Author Archives: Doc

Loki S2 E3

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“1893”

The third episode of season two of Loki just aired on Disney +, and it was a banger. Loki and Mobius were trying to find Miss Minutes to try and get her to help fix the loom in the TVA. They wound up in 1893 at the Chicago World fair and they found something besides Miss Minutes or Renslayer.

They found Victor Timely.

Victor Timely is a variant of He Who Remains… aka Kang. We saw a clip from this show at the post credit scene of Ant Man: Quantumania.

In this episode, Victor Timely does not have the frightening aura that He Who Remains. Instead, he was a blundering con man. An inventor that would sell his inventions that barely worked, if worked at all, only to have unhappy customers chasing after him.

Loki, Mobius as well as Renslayer and Miss Minutes were in a competition to get to Victor Timely first.

When Sylvie showed up ready to try and kill Victor, and Loki had to protect him. And Sylvie was absolutely brutal.

Miss Minutes’s return gave us a better look at the ‘cartoon clock.’ She showed a lot of jealousy over Renslayer and Victor Timely. Her professing her love for Victor was really creepy too. Tara Strong was great voicing this character.

And Miss Minutes dropped a hint that she knows a big secret about Renslayer that would make her made. What could that be?

This was a great episode that gave us a bunch of focus on out villains of the season. And Victor Timely has been taken to the TVA.

That can’t end well.

Slither (2006)

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The October 9 of 13

The October 13 continues this month with James Gunn’s horror/comedy/sci-fi film called Slither. This is a monster from outer space type film that had some zombie movie tropes to it.

Gunn’s favorite actors make appearances in this flick, including Michael Rooker and Nathan Fillion. Elizabeth Banks is another of Gunn’s regulars. All of these actors are front and center in major roles in this movie.

According to IMDB, “From the depths of the endless space, a flaming meteorite crashes into the dark woods of the sleepy town of Wheelsy, South Carolina. As the scorched rock reveals its silent content–a baneful parasitic organism–a subtle alien invasion commences, and the war’s unlucky first victim is the town’s local businessman, Grant (Michael Rooker). Little by little, as an internal change transforms Grant into an utterly hideous monstrosity, his wife, Starla (Elizabeth Banks), starts to feel that something’s been eating at him the last few days. Now, before the unstoppable extraterrestrial attack, no one is safe, and to make matters worse, Grant’s transformation is far from over yet. Who can stop the slithering army from outer space?”

Nathan Fillion was great as the local sheriff. I loved the writing for Fillion, his dry wit was so apparent and a perfect fit for the story. He was excellent in this role.

This was tense, and it was very creepy, with those slithery red worms going into people’s mouths and turning them into monsters.

Slither had a definite Men in Black feel to it with just more gross-out moments. It was funny with some real laugh out loud bits. Gregg Henry was a hoot in his obnoxious mayor role.

Slither was great. I had thought that I had seen this before, but as I was watching it, nothing seemed familiar. I enjoyed it tremendously.

The X-Files S1 E9

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“Space”

This is the second episode among the first nine that I felt was average to sub par.

In fact, I would say that this is my least favorite episode so far.

A former NASA astronaut, who was Mulder’s childhood hero, was possessed by an extraterrestrial spirit of some sort. This spirit was base don the ‘face on Mars’ image that occurred around this time.

I don’t think anything worked with this episode. The story was nonsensical and dull. The acting was far below the series’ typical level. The special effects, especially the look of the spirit on the astronaut, were poor.

They made a connection to the Challenger explosion which felt a little slimy or exploitative.

There were some of the worst scenes, some of the most unintentionally funny scenes in the series history. With this episode following the splendid “Ice,” it really fell down the ladder quickly.

I remember seeing this episode originally and not being a fan then. I disliked this more than I remembered.

From Hell (2001)

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The October 8 of 13

From Hell was a detective/horror film starring Johnny Depp adapted from a classic graphic novel by Alan Moore.

