I paid to see that: Flipper

Working at a Blockbuster Video during my high school years was great. I got free movies, free popcorn, and I made a lot of new friends along the way.

But Blockbuster was still a job, and the store needed to be staffed, so it was almost impossible for all of us to get together at the same time. In fact, I think this only happened three or four times during my tenure there.

One of those times came in May of 1996 when the store owner decided she was remodeling the store from top to bottom. In order to do so, the owner told us she was closing the store for two days. But the cool thing was she paid us for those days, so nobody was losing any hours. The entire staff was shocked but thankful at her gesture. Me though, I was just happy I wouldn’t be getting home at 1:30 in the morning for a change.

Anyways, with so much time off, our manager thought it would be nice if we all hung out or went out somewhere. After talking with people, it was decided we should go see a movie and then grab lunch somewhere. To this day I don’t know who decided we should see “Flipper” instead of going to see “Twister,” “Executive Decision” or any of the other possible options at the time. But no, we ended up seeing a movie about a boy and his magical dolphin.

“Flipper” was inspired by the original 1963 movie and the later TV series from that decade. I don’t remember the original movie, but my mother made me watch re-runs of the show when I was a kid. The 1996 film starred Paul Hogan and Elijah Wood, and the plot revolves around a boy who has to spend the summer with his uncle, who lives on the Florida Gold Coast.

Uncle Porter (Paul Hogan) is a free spirit who runs a fishing boat; flirts with Kathy, a local shopkeeper and former marine biologist (Chelsea Field), and blow-torches Spaghetti for dinner. Elijah Wood plays Sandy, a Chicago teenager who sees his mom sending him to Florida as a punishment. From the moment he gets to his uncle Porter’s, he expects this would be another boring summer. But that changes when he encounters a dolphin whom he names Flipper and with whom he forms a friendship.

Aside from Flipper, Sandy also becomes friends with Kim (Jessica Wesson), a cute girl about his age who is always hanging around on the beach. There’s also Marvin (Jason Fuchs), Kathy’s big-eyed little nerd of a son who turns out to be a super whiz at creating stuff. And finally, there’s Sheriff Buck (Isaac Hayes–yes, THE Isaac Hayes), who isn’t very friendly or nice to Porter or Flipper. But he’s only trying to do his job I suppose.

To give you an idea of how uninterested I was in the movie they day we saw it, later during dinner, I made a comment about them being in the Caribbean. My manager Jen said it wasn’t the Caribbean, the movie took place in Florida. So I said something about Paul Hogan leaving his son to go fishing. That’s when Jen chimed in again to let me know Hogan was Sandy’s uncle. But for the life of me, I couldn’t remember Elijah Wood ever calling him “uncle.”

The one thing I remembered clearly was the canisters of hazardous material the villain was dumping into the sea. I know it was hazardous material because it said so in large letter across each container. What I don’t remember is if the bad guy faced justice or not, or even if the damage could be undone. At the very least it would have been a long clean up, but as far as I can remember, everyone was happy at the end of the movie like nothing had happened below the surface.

The only good thing I can say about “Flipper” is that the dolphin scenes were done pretty well. I’m sure a tong of it was done with a real dolphin, but a few shots most have been with animatronics. But I couldn’t tell the difference, to swell done by whoever did the special effects on Flippy.

Oh yeah, as I started putting this post together I seemed to remember Jessica Alba being in this movie. Well, I was right and wrong. Alba did appear in “Flipper,” but not in the movie, but in a tv reboot that aired around the same time. She played a character named Maya Graham for two of the show’s four seasons. So now you know, and knowing is half the battle.

Reboots are all the rage these days, both on tv and in film. But it’s nothing new in entertainment, it has been going on for a years. Long before the current trend of rebooting old properties to various degrees of success, Hollywood tried hard to make this idea work in the 1990s with movies like “The Addams Family,” “The Beverly Hillbillies,” and yes, good old “Flipper.”

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Shazam! #1 Review

SHAZAM! #1
Written by: Geoff Johns
Art by: Dale Eaglesham, Mike Atiyeh, Rob Leigh
Edited by: Brad Cunningham and Andrea Shea
Published by: DC Comics

What it’s about…

The superstar team of writer Geoff Johns and artist Dale Eaglesham reunite to launch the first all-new SHAZAM! monthly title set in the DC Universe in almost 20 years! (What took you guys so long?!)

