Author Archives: Doc

The Last of Us S2 E3

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“The Path”

This is the first week of the post-Joel era of The Last of Us, and much about us grieving the loss.

I have to tell you that the cry of Ellie as she woke up in the hospital was just feral. Totally crushing. I was nearly in tears from just Ellie’s roar of anguish.

This show has been effective with their time jumps. This is another good one, but I thought the moments before the leap (Ellie in hospital, Tommy with Joel’s brother) were tremendous.

Three months later, Ellie is getting out of the hospital with the anger underneath the surface.

It was great to see Catherine O’Hara again as the local therapist. Her meeting with Ellie was funny and her conversation with Tommy was interesting. The sudden baseball game that Catherine O’Hara was watching was a weird and felt odd. She has added a ton to the show in her few scenes.

Ellie and Dina are on the road to go kill Abby. The Jackson Council refused to send a group of 15 to Seattle after Abby and the others who killed Joel. Ellie tried to speak to the Council and her speech was moving. Didn’t work though. Ellie had never planned on accepting the verdict of the Council.

The group of people who just appeared in the woods and wound up getting killed was a weird detour in the show. These people’s death must be part of the next story arc, but it seemed to come out of nowhere.

The scene of Ellie at Joel’s grave was powerful too. The director spoke about this scene being an opportunity for the audience to grieve with Ellie.

Good episode. Seattle looks like a bad deal.

Light & Magic S2 E2

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“There Must Be A Better Way…”

The second episode of the second season of Light & Magic on Disney + featured heavily on the transition from practical effects to that of digital recording and the way in which ILM lead the way in the field of digital special effects.

It started out talking about the elephant in the room, Jar Jar Binks.

Jar Jar is one of the most hated of Star Wars characters among a certain section of the fandom, but the doc looked at the creation of the character. They spoke to Jar Jar actor, Ahmed Best, who was not taking the criticism and anger of the character well. The comments of Jar Jar being a racist character or filled of racist tropes was difficult for him to hear. It got so bad that he told a story about him going on a bridge in New York with the intent of “showing them” how much it affected him. This story of a man having suicidal thoughts over the creation of a movie character was very powerful as was the resolution of the story. It made me think about my own feelings toward Jar Jar.

I was impressed with how much of the negative thoughts and criticisms this doc dealt with. They could have easily brushed that under the rug, but the doc still showed the push back ILM received for its motion capture and digital film from the movie society in general.

The doc spent some time showing how they were involved in the creation of digital tornados for films such as Jumanji and Twister as well as the massive wave from A Perfect Storm.

They spent a good deal of time telling about how they transitioned from Yoda being a puppet as he was in the original trilogy to more of a digital character and then eventually to a point where Yoda could have a lightsaber fight with Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones. One of the more fascinating parts of that section of the show was seeing how Frank Oz, who was puppeteering and voice Yoda, went through so much trouble and challenges with this extremely heavy puppet that he had to hold up with his right arm.

There is one more episode of season two to go. My guess is that it will focus in on Revenge of the Sith.

Havoc

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I did not know anything about this movie until I pulled up Netflix yesterday and saw it there. I remember seeing some thumbnails on YouTube from several of the reactors/content creators that I like who had done responses to a movie called Havoc. I did not put it together until I saw it on Netflix.

It starred Tom Hardy, who was a big star for a Netflix film.

According to IMDB, “The story is set after a drug deal gone wrong, when a bruised detective must fight his way through a criminal underworld to rescue a politician’s estranged son, while unraveling a deep web of corruption and conspiracy that ensnares his entire city.“

This one was not my favorite film. Tom Hardy did a great job in his role, but that was about where it ended for me. The story was convoluted and the film was nothing much more than just a whole bunch of gunfire. It was brutal and bloody. I am not sure how Tom Hardy made it through all the bullets without being killed.

There just was not much to this story and, if you only want to have a bloody shoot out film, this will be the one for you. However, for me, this was not a film that hooked me. I was bored during a lot of this film and, even with its short time, it felt like a longer film than I would have liked.

2.4 stars

Andor S2 E1, E2, E3

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Andor season one has been the best Star Wars show on Disney + yet. Some might argue for the Mandalorian, but for depth and story, Andor took the prize.

