MARLON BRANDO IN MICHAEL WINNER'S 'THE NIGHTCOMERS'

<p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ1FDaSRB-PKGh9Nl0WYWnBOQ6tLniqqNG11RR6QE5OTCawm6-hzVEh7G8E_NReyx54Gz3oOb6XPdmX7b0sFWjds9uEx0kTuDT9fvxrXaDKazOvo4eBJRRjC71Veu8_YSnIrS9VRCFkkipmFxn5E0Y8SqmVl-y3fBmsbnsgnppdcHPyOcnbohaUKf963py/s1924/Screen%20Shot%202024-01-24%20at%209.38.35%20PM.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1124" data-original-width="1924" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ1FDaSRB-PKGh9Nl0WYWnBOQ6tLniqqNG11RR6QE5OTCawm6-hzVEh7G8E_NReyx54Gz3oOb6XPdmX7b0sFWjds9uEx0kTuDT9fvxrXaDKazOvo4eBJRRjC71Veu8_YSnIrS9VRCFkkipmFxn5E0Y8SqmVl-y3fBmsbnsgnppdcHPyOcnbohaUKf963py/s16000/Screen%20Shot%202024-01-24%20at%209.38.35%20PM.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Title: THE NIGHTCOMERS Director: Michael Winner Year: 1971 Rating: ***</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Marlon Brando's THE GODFATHER comeback was more of a legacy accreditation for an entire career, blending with the STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE and ON THE WATERFRONT roles as if all the forgettable films in-between didn't exist; and here's another that (although better than most at that time) perhaps he could have avoided... <br></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Strangely enough, the title NIGHTCOMERS fits the adaptation of Henry James's enigmatic supernatural short story TURN OF THE SCREW ala 1961's THE INNOCENTS as two ghosts (our lovers here, when alive) arrive/come at night, appearing before the same children along with their caretaker: the latter arriving at the tail-end, connected to the famous predecessor... but was the Henry James tale relevant enough for an entire prequel/backstory? </p><span></span>

anna palk, christopher ellis, gothic, harry andrews, henry james, horror, marlon brando, michael winner, prequel, seventies, stephanie beacham, thriller, verna harvey

MARLON BRANDO IN MICHAEL WINNER'S 'THE NIGHTCOMERS'

Title: THE NIGHTCOMERS Director: Michael Winner Year: 1971 Rating: *** Marlon Brando's THE GODFATHER comeback was more of a legacy accre...

BLAZING THROUGH 'BUTCH AND SUNDANCE: THE EARLY DAYS'

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3xMtymlmhlMHQ_hGU-6cDqsffBHirLaPTQs5iGdPuv5y_4_3sQSZKKdQG98yqcuX_ZjRS4fu8yIHDPUVEsUPe0HGTwdfRWZI4wR9DD-KooI7005lEhbuvAOKC1B_yW4mH0AOHx9q5_0_/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-09-21+at+3.01.49+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="1343" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3xMtymlmhlMHQ_hGU-6cDqsffBHirLaPTQs5iGdPuv5y_4_3sQSZKKdQG98yqcuX_ZjRS4fu8yIHDPUVEsUPe0HGTwdfRWZI4wR9DD-KooI7005lEhbuvAOKC1B_yW4mH0AOHx9q5_0_/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-09-21+at+3.01.49+AM.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Butch & Sundance The Early Days Year Released: 1979</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> For those <i>not</i> diehard BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID fanatics, this prequel isn't blasphemous like it must be to many nostalgic cinema goers...<br> <br> It's actually pretty entertaining, following a young Butch, played by a more loose, affable and resilient Tom Berenger than his psychopathic LOOKING FOR MR GOODBAR role which he'd already watered-down with two forgettable romantic comedies, and who does in fact resemble a young Paul Newman, only bigger, more primal: herein freed from prison and, despite his promises to the warden, quickly returns to a <i>brand old life</i> of crime, where he witnesses the coming and going of a skinny blond "kid" robbing a saloon: that being CARRIE prom king/BIG WEDNESDAY lifeguard/future GREATEST AMERICAN HERO and haunted HOUSE pawn William Katt as a young Sundance...<br>

brian dennehy, prequel, seventies, tom berenger, western, william katt

BLAZING THROUGH 'BUTCH AND SUNDANCE: THE EARLY DAYS'

Butch & Sundance The Early Days Year Released: 1979 For those not diehard BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID fanatics, this preque...

