Time of Death: July 26, 2019; “The Name of the Game” S1 E1
Maybe you do not know the name. I had to look it up. However, if you are a fan of the television program, The Boys, you know to what I am referring. The death of Robin Ward, Hughie’s first girlfriend, by having A-Train run through her, was as shocking of a moment as you will find on TV and still is one of the most unbelievable moments on a show full of unbelievable moments. This set the tone for what the series would become and what could be possible.
Peacock’s latest show, Crystal Lake, is a prequel to the Friday the 13th series, that seemed to focus on Jason Voorhees’s mother, Pam. Pam is played by Linda Cardellini, and there appeared to have something more than just a mother grieving her son who drowned.
There is a piece of this story that is mysterious. The arrival of the “agents” took this series and made it a turn that I was not expecting. It was bloody and brutal and a lot of fun.
There is something that Pam is hiding from us, and I wonder how this is going to proceed.
The series dropped all eight episodes at once, but I am not planning on binging this. I would like to keep working on watching the show as it was an intriguing first episode. I only knew it was out because of the Reel Rejects on YouTube, which was doing a watch along on the first four episodes (which told me it was dropped at once). Peacock has had some fun shows during its time, but this was probably their biggest IPs of all of them. Plus, I do really love Linda Cardellini, so there are some pluses for this show.
Boris Karloff is one of the greatest icons of the early horror genre, playing the iconic version of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. This movie was an adaptation of a H.P. Lovecraft story called “The Colour Out of Space.” I had seen a film based on that story a few years back, but this felt very different than that one that starred Nic Cage.
According to IMDB, “A meteorite’s radiation creates giant plants in a scientist’s greenhouse. When it affects his wife, the wheelchair-bound man attempts to destroy it, leading to catastrophe.”
This was an interesting film with some good atmosphere. I liked the performance of Boris Karloff, and also his co-stars Nick Adams and Suzan Farmer. The three of them did most of the heavy lifting in this movie.
The story itself was not a standout for me. I felt like there were several things that were either left out or were brushed over. When Nick Adams’s character arrived in the town of Arkham, the city’s population wanted nothing to do with him when they found out where he was heading. I am not sure this story element was ever really dealt with in any substantial basis.
There was good tone and mood on the show, and I did think it was a decent film. It just did not wow me as much as I thought it could have.
Time of Death: March 1, 2026; Episode 1 “Cornhole“
As I am researching the information for this post, I am being very cautious, because I have not yet finished DTF St. Louis, which I am watching for the Sunday Morning Sidewalk. I am, at this time, only through four episodes, but I have seen enough to place Floyd Smernitch on my list of deaths. Floyd is one of the best characters I have seen on a TV show for awhile and he is played with such humanity by David Harbour, who won an Emmy for the role. As Jason Bateman, who played Floyd’s friend Clark, said, Floyd was “wonderful.”
Parent/Teacher conferences and the Dodgers’ loss last night meant I did not get around to the EYG Favorite Comic Covers of the Week. But I have Friday off as a contract comp day, so I can do the post now.
Interestingly, the three medalists this week are all #1’s.
Also Ran: Hammer Hand #1 (B cover), Graveyard Shift #1 (A cover, B cover, C cover), Archie vs. the Terminator #1 (foil), Wolverine: Paradise #1, Amazing Spider-Man #1001 (A cover & B cover), Black Cat #15 and Omega Book #3
Bronze Medalist
Amazing Spider-Man: Amazing Visions #1
Cover art by Lee Bermejo
I had a few choices for the Bronze Medal this week so I asked my mom. It was fun to include her one week. She wound up choosing this Lee Bermejo cover of Spider-Man. She made a good chocie.
Silver Medalist
12-Foot Skeleton #1
Cover art by Ben Templesmith
New book from Ignition Press makes the medal round this week with a beautifully creepy and illuminated skeleton on the cover. It is a compelling cover that really should make the new readers want to give the book a chance.
Gold Medalist
Batman: Bad Seeds- Streets of Gotham #1
Variant cover B
Cover art by Dustin Nguyen
I love the imagery of Batman in the dark, over top of the cityscape of Gotham. The black and blue coloring really makes the cover stand out and is just a lovely look. I did not even consider grabbing the A cover of this book, as this was just so much more artistic and beautiful.