Andor returned to Disney + for the long-awaited second season debuted with three episodes this past Tuesday night. I was unable to fit it into my schedule until this Sunday morning.

It was worth the wait.

It started one year after the end of last season and we see Cassian stealing a Tie-fighter. He was to meet for a drop off, but that turned into an immediate cluster as the rebels he met could not get along or agree on anything. Cassian was clearly just biding his time with these idiots.

On Mina-Rau, things are much worse, including a near rape. This was not something one would expect in the Star Wars Universe, but I could see it as a part of Andor. I loved the Skeleton Crew earlier this year, but that was clearly Star Wars for the young. Andor is Star Wars for the adult.

That does not mean that there is not humor to go around. There are some very funny things that happen, one of the major ones being a dinner date with Eedy Karn and her son Syril, who wants to introduce her to Dedra Meero. Dedra is a force and her scene with Eedy was epic.

The third episode ended with some tragedy.

Andor continues to be one of the best Star Wars shows around.

EYG Comic Cavalcade #150

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April 27

Here I am with the 150th edition of the EYG Comic Cavalcade, which is quite the accomplishment, if I do say so. Since this has replaced the EYG Comic Catch-Up, the Cavalcade has been one of the most consistent posts we do on EYG.

This post requires that I read the books I get each week, the number of which has only grown over the last few years. I currently have two separate pull lists at two separate comic shops in two separate cities in opposite direction from my home in Maquoketa. Then, this write-up generally takes quite a while to write. I would guess that from first word to last picture, it takes around two hours to complete, and that is if I am not distracted by other things. Such as right now, I am trying to watch the first three Andor episodes while I do this. It is a distraction because of timing.

This column, and the previous Comic catch-Up, are the reason I got my collection in order and organized. I am very proud of that, and I am grateful for EYG.

Last week, I mentioned how I completed my Groo the Wanderer Marvel/Epic comic run. I completed another run this week, albeit considerably less impressive. I picked up issues #9 & 10 as well as #1 & 3 of the Zdarsky Comic News giving me all ten issues of the newsletter. It is not large, but it still does remind me of the old Marvel Age books that I loved. This newsletter from Zdarsky features more than just Marvel. They are fun, if not slight.

I also grabbed three more of the freebies from the Superman Day last weekend, including Jimmy Olson’s Supercyclopedia.

Here is the next 150 issues of EYG Comic Cavalcade.

This week’s books:

Amazing Spider-Man #2. Written by Joe Kelly and art by Pepe Larraz. Pepe Larraz & Marte Gracia did the cover art. Peter has been poisoned and flipped out, just like the Rhino did last issue. I am pleased with the new creative team and the current path Spidey is on in this new volume. A surprise return at the end is fascinating.

Blasfamous #1-3. Written and illustrated by Mirka Andolfo. I found these three issues in the back issues box of DSTLRY books that I had never heard about. I have always loved DSTLRY books and I was excited to see one that I obviously had missed. Unfortunately, this was not a story that caught my interest as most of this company’s books have done. It’s nice to have them though.

Out of Alcatraz #2. Written by Christopher Cantwell with art and cover art by Tyler Crook (Gold Medalist). I picked up a variant cover of this issue too which is pretty awesome as well. The Out of Alcatraz book from Oni Press has been engaging as well. I am never quite sure what is going to happen next and it does a great job of building some tension.

Falling in Love on the Path to Hell #7. “A Broken Clock.” Written by Gerry Duggan and art and cover art by Garry Brown. I had somehow missed this issue and it was tough to find. Thankfully, Todd was able to find one in Des Moines. This has been a fantastic series so far and I am hoping that this will continue on its excellent path.

Moonshine Bigfoot #1. Written by Mike Marlow and penciled and cover art by Steve Ellis. A new and extremely creative new book from Image features a sasquatch who had been left as a baby, raised by a couple of moonshiners. This book has a feel of The Dukes of Hazzard and Smokey and the Bandit, while throwing the fun use of cryptoids.