THURSDAY REVIEW OF ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPh2edaFdgaueHFiBUX-CJirQ3wYFGban45QZF4FJD-kKEc_vCJMR_e1p8rTF7l2RbHQT0ZEUx8WKPwNkfREx8TDAg-AdSvExuj_4KGtCxAOjnM362kSU3qSUekTRyzGIvEv-wY1FwcxMO/s1600/justin-lancaster-rogueoneposter-v2-smaller-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPh2edaFdgaueHFiBUX-CJirQ3wYFGban45QZF4FJD-kKEc_vCJMR_e1p8rTF7l2RbHQT0ZEUx8WKPwNkfREx8TDAg-AdSvExuj_4KGtCxAOjnM362kSU3qSUekTRyzGIvEv-wY1FwcxMO/s400/justin-lancaster-rogueoneposter-v2-smaller-2.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Large Poster for ROGUE ONE: A Star Wars Story YEAR: 2016</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> There were those who, in agreement that the prequels were awful, only felt completely cheated by the first two and then got miraculously rejuvenated by REVENGE OF THE SITH, and how it "Tied everything together." Others felt the last was the worst, especially because Darth Vader became the galaxy's Adolf Hitler when his wife died in a dream... <i>Nooooooo!</i><br> <br> So then, ROGUE ONE is obviously intended as a genuine bridge... a prequel for the originals and a sequel for the prequels... and it does a pretty good job despite the first thirty minutes either expecting us to already know the characters we're supposed to root for, or giving us very little to be involved in and/or to cheer <i>about</i>... Plus the fact, there's a strange feeling that imposters have infiltrated our beloved landscape, including the meeting room and X-Wing hangar on the forest planet Yavin... And the very, very beginning... before the gigantic STAR WARS hits the screen (without a scroll-story this time)... is one of the dullest prologues ever, lacking kickstart action and utterly failing to serve the purpose of getting us revved for what's to come. But then, after a little while, something happens...<br>

prequel, science-fiction, star wars

THURSDAY REVIEW OF ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY

Large Poster for ROGUE ONE: A Star Wars Story YEAR: 2016 There were those who, in agreement that the prequels were awful, only felt comp...

GATHERED MOSS: GEORGE LUCAS STAR WARS PREQUEL TRILOGY

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWM_ocHE4tNWpsx3Dwy9Fc3I_tx9DabSfJl6pLPBIyTFHmO-R670B0rtvdrkMXf22tbXnbPXvtqzHR3Khp9p9fjWr7eQP26eOftyEz6RfQfsdX9vdu9qkXOicOK1b2YVfTdvEz4aGuJHc/s1600/1.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWM_ocHE4tNWpsx3Dwy9Fc3I_tx9DabSfJl6pLPBIyTFHmO-R670B0rtvdrkMXf22tbXnbPXvtqzHR3Khp9p9fjWr7eQP26eOftyEz6RfQfsdX9vdu9qkXOicOK1b2YVfTdvEz4aGuJHc/s320/1.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>The Star Wars Prequel Trilogy from 1999 to 2005</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> <u>THE PHANTOM MENACE:</u> This is supposed to be the first STAR WARS when we all know the groundbreaking classic STAR WARS (which is the sole title) came out in 1977...<br> <br> And wasn't, till later on, renamed EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE, which, unlike cool titles like EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and RETURN OF THE JEDI, created to exist on their own merit, sounds like the name of a life-affirming Movie of the Week, or a tagline to one: "In Jenny's bitter life, there was finally... A NEW HOPE!"<br>

ewan mcgregor, franchise, george lucas, liam neeson, natalie portman, prequel, science-fiction, star wars

GATHERED MOSS: GEORGE LUCAS STAR WARS PREQUEL TRILOGY

The Star Wars Prequel Trilogy from 1999 to 2005 THE PHANTOM MENACE: This is supposed to be the first STAR WARS when we all know the gro...

