The Fun and Animated Story of GULLIVER RETURNS

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to DVD from director Ilya Maksimov and Shout! Factory Kids is the call for the legend in GULLIVER RETURNS.

While sailing around in his life of adventure, Gulliver (voiced by Wayne Grayson) receives a message from Lilliput. When he arrives, he is greeted by a king (Billy Bob Thompson) he does not know and immediately put on trial for not being the giant the little town celebrates.

Standing up for Gulliver is Marcy (Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld) and confuses the king with facts (although that does not seem difficult). What Gulliver does not know is that Marcy is the daughter of his good friend Frelok (HD Quinn) who seems to be in a fog about who his friend is.

When General of Blefuscu comes banging on Lilliput’s giant door, Gulliver has to show how being a giant has little to do with size. Gathering help from the town’s people, they repair what is needed while preparing for the General to do his best to try and take what belongs to the good people of Lilliput.

Other cast include Marc Thompson as Peters, Yelisaveta Zinovenko as Squick, Tom Wayland as Pablo and Samuel Weintraub as Wesley.

Shout! Factory will be donating a portion of the net proceeds earned from the distribution of the movie from year one to World Central Kitchen, a non-profit organization that provides fresh meals in response to crises, which is currently active in Ukraine and surrounding countries providing meals for as many people as possible at border crossings, shelters, and other locations.

SHOUT! Factory has grown into a tremendous multi-platform media company. Releasing new animated features such as the exquisite Long Way North, and the epic fantasy Beauty and The Beast. Also, their own original horror film, Fender Bender gives fans a good scare. For more of what SHOUT Factor has to offer please visit www.shoutfactory.com.

GULLIVER RETURNS reunites the classic character from Jonathan Swift’s timeless tale. The king sends shocks through the town declaring that Gulliver is Gulliver but not the Gulliver they celebrate. The idea for this returning tale came about by Ukrainian President Volodymryr Zelensky who has become a symbol of the fighting spirit with a giant’s heart.

The animation has Tony Bonilla as its animation director who was part of ENCANTO and MOANA. The film is lively, fun, full of giggly scenes and yet a story that continually reminds the viewer that standing up for what is right and help those who need it the most.

GULLIVER RETURNS is definetly a family film and needs to be watched together. There is so much to talk about once the film has ended as well. Grab the popcorn and prepare to return to Lilliput!

In the end – new adventures from a big hero!

 

 

DC LEAGUE of SUPER-PETS

 

Jeri Jacquin

Flying its way into theatres this weekend from writer/director Jared Stern, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures is DC LEAGUE of SUPER-PETS.

Krypto (voiced by Dwayne Johnson) is Superman’s dog and has been since being force to leave their home planet of Krypton as a baby. Feeling wonderful about having such a best friend, Krypto becomes a little confused when he sees Superman (John Krasinski) and Lois Lane (Olivia Wilde) and becomes a little jealous.

Lois notices and suggests that perhaps they find a canine friend for Krypto. At the local shelter, Ace (Kevin Hart) and his other caged friends including PB (Vanessa Bayer) the pig, Merton (Natasha Lyonne) the turtle, Chip (Diego Luna) the squirrely squirrel and the ever-plotting Lulu (Kate McKinnon) the hairless guinea pig.

All Ace wants to do is escape and all Krypto wants to do is hang with his bff Superman. Especially since Lex Luthor (Marc Marcon) is up to no good trying to get a piece of a meteor that he thinks will give him super powers. First of all he has to get the League out of his way including Batman (Keanu Reeves), Wonder Woman (Jameela Jamil), The Flash (John Early), Cyborg (Daveed Diggs), the Green Lantern (Dascha Polanco) and Aquaman (Jemaine Clement).

His plan fails and he ends up in jail but what he does not know is that Lulu gets a hold of a piece of the meteor and deduces that it only works on animals! Breaking away from the shelter, she did not count on what happens next – all of the animals gain super powers. But Lulu has other plans as she goes straight after Superman and Krypto falls for trick that makes his powers disappear.

Krypto needs help and discovers Ace and the others. He has no choice but to ask for their help in exchange for taking them to his farm in Smallville when it is all done. Now the battle for good and evil begins as animals and humans must come together to fight a deranged hairless guinea pig. Well, it just goes to prove evil comes in all shapes and sizes!

