An Emmy winning limited series from HBO Max is the next show for the Sunday Morning Sidewalk and I am a little disappointed. Not with the show, I thought it was a compelling and gripping first episode that I am excited to continue. I am disappointed because I knew the premise of the show before I watched episode one.
I knew that there would be a surprising murder in episode one… truthfully, it was what attracted me to the show… but I really wish I had not known this fact because the surprise would have been monumental.
We got some hints at the non-linear storytelling techniques in the first episode as we did see David Harbour’s character Floyd Smernitch in flashbacks after his body had been discovered dead. I do enjoy the non-linear structure as the use of flashbacks can help tell the story extremely effectively.
Jason Bateman’s weatherman character Clark Forrest feels like the classic red herring, as he was arrested in the first episode. Linda Cardellini, who was Floyd’s wife, Carol, was purposefully made to look sinister at times in the episode.
It’s really early to try to make a judgment on whom the killer is, because there could be any number of factors that played into it that we do not know yet. The manner in which Floyd was killed does seem to limit the number of possibilities.
I love a good mystery and a major character being offed in the first episode is great. It reminded me of when Laura Palmer was found wrapped in plastic, though I do not expect any sort of weirdness like I got in Twin Peaks in DTF St. Louis.
I do love the dynamic between Richard Jennings (who played Detective Donoghue Homer) and Joy Sunday (who played Detective Jodie Plumb). They will be a fun pair to follow as the facts of the case are laid out before the audience.
Jason Bateman, Linda Cardellini and David Harbour are awesome actors that I love in just about everything I have seen them in, so I expect this seven-episode limited series to be a fantastic ride. It already dropped a bunch of shocking reveals that I can’t wait to see play out.
Animation Style: traditional hand-drawn 2D animation blended subtly with digital technology
Studio: Studio Ghibli
One of the classic Studio Ghibli films, Spirited Away was a masterpiece. When I watched it, I was anxious that the hype was too much, but those fears washed away with this beautiful film.
Voice cast: – Daveigh Chase, Suzanne Pleshette, Jason Marsden, Susan Egan, David Ogden Stiers, Lauren Holly, Michael Chiklis, John Ratzenberger, Tara Strong, Mickie McGowan, Jack Angel, Bob Bergen, Rodger Bumpass, Jennifer Darling, Paul Eiding, Sherry Lynn, Mona Marshall, Candi Milo, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, Phil Proctor, Jim Ward.
What a strange episode. It was fun seeing our crew in Gotham and Central City, with Stuart name dropping all kinds of DC lore.
At the end of last week, Stuart, Denise, Bert and Kripke were stuck on a comic cover, but they were able to figure out a way around it… by sliding off the cover and into the actual book. Stuart came up with an idea to find the Flash and have him run on the Cosmic Treadmill to get them back to their own universe.
I like how they used the Golden Age Flash in this episode to avoid all that other Flash nonsense around. Having Amy be married to Jay was a weird choice, but it was a way to get a Big Bang cameo into the episode.
Mr. Freeze was brought in as well, which led to some slipping on ice jokes that were not very funny. Stuart postulated about why Flash was fighting Mr. Freeze and not Captain Cold. This felt like an important line of dialogue, though nothing apparently came from it.
This is another episode that felt too short. It was over before it even began. It was fun with the references though.
It ended with the gang back in Stuart’s comic shop, but it was floating through what looked like space, and a laugh track that was noticed by Kripke. I assume that this is heading into a season finale next week. Maybe leading to the person behind the whole thing. I am guessing Sheldon Cooper.
I rented the biopic of Anthony Bourdain in the film Tony, which I watched off Fandango at Home tonight.
According to IMDB, “A 19-year-old Anthony Bourdain travels to Provincetown and stumbles into the chaotic world of a restaurant kitchen, setting off a summer that will shape the course of his life.”
I know very little about Anthony Bourdain. I found this biopic very intriguing. The character of “Tony” was very charismatic, but such a liar and a selfish person. I liked though that he was able to make some better decisions as the movie moved along.
Dominic Sessa does a good job in the titular role, but there is no doubt that Antonio Banderas stole the show as Chef. In a film where we never learn his character’s name (yes, it does appear in a letter, but that is the only moment), he is the most interesting and engaging character. He has so many little intricacies that make this man so outstanding and whom better to play him than Antonio Banderas?
