatering. 

The film is an old fashioned love story with a modern sensibility.  It is an interesting contrast in classes of wealth as well as Chinese familial tradition with its struggle between old and new.  It will resonate with audiences as it successfully crosses cultural boundaries with its universal themes of love and its display of female empowerment.  With more than a passing kinship to My Big Fat Greek Wedding, it’s a feel good film with heart and a sense of humor to boot. (There is a mid-credit scene with future implications.)

***1/2 of **** stars

The Remarkable Truth of BLACKkKLANSMAN

Controversial director Spike Lee (Do the Right Thing) is back with BlacKkKlansman, the unbelievable, true story of role reversal during the height of the civil rights movement and the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan.

Set in the 1970s, a black man, Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), applies to join the Colorado Springs police force and on a whim calls a newspaper recruitment ad for the KKK posing as a white bigot. The Klan shields itself as a legitimate organization which belies its racist agenda and purpose, and when they want to meet him, he must substitute an undercover white cop, Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver). With the constant threat of being discovered, both detectives must improvise on the fly, and Stallworth also infiltrates a black student rally while confronting racism in his own department. This leads to a meeting between Zimmerman and the Klan’s national director, David Duke (Topher Grace). Meanwhile, radical elements within the Klan chapter are plotting a major act of violence.

Some of the narrative is so outrageous (complete with racial epithets) that it borders on being laughable if it weren’t true. The film also serves as a time capsule of the civil rights struggle of its time and a revisionist take on popular culture with its clips from Birth of a Nation and Gone with the Wind. At times it feels like an independent film which works in its favor; it recreates its period with contemporary songs and styles.

It’s a fascinating, engrossing story with eerie parallels to current news headlines (with an amusing intro featuring Alec Baldwin and a bittersweet postscript). Lee has lost none of his passion and fire and is back to doing what he does best: articulating his rage against racial and social injustice. 

**** of **** stars