Agnes Varda

 

Inspiration for this entry came from the press news that was released just a month before the launch of the 2023 Toronto International Film festival, Festival CEO Cameron Bailey unveiled a new café-bar in her name.  On the 3^rd floor of TiFF Bell Lightbox - a crown jewel establishment for Film screenings in Toronto.  As for this blog’s writer, my introduction to Varda came just pre-covid era, I was listening to a Varda themed podcast, - A Marathon from the Chicago based cinephiles known as Filmspotting an extremely articulate and well verse set of film reviewers who covered Varda's films and the contributing impact of each of her works.

So who is Varda?

Most sources would reference her as the mother of French New Wave, she was known to be both a filmmaker and documentarian who writes, directs and producers all her own works.  A natural Auteur,  who began as an official photographer of Jean Vilar’s Theatre National Populaire, and claimed she had no formal film study training, which fits the new wave pre-requisite, of filming by unconventional methods. Varda’s debut film was La Pointe Courte (1954) in which she wrote and directed, it was a budgeted feature that contrasted a young couple’s marital problems with the struggles of fishermen and their families in a small village. The narrative structure would be the precursor to devices used by France’s New Wave Directors.  In fact, Francois Truffaut who is a recognized director and film critic, and one of leading pioneer of French New wave wrote a comment about La Pointe Courte.   “It is difficult to form a judgment of a film in which the true and the false, the true-false and the false-true are intermingled according to barley perceived rules”.     Varda would go on to work on several short films; (two of which was commissioned by the French National Tourist Office) before working on her next feature

Delving deeper into narrative and capturing life in the moment was the release of Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962) The film observes two hours  (in real time) in the life of a spoiled nightclub singer as she waits for the medical verdict on whether she live or die from cancer.  In the film every trivial incident takes in a new significance for the main character and Paris is seen as if for the last (or first) time.  Followed up by Le Bonheur (1965) an odd love triangle movie.  At this point critics complained about the surfeit of visual elegance in both of these movies, for  which to be honest is a mild critique, as now Varda had established herself as a filmmaker to watch.   In the mid to late 70’s and throughout the 80’s Varda  got involved in the women’s movement and her work reflected that time, she also began work on imaginative documentaries  (cine-poetic  essays),  two  US made documentaries  Uncle Yanko,  and The Black Panthers (1968)   Varda did two more films including Lions Love, in which she also appeared in, before concentrating on documentaries for the next several years until the release of the Vagabond (1985).  One of her highly praised works. A powerful near-documentary style that looks at the events leading to the death of a young drifter.  In 1991, she paid tribute to her late husband Director Jacques Demy in Jacquot a film that filters her late husband’s life through films he made, and before her own passing she made “Varda by Agnes  “     a two part minis series documentary where she sheds light on her own experience and insight of film making.               

Enter the Dragon (1973)

Enter the Dragon celebrates its 50^th Anniversary of its theatrical release.  A bittersweet moment for its’ star who passed away just days before the world premiere in Hong Kong.  The film made its North American Debut a few weeks later in Los Angeles on August 19, 1973, and was the first American produced martial arts film.  It maintained the distinction of being one of the highest grossing martial arts films for nearly 20 years.  Besides making Warner Brothers’ incredibly wealthy, it cemented Lee as a legend in both Hollywood and in the martial arts community. Looking back on his filmography his work is based on 5 theatrical films, and his television role as Kato in the Green Hornet.  That complete body of work pointed to or contributed to the trajectory of Enter the Dragon; and the confidence a studio had in backing Bruce Lee in this starring vehicle.

To commemorate the Anniversary of the Los Angeles Debut, a Blue Ray edition of Enter the Dragon will be available in the United States and Canada.  Followed a month later with the UK scheduled release of the Blue Ray and then parts of Europe.  Hardcore fans were upset on the announced special features in the anniversary edition as the common critique were nothing new from what has already been gathered or told are in the special features.  The documentaries and theatrical and 1998 cut versions are not new.  For the unfamiliar or casual fan, the Blue Ray will walk you through how Lee inspired a generation through testimonial interviews and footages.

Bruce Lee - majored in philosophy in the University of Washington and developed the philosophy of Jeet Kune Do (Way of the intercepting Fist), The scene in Enter the Dragon where Bruce Lee spare’s against Sammo Hung are the first images of the practice that will be known as MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) , but until that moment North American audiences had never seen or got a visual interpretation of MMA.  Lee was also known as a fierce street fighter; off camera he had many run ins with other martial art fighters.  Enter the Dragon showcased his intelligence and style of fighting when fighting opponents in a tournament.  At the Box office, Enter the Dragon cracked the top 10 grossing films of the UK in1974, ranking in 3^rd place just under Newman and Redford’s The Sting, and late William Friedkin classic The Exorcist.  In the United States it faired much lower in the overall box office, but over time the film has taken in over $300,000 in box office receipts, when considering inflation and actual theatrical attendance Enter the Dragon would have made $2 Billion at the Box office in comparison to today. 

