An Inspiration to Generations

 

Actress Nichelle Nichols has passed at 89. She portrayed Lt. Uhura in the original Star Trek TV show and subsequent series of films. Her role was groundbreaking in the sixties as it broke racial stereotypes and garnered support from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Ms Nichols attended Shore Leave 29 in 2007 and despite the huge line waiting for autographs, patiently stayed way later which I and others thanked her for. She was an inspiration as she spoke of her time on the show while supporting NASA and being a role model for generations. She was an icon.

A Childhood Icon

 

Actor/producer Tony Dow has passed at 77. His most famous role was in the classic TV family sitcom Leave It To Beaver. He recently appeared with costar Jerry Mathers at The Mid Atlantic Nostalgia Convention.  He was a  childhood icon. 

Tough Actor Played Cops and Mobsters

Actor Paul Sorvino has passed at 83. Father of Oscar winning actress, Mira Sorvino, he was a star on stage and screen, and was even on TV's Law and Order in its early beginnings. His half-century career included films such as A Touch of Class, Oh God, Reds, Nixon, The Firm, Dick Tracy Bulworth, and his most famous film, Goodfellas, the classic gangster saga. He played tough cops and mobsters and everything in between convincingly. 

 

A Go To, Versatile Villain

 

Veteran actor David Warner has passed at 80. His career began as a villain in the Oscar classic Tom Jones in 1963. He was cast in dark roles often as the bad guy over the decades in such films as Straw Dogs, The Ballad of Cable Hogue, The Omen, Tron, Titanic, and numerous appearance in the Star Trek franchise on film and TV. He was memorable in supporting roles on TV productions as Holocaust, Masada (winning an Emmy Award), and Twin Peaks.  He was versatile in other, more lighthearted roles as in The Man with Two Brains and more recently Mary Poppins Returns. He was often the go-to villain but an overall talent in cinema.

A New Hollywood Figure is Gone

 

Filmmaker Bob Rafelson has passed at 89. He helped co-create the musical group, The Monkees, and their TV show and the offbeat film, Head.  He directed some key films from the 1970s including the landmark Five Easy Pieces with actor Jack Nicholson who teamed up for other films including the updated Postman Always Rings Twice. One of his best films was the thriller Black Widow with Debra Winger. He also produced Oscar nominated films,  Easy Rider, The Last Picture Show, and the Oscar winning documentary Hearts and Minds. He was one of the key figures of the New Hollywood movement.

NOPE Continues Peele’s Cinematic Nightmares

 

In NOPE, writer/director Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us) continues his string of successful feature films that honors The Twilight Zone genre with a contemporary twist.  As such, it is a thoroughly entertaining film with elements of science fiction and horror.

OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and his sister, Emerald (Keke Palmer), struggle financially with their horse farm.  When ominous signs appear from a mysterious presence in the sky, they try to document the phenomenon with a techie friend only to learn an astonishing truth. What began as curiosity, becomes a struggle for survival against a terrifying force.  

Both fascinating and macabre, the film maintains an ominous, unsettled atmosphere of menace and foreboding with creepy visuals and sound effects as Peele’s fertile mind fills his palette like a painter. You may think you know what’s happening, and as you try to make sense of things, the story takes audience expectations and upends them while deliberately steering to a gripping finale.

It’s not a perfect film. (A subplot involving trauma on a past children’s show goes nowhere.)  What makes this an even stronger film is how one character evolves significantly over the course of the narrative and shines by the end. As a genre film, this fits among Arrival, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and War of the Worlds (2005), and it has a similar vibe to M. Night Shyamalan films. 

With imaginative visual effects and a pulsating music score, this well acted and brilliantly shot thrill ride needs to be seen on the biggest screen possible; it’s Peele’s most cinematic and largest budgeted film to date. He has essentially made a grand X Files film.  It’s a captivating magic trick that keeps you wondering and guessing until its riveting end. 

**** of  **** stars (for Peele fans)

Shore Leave 42 Back to Normal

 Shore Leave 42 in Hunt Valley was the first normal event after couple of years being virtual due to Covid. Filled with fans (some dressed as characters) of scifi tv and film and vendors with memorabilia and craftworks, the highlight were the celebs including Brandon Routh from Legends of Tomorrow and Superman Returns, Summer Glau from TVs Terminator series, and several other stars. I met Gates McFadden, TVs Beverly Crusher from Star Trek The Next Generation. It was a nice way for fans to immerse themselves in Trekdom and beyond.  Brandon Routh spoke and answered questions on his career as Superman and his return on TV in the Arrowverse. Nice guy.

I also crossed paths with Martin Grams who was prepping the MidAtlantic Nostalgia Convention this fall. Had a nice time at Shore Leave and looking forward to the fall.

The Playfulness of THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER

 

Thor: Love and Thunder carries on the creative wit of director Taika Waititi in a fun-filled adventure that begins as a loose, often silly romp and matures into solid action with a heartfelt conclusion. It should appeal to Marvel fans.   

While Thor (Chris Hemsworth) voyages with The Guardians of the Galaxy, his lost love, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), ventures to New Asgard on a personal mission.  When Gorr, the God Butcher (Christian Bale is excellent), kidnaps the children of New Asgard, Thor and his team including Jane, his buddy Korg (Waititi is a hoot), and Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), go on a rescue mission which leads them to other Gods including Zeus (Russell Crowe hams it up).  The final confrontation becomes a life and death scenario as key figures comes full circle.

The story introduces a new character, Gorr, a powerful destroyer of Gods, but whose motivation has real pain and makes him more than a cardboard villain.  In addition, numerous cameos and familiar faces from past Thor installments make welcome appearances.  

The film does a good job of catching up with past narratives, while retaining the tongue-in-cheek, comedic touches from Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok, which revitalized the franchise. Ironically, when it settles down with a degree of seriousness, the story gets interesting with real stakes.  The final sequence resonates with well earned, emotional moments.

Ultimately about sacrifice and selflessness, this is about resolving Thor and Jane’s story and Thor finding his purpose again. (It also reaffirms female empowerment through strong characters ranging from Jane and Valkyrie to a young girl). Laced with humor and an enthusiastic cast and director, this is an entertaining ride and sets up a new chapter in the Marvel universe.  There are two post credit scenes.

***1/2 of **** stars (for Waititi fans)

A Star Regardless

 Actor James Caan has passed at 82. This rugged veteran of Hollywood transitioned from the golden age to modern era.  He was the tragic star on the classic TV movie Brian's Song and hit superstar status as Sonny in The Godfather. (He was a college classmate of director Francis Ford Coppola.) He starred in many films in various genres including El Dorado, Cinderella Liberty, Rollerball, Thief, The Killer Elite, Misery, Eraser, and the holiday favorite, Elf. He was notable for deliberately turning down roles in such hits as Superman, French Connection, Love Story, Star Wars and Kramer vs Kramer among others. He was a star regardless.