Time of Death: ?? Season 11 finale, “My Struggle IV”
The question would be… which death are we talking about. I believe I can recall about three times CSM (real character name-Carl Gerhard Busch Spender) bit the big one. It sure seemed as if he was gone after the building he was hiding in was destroyed by black helicopters. BUT NO! Old Smokie came back for the revival. However, Fox Mulder shot him several times after CSM had shot and apparently killed Mulder’s son. The body fell into the water and was swept away so… was he dead?
There has been no character that I wanted Mulder to shoot in the head more than CSM. I do not know how many times I yelled at the TV screen for Mulder to shoot him in the head at a moment when Mulder had CSM at gunpoint and seemingly helpless. It just never happened.
Tv or Movie: Death By Lightning (Netflix mini series)
Actor: Michael Shannon
Time of Death: November 6, 2025
James Garfield was elected president of the United States in 1880 and then was shot by Charles Guiteau in July. Garfield lived until his death in September. Even with the gunshot wound, it took some medical malpractice with Garfield’s treatment that led to his death. The historical drama on Netflix was told through both grfield and Guiteau’s perspective and was a wonderful slice of politics of the time. Michael Shannon gave us a leader that transcended politics, something we desperately need in today’s world.
VisionQuest debuted tonight as a third series in the WandaVision trilogy which kicked off with WandaVision and was followed up by Agatha All Along, and there is not a possible debate that this show is not dependent on those previous ones. WandaVision and Agatha All Along are required viewing for VisionQuest.
Paul Bettany returned as Vision, the same android that had been reconstructed by SWORD, this time white, and who left in the finale of WandaVision.
We all have wondered where Vision has been all these many years since he flew off out of Westview, and we get a glimpse into that in the first two episodes, which dropped on Disney + Tuesday, a day early than what it originally was intended.
James Spader returned to the MCU as Ultron, but existing inside Vision’s head, in a strange world where Vision exists in his attempt to determine what humanity is and how he is connected to it. Vision brought us a crew of former AIs from the MCU to help him in his efforts including JARVIS, EDITH, FRIDAY, DUM-E and U. Ultron was included among these AI as well. The interactions between this group of MCU AI was great, making a kind of family.
But family was more intricate to the story than just the AI. We meet Tommy, the boy that Billy sent his brother’s spirit into at the end of Agatha All Along. The scene with the swimming pool, which was one of the more dramatic moments with Billy, was alluded to several times, and Tommy had been struggling with his identity ever since. His memories of his mother Wanda and his father Vision played havoc on his mind, grappling with the confusion of exactly whom he was.
We are introduced to the character Paladin. He is a bounty hunter and he has been hired by someone to capture Vision. This is one of the mysteries of the show, and I have to say that I am extremely intrigued by the identity of this benefactor. I liked Paladin as well, played by Todd Stashwick. He used adamantium rounds… I mean… cool. Was this the first time adamantium was used as a weapon in the MCU? The metal was introduced in Captain America: Brand New World so i wonder how long the timeline is between that film and this show.
There was some sacrifice in these first two episodes as well. Vision’s friend at the bar in Edinburgh where he worked, was shot by Paladin’s forces. Then JARVIS, played by James D’Arcy (who played a real life Jarvis in the Agent Carter series on ABC) sacrificed himself after Vision had been shot by those adamantium rounds in order to keep the Vision alive and to keep the other AI’s active. I did not see that coming and his self-sacrifice (suggested by Ultron, by the way) was a powerful moment.
Vision and Tommy are together, on the run from Paladin, and certainly something will come from this.
I have to say I loved the longer episodes, with the two episode release coming in at over 100 minutes (episode one: 56 minutes and episode 2: 46 minutes, albeit with credits). This gave the show a feel of significance. Some times that was lacking among the shorter 30-35 minute episodes we were used to on Disney +.