 

The Future is Now

 

The year 2023 Its always a highly anticipated themed concept in Hollywood movies when the stories depicts' a future. It's something we can't predict, yet as an audience we willing to go on this journey to this dystopian future or else worlds story. There were 4 theatrical released films where the story or part of the story takes place in the year 2023. Its sometimes fun to see what they got right, and how far they got wrong when reviewing these movies and theorizing the potentials, So let's begin with the biggest and easiest.

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

The MCU for the most part kept their film's stories in the actual year of their release. After the first 10-15 minutes of this movie blew the minds of its audience when the story picks up 5 years later.  The film actually begins in the year 2023 after the recap of the events of Avenger's Infinity war.   The hero of that film can be argued to be Thanos, his story had a full arc, where he had a full journey, He viewed himself as a hero/savior, in the process he had sacrificed and painfully loss his adopted daughter, he faced enemies who stood in his way from his quest and came out triumphant.

We as an audience naturally assumed the role of the Avengers to be the hero of this story. And with looming speculations of who wanted out of their role and what films lucrative box office draw would prevent what heroes would die.  Story wise everyone was pretty much wrong in the outcome.  It took a while to realize the original cast of the Avengers were the sole survivors with a couple members from the Guardian of the Galaxy to form the last one's standing.  Thanos' snap was so powerful that Netflix's Power man (Luke Cage) and Iron Fist were immediately cancelled, Superman's Henry Cavil had quit and Affleck went into rehab - eliminating half of the justice league in what seemed to have took place in over one week. What the film marginally got right was the decimation of the population. Less than a year of the film's conclusion the world faced its own invisible war with the pandemic and world population facing a loss in the millions.  Dolphins where spotted swimming up coastal lines, and with reduction of cars driving, pollution and atmospheric levels where visibly reverting.

The Purge: Anarchy (2014)

This was immediate sequel to the original home invasion movie, it now take's place over an entire city with audience following 4 stories.  The film takes place March 21, 2023, whereupon the nation celebrates its 6th year of their annual purge.  Unbeknownst to the film's creators the Trump presidency would commence two years after the film's release and Purge Forever would indirectly address possibilities of that leadership; as Purge Forever was completed and waited for its initial release, America had the Capitol riots which pushed the film to be released in the late summer. 

Purge Anarchy informs us the government experienced an economic collapse, and a way to prune itself from oblivion was the Purge. The final deadline of June 5, 2023 the American government was facing a default on their debt ceiling, which would have plunged America into a recession, and with an unprecedented year of daily mass shootings, A mix of poverty, and already existing divide within the nation from abortion rights to gun violence to border crossings, we could see an unsolicited variant of The Purge coming into pass.

Don't Breathe 2 (2021) 

Actor Stephan Lang reprises his role and sees him as perhaps the hero of this story. If you saw what his endgame was from the original 2016 movie.  The set-up right from the beginning would feel disturbing, we begin with his character a retired Navy Seals officer Norman Nordstrom living in a Detroit suburb with his 11-year-old daughter.  The film takes place 8 years after the events of the first film and we are told that his daughter's mother died in a tragic fire. 
      Child abduction and lost children is not new in America, the insidious level and extent of murderous villains are an exaggeration for the plot of the story.  The film as horror film is grossly uncomfortable on both ends of the plot and the actual well being and future of the child is genuinely in question by the end of this movie. In 2023, the Supreme court made some final rulings regarding areas in civil rights, some decisions were decisive. but change in the process is a long way away and not everyone can come out happy.

Click (2006)

This was the only film from Adam Sandler that garnered an Academy Nomination thus far. Click was nominated for an Oscar in make-up. The closest Sandler ever got to recognition was in the Safdie film Uncut Gems, both the movie and it's actor received multiple awards and nominations throughout the film critics and festival circuit runs but was completely snubbed at all levels by the Academy. In the movie Click we see Sandler play a husband and father whose work is so demanding he misses out on the time he should have had with his family.
That is until a strange man played by Christopher Walken provides him with a universal remote that can alter his current time and move him ahead to enjoy all the highlights of his life.  Marketed as a comedy, the film takes a unsuspected turn into a Christmas Carol. One of the final stops in time is the year 2023, as his character can see how both he and everyone in his life whines up. Its a chilling tale of regret, inspiration, ego, desire, and drive.  The landscape of 2023, in regards to technology is still theoretical, Apple came out with a $3000+ visor that can be interacted by eye movement and simple motions, obesity, diabetes and poor heart conditions are a real staggering problem in the world in 2023 and since covid divorce rates have gone up.