The story of From Hell centers around the notorious Jack the Ripper killings that plagued Whitechapel in London,England in 1888. Five prostitutes were brutally murdered and butchered by a mysterious figure in the alleys of Whitechapel, which led to rampant speculation about the truth behind the killings. Countless theories have come forth about the real identity of the murderer. This film looks at one of the more controversial and conspiratorial theories of whom Jack the Ripper was.

I won’t go into specifics on this theory, but it is clearly fictionalized by Moore. The film does a good job of using the facts of the cases and fitting it all into the narrative it espouses.

Johnny Depp played Inspector Frederick Abberline, the detective assigned the Ripper case. Heather Graham played Mary Kelly, the fifth victim of the Ripper. Other actors in the film include Ian Holm, Robbie Coltrane, Ian Richardson, Jason Flemyng, and Samantha Spiro.

The film is very atmospheric and looks excellent. The period piece is moody and has a perfect tone for the time frame.

Depp gives a top notch performance in the role as the drug-addicted detective. They matched him up with Heather Graham’s character. I’m not sure that worked fully as the film seemed to push them together too quickly. Still, I did like each individual performance.

The story was complicated, but does work out at the end and does give a modicum of finality which is truly lacking in any real story involving Jack the Ripper.

I have always been a fan of the tale of the mysterious serial killer, having read several books on different theories so From Hell is right up my alley. It is currently available on Max.

Bonus Action Vol. 1 Episode 1

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“A Beginning Most Humble”

After three weeks of Odd Jobs, mini missions to introduce characters, Bonus Action started off strong with all six characters involved.

This episode was used as practice, character moments and getting the group to interact.

These six players brought a ton of quirks and enjoyment from their characters. They all have some really cool concepts and back stories that they play as every bit as important as the actual mission. That is awwsome.

This week gave us the outline of the campaign and explained the MacGuffin.

These six players are funny, creative and should make this series a lot of fun.

Moonlighting S1 E4

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“The Next Murder You Hear”

Boink! Boink! Boink!

Another key moment for David and Maddie… when David used the term ‘boink’ and said that Maddie was repressed or suppressed or on of those S-words. Their outstanding banter made this series what is was.

David and Maddie get involved in a sensational case of the murder of a romance/love spurned talk show DJ that happened live on the air. No clients, but Addison believed solving this case would be a boom for business.

Maddie didn’t want to take the case and David wanted to, which was a reoccurring theme on the show. However, when Maddie started listening to the tapes of his show, she changed her tune.

This episode looked at David’s developing feeling for Maddie and he goes on a binger, talking to anyone who would listen (or wouldn’t) .

The episode ends with the typical all-out Moonlighting fight scene with David and the killer struggling on a neon light sign.

A great episode that looks at the characters more and a story that is less convoluted than normal.

The Fall of the House of Usher E3-8

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I had no intention of finishing this series today. I wanted to spread it out over the next several weeks. However, with the schedule packed with TV shows, movies and comics, and since I was really engaged in it, I just kept watching another episode as I would finish the previous one.

The titles of the series included;

Ep. 3: “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”

Ep. 4: “The Black Cat”

Ep. 5: “The Tell-Tale Heart”

Ep. 6: “Goldbug”

Ep. 7: “The Pit and the Pendulum”

Ep. 8: “The Raven”

Because of these titles, I knew which of the Usher kids were doomed that episode. They were all neat adaptations of the short stories written by Edgar Allan Poe, into a new story, a new format.

There were plenty of other stories/poem incorporated into the series as we met Annabel Lee, The Cask of Amontillado was highlighted, Rufus Griswold (who wrote Poe’s scandalous obituary), The Belles (poem), among others.

Some of the allusions to Poe’s work was subtle, some was anything but. Several lines of Poe’s poetry is recited in the episodes, especially lines from Annabel Lee.