There are some questions for me as to why Tony made some of the choices that he made in the film. I think the film could have gone into more details with the character at the beginning of the film. Leo Woodall’s character, Sal, is one of my least favorite in the movie. I just had a difficult time relating to him and his flip out midway.
I liked this film, especially for performances. I think it was an interesting period of Anthony Bourdain’s life to look at and focus on. It was worth a rental.
The Resident Evil franchise is one that I have only ever saw one film prior to this new version from director Zach Cregger. I saw the Resident Evil: The Final Chapter which I soundly hated. I do have the first film of the franchise schedule to be among the October the 13th-watch films this year. However, I went into this new Resident Evil film with a very hopeful attitude. I have found Zach Cregger’s recent films, Weapons and Barbarian to have been exceptional horror/thriller films and I had heard a lot of positive word of mouth. Still, I was not totally convinced of the quality this film would be.
After seeing the film, I am ready to declare that 2026 is truly the year of the horror film. Not only did we get Obsession, Backrooms, Buddy, Exit 8, Send Help, The End of Oak Street, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, Deep Water, Hokum, Leviticus, and still have sever such as Clayface, The Other Mommy, Werwulf, and Godzilla Minus Zero still to come, but the new Resident Evil film was a fabulous film.
Bryan (Austin Abrams) was a hapless courier who was enlisted to take a medical package to the hospital in Raccoon City. As he made his way through the snowy conditions, Bryan encountered some monstrous creatures trying to kill him.
The number one thing that made this movie so awesome was the performance of Austin Abrams as our protagonist. Abrams had appeared in the HBO show Euphoria as well as Weapons and Wolfs before this role, and he showed that he was a charming, wonderful lead for the film. He delivered every line with such a flair that you could not help but cheer for the guy.
Again, with much thanks to Abrams, this film was just unexpectedly funny. I did not expect to laugh as much as I did in Resident Evil, and laughing when the film wanted me to laugh. I credit Austin Abrams’ work in the film for a large part of why it was so funny.
There were moments of the movie that were extremely tense too. The jump scares were kept to a minimum and were remarkably successful when they did show up. The tension was created from the situation and by placing Bryan into circumstances that the audience responded to effectively.
Without spoiling, the ending of Resident Evil (2026) did leave me a little dissatisfied overall, but it was not a deal breaker as some films have been. This third act resolution is not unwatchable by any means. I just wanted a different result.
I never played the video game that this franchise was based upon, so I do not know how the hardcore Resident Evil fans would take it, but I know I was never confused by what was on the screen. Could there be some Easter eggs that I did not realize? Sure, possibly, but I absolutely feel as if previous viewing was unnecessary to enjoy this movie.
This was a scary, funny, hoot of a good time movie with a lead actor who I think is going to be a superstar soon.
Animation Style: traditional 2D hand-drawn animation style combined with early digital technology
Studio: Walt Disney
One of the Renaissance films for Walt Disney, The Lion King is a coming of age tale of the future King of the Jungle. The film is very much like an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. It also featured one of the great soundtracks of all time with Elton John performing.
Voice cast: Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Moira Kelly, Niketa Calame, Madge Sinclair, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Cummings, and Robert Guillaume.
Animation Style: a blend of computer-generated (CGI) hyper-realism and stylized cartoon character design
Studio: Pixar/Disney
A brillaint father-son flick that sees Nemo get himself lost across the vast ocean. One of the best storie from Pixar, and that is saying a lot.
Voice cast: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe, Geoffrey Rush, Brad Garrett, Allison Janney, Stephen Root, Austin Pendleton, Vicki Lewis, Joe Ranft, Andrew Stanton, Elizabeth Perkins, Nicholas Bird, Eric Bana, Bob Peterson, Barry Humphries, Bruce Spense, Bill Hunter, LuLu Ebeling, Jordan “Jordy” Ranft, Erica Beck, Erik Per Sullivan and John Ratzenberger.
It is time for the EYG Favorite Comic Covers of the Week. Some good books this week and a brand new Blind Bag!
Also Rans: Something Epic #15 (Cover A & D), Pancho Villa: Monster Hunter #1, Space ghost vs. Herculoids #1, Dog Tag #5, Red Roots #5, Ofiusa #1, Tyler Rake: An Extraction Story #5, DNX #1 (cover C, S, N).
Bronze Medalist
Absolute Green Arrow #5
Rafael Albuquerque & Marcelo Maiolo
The Absolute Green Arrow has an awesome cover with this scary man cover. He kind of reminds me of Ghost Rider here. I love the color scheme. of this cover.