The conflict of Vision and his efforts to figure out who he actually is feels compelling, and the acting is exceptional. And I love James Spader! I do hope that the person who hired Paladin does not turn out to be Ultron, although I do expect him to be an antagonist during this show. That would seem too conventional for a show that is using two of the best Marvel Disney + shows as its lead-in.
I am in on VisionQuest, and I am excited about next Tuesday.
The October 13 rolls on with the sixth film of the month, The Faculty. I have to say that this cast is filled with some great actors including Elijah Woods, Josh Hartnett, Salma Hayek, Shawn Hatosy, Usher, Famke Janssen, Bebe Neuwirth, Robert Patrick, Jon Stewart, Christopher McDonald, Laura Harris, Clea DuVall, Jordana Brewster and Piper Laurie.
According to IMDB, “Six misfit students must band together to save mankind when mind-controlling parasites from another planet infect their high school’s faculty.”
I actually thought this was about witches, but I must have been confusing this with The Craft.
This one was a mixed bag. There were some moments that I enjoyed. I liked most of the cast, but a lot of the story was just strange and it had some dumb moments stuck in too. There were some real conveniences in the script that are there just to be there.
The special effects were fine for 1998. It was nothing incredibly special, but they did a good job of keeping the aliens a mystery for most of the film.
In the end, this was some fun, in a shut your mind down kind of way. I think were better films that dealt with the same idea as this, but I did not hate watching it.
Time of Death: S1 E4 “The Whole World is Watching“
In one of most shocking and disturbing scenes in the entirety of the MCU, John Walker, who had just been named as the replacement for Steve Rogers as Captain America, used the edge of the shield to murder Nico, who was a member of the terrorist group The Flag Smashers. Just before this violent death, Flag Smasher leader Karli had accidentally killed Walker’s partner, Lemar Hoskins (Battlestar). This triggered the violent outburst from John Walker, who had just dosed himself up with the Super Soldier Serum. The sight of the blood at the bottom of Cap’s shield and th knowledge that he had probably decapitated the man was a brutal moment of the series.
Happy Monday everyone. It is the EYG Comic Cavalcade. I am trying to write this up between innings of the Dodgers-Brewers Game 2. I sure hope that I am not doing this still into the night. I had trouble sleeping last night so I don’t want a repeat of that.
Another strong week, as we had another major Marvel event, with Amazing Spider-Man #1000 last week and this week the debut of the Midnight books.
Comic of the Week
Midnight Spider-Man #1
Probably not a surprise. This was my favorite of the three new Midnight books (though the other two were really strong too). The story was not as different from Peter Parker’s origin story than what you might have expected, but I did find it intriguing. I am anxious to see what happened to Uncle Ben and what was going on with Aunt May.
The look of the Midnight Spider-Man is top notch and I think this book has a ton of potential.
Books this week:
Midnight X-Men #1. “Teeth” Written by Jonathan Hickman and art by Matteo Fonte. A cover art was done by Dike Ruan. I grabbed multiple variant covers including one by Skan Srisuwan (Silver Medalist). I was a little iffy on this one goin gin. I mean, X-Men and vampires are something that we have seen before. However, Jonathan Hickman’s book was tremendous and really pushed Midnight Spider-Man #1 as the book of the week. The characters involved here were just amazing, including a cool use of Nightcrawler and Cyclops. This was a fantastic start to this series.
Midnight Fantastic Four #1. “Storm Systems” Written by Benjamin Percy with art by Kev Walker. Cover A art was done by Kev Walker & Guru-eFX. I picked up a bunch of variant covers including one by Jaeyung Lee (Bronze Medalist). I liked the new Midnight versions of the FF as we focused in on Reed Richards and meet Ben, Sue and Johnny in some different looks (Johnny with a missing leg?). I expect there to be some body horror coming in this book. This was the lowest of the Midnight books for me, but I still enjoyed the book quite a bit.
Jonah Hex and the Shadow of Death #1. “Chapter 1: A Strange Wind Blows” Written, art and cover art by Michael Walsh. The new DC comic featuring Jonah Hex was great. I do like some supernatural Western action and Jonah Hex is right in the middle of it. This had a Clint Eastwood Unforgiven vibe to it. I loved this first issue.