Each of the Usher kids’ deaths are fun and earned. They all take form similar to Poe’s works. It’s cool knowing some of these reference. For example, as Roderick sat in the basement staring at the brick wall, I wondered whom was bricked up in the wall. Of course that was coming. As a writer, Poe buried people in walls several times in his career.

To be honest, the finale did feel a little preachy at times. Some of the monologues delivered in the episode spoke of a lot of the political controversies of the day and it did feel somewhat out of place. The message was there without needing to bludgeon the audience over the head with it. I did find that to be a bit unnecessary.

Though, I admit that I laughed with the line about Trump when the mysterious Verna said,  “Like I said to one of my clients, when I’m done, you can stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and it won’t cost you a thing.”

The Fall of the House of Usher was great. I love Edgar Allan Poe and this had him all over the place. Greta acting. Cool kills.

EYG Comic Cavalcade #63

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October 15, 2023

Things are very busy here at EYG. There seems to be TV shows coming out of nowhere that I want to watch. There is the October 13 films underway. Two re-watches going on at the same time. The new release movies are still coming out. There is also my full time job as well. So I am trying to work in the reading of these comics into this schedule.

I am planning to rebag and reboard the older comics of my collection, maybe as soon as next summer. I have the unbagged books all done, but the old books are a giant job. I am collecting bags and boards every week with the comics to build up toward the start of that effort.

Books read:

Amazing Spider-Man #35. Written by Zeb Wells and art by Patrick Gleason. I have the cover D, which is the best cover of the week in my opinion. It was done by Elena Casagrande & Mate Gracia. The Goblin sins that have created the evil Spider-Man is pulled out of Peter and seem to be isolated and buried by Kraven. Or have they?

Midlife (or How to Hero at Fifty) #1. Written by Brian Buccellato and drawn by Stefano Simeone. Ruben is turning 50. And along the way, he becomes a superhero. This takes a look at heroism that we have not seen before. It is an intriguing start to this book.

Blade #4. “Mother of Evil: Part Four.” Written by Bryan Hill and art by Valentina Pinti with Elena Casagrande. Cover art was by Elena Casagrande & Jordie Bellaire. Blade and Dr. Strange battled vampires in an attempt to get the sword of Lucifer.

Omega the Unknown #8. “A Blast from the Past.” Written by Roger Stern and penciled by Lee Elias. Omega takes on Nitro the Exploding Man. James-Michael meets Richard Rory, who receives a card from Foolkiller.

Captain Marvel: Assault on Eden #1. Written by Anthony Oliveira and art by Eleonora Carlini. Cover art was by Carlos Gomez & Jesus Aburtov. Carol heads to Hala to celebrate the anniversary of the peace accord between the Kree and the Skrulls. The Supreme Intelligence may not want to maintain a peace.

Howard the Duck #2. “Cry Turnip!” Written by Steve Gerber and illustrated by Frank Brunner. Howard faces off with Turnip Man. Turnip Man? Yes, a powerful space turnip takes over control of a human. Only in Howard the Duck could this work.

Superior Spider-Man Returns #1. Story by Dan Slott, Script by Christos Gage and penciled by Mark bagely, Ryan Stegman, Humberto Ramos and Giuseppe Camuncoli. Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer & Edgar Delgado did the cover art. A story of the Superior Spider-Man from years before while Doc Ock looks for answers in the present.

Hunt for the Skinwalker #2. Written by Zac Thompson and illustrated by Valeria Burzo. Cover art by Martin Simmonds. Tom saw the things in the sky and now he is having several of his cows killed in strange ways, blood drained.

Something Epic #6. Written and illustrated by Szymon Kudranski. Daniel’s darkness comes out of his creativity and the darkness leads to the death of Dalia. The penultimate issue of the first story arc is here, setting up the final next issue.

A Haunted Girl #1. Written by Ethan Sacks and Naomi Sacks and art by Marco Lorenzana. Civer art was by Joe Quesada & Richard Isanove. A look at mental health/illness with a young girl who may not want to live, but who may need to save the world. Ethan Sacks said that this book was a personal story about depression and suicidial thoughts that his daughter went through, and now she is helping write the book.