Silver Medalist
DNX #1
Blind Bag Virgin Y cover
Cover art by Artgerm
I got this virgin cover in a DNX Blind Bag (and I also got the non-virgin version of this art). It is a lovely rendition of Temper, a fiery young X-Man.
Gold Medalist
Something Epic #15
Variant Cover B
Cover art by Szymon Kudranski
Yes, it is another horror cover homage. This one is an homage of the classic movie, The Shining, with D. Ducktive doing the iconic pose of Jack Nicholson. Love those horror homages.
Animation Style: Hybrid of traditional hand-drawn cel animation with pioneering computer-generated (CG) imagery.
Studio: Disney
One of the movies that kicked off the animation renaissance for Walt Disney Studios in 1991. Beauty and the Beast was a majestic tale as old as time. I remember not wanting to see this as a college student when it came out, but what the heck did I know? Now Beauty and the Beast kicked off the Top 20 of the Top 100.
Voice cast: Paige O’Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White, Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers, Angela Lansbury, Bradley Michael Pierce, Rex Everhart, Jesse Corti, Hal Smith, Jo Anne Worley, Mary Kay Bergman, Kath Soucie, Jack Angel, Phil Proctor, Bill Farmer, Patrick Pinney, Brian Cummings, Alvin Epstein, Tony Jay, Alec Murphy, Kimmy Robertson, and Frank Welker.
Coach Alice is back and trying a new philosophy… say “yes” more. It got to be too much, until Ted and Beard gave her a look into improv… and explained what it means to be “YES…and.” Or as Beard yelled, “YES & BABY!”
The improv idea seemed to work much better for Alice.
However, the “BELIEVE” sign did not seem to be a hit with the Richmond Lady Greyhounds. They had all kinds of complaints about it, until Alice added a sticky note saying “and win.”
The hot doctor came to see Roy at work. Roy was in a scooter because of his knee, and she broke it off with him since she knew that he was in love with someone else. They had some nice scenes together, but I am glad that they did not drag this storyline out. They absolutely could have made this stretch out for a long time and I am pleased that they did not. We just need the Roy-Keeley reunion.
There was a weird storyline with an agent for a player on the men’s team (who also is Roy’s agent) and Tracey Ullman. They did a strange phone call bit that was funny, but odd.
This was a fun episode that did not feel very significant. I think the best part of the episode was Keeley and Ted filling out a Bantr profile. That was a perfect example of Ted’s wit and wisdom. That scene was one of the best of the entire season.
Wreck It Ralph was a surprise hit. A brand new IP, Ralph took lots of the old video games we loved as children and made a word all its own.
Voice cast: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Alan Tudyk, Mindy Kaling, Joe Lo Truglio, Ed O’Neil, Dennis Haysbert, Adam Corolla, Horation Sanz, Rich Moore, Edie McClurg, Raymond S. Persi, Jess Harnell, Rachael Harris, Skylar Astin, Katie Lowes, Jamie Elman, Josie Trinidad, Cymbre Walk, Phil Johnston, Stefanie Scott, John DiMaggio, Raymond S. Persi, Brian Kesinger, Martin Jarvis, Tucker Gilmore, Brandon Scott and Tim Mertens.
Season three kicked off with a few little changes. The first episode featured the first time when there are two named guest stars-Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge, who were married at the time. They each performed one song and then did one together.
We got a new set with the backstage cafeteria and the lunch lady Gladys.
One of the coolest songs was Floyd Pepper singing New York State of Mind.
Then, episode two has three songs from disco singer Leo Sayer. It was funny because Kermit had said that it was rare when they get rock and roll. Rock and roll, Kermit? Anyway… he does “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing,” “The Show Must Go On,” and “When I Need You.” I had heard two of them, but I could have never have named another except “Dancing.”
The second episode has the debut of Annie Sue Pig, a new female singing pig that really makes Piggy jealous.
The opening does not change much, but they do add the audience response in the song. They are getting closer to the Statler and Waldorf singing.
Animation Style: a blend of stylized realism and handcrafted keyframe animation
Studio: Paramount Animation
This was a film that I almost decided to not go and see. The first trailer they released for this movie was one of the worst trailers I had ever seen. It was so bad that, after all of the Michael Bay Transformers movies that I hated so much, I could not see myself wasting time on this. I am glad I went as it turned out to be one of my favorite movies of 2024.
Voice cast: Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne, Jon Bailey, and Jon Hamm.
