Sweet Castaway Mary Ann Is Gone

 

TV favorite Dawn Wells has died at 82 from Covid related causes. This star of the classic show Gilligan's Island in the mid sixties and endless reruns had appeared in other shows and films, but her fame will always be as castaway, Mary Ann. I had the pleasure of meeting her twice in 2010 and 2017 (I think) at the Mid Atlantic Nostalgia Covention. She was every bit as nice as you could imagine and commented on how my name was the same as a cousin of hers. She even noted my Wild Wild West t-shirt, and said she appeared as a guest on that show. My picture with her has been a source of pride and sweet memories of a celeb who will always be remembered with fondness.

Truth and Lies in WONDER WOMAN 1984

                                       

An entertaining follow-up to its superior predecessor, Wonder Woman 1984 has an interesting plot and powerful villains to boot; fans will likely approve.

Decades after World War I, the ageless Amazon warrior, Diana Prince AKA Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), now living in 1984 Washington D.C., befriends a shy, timid archivist, Barbara (Kristen Wiig), who comes across a mysterious stone with unknown purpose and powers.  TV personality and oil speculator Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) is also interested in power and wants the stone’s magic as each person’s dreams and desires are realized with sinister consequences that threaten Diana’s world and forces her to revisit a painful past including her lost love, Steve Trevor (Chris Pine).

This film has a theme and intriguing premise that begins promisingly with the development of its two antagonists, and moments with Pine’s ‘fish out of water’ in a modern world are amusing, while he and Gadot shine together and culminates in a touching moment of truth. You will pick up direct and passing references in literature (The Monkey’s Paw) and films (Heaven Can Wait and Indiana Jones).  Plus we get to see Diana display new abilities. 

Partially shot in DC and Virginia, the film feels slightly long (at 2 1/2 hours) as the storyline spirals (purposely?) into a couple loose ends, while action scenes including a battle in the White House (X-Men United did a better job) and the climactic battle at a military facility don’t flow quite as well as they should; indeed, a couple of effects shots are average.  

However, with its timely message and the acting of its leads, this is still a solid adventure and worth a viewing. Do stay for that mid-credits scene, a valentine for fans.

*** of **** stars (for Gadot fans and the mid-credits)

Davidson Glows in THE KING OF STATEN ISLAND

 

Saturday Night Live player Pete Davidson shines in his first major starrer that draws from his own life, and the result is a humorous, at times biting drama that reveals glimpses of a rising talent.

Scott (Davidson) is a 24 year old son living at home with his widowed mom (Marisa Tomei) on Staten Island. Jobless and going nowhere, his pipedream is to open a tattoo parlor/restaurant while he hangs with his druggie friends and sweet girlfriend who longs for more in life. When his sister moves out for college, his mom begins dating a firefighter, Ray (Bill Burr) much to Scott’s misery. It seems his own father was a firefighter who died in the line of duty when Scott was a boy. Depressed with post trauma, Scott must learn to navigate an uncertain future and confront his past.

Much as he helped comedian Amy Schumer draw from her own background for Trainwreck, director Judd Apatow (Knocked Up) elicits some painful memories from Davidson’s real past including losing his firefighter father during 9/11 and reframes them with a cynical, humorous eye.

The sharp, heartfelt screenplay (by Apatow, Davidson and David Sirus) walks a fine line between humor and drama never deviating far from its comedic roots. It doesn’t quite gel as well as you would like, but there are memorable moments such as Scott walking Ray’s kids to school and interacting with them, and the battle of wills between Scott and Ray.

Davidson’s touching, self-cathartic performance shows he has a legitimate, dramatic side to complement his comedic talents.  Let’s face it, he’s the reason to see this film; it’s his show all the all the way, and he makes the most of it.

*** of **** stars (add ½* for Davidson fans)

Dancin Reinking

 Actress, dancer and choreographer Ann Reinking passed at 71. A protégée of Director Bob Fosse, her career spanned into the modern era of musical theater in Sweet Charity, A Chorus Line, Chicago, and many others. Her choreography in Chicago won her a Tony Award. She appeared a handful of films, but it is her role in Fosse's semiautobiographical All That Jazz where she shined in her beauty and dance moves. Broadway has lost one of its best.

A Horror Parable

The Masque of the Red Death was an interesting horror film from 1964 at the height of producer Roger Corman and star Vincent Price's successful adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe classics. The vivid colors and set designs were striking despite their limited budgets. Cinematographer Nicolas Roeg would go on to be a noted director (The Man Who Fell to Earth, Don't Look Now). This tale was originally told in Poe's short story and makes you think even today.