Universal Monsters: The Mummy #2. Written and art by Faith Erin Hicks and cover art by Hicks and Lee Loughridge. Helen is having memory flashes, and she is remembering a past life, one including Imhotep himself. The Universal Monsters run of books at Image have been excellent and The Mummy is telling a great story as well.

Assorted Crisis Events #2. Written by Deniz Camp and art and cover art by Eric Zawadzki. A shout out to colorist Jordie Belaire because the coloring of this issue makes this series stand out among a lot of other books. Doing something different really sets this aside from other anthology books that are being released right now.

Avengers #25. “Masters of Evil” part 1. Written by Jed MacKay and art by Valerio Schiti. Variant cover B art by Russell Dauterman. A brand new Masters of Evil is formed in this issue and I love them. The inclusion of Madcap in particular was cool.

New Champions #4. Written by Steve Foxe and art by Ivan Fiorelli. Cover art was done by Gleb Melnikov & Arthur Hesli. I do like this formation of new young heroes under the Champions label. This issue gives us the “secret origin of Gold Tiger.”

X-Men #15. “Twin.” Written by Jed MacKay with pencils by Ryan Stegman & CF Villa. Cover art was done by Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer & Marte Gracia. Piper Quinn’s twin, a twin that was never born, pulled itself out of her and began a rampage. The end of the issue saw the arrival of a new group of X-Men… huh?

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #5. Written by Christos Gage with art by Eric Gapstur. Cover art was done by Leonardo Romero. The final issue of this prequel series to the Disney + animated series wrapped up with Spider-Man getting some major victories against Silvio Manfredi and the Enforcers. He also had a funny way to hide the injuries he had sustained from Aunt May. Pratfall anyone?

One World Under Doom #3. “The Devil We Know.” Written by Ryan North and art by R.B. Silva. Ben Harvey did the cover art. A group of villains including Doc Ock, Arcade, Mysterio, the Goblin Queen, Baron Mordo and MODOK have joined the struggle against Doctor Doom. However, it looks like business is about to pick up as Dormammu jumps int the frey.

Predator Versus Spider-Man #1. Written by Benjamin Percy and penciled by Marcelo Ferreira. Cover art by Paulo Ferreira. I also picked up cover D by Marcelo Ferreira. Despite how much I love the character Spider-Man, I had not been looking forward to this series. Yet, after reading number one, I am in. It was brutal, scary and intense and I want more of it.

Green Lantern Dark #4. Written by Tate Brombal and art by Werther Dell’Edera. Cover art was done by Dell’Edera & Giovanna Niro. Quite a dark issue as it lives up to the title. Interesting takes on the characters of Beast Boy and Bat Wraith. This has been an excellent read each month and that is from someone who is not a big fan of Elseworlds stories.

G.I. Joe #6. Written by Joshua Williamson and art and cover art by Tom Reilly. Big confrontation between Duke and Cobra Commander. This issue does a great job of creating a rivalry between these two individuals and the groups behind them. It also continues building towards the GI Joe/Transformers crossover.

Hornsby & Halo #6. Storytellers are Peter J. Tomasi & Peter Snejbjerg. Peter Snejbjerg & John Kalisz did the cover art. Zach and Rose are taken to see where they came from… first to Hell and then to Heaven. And it shakes them to their core.

Werewolf by Night: Red Band #9. Written by Jason Loo and penciled by Sergio Davila. F.M. Gist did the art for the cover. This is brutal and bloody as Lilith’s plan to take advantage of Jack comes to its head. Things are getting scary with this book.

Eddie Brock: Carnage #3. Written by Charles Soule and art by Jesús Saiz. Cover art was done by Iban Coello & Frank D’Armata. Carnage takes on Sidewinder, and then, Carnage and Eddie brock have their own internal conflict.

Minor Arcana #6. Written and illustrated by Jeff Lemire. Cover art by Jeff Lemire. I also picked up the unlockable virgin variant cover by Laura Perez. Teresa and her mother got into yet another argument and Teresa prepared to leave. However, she wanted to apologize to her childhood friend first. Lots of things then happened.