Batman -Early Years

From Gadgets to Vehicles; besides James Bond which debuted in the 60s, no other franchise or character is synonymous with such accessories as The Batman. From the beginning, the creation of the character was attributed to artist Bob Kane who came up with the idea of a bat hero, with wings as his costume (not a cape). It was not until as recently as 2015, which was 75 years since the first story was told did Writer Bill Finger receive recognition for his contribution to the original creation of the Dark Knight. This includes the detailing of the costume, the alter ego of Bruce Wayne, comprising his childhood origin, and comprising most of the character’s supporting cast. Finger and Kane both introduced Dick Grayson, an orphaned character that Bruce took under his wing as kinship to, which humanized the character from the 40s to the 60s. That was until the first season of the 60’s serial that made the character campy. From that point, the many writers and artists of the comic returned the hero to a more serious or dramatic tone. In the 40s Robin, the Joker, and Catwoman were introduced, it was in the mid to late 70s did we get the introduction to Arkham Asylum (a nod to H.P. Lovecraft) and Lucius Fox.

1939 Cadillac 

The introduction to the Batcave, a lair beneath Wayne Manor was introduced in early 1944, but the first introduction to the Batmobile was in 1937 which was depicted as an ordinary red car. The two Batman and Robin Serials which aired in the 40s had the Dynamic Duo secretly ride around in Bruce Wayne’s Car. Batman and Robin 1943 provided the most basic batmobile in the catalogue history of batmobiles as Bruce Wayne drove a 1939 Cadillac series 75 Convertible. Batman and Robin 1949, saw him drive a Maroon ’49 Mercury Convertible - it’s only special feature was its top would open which meant Bruce Wayne was driving. The Batmobile became popularized in 1966 with the introduction of the Adam West series. It was a concept car that debuted at the Chicago Auto show in 1955. A Lincoln Futura. Some of its gadget features included a rocket launcher, 180 degree Bat-turn, Detect-A-Scope, a Bat-Phone, laser Rockets, nose-mounted chain slicer, and police beacon. The animated series based on the 60s show gave the duo ejector seats. The 1989 Michael Keaton Batmobile was a 22 ft long Old Corvette body on an Impala Chassis, and was said to have a sound of a Chevy V-8 engine. It would be the first vehicle to introduce armor plating, grappling hooks, an escape pod, and jet turbines.

’49 Mercury Convertible

Like his Car, Batman’s arsenal of weaponry also too expanded, from a rope hook, flashlight, smoke sticks, and a radium gun of the 1943 series. However, the 1943 and 1949 serials were poorly funded and The Batman never touched his utility belt, it was more a fashion accessory than a place holder for is iconic gadgets. That changed in 1966 when Adam West’s utility belt became almost a crucial character to the show itself. It roughly possessed around 30+ items, the top 12 considered was the Bat-a-rang, Bat-Shield, Bat-Cuffs, Laser Gun, Binoculars, Anti-Mesmerizing Bat-Reflector, Magnifying Glass, Universal Drug Antidote Pill, Bat Pill, Bat Wake, Batnasia Gas, and Bat Gas Tranquilizer Spray. 

The Bat-zooka was equipped on the bat boat, and the batshark-repellent was equipped on the bat-copter, in accordance to the 1966 movie, As the physics of carrying 30+ gadgets is not possible unless Batman was aware of the quantum fields surrounding Dr. Who’s Tardas. it’s better to not over think the rationale here. Bob Kane's drew inspiration from Walter B. Gibson's The Shadow - A character who was a wealthy Socialite who moonlights as an urban vigilante.  In Batman the animated series Adam West takes on the voice role of Grey Ghost, A superhero character Bruce Wayne idolizied as a child. in the 1992 episode of "Beware the Gray Ghost"

Hawkeye (Limited Series)

Since viewing the Hurt Locker in theatres many years ago, I unknowingly became a fan of Jermey Renner, and his array of performances on both small and big screen. His past late night talk show interviews where it was revealed to me, he has a version of rested face - I found to be highly amusing, and kin to his dry humor, learning how he sustained serious injury in the movie Tag and that prevented him from doing action centric films for a small period left me sympathetic. However, after Bourne Legacy and Ghost Protocol the attachment of him refusing to commit to other franchises had me dubious on his personal motivations or the external forces of Hollywood in regard to his career choices. Unfortunately, all of the above aforementioned items and inquires will not get addressed in this blog. But, despite his under the radar portrayal of Clint Barton, the actor has far more ambitions than anyone is privy to see off the surface level of performances or arranged press junkets.