The teenager turned super-hero Billy Batson struggles to balance school and superheroes! (Guess which one is more fun?) But when Shazam unlocks a shocking secret deep within the Rock of Eternity, it challenges everything he knows about the worlds of magic and his family’s future as its champions! Also, witness the bizarre team-up of Dr. Sivana and Mr. Mind as they set off to build a society all their own! Don’t miss the start of an epic run in the making as “Shazam and the Seven Realms” begins!

Backup story art by Mayo “SEN” Naito.

What I thought about it…

As a massive fan of Jerry Ordway’s Power of Shazam series from the ’90s, I did not expect to like the new Shazam series from DC. From the little I had seen of the new book written by Geoff Johns, I thought it the new book looked too much like the upcoming live-action movie. Which to me meant Billy Batson and friends would lose of the magic and nostalgia of the Ordway series. But as I read Shazam! #1, a thought hit me: this book is good, like really good!!

These days, Shazam #1 is as good as comic books get. The first issue has the perfect balance of the old and the new. Billy is a little older, but he’s still that wonderful kid I remember. He’s even living a normal life with nice foster parents and friends in his fellow foster kids Freddy Freeman and Mary. But if you are new to Captain Mar… err Shazam, don’t worry. In the first issue of the series, Geoff reintroduces readers to the Rock of Eternity and the mythology surrounding it.

Johns also retells the classic origin of how Billy Batson came to possess the power of Shazam. It’s at this point that Geoff then delivers one of the best scenes in the book when a group of robbers wearing Justice League masks attempts to rob The Museum of The American Revolution who Billy and Freddy are visiting on a school field trip. Within moments, the Shazam family springs into action as their super-powered counterparts and save the day.

The action here, however, takes a backseat as John’s crafts very different personalities for each of the children, and the banter between them is classic Shazam stuff. Later on, we see the kids at home having dinner with their foster parents, and the entire scene is just pure magic. From the dad’s reaction upon hearing of the holdup to the kids’ excitement over having lasagna for dinner, all of it was wonderful stuff.

But Geoff John’s writing is elevated by Dale Eaglesham’s beautiful artwork and Mike Atiyeh’s fantastic colors, which blend in perfectly with John’s story. I have loved Eaglesham’s art since his early 2000’s run on Batman: Gotham Knights, so it’s nice to see him back on a top DC book.

His art in Shazam! #1 leaps of the page, whether it’s an action scene or an abandoned subway station. And whenever the kids transform into their heroic counterparts, you never lose sight of who is who thanks to Eaglesham’s facial expressions. I should also mention he draws the most regal Mary Marvel I have ever seen.

In the end, Shazam! #1 is a book that will satisfy new and longtime fans alike. It has everything I enjoyed before, and plenty of new stuff to excite an old reader like me. But perhaps most important of all, Geoff Johns and Dale Eaglesham have crafted a solid first issue that introduces new readers to the most important aspect of any Shazam comic: family.

Shazam! #1 score: A

Trailer Park: Avengers 4

 

wow, just wow.

Comic Flashback: New Teen Titans #38

One Friday night during the holiday season of 1991, my family forced me to go with them to some holiday fair. This was the type of fair where people set up booths and sold homemade stuff. This sort of event wasn’t my thing, so I spent most of the time near the baked goods aisle. But as I walked around the fair a small booth caught my attention.

Amid a vast array or homemade holiday gifts and candles, this person had a corner of their booth reserved for magazines and even some comic books. As I dove head first into this little oasis of happiness, I found a few issues of The Flash, a couple of Detroit era Justice League of America issues, and a copy of
1954’s New Teen Titans #38.

New Teen Titans #38 was scripted by Marv Wolfman, with George Perez who also drew the book. In the issue, Donna is once again a member of the Teen Titans and Wolfman and Perez have given her a romantic interest in the shape of a college professor named Terry Long. The couple plans to marry soon, but before they can, Terry comes to Robin and asks for his help in trying to discover who Donna’s real parents were as a sort of wedding gift.

Robin agrees to help and beings by investigating the events of Donna’s past and eventually learns her birth mother was a woman by the name of Dorothy Hinckley. She was an unwed teen, who thought she was dying and decided to put her baby up for adoption. Later, after Donna’s adoptive father was killed in a work-related accident, her adoptive mother, Fay Stacey, gave her up for adoption yet again, as she was unable to raise the toddler by herself.