Groo: In the Wild #3. Written by Sergio Aragonés and Mark Evanier and illustrated by Sergio Aragonés. Groo continues to look for food to eat, and causing trouble for King Putrio. More frays! Less food!

Capwolf and the Howling Commandos#1. Written by Stephanie Phillips and art by Carlos Magno. Ryan Brown did the cover art. France, 1944. Captain America leads the Howling Commandos into battle after Nick Fury is injured. And Cap gets scraped by a werewolf and becomes Capwolf!

The Cull #3. Written by Kelly Thompson and art by Mattia De Julis. The story continues to take a weird twist as some kind of being showed up to meet the others.

The Avengers #6. “Citykillers” part four. Written by Jed MacKay and drawn by Ivan Fiorelli. Stuart Immonen did the cover art. The Avengers take on Ashen Combine and free up the Immortal City. I had a guess about the Immortal City joining the Avengers and that is what happened. There is a back up story featuring Firebird called “The Truth is Out There” written by Kalinda Vazquez and penciled by Alba Glez.

Nights #1. “Vespertine” Written by Wyatt Kennedy and art by Luigi Formisano. Vincent comes to Santo Pedro and there are vampires. This was a fantastic book with some serious storytelling going on.

Spider-Man India #5. “Seva Part V” Written by Nikeshi Shukla and penciled by Tadam Gyadu. Cover art is by Adam Kubert & Brad Anderson. The battle with Lizard and Giri finished and we got a redesigned Spider-Man India costume for Pavitr.

Goosebumps S1 E4 & E5

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Episode 4: “Go Eat Worms”

Episode 5: “Reader Beware”

I am really digging this new Goosebumps series on Disney +. It feels so much more mature and targeted to an older audience than any of the other versions I have seen without losing that youthful appeal that the series intended.

This show has been weaving together an overarching story about Harold Biddle, what happened to him and how the parents of our group of protagonists were involved. It is telling that story while including character moments for all involved. It has been well done so far, with each episode building suspense and curiosity about what happened.

I mentioned it after episode 3, but this show is absolutely giving me Marvel’s The Runaway vibes. The Runaways discovered that their parents were actually supervillains, but I think there is more here than what we have seen so far. It is not that the parents in Goosebumps were involved in the fire that killed Harold Biddle. There is more to it and I believe that involved Mister Slappy.

Episode four was featuring Lucas and the worms he found on Halloween at the Biddle house party. I have to say, of all the actors playing the kids, Will Price, who plays Lucas, looks the oldest. He is only 23 years old, but I would have guessed 32. His older look does distract me more than the others (who are clearly all older than high school).

Episode five sees Mr. Bratt give Margot a scrapbook he said he found in his house, but it was clearly a set up from Harold Biddle to try and get the kids to help him find what the parents had taken on the night Biddle died. This episode went into more detail with the affair between Colin and Nora as Colin’s wife, Sarah, had returned form Seattle. Sarah feels like a wild card tossed into this mix. She told Nora that she believes what she has been saying, things that got Nora tossed into a mental hospital and drugged by Victoria. This episode dove deep into the mysterious story being told in this series and it was great.

I really have enjoyed watching these Goosebumps episodes so far. The next one drops on Disney + coming Friday, I believe and I will be there to see it.

American Horror Story: Delicate S12 E4

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“Vanishing Twin”

Perhaps I shouldn’t watch AHS: Delicate at breakfast time.

I was thinking that this week’s AHS was lacking… that nothing much happened… and then Anna started to eat the dead raccoon she found last episode. She had wrapped it up like a baby and took it into the basement. Already sus behavior of course.

The show confirmed that Anna was still pregnant, as she suspected, and the doctor speculated that she had lost a twin in something called ‘vanishing twin’ syndrome.