Since the forming of phase 1 of the MCU, the character of Hawkeye was first introduced as an agent of SHIELD in the Kenneth Branagh directed movie of THOR (2011). Since then, Renner's Hawkeye has made 6 appearances in the MCU and now headlines the titled series' Hawkeye.  Drawing from the artwork of David Aja for clips of the show's intro and extro, and receiving a producer's credit from comic-book writer Matt Fraction the series tangentially connects to the saga of Barton and Bishop's Hawkeye. The story has to first and formally line up with history of the character within the MCU,then  flush out the character development and backstory from within the pages of the comic book to provide this particular tale.  Taking place, a week away from Christmas, Clint Barton must separate from his family to aide a young Kate Bishop to recover a relic from his past that could have far reaching implications to him and his new protege. 

Haliee Steinfeld plays a fast talking quick on her feet Kate Bishop a super fan of Hawkeye, and a girl who the series revolves around. The moment she stumbles into a black-market auction until we reach the climax at Rockafella place; the arrows don't fly as furious as one would hope.  The series rests on Steinfeld's charisma and performance as a gallery of characters become largely the driving force for the series.   Bro! we get the track suit mafia, the one-eyed pizza dog, a girl who will be known as echo, and a low-level swordsman.  Oh! and comic-book assassin who for the sake of maintaining the MCU narrative is portrayed as a second-tier enforcer and a rich uptight and protective mother. This is the rogue gallery of characters who ultimately power this 6-episode limited series forward. Also, in this stew we are given some spices, which is A watch, A costume, and some LARPers who become quintessential as the show draws near to its conclusion. But the costume is what becomes the ultimate McGuffin for our band of characters, as for the Watch, it falls in line with Chekhov's theory, and the introduction to Grills and the LARPers opens the title character of Hawkeye in a different light and takes him out of his comfort zone to broaden the experience.

Like the character in Thor (2011), Hawkeye is a lone wolf character, who remains in the shadows, and is acutely present.  The general public becoming aware of the Avengers in 2012 from the attack of New York and is commemorated in 'Rogers' a Broadway play with the character of Hawkeye being dismissive from his lack of presence and his unwelcomed need for the spotlight. That lack of attention serves as mellow low-key mannerism of the character in the series and plays for more effect when working with energy of Kate Bishop.  The need to re-join his family gives us the urgency from days to the hours ticking away, as a battled wary Barton is man who experienced the cost of loss, on the facets to his life and is seeing his past interfering in the life of new.  

Hawkeye questions - will Clint Barton Return, will the mantle be passed on, what happens next in storytelling, what set up does the show offer in phase 5 and 6? only time will tell.

Thor :Love and Thunder

 

Contributed By Guest Blog writer – Evy

 To Begin with a forward - on behalf of the resident blog write Ray Schoonberg  and myself, we wish both Chris  Hemsworth  and his family our continued thoughts and prayers as it was revealed on the Disney+ streamed National Geographic Docu-series “Limitless”, the sharing of his health news.  While examining how people can live longer and better, Mr. Hemsworth blood work revealed he has two copies of the gene called APOE4, which has been linked to Alzheimer disease. Soon after the airing the Australian actor announced he is taking a break from acting and focus more time with his family.

 

Thor: Love and Thunder became a family affair as Chris Hemsworth brother, daughter, and wife make an appearance in the movie.

Thor is back!  Joined by another who is worthy to be the God of Thunder.  From the director of Thor Ragnarok and the Marvel One shots – Team Thor & Team Darryl.  Thor must rescue the kidnapped children on New Asgard as a threat emerges that endangers all celestials. 

The movie was very good, a good mix of rock songs and ballads to keep us moving, and a comedic and fast paced tempo that gets us to the finish line to face darkness of this all new villain.  The story was good, adapted loosely  from the 2015 Mighty Thor comic book run. As this movie rekindles a long awaited love Story between Thor and Jane Foster, played by Natalie Portman.   The post credit scene gives  us a  good conclusion to the story on top of its normal ending. A strong recommend for fans of Thor Ragnarok or just fans of the Thor in general.

 

 

She Hulk

 

She-Hulk Attorney at law, the above line creative and decision-making force are women. With credited Executive Producer and head director Kat Coiro, who recently released “Marry Me” with Jennifer Lopez in theatres for Universal Pictures. And at the helm is Creator and Show Runner Jessica Gao.  Who was recognized for her work as part of the writing team for HBO’s Silicon Valley, Bajillion Dollar Properties and a brief season 3 writing team stint on Rick and Morty that gained her an Emmy Win. 

The 1995 Graphic novel and the 1996 Sensational She-Hulk comic book series provides an acting baseline/ reference point to creating the Disney+ series.  Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Walters for reasons the series will reveal, joins a law firm that provides legal representation to superpower/meta beings with the She-Hulk becoming the new face of that divisional legal branch. In the process our main character breaks the fourth wall sparingly in each episode to address the audience in which to touch upon minded topics or issues that would come up at that pivotal scene and acknowledge the obvious question or the absurdity of its presence.  The levity of breaking the fourth wall and provided inclusion to the audience is what gives the show a comedic slant while the entire cast of characters are oblivious and plays their roles straight.