Absolute Wonder Woman #7. “The Lady or the Tiger Part Two.” Written by Kelly Thompson and art by Mattia De Iulis. Cover art by Hayden Sherman & Jordie Bellaire. Diana’s trip into the Underworld to save Circe brings her into conflict with Hades and a struggle to answer an age-old riddle that had confounded her for years. This was a really well written story and I really enjoyed the inclusion of all of the Greek mythology in this book.

Magik #4. “Reunion.” Written by Ashley Allen and art by German Peralta. J. Scott Campbell & Tanya Lehoux did the cover art. Illyana and Danielle Moonstar are reunited from their best friends days with the New Mutants, but there are more issues between them than they care to admit.

Justice League Unlimited #6. “Partners and Puppets.” Written by Mark Waid and art by Travis Moore. Cover art was done by Dan Mora. This is the second part of the crossover with World’s Finest and it continues the Gorilla Grodd story. However, the whole Air wave story felt rushed and I was not happy with how the story progressed. It seemed as if it needed more time to develop instead of just throwing it a handful of pages and saying it was done. Disappointing arc so far.

Dust to Dust #5. Written by JG Jones & Phil Bram with art and cover art by JG Jones (Silver Medalist). I love the sepia tone of the art in this series. JG Jones’s work is just perfect for this story that they are telling. It is a story that is continuing to be mysterious each issue.

X-Force #10. “The X-Equation.” Written by Geoffrey Thorne and art by Marcus To. Backup story by Fabian Nicieza and art by Edgar Salazar. This is the Legacy number 300 of X-Force and the final issue of the series for now as Forge’s secret plans are revealed to the team and they are not fans of them. The variant cover art (Marvel vs. Capcom) was done by Bengus.

The Last Boy #2. Written by Dan Panosian and illustrated by Alessio Avallone. Cover was done by Dan Panosian. The tale of Peter Pan and Wendy continue separately through this issue, with each facing troubles. Heck, if I did not know better, I might consider Peter Pan to be the antagonist of this book. Hmm. Intriguing.

Infinity Watch #4. Written by Derek Landy and art by Enid Balám & Ruairi Coleman. Salvador Larroca & GURU-eFX did the cover art. The Infinity Watch is back from the weird-o universe, adn Star changes things back. But it is not much better.

Ultimate Black Panther #15. Written by Bryan Hill and art by Stefano Caselli. Stefano Caselli and David Curiel did the cover art. T’Challa is attempting to find other allies in the African countries, but they have not heard of Wakanda. But T’Challa is looking of help to deal with the anti-vibranium.

Sabretooth: The Dead Don’t Talk #5. Written by Frank Tieri and art by Michael Sta. Maria. Cover art was done by Carlo Pagulayan, Jason Paz & Rain Beredo. This was a really strong ending to a series that got better with each issue.

Those Not Afraid #4. Written by Kyle Starks and art by Patrick Piazzalunga. This is getting darker as the serial killers have upped the ante in their attempt to set a new record. I’m not sure how I feel about this issue as the difference between serial killer and spree killer is debated. However, the final panel with the return of a certain individual elevated this book more.

Other books this week: Blade Forger #2, Deadpool/Wolverine #4, Metamorpho #5, Bug Wars #3, Absolute Martian Manhunter #2, and The Power Fantasy#8.

Sunday Morning Sidewalk #14

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“Chapter Four: A Hope in Hell”

This morning, we take a stroll down the Sunday Morning Sidewalk onto the path to Hell.

And the path to Hell is lined with more than just good intentions. It is lined with tension, anxiety and suspense.

What a great episode this was.

At first, as Morpheus and Matthew traveled into Hell to regain his helm, I was more engaged with the second part of the story, John Dee being picked up by a woman named Rosemary. That conversation inside Rosemary’s car was scary and I dreaded what was going to happen to Rosemary, who was just trying to be a good person.

However, then Morpheus wound up in a fight with Lucifer Morningstar and the narrative of the episode switched. The ‘fight” between these two was amazing… and unlike anything I expected. It was truly sensational and brilliantly constructed. It could have easily just slipped into the big power fight that we see so often, but this was deeper, more intense.

The fight turned on the word of the raven, Matthew, giving Morpheus that last bit of motivation to overcome the ruler of the Underworld.