A BELATED REVIEW OF PAN

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjw47iYpFsD1NkauaTUGKdy4UgpFHcL5RIkZpMIfcbBV1mJVDHaJ_wZLlTCgfIJIGz3tanhKewrLbk0Ni4TXNWJzKA6W-tM3kbJ2YVaZSVXGR-6ndgHg7vArvBZWg6gLQmyR5OCCDBWjs/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjw47iYpFsD1NkauaTUGKdy4UgpFHcL5RIkZpMIfcbBV1mJVDHaJ_wZLlTCgfIJIGz3tanhKewrLbk0Ni4TXNWJzKA6W-tM3kbJ2YVaZSVXGR-6ndgHg7vArvBZWg6gLQmyR5OCCDBWjs/s320/11.jpg" width="170" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2015</td></tr> </tbody></table> A sort of PETER POTTER AND THE NEFARIOUS ORPHANAGE, with an impressive big budget fantastical aesthetic and evil nuns who run the place like hell as we're taken back to dark, ominous air raid England during World War II with our main character, a young urchin named Peter who, starting out, is normal as can be... just more curious than the other kids, all basically prisoners.<br /> <br /> During the buildup at the orphanage, there's a mysterious fleshing-out of character and location, followed with a gust of special effects catapulted by a flying pirate ship, which looks pretty darn cool. Then something happens that epitomizes "Jumping the Shark"... <br /> <br /> But first off, let's note that Hugh Jackman, the heartthrob actor hired to fill theater seats, is almost unrecognizable, resembling a cross between Max von Sydow's FLASH GORDON heavy Ming the Merciless and the legendary vampire Nosferatu. Any "shallow" Hugh fans will be more into Garrett Hedlund's dashing Hook, who helps set Peter free within this immense exterior purgatory called, you got it, Neverland.<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUvj_5EIw-LdKskorZBqzMDOMd2h0m37uPKP8WOo5mQSSF1aYiQ84IQQpQZgLrx8XNZe_FSsYYVo6_KjzBWTG4qJ5lHz0dqyMnALzIYChu4W7j5dCeFOPIgOckPXqy32lriDzsQEC1IA/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUvj_5EIw-LdKskorZBqzMDOMd2h0m37uPKP8WOo5mQSSF1aYiQ84IQQpQZgLrx8XNZe_FSsYYVo6_KjzBWTG4qJ5lHz0dqyMnALzIYChu4W7j5dCeFOPIgOckPXqy32lriDzsQEC1IA/s1600/12.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good song in a "stupid and contagious" scene</td></tr> </tbody></table> Now back to what almost ruins the entire picture: occurring as soon as Jackman's Blackbeard first shows himself to the mass of followers aboard and below his ship while all singing the lyrics to Nirvana's grunge anthem "Smells Like Teen Spirit"... no joke, this really happens... killing the legitimacy of the previous scene's 1940's vibe while thwarting any notion we're now in a far away place with rules and culture all its own (The Ramones are also included on the bizarre set-list). <br /> <br /> If you can survive modern rock lyrics replacing a deeper monologue that would/could have cemented Blackbeard as a more worthy antagonistic presence, the movie <i>does</i> improve as Peter, aided by the young handsome Hook along with Rooney Mara's lovely ingenue Tiger Lily and comic relief Smiegel, realizes he, as a possibly legitimate Pan, has the (initially clumsy) gift of flight: and might be the "chosen one" to defeat our villain, who's simply not around enough to matter.<br /> <br /> Just like the innocent little boy turned gallantly romantic if slightly bratty teenage Anikan Skywalker from the STAR WARS prequels didn't work to logically morph a present hero into a future tyrant, the cool, suave and helpful Han Solo style Hook is much too likable for his inevitably wicked (unseen) turnout: Making the entire PAN experience rely on merely starting a franchise ball rolling that, as a vehicle on its own, gathers more moss than potential for any sort of continuation. But still, the movie does flow, exceeding Steven Spielberg's HOOK by leaps and bounds: In fact, Dustin Hoffman singing, say, a GUNS N' ROSES tune, might have actually helped that turkey.<br /> <br /> RATING: **1/2

2015, fantasy, garrett hedlund, hugh jackman, prequel, remake, rooney mara

A BELATED REVIEW OF PAN

year: 2015 A sort of PETER POTTER AND THE NEFARIOUS ORPHANAGE, with an impressive big budget fantastical aesthetic and evil nuns who run...