Drawing from the female experience of male toxicity in the work place, the She-Hulk series, leans into that world and holds men accountable. As our hero navigates a world who view her as either friend or foe, We continue to watch Jennifer Walter’s hold her ground and move forward with all the scenario setbacks. At its basic core the story lays the groundwork of a reluctant superhero; a woman who only aspired to be a lawyer, eventually accepting her new place in the world, owning it, while struggling with maintaining her own sense of identity.  With a roster of guest stars, supporting cast and an invisible Cabal who wants the power of the Hulk. She Hulk Attorney at Law, struggled with viewers and critics, trying to satisfy CGI & rendering expectations. A Protective portrayal of the beloved character of daredevil. And a continuing/continuity story that would branch into phase 5 story threads like the Skrulls in Secret Invasions, Daredevil: Born Again, and possibly the Thunderbolts.  She Hulk’s connection to phase 5 now appears tangential, and the sublime acting of it’s Star Tatiana Maslany was overshadowed by talks of how acceptable the look of her Hulk persona came across.  The only guarantee we may have revisiting the character post season 1 is either in verbal passing or in cameo appearance in another Marvel property, as no word on a season 2 will be pursued since the release of show’s finale.

Legion (Series)

 Legion is not a television show for the casual viewer, devoted fans will slowly become aware of the structure that Showrunner and creator Noah Hawley built. As the title suggests to us a character created by former X-men writer Chris Claremont but delivers a vague perception or opinion of things to come. By the time you reached the series finale, fans will have found a rewarding and engaging closure across the board, Or/while casual viewers will have dwindled from its once massive audience.

Legion is a story of a man David Hailler (Dan Stevens) who happens to be a powerful mutant whose abilities appear to be limitless. Creator Noah Hawley designed a 3-season series which was composed of a three sectional arc. Season one was the ‘beginning’ we establish and get to know all the characters of the show, let them all meet and interact as we the audience gets to know them. Season two was the ‘middle’ they are let loose to play, characters begin to develop and change, there exists an unseen narrator (Jon Hamm) who educates or enlightens us on the developmental stages of a Delusion and the erosion of rational ideas that gives way to psychosis. The first line “A delusion starts like any other idea, as an egg. Identical of the outside, perfectly formed. From the shell, you’d never know anything was wrong. It’s what’s inside that matters.” The series moves away from season one’s theme of mental health, to social behavior and how symptoms and disease act and react in similar ways as with social behavior. Season three is an ‘ending’ and uses time itself to conclude the series journey with the hope the writers provided a satisfying ending to all main characters. On the series finale we are provided a cryptic set of graphics at the open. “This is the end. The beginning. The end. What it all means is not for us to know. It is for history to decide. All we can do is play the parts as written. All we can know is ourselves.” As passive or dismissive as this line is, or maybe how we are to take away from the finale; there is wisdom in the cipher which gets revealed.

This series is intelligent, season 2 maybe argued as overly ambitious, but by the end all things, even minor details are called back upon at some point in the show. An example, there is a 30 - 40 second elaborate Bollywood dance number in the 1st season, besides an interrogation scene, it never gets revisited or explained in either season one or two, we see David again for the first time in the opening of the 3rd season wearing the clothes from that dance number as he leads his own harem. From Chapter One after the first montage of David growing up in trouble with the law, to the climatic final battle in Chapter 27, the story is delivered non-linear. Which for some individuals who expect direct answers over tangential answers, could be dismissive of the displaced framework of this series. The easiest comparison would be reading the novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, the opening chapters is difficult to fully comprehend, but as soon as you completed the reading of the novel. Go back and read the first few chapters, and you’ll find the beginning tells you the future of characters once you completed the novel. In the opening episode of the 3rd season, we get various quotes... one in particular is “The past is the Future”, as the first episode introduces us to time travel, which is entirely coincidental to Avengers Endgame as the final season aired only a few months after the debut of Endgame.

Legion predates the concept of 'time variants or the multiverse'; its atmosphere is neither Kafka nor Lovecraftian though at times the atmosphere feels to skirt around in that hemisphere. But Legion as we learn to know stems from scripture Mark 5:9 as Jesus came across a man possessed by a demon. The passage is a metaphor as it points to the realism of everyday life, that we are not a unity, but a multiplicity. Having multiple sides to our personality all vying to take control of our Ego <the part of the brain that acts as the executive integrator of the outer/inner worlds>. As such this battle to take control causes our own madness, our disease within… and with our own self.