It also seemed as if Rosemary was able to survive the episode, and I was sure she was a goner. Sarah Niles played Rosemary so exceptionally that I immediately connected with the character and wished for her safety. John gave her the amulet of protection at the end of the episode after she had decided to wait for him instead of escaping to freedom. It was a sweet ending that I still was anxious about. I really wanted Rosemary, a good person, to not be killed off in this warped story. When it was clear that she was going to make it, I did breath a sigh of relief.

Nicely paired episode with two stories (which nearly crossed at the end) that I was very engaged in. This is my favorite episode so far of the season and it does seem as if the show is only getting better each week.

Doctor Who S2 E3

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“The Well”

One of the wonderful things about the Disney + series, Doctor Who, is that this character can be in any kind of type of story needed. Last week we had the meta episode with the animated character. This week there was a space sci-fi/horror story with a lot of tension and mystery. Doctor Who can do whatever you need.

This week was tremendous. The Doctor and Belinda showed up in a space military operation on an unknown planet in the distant future. They encounter a mysterious force that stands behind a person. It is connected to a story that Doctor Who had told previous when David Tennent was the Doctor. It was fun when Ncuti Gatwa said, in character, that he had been on this planet before, and we get a flash from that episode with Tennent.

I truly did not know what was going to happen with this story as there were just a bunch of characters on edge. The show also did a great job of building these side characters quickly so I felt something for them when they were in jeopardy. It was not just a bunch of cannon fodder (though there were some of those here too).

The episode continued to build the overarching mystery of the season with the question about why the Tardis can not return to earth in 2025. These people in the distant future had never heard of the earth or the human race even though The Doctor indicated that the earth should have been known in the time. I do like how they keep planting those seeds even if it is not the main thrust of the episode. Oh and Mrs. Flood is there again, just taunting us with her continual presence.

I am such a fan of this version of the Doctor so far. Ncuti Gatwa is such a strong performer and seems to have chemistry with everyone. He is emotional and powerful, oozing a confidence that is shaken over and again. I have not seen many other versions of Doctor Who, but this one had made me a fan.

The Legend of Ochi

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A24 is an active and extremely busy movie studio, releasing all kinds of different movies. One of the newest releases from the studio is a fantasy/adventure that plays like a fairy tail in The Legend of Ochi.

Shot on location in Romania, The Legend of Ochi looks beautiful and the creatures known as the ochi are amazingly constructed in one of the best uses of practical effects in years. The creatures, in particular our little lead character, are marvelous and shows that you can still create something stunning and effective without a bunch of CGI.

According to IMBD, “A young girl named Yuri is raised to fear the reclusive forest creatures known as the ochi. However, when she discovers a baby ochi left behind by its pack, she embarks on a perilous journey to reunite the creature with its family. As Yuri ventures deeper into the forest, she faces dangerous challenges and learns valuable lessons about courage, friendship, and the importance of protecting nature.”

The performance of young actor Helena Zengel is very impressive as Yuri and she effectively carries the bulk of this film on her shoulders. She does an admirable job interacting with the puppet ochi as it travels around on her back and in her company.

There are two well known faces involved in the film. Willem Dafoe played Yuri’s father Maxim and Finn Wolfhard is Petro, a boy who is taken in by her father. Dafoe is his usually wonderful self as this father whose anger about his life is transferred into his hatred for these ochi creatures. He trained these children that are in his care as a military unit to hunt the ochi.

I did like the background story of Maxim and I thought his arc of the movie was very soldi. He had some great scenes with Emily Watson, who played Dasha, Yuri’s absent mother.

There are some weird things happening here, but it had that ET feel combined with a A24 horror film. The Legend of Ochi was a fun film with a nice story.

3.8 stars

The Accountant 2

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The first Accountant movie with Ben Affleck was fine, but not one of my favorite movies. I never thought it needed a sequel so when the announcement of The Accountant 2 was made, it did not make my list of anticipated movies.

I do believe that I liked this movie more than I did the original, but there are plenty of flaws here. Honestly, there is only one thing that made this an enjoyable time at the movie theater: The relationship between Be Affleck’s Christian Wolff and his brother, Braxton, played by Jon Bernthal.