The Demon #1. Written, art and cover art by James Harren. This new DC book in the Next Level initiative features a different look at Jason Blood and the Demon. Jason deals with a shattered mind and a split soul, trying to fight off demons using improvised magical tools while Etrigan remains largely a voice inside his head. Another fun new series from DC with this joining Legion, Teen Titans, Doom Patrol and Jonah Hex.
Something is Killing the Children #50. “Past is Prologue” Written by James Tynion IV and illustrated by Werther Dell’Edera. Cover A art was done by Werther Dell’Edera with Miquel Muerto. I picked up a blind bag where I got a cover by Joe Palmer (Gold Medalist). Erica Slaughter is back, revealing her living status, but the House of Slaughter is under new leadership. Erica feels as if her days are behind her. Or are they? The fiftieth issue of this book was great. This is one of the books that inspired my expansion into the world of independent comics.
The Ring: The Man Who Beat the Man #4. Written by Gail Simone and art by Elisa Romboli. Cover art was done by Oliver Barrett. We get the battle between Ivan “The bear” Volkov and Liam “The Bulldog” Atkins. This boxing comic has been one of the big surprises of the year. It is all thanks to the amazing Gail Simone.
Absolute Superman #24. “Get Brainiac” Written b y Jason Aaron and art by Juan Ferreyra. Absolute Superman teams up with Steel, and Steel gains his new outfit. Steel becomes Superman’s partner as they continue the search for brainiac.
Batman #14. “Home Invasions” Written by Matt Fraction and art by Matteo Scalera. Cover art was done by Matteo Scalera & Tomeu Morey. Bad Seeds continues with Batman looking for some specific help… from Mr. Freeze? But he may need to get the help from Nora Fries instead.
Superman: The Stranger #2. Written and art by Wes Craig. Cover art was done by Wes Craig and Jason Wordie. “Clark Kent’s early populist crusade to help the downtrodden in 1930s Metropolis has struggled because the people who need him most are invisible. That changes when he crosses paths with Lois Lane, a fearless reporter dedicated to highlighting the unseen.”
Minor Arcana #19. “The Emperor” Written and cover art by Jeff Lemire and illustrated by Jeff Lemire & Shawn Kuruneru. Budd St. Pierre drifts through life after an terrible tragedy. While he feels a sense of rebirth and tries to make peace with his past, the story explores whether he can maintain that momentum and how his choices ripple through the future of his family tree, impacting Theresa and her family.
Of the Earth #6. “Why Would I Lie?” Written by Andrew Ehrich & Chris Condon with art and cover art by Charlie Adlard. Abby faces off with the oil creature, the Wildcatter, in the final issue of this mini series. I have enjoyed this one over the last six months or so.
Pop Kill: Big Candy #1. “Learn How to Fall.” Written by Dave Johnson & Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Juan Santacruz. Cover art was done by Dave Johnson. With the Cola Wars over, this issue sees the beginning of the “Sugar Wars.” Jon Pyle and Dina Delux are having struggles with their relationship and Dina is at it again with special formulas. Fun issue one.
The Dirt Beneath the Devil #3. “Savage Land” Written by Dan Panosian with art by David Ferracci. Cover art was done by Dan Panosian. June and her remaining heirs are being chased by a mysterious band of Native riders. Then the legacy of William Buckley has its true nature revealed.
The Deadman #5. “I’ve Just Seen a Face.” Written by W. Maxwell Prince with art by Martin Morazzo. Cover art was done by Martin Morazzo & Chris O’Halloran. Deadman is alive again as Boston Brand and he is in a future without Heaven, Hell, or karmic consequences. He finds himself in a swamp known as “The Gr33n.” Deadman has been creatively clever during this series so far.
Other books this week: Eternal: Honor and curse #7, Conan & Dragonero #6, Absolute Green Lantern #19, MASK #5, Flux House Presents #1, Tales of Wonder #2, Minotaur #3, and Starhenge Book Two: A Kiss for Atticus #4.