Welcome to the EYG Comic Cavalcade! This week I got a mini-series off eBay to honor the loss of the iconic EYG Hall of Famer Tim Curry, who recently passed away. I saw the Rocky Horror Picture Show-The Comic Book on Covrprice.com and I searched for the series on eBay. It was expensive but it was worth it.
Todd also picked up Spawn #1 for me at a, seemingly great, price of $11.00 dollars. It’s not that I collect Spawn, or even like the character that much, but it is nice to have the book in my collection.
Comic Book of the Week
Six of Us #1
This was my favorite book of the week, by far. The new Tom King book that definitely has Friends flavor to it, with an unexpected murder at the end. It went from a sad issue featuring the loss of a close friend (much like Matthew Perry) to a surprising end.
I found this very entertaining and I am excited about the rest of this new Dark Horse book.
It also was the Gold Medalist for the EYG Favorite Comic Cover of the Week… the variant issue.
Books this Week:
Omega Kids #2. Written by James Patrick with art and cover art by Pauli Junquera. Brady has the Omega Book but there are plenty of others looking to grab control over it. Including the Mob. I loved issue one of the book and number two was okay, but not to the level of #1.
Wolverine #27. “This Man, This Metal” Written by Saladin Ahmed with art by Julius Ohta. Cover art was done by Dan Panosian (Silver Medalist). Wolverine is still dealing with his broken bone claws. I thought we were done with the Adamantine battle, but Wolverine goes after the golden villain once again.
The Punisher #8. “Big Guns Part 2 of 4” Written by Benjamin Percy with pencils by Jose Luis Soares. Cover art was done by David Marquez & Guru-eFX. This issue continued with the Punisher and Deadpool team-up. Well, team-up might not be the right way to say it as they spend a lot of time shooting at each other too. This started in the previous Deadpool book and will continue next month.
Doomquest #4. Written by Ryan North with art by Francesco Mobili. Cover art was done by Alex Ross. Doom’s trip around the timeline sees him reuniting with his long-lost love Valeria. This turned out to be a bit of a love story for our big time despot. The ending of the book sets up issue five with a shocking twist tied to Susan Storm.
Black Cat #14. “XIV: Mayday” Written by G. Willow Wilson with art by Gleb Melnikov. Cover art was done by Josemaria Casanovas. This is a Queen in Black crossover as the FF needed Felicia to steal the Supreme Intelligence Seeds from outer space, and Black Cat could not refuse the challenge.
Challenges of Doom: Spider-Man #1. Written by Al Ewing with art by David Messina. Cover art was done by Fabrizio De Tommaso. I picked up the variant cover B which was done by Peach Momoko. We get a meeting between Doom and Spidey in the early days. Doom looked down on Spidey and Spidey kept on trying. Doom nearly came to respect Spidey… but just not quite enough.
Iron Man #9. “Whiplash’s Revenge” Written by Joshua Williamson and art by Carmen Carnero. Cover art was done by Ryan Stegman & Frank Martin. I picked up the Timeless Variant cover B by Alex Ross (Bronze Medalist). Who is the new Citizen V? I would have never guess the answer… Happy Hogan? Happy is alive and fighting at Tony’s side.
From Parts Unknown #5. Written by Adriano Ariganello with art by Daniel Caval. Cover art was done by Daniel Caval. The mini series of a combination of Lucha wrestling and vampires comes to a close with a big time throwdown with the wrestlers. I enjoyed the series and it was hinted that this sereis will return in 2027. To that I say hurrah!
Barbara Gordon: Breakout #5. “For You.” Written by Mariko Tamaki with art by Amancay Bonvillain. Cover art was done by Karl Kerschl. This issue was quite brutal at times as there were some bloodletting and throats slit. It was bloodier than many of the Red Band books that came out over the last year or two.
The Forever Home #1. Written by Christian Ward with art by Sami Kivelä. Cover art was done by Christian Ward. This new book from Oni Press features one of the most intriguing premises of the last year or so. The premise is the inside the sealed smart-home refuge, time crawls—only 20 minutes pass for every full year that goes by in the outside world. It is a great start and I am ready to continue reading the series.
Fury of Firestorm #6. “The Fury Part 6” Written by Jeff Lemire with art by Rafael De Latorre. Cover art was done by Rafael Da Latorre and Marcelo Maiolo. I just discovered that the book has been extended to fifteen episodes by DC Comics, which made me extremely happy. This book has been excellent so far and more is just a great thing.