REVIEW OF DRACULA UNTOLD

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcaYzEPwKTZTOY7MC3kL_vT9AranCAOoOr1r3iIxDZ1aSMaJcSzfSCWkx5xmSSHCr-EcNdSlcFWMo3OVxLxwZ4EHvxu4R0cfQKKx0sPjUReBPgoFDwyAlUZDWpMssbvDO9W3CM-l6jITM/s1600/220px-Dracula_Untold_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcaYzEPwKTZTOY7MC3kL_vT9AranCAOoOr1r3iIxDZ1aSMaJcSzfSCWkx5xmSSHCr-EcNdSlcFWMo3OVxLxwZ4EHvxu4R0cfQKKx0sPjUReBPgoFDwyAlUZDWpMssbvDO9W3CM-l6jITM/s1600/220px-Dracula_Untold_poster.jpg" width="121" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2014 rating: **</td></tr> </tbody></table> If Darth Vader turned into the most sinister thug in the galaxy after his wife died in a dream, having Dracula, whose real name is (and really was) Vlad the Impalor, morphing into a vampire to save his wife and child, makes enough sense… And it’s a more fleshed-out story, pun intended. <br /> <br /> This particular Dracula begins as a dashing hero straight out of a sword-and-sorcery epic. And there’s a backstory within the backstory: kidnapped, raised and trained to be a tortuous slayer, he’s now a domesticated leader of his own guarded city… <br /> <br /> In order to save a thousand kids (including his son) from being used as an expendable army for the Turks, Vlad returns to a cavern we experienced in the rushed prologue. Seeking true darkness for power, he comes face to face with a formidable wizard of vampires: the scariest element of a movie that’s not scary at all.  <br /> <br /> Much of action has a legion of CGI bats flying in and out of our newly transformed superhero vamp, able to take down hordes of men like it's nothing. Herein the fight scenes are decent but too reminiscent of other bloody battle flicks ala 300, while the actors try hard to make up for a scant storyline.

2014, prequel

REVIEW OF DRACULA UNTOLD

2014 rating: ** If Darth Vader turned into the most sinister thug in the galaxy after his wife died in a dream, having Dracula, whose re...

REVIEW OF ANNABELLE

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiriBXNujwymDA_AY8Y2tZDBRqsxsCKZdWTy1Pebekr4jtnPvJfdkvQu462IYFs2HmXR8ftT6e8jaEiuzEBTbCBvj5FA4l2_dWR1xlOUci0wqHPJ6o1Xv5_2kvar-hhF7S644-ZGCPQDf4/s1600/Annabelle-2014-Movie-Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiriBXNujwymDA_AY8Y2tZDBRqsxsCKZdWTy1Pebekr4jtnPvJfdkvQu462IYFs2HmXR8ftT6e8jaEiuzEBTbCBvj5FA4l2_dWR1xlOUci0wqHPJ6o1Xv5_2kvar-hhF7S644-ZGCPQDf4/s320/Annabelle-2014-Movie-Poster.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2014 rating: **</td></tr> </tbody></table> Two particular things don’t make sense: Calling a girl you think is ugly a dog, when dogs are usually cute… And referring to a precious child as a little doll, when dolls can be horrendously frightening…<br /> <br /> Especially in the case of ANNABELLE, a gift given to the lovely Mia by her husband John for… God knows what reason. The doll itself resembles a mad clown donning partial makeup while staring fiercely into the pits of hell… And where else would you put such an antique horror but facing a newborn child’s crib within an otherwise innocent bedroom…<br /> <br /> That’s skipping ahead. By the time the couple, via 1969 during the Manson Family cult-killing period, bring new life into the world, Annabelle has already summoned likewise hippie freaks and eventually, The Devil himself rears his formidably horned face, an image way too familiar at this point – a ghost with white sheets would probably be scarier, or at least more mysterious.<br /> <br /> A hybrid of ROSEMARY’S BABY, POLTERGEIST, and THE EXORCIST… especially the rip-off conclusion… ANNABELLE has a few worthy jolts: But you can sneak up behind someone in a Disney film and cause the same reaction. The problem are the characters, so uninteresting and paper-thin that the time between spooks is more boring than necessary… And worst yet, the doll doesn’t have enough to do: A conduit into the Netherworld is okay if the vessel is normal to begin with, but with a namesake antagonist so creepy, why invite anyone else to the party?