Donna then became a victim of a child selling racket, until the criminals all die in the fire that Donna was rescued from all those years ago. With Robin’s assistance, Donna is reunited with Fay, who since that time has remarried and has given birth to two children of their own. By the time New Teen Titans #38 was over, Donna had the answers she always wanted and a new family too.

Me meanwhile, was in tears after reading this book. And then, I was in big trouble. You see, I brought New Teen Titans #38 with me to school the following Monday, and during what was a very boring science lesson from Mr. Scott, I pulled the comic out and read way.

It was during my second read through that a hand slammed on top of the comic and when I looked up, Mr. Scott asked me what did I think I was doing. I said “Catching up on some reading,” an answer that did not go over well.

Anyways, Mr. Scott took the comic away from me and scolded me for reading it in class. I also got detention that afternoon for the deed. But it was worth it because New Titans #38 changed the way I looked at comics. This comic landed in my hands years before I read Watchmen or The Dark Knight Returns, so as far as I’m concerned, New Titans #38 is the first adult comic book I ever read.

Although I wasn’t a regular Titans reader, it was the cover to New Teen Titans #38 that caught my attention. “Who is Donna Troy” was a great question because up until that point, Donna Troy was just someone calling herself Troia.

But as it turned out, the cover of New Titans #38 was just the start, because this issue held surprise after surprise. Guess that family trip to the holiday fair wasn’t a waste after all.

Flashback Review: A Christmas Carol (1951)

Growing up in Boston in the ’80s and early ’90s, one of my favorite things on television was “The Movie Loft” on WSBK Channel 38. The program was Dana Hersey who, with his deep knowledge of films, introduces that evening’s movie. He would also drop in and out of commercials with little bits of trivia or interesting information on that night’s feature presentation.

“The Movie Loft” was a terrific introduction to movies like “Trading Places,” “48 Hours,” “The Twilight Zone,” “The Man with Two Brains,” and countless others. Not only did I get a good movie each night, but I learned something along the way too. The Lost was also the place that where I first saw one of my favorite holiday movies, 1951’s “A Christmas Carol” starring Alastair Sim.

Released as “A Christmas Carol in the U.S., and as “Scrooge” in the United Kingdom, the movie is often considered the definitive film version of the Charles Dickens classic. I’d even say this is the one that other versions are compared to even to this day. Might be why nearly 70 years since its release, the 1951 film is still shown regularly around the holidays.

From the start, Alastair Sim is simply amazing as Ebenezer Scrooge. Even before Marley’s ghost shows up, Sim’s take on Scrooge is the perfect mix of cranky, mean, and scary. To his credit, Alistair Sim plays the part so well that I was a young kid, didn’t like him, and couldn’t see how this man could be turned to good by the film’s end.

But it works in part because the film focuses on how Scrooge arrived at his current disposition by spending more time with the Ghost of Christmas Past (Michael J. Dolan), and by adding a few scenes that were not from Charles Dickens’ story. Doing this helped me better understand this version of Scrooge, his fear of loneliness and loss, as well as his need for money.

This is a very complex version of Scrooge, but I liked seeing his younger days play out in more detail. I particularly enjoyed how much time the film spent on Mr. Fezziwig and his impact on Scrooge. This included Scrooge putting Fezziwig out of business, which shocked me as a kid. It was also strange seeing a very young Patrick Macnee in one of these scenes as a young Marley.

I will say that with so much time spent with the Ghost of Christmas Past that the other spirits get a little shortchanged. The Ghost of Christmas Present (Francis de Wolff) doesn’t get as much screen time as in other versions, but he still manages to make an impact. His scene with them to kids to cling to him still creeps me out today.

Meanwhile, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (Czesław Konarski) feels like a fly by. He gets the shortest amount of screen time out of the three spirits, which sucks because he’s easily the scariest version of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. I don’t know if the hands you see are Czesław Konarski’s or a make up job, but either way, they get the job done.

There’s also Mervyn Johns as Bob Cratchit. He’s a little bit older and pudgier than some other Cratchit’s, but Johns gives the part so much joy that you can’t help but like him. You also feel for him when the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come shows Scrooge the aftermath of Tiny Tim’s death. Also worthy of praise is Kathleen Harrison as Mrs. Dilber. I can’t get enough of her reaction when she sees Scrooge trying to stand on his head, or her asking if he’s giving her a Christmas present to keep her mouth shut.