Zorro #3. Written by Howard Chaykin with art and cover art by Jorge Fornes. Zorro gets off the pirate ship and returned to Capistrano to stop the villains. I have enjoyed this short series of Zorro as I have also been liking the Zorro Legacy book.
Spawn ’77 #1. Written by Mark Spears and Todd McFarlane with art and cover art by Mark Spears. Spears and McFarlane also did a variant cover. The amazing art of Mark Spears makes this new Spawn book something more than just another Spawn book. It is a three issue mini series that elevates the character to a new level for me.
Neighborhood Watch #5. Written by Sarah Gailey and illustrated and cover art by Haining. The final issue of this book wraps up this mystery story with a big showdown. The premise of the issue was “Jill’s would-be murderer catches up with her, demanding to be taken to the mysterious ‘Shed Five’ to find evidence that the Open Arms Collective is a terrorist group. Bianca and Val prepare to fight back in the explosive series finale.”
Of the Earth #5. “Quality Time” Written by Chris Condon & Andrew Ehrich with art and cover art by Charlie Adlard. Tabby comes to face off with the horrifying oil monster. There are some major explosions and one more issue in this, the penultimate issue of this book.
Batman & Robin Year One: Dynamic Duos #2. “Chapter Two” Written by Mark Waid with art by Chris Samnee. Cover art was done by Chris Samnee and Mat Lopes. Dick Grayson goes undercover (and we get one of the funnier scenes of the month as Batman shows that he cannot do the makeup work on Dick) to try and discover the leader of a child gang.
Transformers #36. Written by Robert Kirkman with art by Jason Howard. Cover art was done by David Nakayama. The Aerialbots are here and they combine into Superion. Starscream returned to the front of the story. Cobra-la attacked the Autobots. Optimus and the military figure out a way to rid the earth of certain Decepticons.
Iron Knight #1. Written by Cody Ziglar and penciled by Kei Zama. Cover art was done by Yuji Kaku. The Marvel Mangaverse’s next book is Iron Knight, which sees a new version of Moon Knight. Actually, a couple of new versions of Moon Knight as they try and stop the Red Devil.
The Other/Half #5. Written by Jim McCann with art and cover art by Joe Eisma. Another of the final issue of books this week. The mystery of what happened to the missing diamond is revealed and Henry and Ethan renew their vows. I liked this book a lot too.
Inglorious X-Force #9. “A Force to Be Conflicted” Written by Tim Seeley with art by Michael Sta. Maria. Cover art was done by RB Silva & David Curiel. Hey, who knew but it looked like Cable was the bad guy after all. Can X-Force prevent Cable from killing Ms. Marvel?
Chachu #2. Written by Iman Vellani with art and cover art by Marianna Ignazzi. We get quite a bit of backstory of the family. Leila and her uncle (“Chachu”) are on the case of his missing wife. Written by MCU’s own Ms. Marvel, Iman Vellani, this new Image book is definitely interesting.
Other books this week: The Karman Blade #1, Planet Atmos: Exordium #5, Honor and Curse: Eternal #6, Blood & Thunder #17, The Three Stooges #1, Nano #2, Star Trek Deviations: Evermore #1, and The Living Corpse #1.
Quick Hits: Marvel Comics released Marvel Gold ’76 #1 that included Star-Lord, Nova, and Jack of Hearts vs. Bullseye. We got the next issue of Comics! The Magazine #7 which included some of the big stars of the crime comics genre including Ed Brubaker. The Folk of Dooney Hollow #1 is a new book from Ignition Press from the horror genre. The Bad Seeds storyline continued with the Bad Seeds: Gotham Central #1 focused on Gordon. Doctor Strange #10 ended the run of Doctor Strange in Asgard. I was never a fan of this version of Doctor Strange and I am glad that he and Angela are heading back to earth. Starhenge Book Two: A Kiss for Atticus #3 has one more issue to go with the new arc. Tankers vs. Ancient Aliens #4 actually returned to the Tankers and the Aliens after a few issues of weirdness. Innards #4 has also some weirdness under the ground. Tarzan Beyond #3 sees Tarzan and Jane is some trouble. After several months, Odin #4 finally came out. It has been awhile since issue #3 and it was difficult to pick it back up from the time frame. The DC book, Clayface: Celebrity Dirt #3 was a lot of fun. ID Crime dropped a new series called Fixation #1 which explores toxic para-social devotion, nostalgia as a drug, and the dangerous side of obsessive fandom.