On the biblical page it’s a metaphor that serves a message of what we all could become. Don’t be a Christian in name, but to be Christ-like, as the sermon would end. Peace be with you…. And Peace BE you.

David Hallier is a man suffering from schizophrenia, he hears voices, is distracted, unable to concentrate, experience mood swings, experiences blackouts in time. As the show develops, the voices in his head are his own thoughts but materialized as other versions of himself a kind of splintering of his psyche. The villain throughout the series, is the shadow king, a being who found a place within the schism of his mind. The series Legion acknowledges this schism in the final season. Like ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ the show goes back to revisit the early chapters as it too writes its own future. The complex nature of the story will lose the casual viewer, the design will either compel you to journey forward or view an episode as diminished returns. The series began with a viewership of around 1.8 million households, its series finale had just over 288,000 viewers. Legion could possibly obtain a cult following, that can sustain outside the influence of Disney, the company that bought Marvel Television and all rights. Noah Hawley who also was the showrunner for the series Fargo (season 4) and was set to debut his second directed motion picture film at the time ‘Lucy in the Sky’. Knew he was ending Legion at 3 seasons and had enough foresight to give the audience who beloved the characters and their story a satisfying conclusion.

What If (Animated Series)

Aristotle wrote "Everything happens for a reason"

As there's purpose, meaning and growth to be gained from whatever tough times you face.  All life's challenges are there to offer you special miracle-growth-insights to help you rise up stronger and higher as your mightiest self.

As a philosopher Aristotle believed the universe is in a state of constant motion, always changing, always in motion, and there is one thing that always remains a constant, he gave it a word 'Entelechy' which means "your unique-to-you highest potential" and that everything on this planet possesses its own entelechy.

In the comics, Watchers were ancient species dating back to the beginning of the universe.  
Initially they took action and became involved but decided to be observers, as they are committed to observing and compiling knowledge of the growing vast universe. Their oath or rule was that of non-interference which stems from an ancient incident that lead them to share their knowledge to another civilization whose inhabitants ultimately destroyed themselves from it.  So, who watches the Watchers? it's a paradox, in the principle of universes and possibilities; the quick answer are the readers and viewers.

On the Disney+ animated series the viewers are introduced to Uatu - The Watcher, voiced by actor Jeffery Wright. Uatu serves as show narrator and guide, appearing at the start of the story and again at its conclusion. This holds true in either print form of the comic-book series or streaming as an animated series, The formula is not new; Director Alfred Hitchcock and Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling are prime examples of that presentation structure. With their stories varying from lighthearted to dark and serious tone, 'What If' is less like the Mothman prophecies and more just an anthology.  First published in 1977, The 'What if' series tells alternative reality stories outside the mainstream marvel continuity. More precisely, 'What If' tells an alternate story from an event that existed in the 616 Universe. 

It serves a creative outlet for the writers and illustrators of the comic books, as Marvel & DC comics had all their characters confined to beholden for 20 -50 years of continuity in storytelling, this else-worlds anthology gave liberty to explore characters with less restraint in a complete one-off story that tells an alternative outcome from a significant moment in 616 - history.

Uatu - in the final episode of season one, breaks his oath, In the comics he breaks his oath throughout his history, his actions were made aware to the other Watchers after he revealed himself and his kind's existence to the fantastic four and engaged in battling a number of catastrophic turn of events alongside the fantastic four.  The question in season 2 of What If, Is that, will his punishment for breaking his oath hold true in the animated series.  as it was in the comic-books.

Moon Knight - Limited Series

 

Moon Knight

Is a bold and different choice of hero to join the collective that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  This portion of the blog is based on watching only the first 3 episodes of the limited series.

The show begins with cold opens for both the pilot episode and the third episode; the pilot cold open really sets the tone, with Ethan Hawke’s Character Arthur Harrow.  Arthur is already seated at a table bearing a tattoo of a scale or the deity Ma’at in symbol form on his right arm. Breaking a rock glass by the metal handle of his cane, in which he had prior poured some water and drank from, then proceeds to walk with shards of glass in both his shoes. I hypothesize this as a sign of his righteous commitment in his belief for a cause; of what we will learn to be bringing forth Ammit the devourer of souls. The tonal shift and difference begins here with the music selection,  though there is no dialogue in the cold open, a song plays through the open, Bob Dylan’s ‘Every grain of Sand’ it’s  somber in delivery which In both lyrics and Dylan’s intention  was  allusions to faith and spirituality. The next scene is the Marvel Studio’s logo opening and like the cold open, the musical bed or orchestral score is removed and Engelbert Humperdinck 1968 hit song ‘A man without love’ is played. The song is continued over into the first scene with Oscar Isaac’s Character Steven Grant awakening in bed undoing his safe guards used to prevent his sleepwalking patterns.