Quick Hits: It was a strange book, but Ben 10 Creator Files #1 came out from Dynamite. It was kind of like the Comics! The Magazine, with articles and background stories about the Ben 10 Dynamite book. I did not know where it came from, but it was a neat idea. Speaking of Comics! The Magazine, Comics! The Magazine #8 also came out this week. An article about Dungeon Crawler Carl is featured. We got the big team up issue GI Joe/Tomb Raider #1. I did not find this very appealing. Godzilla (Kai Sei Era) #13 came back after quite a lay off. Snip #1 released this week with a story pretty close to the Local Comic Shop issue from a couple of weeks ago. An anthology book featuring Raven called DC’s Quote the Raven #1 is right on time for some Halloween hijinks. And then with more Halloween action, Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Halloween Special #1 also came out. This was the first time I picked up the IDW book and I found it interesting. The Altered States: Warlords #4 came to an end as Vampirella joined the party. It ended with the feel that this was not the last we were going to see this conglomerate of characters. Land of Never #4 sees how Peter came to be as he is, and Wendy steps it up. Crowbound #2 brings Jeff Lemire back to his roots of mysterious horror-ish. Kingdom of Earth #3 dropped this week from Dark Horse. A new book called Axon: Infinity #1 came out from Amp Comics. This was an interesting book featuring a character called Sylar and it involved aliens. Dinner Date #1 is a new vampire book mixed with romantic storytelling. Witness Point #3 and Only the Savage are Left #4 are two books that I did not get to this week.
Time of Death: Only Murders in the Building S3 E10 “Opening Night“
Sazz Pataki was the stunt double for Charles Haden Savage for years. When Sazz was a murdered as the cliffhanger at the end of season three, it was a sad day because Sazz had been one of the most beloved recurring characters on the show. It also opened up one of the most emotional mysteries for the gang since Sazz was such a close friend to Charles. Jane Lynch appeared throughout season four as a delusion for Charles, as he processed his own grief as well as trying to solve the murder.
I had thought that I had seen It Came From Outer Space (1953) before, but there was no review on the site. Because of that, I decided to add it on the list for the October 13. After watching it, I think what I was thinking was “The Day the Earth Stood Still” instead of this one. Both of these films were named in the “Science Fiction/Double Feature” song from Rocky Horror Picture Show, which may have led to my confusion as well.
I have definitely not seen this movie before, but it was a really enjoyable. These kind of sci-fi outer space films from the 50s have a tone about them that really sets them apart from other films of the time. They are also great in comparison to the more recent because of their low budget and reliance on practical effects.
According to IMDB, “A spaceship from another world crashes in the Arizona desert and only an amateur stargazer and a schoolteacher suspect alien influence when the local townsfolk begin to act strangely.”
There was some good tension in the film as the aliens moved about taking over humans’ appearances in order to walk freely among them. The interactions between astronomer John Putnam and Sheriff Warren was fun, even if it was unlikely.
I was surprised when the Professor from Gilligan’s Island walked onto the screen. Russell Johnson played George, one of the earliest of the humans to be taken by the aliens and replaced. I have seen Johnson in other roles such as in The Twilight Zone before his most recognizable role on the sitcom.
I liked this a lot and it was fun watching the story develop. This film was not afraid to set the humans in a more aggressive manner when the aliens just wanted to fix their crashed ship and leave.
I thought about using this film in The October 13, but I decided against it. It certainly would have fit. I rented this a few weeks ago at Fandango at Home with the expectation that I would get it watched within the month time frame allowed. However, I was down to seven days this morning, and so I decided that the time was now.
According to IMDB, “A director making a slasher sequel becomes obsessed with casting the original film’s ‘final girl,’ leading both women into psychological and sexual chaos.”
I have to say that this movie was a strange, bizarre, surreal and satirical film that I had a difficult time getting into. The overall story was some kind of amalgam of slasher movies, romantic and dark, dark comedy.
I have been a fan of Gillian Anderson ever since The X-Files, and her performance is one that I enjoyed. It became so weird that it lost me.
At the beginning, when the slasher would kill someone and there would be a massive spurting blood that was so cartoonish that it pulled me out of the film.
I am not sure how to feel about a lot of this film. I liked the performances, especially with Gillian Anderson and Hannah Einbinder. I’m just not sure how I feel about the story being told.