There are of course plenty of versions of “A Christmas Carol” out there for you to enjoy. Everyone’ got the favorite, and even I have other film versions I enjoy every year. But I don’t know that anything will ever top the 1951 version of the memories I have of watching it on “The Movie Loft.” There’s simply no beating watching Scrooge dance around his house out of sheer joy.

Trailer Park: Captain Marvel (trailer 2)

 

DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN!!!!

 

 

 

TV Review: Bancroft

I think one of the best things I did this year was signing up for a little something called Britbox. The streaming service focused on British entertainment has allowed me to watch old personal favorites like “Doctor Who,” “Are You Being Served?” and “The Vicar Of Dibley.” Britbox has also introduced me to a slew of brand new shows. Actually, I should say shows that are new to me.

Anyways, this past weekend I checked Britbox for something I hadn’t seen, and I landed on a series called “Bancroft.” The 2017 drama stars Sarah Parish as Elizabeth Bancroft, a well-respected Detective Superintendent, who is currently attempting to bring down a criminal gang. At the same time, a cold case which involved Bancroft is re-opened by young Detective Sergeant Katherine Stevens, played by Faye Marsay.

The cold case from 1990 revolves around a young woman named Laura Fraser. She was found murdered in her own home in a pool of her own blood after being stabbed over a dozen times. Spring forward 27 years, where up and coming detective Katherine Stevens (Faye Marsay), is assigned to the cold case desk.

The first cold case Stevens looks into is the stabbing of Laura Fraser. Ar first it seems like he case will have a dead-end, but her research eventually finds evidence of a possible police cover-up, something Bancroft might be at the center of.

I won’t spoil here how exactly Bancroft fits into the cold case. I’ll just say that I liked the idea and brought it something fresh to this type of cop drama. Another nice thing about “Bancroft” is we got to see how Katherine Stevens put together her new evidence. It’s a simple thing, but the actual work gets glossed over in too many cop shows these days.

The premise of the series is rather simple but it works thanks to the excellent performance of Sarah Parish as Elizabeth Bancroft. Parish plays the tough detective quite well, as a natural leader and someone who has given her life to the police force. Consequently, she’s trusted and adored by her colleagues and a promotion to Detective Chief Superintendent looks likely. Bancroft also seems to be a good mother to her son, and possible mention to Katharine Stevens.

But this old case of hers could be trouble, and she will not give up will do anything to make sure it the case remains unsolved. Bancroft is also a very controlling person and this lifts a lid on a part of her life that she can’t control and she doesn’t like it. Watching her was odd because part of you wants to root for her because she is a damn good cop. but the more you find out as the series unfolds, the more you as the viewer begin to wonder if it’s okay to like this woman.

Also worthy of praise is Faye Marsay. She plays Stevens as a detective just trying to do the right thing no matter where it leads. She seems to really care for the victims and their families which makes her stand out from some of her colleagues. There’s conflict in her new job as well after she begins a relationship with Bancroft’s son, and also begins to admire Bancroft as a police officer.

I liked the Katharine Stevens character quite a bit, she’s the viewer’s guide through all the twists and turns in the series. But sadly, we really don’t get a lot of background on her. Maybe that because the series focuses on Bancroft, but a few more lines of dialogue about where she comes from or what she likes to do on her downtime, would have been nice. Regardless, Marsay did an excellent job of making Stevens more human and someone the audience can cheer for.

At just four episodes, events in “Bancroft” move very quickly. The main plotline builds and builds at such a pace that you can’t help but binge-watch the entire thing in one sitting. However, considering how incredible the build-up was, I was expecting more from the finale.

Don’t get me wrong, episode four was a solid episode that answered many questions and had strong performances. But I thought the episode was missing something. From what I understand there’s going to be a second season to the show, so maybe that had something to do with how it ended, who knows?

But if any show needed a definitive ending, I’d say it was “Bancroft.” Oh well, as the Rolling Stones once said: “you can’t always get what you want.”

At the end of the day “Bancroft” is still a series worth watching, and at only four episodes it won’t’ take too much of your time. And even though I was a little unsatisfied with the series’ ending, I’d have to say this show is still one of the better crime dramas I’ve seen, British or not.

“Bancroft” score: B+