Whether or not Isaac’s British accent is plausible is of no concern, It is the examination and introduction of the character of Steven Grant.  A mild manner character, working in a museum gift shop who just so happens to be versed in Egyptian history & mythology.  That small detail becomes paramount in telling this series.  After watching the first 3 episodes, the first scene becomes somewhat ironic and easily overlooked.  Steven is speaking to his mother via her voice mail happy to receive her posted letter.  We learn by episode 2 that his alter has not spoken to his mother in years, and Steven ends the voice recording saying ‘later gators’  which is animal head of Ammit. 

The show feels it was shot less on green screen and more on location; however, make no mistake the show is heavily laden with special effects and all sorts of composites, proof is sitting through the closing credits which was 95% CGI departments and personnel.  Director Mohmad Diab is an Egyptian filmmaker and given the title of ‘lead director’ as he directed 4 of the 6 episodes. This includes the pilot, while doing press to promote the series Diab had mentioned in several interviews that he was disappointed of the depiction on how Egypt was received in Wonder Woman 1984, and wanted to really show his homeland as it was meant to be seen. That meant scrubbing the Hollywood interpretation which left him feeling a better representation was required.  With a place that felt lived in with a vibrant and enriched cultural mosaic, an example would be Marc and his wife are on a small-to-mid size boat sharing  space with a wedding party  demonstrating life is going on all around them.  The Pilot episode is outstanding as it plays it from Steven’s perspective a man who we learn is diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)   the use of mirrors, reflective surfaces, shadows and darkness for Khonshu  or Marc Spector to communicate with Steven. This was exciting and delivered in a way that would be considered horror but, lands just as effectively without the scares.

The plot is straight forward, a prevention of an Egyptian minority report; there are ancient beings called the Ennead who are Eternals from another dimension from a place called Heliopolis, the gateway to Earth connects through Egypt.  The Ennead as an article reads “the rift between man and god”   are a group of 16 who have human avatars, and like Eternals they have inhabited Earth 10,000 years ago and have chosen not to interfere, but merely observe humans.  Khonshu was the only member who actively disobeyed that rule with his Moon Knight Avatar.  Ammit appears to be another member who actively went against the collective and was imprisoned sometime prior.

DID  has been used in cinema , for decades ,  Films that come to mind are the 1994 Movie Color of Night starring Bruce Willis where the victim had form of DID as a coping mechanism to survive their situation. 2003 Thriller ‘Identity ‘starring John Cusack, where identities were cannibalized until the single dominant survives.  2007 BBC mini-series ‘Jekyll’ starring James Nesbitt as Dr. Tom Jackman and Mr Hyde, when ultimately faced with an even greater threat that either of his alter states can escape from; they form an alliance which has an almost supernatural effect.   2016 Hindi film Housefull 3 with a character named Sandy/Sunday whose split personality is incredibly destructive. The 2017 film from M. Night Shyamalan titled ‘Split’, where a motherly persona named Patricia oversaw all 23 personalities and the 23rd personality was the most dangerous of them all. 

 In Moon Knight, Marc Spector and Steven Grant are the 2 distinct personalities but by the third episode a 3^rd personality appears to take hold and murdered a few assailants without either Steven or Marc being made aware of.  The slow building revelation is very reminiscent to the 2009 Showtime series “The United States of Tara” a Character who suffers from DID and later develops additional personalities on top of the 3 characters she had inhabited when the show began. 

The cold open in episode 3 revolves around Marc Spector’s wife Layla, who is not only aware of Marc Spector’s lifestyle but his alter ego and powers of the Moon Knight costume, She is forging passports and falsifying  documents for herself with routine knowledge and ease that is both alarming and curious. The history of not seeing Marc for months distills the notion that Steven is the more recent construct personality from Marc’s mortal agreement with Khonshu.  Steven’s  love for French poetry, the location of his flat are indicators of Marc’s earlier relationship with Layla; of when they first met and highlights a more softer and tender side of Marc Spector when he was courting Layla.

Pros and Cons - (Pro)Marc can call upon his costume at will; as it manifests around him like armor and provides healing and invincibility. Episode 3 displays Moon Knight getting stabbed deeply with 4 or 5 Javelin spears.  (Con) On the other hand the character is unreliable as hero to be part of a team like the avengers initiative, and too mythical and rooted with his environment to be in a Space odyssey like with Guardians of the Galaxy, Characters like the Eternals or Blade are likely areas for further character involvement if Moon Knight Branches beyond the limited series run.

Strange New Worlds

 

Strange New Worlds, debuted in the summer of 2022, as a spinoff of the series Star Trek Discovery, with its star Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) having ties to the original 60’s series. Hardcore fans will find easter eggs connecting planets, ships and names of characters popping up somewhere in every episode, with an underlining storyline that leads up to an inevitable future for both its captain and crew.