The episode began with a flashback to England and the birth of a baby by the Queen at the time. The black suited women were there and confiscated the baby, which had been called a monster by the queen.

The show couldn’t be more obvious that Anna’s baby is not normal. The correlations to Rosemary’s Baby is getting stronger with every episode.

Oh, and the whole “It’s my body” campaign Anna did to reinvigorate her image was really on the nose.

It feels as if this show needs to start picking the story up a bit soon.

The Fall of the House of Usher E1 & E2

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Episode One: “A Midnight Dreary”

Episode Two: “The Masque of the Red Death”

I started to watch episode one of The Fall of the House of Usher on Netflix with the intention of not continuing after the first one. To be honest, with two rewatches (X-Files, Moonlighting) going on right now, along with multiple series (Loki, Gen V, American Horror Story, Goosebumps, Bonus Action) and the October 13, there is not a ton of time for another series. But I do love Edgar Allan Poe and so I wanted to say that I gave this new limited series on Netflix a chance.

After two episodes, I am totally hooked.

I need to find the time to watch the rest of this because it is a masterpiece.

As I mentioned, I love Edgar Allan Poe and there are so many allusions to Poe’s work that it is nearly impossible to keep up with them. I realized about half way through the second episode that they were doing the Masque of the Red Death and that the character named Prospero was even involved. I see now that the episode title is even based on the short story.

The narration of the series is Roderick Usher (Bruce Greenwood) confessing to C. Auguste Dupin (Carl Lumbly), sitting in his house, drinking a glass of the best whiskey available. Roderick is telling Dupin (who by the way is the main character in Poe’s Murder in the Rue Morgue) about the deaths of his six children over the last two weeks.

There are allusions to Poe’s work everywhere, from The Raven to Annabel Lee to The Black Cat to Gold Bug. It feels like a comic book movie with the Easter eggs they drop for the comic readers in the audience, except this is for those who read Poe. It’s just great.

And it is compelling as can be. I want to know what happened to the six kids. We have seen the end of Prospero at the end of the shocking episode two, but there are five more to go.

Then, there was Mark Hamill. He played Arthur Pym, based on the novel The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. Pym is the Usher family lawyer.

These first two episodes are just so good and I have added this to the crowded EYG schedule.

The X-Files S1 E8

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“Ice”

The X-Files meets John Carpenter’s The Thing.

This was an excellent episode. It was obviously just like The Thing, a mysterious creature (probably from space) that causes the crew of an Arctic station turn on each other and kill everyone. Mulder and Scully are among the investigative group sent in to the station to find out what happened.

There was an interesting cast in this episode including Felicity Huffman, Jeff Kober, Xander Berkeley, and Steve Hytner joined David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. The interaction of the performances created an awesome paranoia. It was never apparent which of the group had been exposed to the worms that were causing the trouble.

One of the major moments of this episode was how Mulder and Scully had their first moment of conflict between them. Scully held a gun on Mulder when she was not sure if he was exposed to the worm. Mulder refused to be tested because he did not trust any of them, and Scully had pulled a gun. In the end, they were able to get past the paranoia and had each other’s back.

This was an excellent episode and quite the step up from the last one.

Goosebumps S1 E2 & E3

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E2: “The Haunted Mask”

E3: “The Cuckoo Clock of Doom”

I have really started to like this new series on Disney +.

After watching the first episode, I found it okay and planned on watching another episode to see how I feel then. After watching episodes two and three, I am in on the new Goosebumps series 100%.

I really like how the series keeps returning to the Halloween party at the Biddle house to see POV of a different kid and how three of our core group had an interaction with something magical, whether it be the camera that takes pics of future events, the mask, or the cuckoo clock of doom.

The end of episode two was a huge shock as James exploded into a green blob when struck accidentally by a pool ball. I literally held my hands out and exclaimed WTF when that happened. I did not expect that little twist to occur. That exploding James tease at the end of episode 2 led into episode three and one of the funniest episodes so far.