2014, franchise, horror, prequel

REVIEW OF ANNABELLE

year: 2014 rating: ** Two particular things don’t make sense: Calling a girl you think is ugly a dog, when dogs are usually cute… And re...

OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9mpX77fzm-dkbaVxlEaaTf_4TXPFfEIebHpLf4mT58_DIfLkqIyk4KBwc8OzNjHuaXEzWZY5Q-YJ-2XkdAeJZy3cyJn8CQxg37YD00jBQQb0ITzg_E8VUC5UgZi9_Uctd64-KDqRn2dw/s1600/oz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9mpX77fzm-dkbaVxlEaaTf_4TXPFfEIebHpLf4mT58_DIfLkqIyk4KBwc8OzNjHuaXEzWZY5Q-YJ-2XkdAeJZy3cyJn8CQxg37YD00jBQQb0ITzg_E8VUC5UgZi9_Uctd64-KDqRn2dw/s640/oz.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2013 cast: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams rating: **</td></tr> </tbody></table> Anyone familiar with THE WIZARD OF OZ already knows that the title of this prequel, OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL, is based on sarcasm. When Dorothy and her pals wind up their journey, they learn that Oz’s awesomeness is simply smoke and mirrors. Thus we have the not so humble beginnings of a charlatan/magician performing in a traveling American circus, whose entire goal is to trick pretty ladies into thinking, well, that he’s great and powerful.<br /> <br /> His act goes awry when a crippled young girl, during a performance where Oz levitates an airhead assistant, screams for a cure. The audience turns on our clumsy hero and eventually – after a prolonged conversation with one of his sweeter female conquests – he’s chased out of town, or rather, out of this world. Escaping in a hot air balloon, and then caught in a tornado, Oz ends up in a place bearing his very own nickname.<br /> <br /> Shiny and vibrant, the enchanted world uses every color of the rainbow and is (especially in 3D) quite a vision. But James Franco, as our title character, has such a dull expression entering the kingdom, you’d think he was still in the black-and-white Middle America he’d just left. While it took Dorothy (and even Toto) at least fifteen minutes to really soak things in, Oz seems bored and grumpy right from the start.<br /> <br /> Upon crash landing, he quickly meets a pretty and docile brunette named Theodora, who turns out not so innocent. Within the magical Emerald City – a mere hop, skip and jump down that familiar Yellow Brick Road – she and her older, powerful sister Evanora have been, along with every Oz resident, waiting for a Wizard (<i>any </i>Wizard) to arrive.<br /> <br /> Oz wields his signature glib charm and is given a task to find the Wicked Witch. If he kills her, the entire kingdom, along with tons of gold, will be all his own. For a nickel-and-dime con artist, this will be progression in droves.<br /> <br /> Whereas the 1939 classic relied on an adventure with an eclectic foursome, there are hardly any interesting or memorable characters present. Oz meets a friendly flying monkey, a china doll girl, and the <i>real </i>good witch, Glinda, and before you know it the two Emerald City witches have argued themselves into a horrendously rushed fate.<br /> <br /> Mila Kunis’s Theodora becomes an ugly cackling hag, and when we cut back to Oz and his pals (who have entered a city protected by a large bubble), it’s all about waging a revolutionary battle. The best scenes involve Oz, not sure how to defeat an entire army of flying baboons, doing what he does best: making a big show out of tricks – just like back home.<br /> <br /> The biggest problem with this Sam Raimi spectacle is it’s not spectacular enough. Sure, the special effects are somewhat impressive, but the Land of Oz is merely a backdrop for a basic two-tier story: A reluctant magician arrives one minute; and the next he’s helping a bunch of underdogs fight a (compared to the original) very bland menace.<br /> <br /> The actors seem bored with too much dialogue, while the Danny Elfman soundtrack, wielding his usual frantic violin squeezebox, is too repetitious. But the most important thing missing is a journey. And that’s because (POOF!) there really isn’t one at all.