We learn Discovery commenced a mission unsanctioned by Starfleet to jump into the future to defeat an A.I., While Pike and the enterprise stayed in the present, Pike saw his future, and to fans of 60’s series titled The Cage/The Menagerie. Fans old and new know what the future has in store for its captain.    Looking back to the original series; episode 4 – titled The Naked Time, it shares a story to that of Strange New Worlds Episode 3: Ghost of Ilyria -how the crew become infected with an alien virus.  New Worlds episode 5 Spock Amok , that plays with original season 2 episode 1’s  Amok Time, we witness the first meeting, and the start of Nurse Chapel’s crush on Spock, that pays off in The Naked Time several years into the future.  Which puts a question of chief security officer La’an Noonien-Singh a descendant of Khan who in accordance with the original series episode called Space Seed, has Khan currently adrift in space in suspended animation. As he and his augmented crew where tyrants in the 1990s and attempted to take over world, her last name is a source of ridicule and a reason why the federation does not accept creatures who genetically modify themselves.  Which sets up the character Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijin), Captain Pike’s number One. In episode 3 Ghosts of Ilyira – Ilyrians were never accepted into Starfleet as they experimented on themselves with genetic modifications, and Una is an Ilyrian but from a distant planet.  …  Trivia note - Majel Barrett played unnamed first officer for Captain Pike in “The Cage” episode; which was also Barrett’s first role on Star Trek…  making her the original Number One.

As tightly woven Strange New Worlds is to shows of the past like Enterprise, Discovery, Deep Space Nine, Next generation, and the original series.  The show keeps the traditional format of an A and B story subplot, but that B subplot will have a C & D side story that along with keeping true and accurate to the rich lore of Star Trek history. ….  In layman’s terms, if you never watch Star Trek, you will find each episode engaging with a new set of circumstances and location, while also getting a closer look at a crew member and situation involving them to this over arching story and how their captain and crew work in that member’s situation. Making each episode engaging, complex and packed with story; fans of previous shows will draw lines, find small connections, they will debate or have water cooler talk of who is the better captain, that can begin from Pike losing crew members early in the season, The Kobayashi Maru, the test Kirk reprogrammed to cheat the no-win simulation test; to each Series Captains’ sense of charisma and valor. Or just the shear performances of other actors on their captains’ interpretations from Janeway, Sisco, Picard, Archer, Lorca and Kirk.  It honestly should come down to who would you want to be your boss, that you’d have to report to for 5 straight years, A surprising number has pointed to Strange New Worlds Christopher Pike, his fatherly warmer approach to his crew, and open lines of communication is more calm, easy, and mutually enriching as compared to the more ritual hierarchy of past/future commanding officers.

 

This Fall, Ikiru celebrates its 70^th Anniversary of its theatrical release, considered one of the many masterpieces from director Akira Kurosawa. Kurosawa who got into the industry in 1936, made his first film in 1943, however many of his earlier films were released decade or more later due to the restrictions put on during and post the second world war. 

From 1950 to 1961 was the heart of his more noteworthy accomplishments. Ikiru (To Live) falls in this period; and amongst critics and his own peers (like Fellini or Kubrick) have been regarded as one of Akira Kurosawa’s finest works in the history of cinema. 

Akira Kurosawa began as an artistic painter, transitioned and really got his start as an assistant director and excelled in storytelling and became known as a scenarist, some of his best scenarios he came up with, that didn’t make it to film, was published in journals and was noticed for their freshness of representation and as such were awarded prizes.

Ikiru is no exception, the most recent remake was in 2007; Ikiru (‘To Live’) is a rich compelling movie, Hollywood could not resist but take inspired adaptations like DOA (1949, or 1988 remake), Netflix’s Kate (2021), or in Marvel Comics 1986 miniseries Strikeforce Morituri, but Ikiru was more complex than these  one note films.  It’s a film abound more for its Moral messages.  The concept in short and straight forward. a petty government official learns he has only half a year to live until he will die of cancer.  Hollywood focuses on more the ticking time clock and made it a noir and solving the mystery of him dying.  Whereas Kurosawa made it more societal introspective and spiritual.

The Official is named Kanji Watanabe, he turns to his family for solace when learning he is terminal, but is betrayed, he then seeks enjoyment but becomes disillusioned, and in the end is redeemed when uses his position to work for the poor.  It’s a very realistic depiction in the manner of a collapse of a family system, and the hypocritical aspects of officials in postwar Japanese society, as Japan desperately recovers from defeat in the second world war.

Ikiru (To Live) was an outstanding document of the life and the spiritual situation of Japanese people, who were then beginning to recover from the desperation caused by defeat in war