I also like how the kids’ parents are clearly hiding secrets and trying to forget about something. It is giving me vibes like Marvel Comics’ The Runaways, who found out their parents were all super villains. I don’t expect anything like that, but they definitely have some kind of secret they are keeping.

Then, when Mr. Bratt (who is possessed by Harold Biddle) threw a fit at the end of the episode when the remaining faux James brought him the empty case, he was clearly setting up for the arrival of Mister Slappy, the iconic ventriloquist doll from the Goosebumps past. I can’t wait for him to arrive.

There are two more Goosebumps episodes available on Disney + and then new episodes will continue to air weekly starting Friday. I want to get E4 & E5 done before the next one comes out.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour

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I was not sure if I was going to go to the Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour so I asked my NEST/home room class if I should go. I told them that I did not know much about Taylor Swift but that I would be interested in reviewing the film for the EYG site. They told me that I should go…so I bought my ticket.

As I said, I know very little about Taylor Swift. Honestly, outside of Shake it Off, I could not name another Swift song. I did recognize the tune of the one song that Weird Al had parodied into the song “TMZ.”

I am going to be honest, a lot of these songs felt the same to me. I do think that most of that is because I do not know the songs. I did like the transitions between songs because many times, they just moved into a different song and you could tell the change.

Hearing some of these other songs, I realized that Taylor Swift was a real storyteller with her lyrics. There were some surprisingly deep words in these lyrics. I was actually impressed. However, I counted at least three F-Bombs and I wondered as I was watching the movie what the rating was, since usually one F-Bomb is allowed for PG-13.

The stage set up for this concert tour was spectacular. The LED screens and the stage craft was wonderful and some of the most creative ideas in execution. The moment Taylor Shift dove into the stage and started ‘swimming’ in the water beneath was a stunning achievement.

I also loved the back-up dancers, especially the black, heavier set man dancer. I was so impressed with him and the fact that they gave him a primary spot among the dancers. You normally do not see a man with this type of body style as a back-up dancer. However, I could not take my eyes of this gentleman when he was front and center. He was impressive.

I enjoyed the experience of watching this too. There was some singing in my theater and some waving arms etc. I would have liked more of that from the crowd I was with. I had expected more of that and I was looking forward to the energy that the audience was going to bring. I saw this in XD theater and the sound was amazing… rocking loud.

I had a real good time with this concert movie even with a performer that I did not know much about. Her music was entertaining and the shots of the concert by director Sam Wrench were excellent. If you are a fan of Taylor Swift, this will be an amazing experience. If you are not, give it a chance because you may become one afterwards.

4.2 stars

The Ring (2002)

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The October 7 of 13

As I continued the October 13, this morning I went over to Prime and watched The Ring, an iconic horror movie from 2002.

There is a videotape filled with nightmarish imagery that, if you watch, seven days later, you die. Newspaper reporter Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) started looking into the story after the death of a family member (Amber Tamblyn) and she discovered the dangers firsthand.

There are some plot holes in The Ring, but the atmosphere and mood of the film is outstandingly creepy and work to build tension as Naomi Watts desperately tried to find an answer to the mystery before the clock runs out on her. The film does a great job of being unnerving without being gory or exploitative.

Naomi Watts is the standout of the entire film. Her performance anchors the story together, raises her character which did not have too much depth, and keeps the attention on her. A less skilled actress could have fallen into the flaws of the story and drag the film down too. Watts, on the other hand, brought the perfect amount of gravitas to the film and gave everyone someone to root for.

The film does a solid job of creating an air of eeriness and keeps the audience on the edge. You are never quite sure what was happening and the film embraces that.

The back story of the videotape (as it were) was horrifying and painful. Your perceptions switch as the film moves along, which keeps the film off-balance.

The Ring was very successful. It was based on the Japanese movie Ring by Hideo Nakata from 1998.