2013, fantasy, james franco, michelle williams, mila kunis, prequel

OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL

year: 2013 cast: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams rating: ** Anyone familiar with THE WIZARD OF OZ already knows that the tit...

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCk9u_-n31Xu_1rrDf-Nz0eqAc0nLAd_3_dAWBLG5YkaML4o2Gs_Z-nf5TDm8ZoT965pYgXRVpV448NoqXKAz8ehGLFCu-i-ypKkEwNSACler-ssdqpk3scJw_Hu4wnnaToW7fboK4Zio/s1600/dddd.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614284521618764850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCk9u_-n31Xu_1rrDf-Nz0eqAc0nLAd_3_dAWBLG5YkaML4o2Gs_Z-nf5TDm8ZoT965pYgXRVpV448NoqXKAz8ehGLFCu-i-ypKkEwNSACler-ssdqpk3scJw_Hu4wnnaToW7fboK4Zio/s200/dddd.jpg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 187px; height: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">title:</span> X-MEN: FIRST CLASS<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">year:</span> 2011<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">cast: </span>Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Kevin Bacon<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">rating:</span> ***1/2<br /><br />A prequel that gets it right. While we know these characters will grow to be <span style="font-style: italic;">the</span> X-MEN from the first three films (sans Wolverine, providing a humorous cameo), these younger versions excel within a completely involving tale. Michael Fassbender is a revenge-stricken Magneto (although his nickname comes later), wanting to kill the World War II era Nazi, played with menacing bravado by Kevin Bacon who, in the 1940s, helped his powers grow – by, in lesson number one, killing his mother. And a young Xaviar, played with maverick charm by James McAvoy, helps Magneto control his anger (kind of like a Jedi, but George Lucas could have learned about back-stories here).<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj1Nm8u5ecYGaNC2NkIfKOFRu9Km-Zmlnl6lHIiMeT_EJWB2PM18Tu9J1pJxHNr2LjSZYLgkvRaNaE3qhAbxuoMeACd0fHCABVYFllpq6TMMAYAhyphenhyphenemzL2sxyZYfXL7untyzNaUwj639k/s1600/X-Men-First-Class-The-Gangs-All-Here-19-1-11-kc.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614284396941112626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj1Nm8u5ecYGaNC2NkIfKOFRu9Km-Zmlnl6lHIiMeT_EJWB2PM18Tu9J1pJxHNr2LjSZYLgkvRaNaE3qhAbxuoMeACd0fHCABVYFllpq6TMMAYAhyphenhyphenemzL2sxyZYfXL7untyzNaUwj639k/s200/X-Men-First-Class-The-Gangs-All-Here-19-1-11-kc.jpg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 137px; height: 200px;" /></a>Together they seek out a group of eclectically-skilled mutant teens: including a flame-thrower, a sonic-screamer, and a young scientist with hands on his feet (and the subtle angst of a future Beast). Not to forget a teenage Raven, having problems adapting to her true blue colors. Two montages work nicely: first seeking the students for “enrollment” and the other as they all train to counter the impending Cuban Missile Crisis – making these superheroes not only save the globe, but keeping both world powers intact on their Cold War platform: setting a stage for possible follow-ups with this fresh new cast. And while some of the youngsters seem out of a <span style="font-style: italic;">Twilight</span> film acting-wise, their powers are cool – except for one girl who, with wings on her back, resembles a bionic Tinkerbell. But it’s Fassbender and McAvoy that own this film: both embodying the cerebral and physical traits of the two powerful mutant leaders destined to become enemies – but needing each other just the same.

blockbuster, marvel comics, prequel, superhero, tens

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS

title: X-MEN: FIRST CLASS year: 2011 cast: Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Kevin Bacon rating: ***1/2 A prequel that gets it right. Whi...