According to IMDB, “When her former boss is killed by unknown assassins, Treasury Agent Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) is forced to contact Christian Wolff (Affleck) to solve the murder. With the help of his estranged but highly lethal brother Brax (Jon Bernthal), Chris applies his brilliant mind and less-than-legal methods to piece together the unsolved puzzle. As they get closer to the truth, the trio draw the attention of some of the most ruthless killers alive — all intent on putting a stop to their search.“

I have a definite idea that had Jon Bernthal not been in this movie, I would not have liked it. I did not find the plot to be engaging, and it was fairly ham-fisted. The action was fine, but nothing that we haven’t seen before.

The key to this movie was the exceptional interaction between two actors at the top of their game. Affleck and Bernthal had remarkable chemistry and every moment they were on screen together was electric. Especially the scenes where they are not shooting things up. It almost had an action buddy cop type of feel for The Accountant 2, and I was here for that.

It did feel too long, but the scenes with the two leads really pulled this forward. I should also shout out the work of Cynthia Addai-Robinson, who made for a solid third in the story.

Overall, I thought this was a solid action movie with a great lead pairing between two exceptional actors. These actors elevated the material around them to a level where I found myself engaged instead of checked out.

3.7 stars

EYG Favorite Comic Covers of the Week

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April 23

So Diamond stuck it to us again this week, so no Marvel books this week. But it is a pretty decent week for DC and Image so we do have some choices.\

Bronze Medalist

Universal Monsters: The Mummy #2

Cover art by Faith Eric Hicks & Lee Loughridge

Love this design of the mummy in the background with the earth colors all around it. These Universal Monsters books have been solid with covers.

Silver Medalist

Dust to Dust #5

Cover art by J.G. Jones

Dust to Dust has has had some excellent covers too. JG Jones is a very solid artist and the realistic cover. Part of the standout of this book has been the coloring of the covers.

Gold Medalist

Out of Alcatraz #2

Cover art by Tyler Crook

This cover is a beautifully designed book. A theme of this week books would be coloring as the orange color on the cream background. Looks great, really stands out among the other books.

The Studio S1 E6

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“The Pediatric Oncologist”

Matt is dating a doctor. A pediatric oncologist, to be precise, and she invited him to a fancy black tie fundraiser with other doctors.

Things do not go well.

Matt agrees to go even though, as the studio head, he has to get a trailer for Johnny Knoxville’s new satire about projectile diarrhea approved.

This led to a conflict between Matt and the doctors who were with his girlfriend. They were looking down on his work, treating it as if it was not important. Matt disagreed, claiming his work as “art.”

While it is difficult to compare movie making to trying to cure cancer, these doctors were extremely dismissive of Matt and looked down their collective noses at him and what he does for a living.

This led to some extremely funny moments. My favorite one was when Matt outbid the doctors at his table for a gold trip to Ireland, even though he does not like golf. I actually cheered for Matt when he tossed out his winning bid at the last second.

I have been enjoying this Apple TV + comedy every week. Again, it feels so very meta, but has some very strong themes.

2073

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I came across this on MAX and I thought it would be an interesting sci-fi movie. It is not.

I’m not really sure what it is. It is some kind of weird blend of documentary, post-apocalyptic wasteland and history lesson.

It is also one of the most depressing movie I have seen in a long time.

We are shown Ghost (Samantha Morton) from the year 2073, who spends nearly her whole time on screen doing a voice-over. There is not much of a narrative structure to the 2073 story. Ghost tried to determine how the earth got to this point.

At that point, it goes back in time, using real life news footage to try and explain how the world fell into such a horrendous future. It looked at real life politicians, world leaders, AI, and the billionaires, blending them into the structure of the story that leads to the destruction of this movies’ fictional future.

This British docudrama feels much like those films made by Dinesh D’Souza, except from the other side of the aisle. It seems like there is more fearmongering in this film so, even in the manner in which it may be calling out important pieces, it undermines its own argument.

And the sci-fi section is just not compelling enough to balance out the news reel footage. The filmmakers took a big swing, but, unfortunately, this does not work. I found this to be depressing, and, worst of all, not entertaining. Even those movies that are meant to show the downside of the human condition have to be a compelling watch. This just is not.

1 star