Johnson as Krypto gives us Superman’s best canine friend. There is not anything Krypto wouldn’t do for his Super-friend wanting to keep the promise to his parents. Always faithful but completely stubborn, trying to work with Ace after he gets superpowers proves to be his biggest challenge. He is learning to be a regular dog and what friendship truly means.

Hart as Ace gives his usual comic attitude of a dog with a broken heart of his own. Yet, he is always thinking of his fellow cage-mates, well, with the exception of Lulu. Once he realizes he has super powers, teaching Krypto to get a dog, Krypto also teaches Ace how to be a superhero and have faith in himself.

Bayer as PB is charming, sweet, cute, and filled with self-doubt and there is no way you can’t love her. Lyonne as Merton is hilarious and is enjoying his new status as a superhero in a very unusual and funny way. Luna as Chip has the same insecurities as PB and his superpowers make that feeling a tad more stressful but dang if he isn’t the cutest. Now, McKinnon as Lulu was the perfect choice to play the slightly, oh lets just be honest, totally deranged hairless guinea pig who has issues and is kind of love struck in a twisted sort of way. I just love her performance and it made me laugh – a lot.

Krasinski gets to be Superman, Wilde tries to keep up with evil as Lois, and Keanu Reeves is the voice of Batman. Can we please put him up for the role? He is difficult, dark, funny and charming voicing the man behind the mask.

Shout out to Thomas Middleditch and Ben Schwartz as guinea pigs Keith and Mark. They had me cracking up so much and just wanted to cuddle the stuffing out of them!

Other cast include Keith David as Zypto, Richard Arnold as Waffles, and Alfred Molina as Jor-El.

Warner Brothers is home to one of the most successful collections of brands in the world and stands at the forefront of every aspect of the entertainment industry from feature film, television and home entertainments with worldwide distribution to DVD and Bluray, animation, comic books, videogames and broadcasting. For more please visit www.warnerbros.com.

DC Entertainment is the entertainment company for DC Comics which is one of the largest American comic book companies. Bringing such films as JUSTICE LEAGUE, AQUAMAN, SHAZAM! and soon BLACK ADAM, fans are watching the continuing film library that is being led by such directors as Patty Jenkins, Zack Snyder, James Gunn, James Wan and Jaume Collet-Serra. For more please visit www.warnerbros.com.

DC LEAGUE of SUPER-PETS is a fun family film that will be enjoyed by everyone. There are moments that surprised me with its adult language (sort of) and humor. But then again, if you want parents who love DC to sit with their kids who love animated films, you are going to have to throw a bone to them right?

There is fun, adventure and fighting the bad guys, well, er, um, the bad-mad guinea pig. The animation is everything one would expect from DC and the cast gives the audience plenty to love and laugh about. Lets face it, we would all think it cool to have a super-pet of our very own.

In the end – sit, stay and save the world!

Final Day of San Diego Comic Con 2022

 

Jeri Jacquin

Sunday, the final day always seems a little bit more relaxed when gathering my things to head over to Hall H. Everyone is heading to the convention center to get the last-minute collectable, see friends one more time before heading back to where ever they have journeyed from, get pictures taken with kids who are spending their Sunday meeting their favorite super heroes or characters.

Me? Well, I’m back to Hall H for two of my favorite television shows and both from the fantastic FX channel. This morning it is the return of MAYANS M.C. and the vampire comedy WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS.

The crowd is told some good news when Elgin James announces that the motorcycle club drama is being given the green light for another season. That’s good news considering we have to know who is responsible for blowing up the warehouse that EZ says in the final episode of season four is ‘the clubs legacy’. The entire cast is not only excited but a few tears of joy were shed.

The panel, along with Elgin James, consisted of J.D. Pardo, Clayton Cardenas, Danny Pino, Sarah Bolger, Emilio Rivera, Michael Irby, Raoul Truillo, Frankie Loyal, Gino Vento, JR Bourne, Vincent Vargas, Emily Toasta, and Vanessa Giselle. Each and every one spoke on their experiences working on MAYANS MC and, most of all, thanking fans for its continual success and, from my perspective, it felt absolutely sincere.

James says of the show, “And every single member of the Mayans family, from our top of the call sheet to our set Pas and every single person in between have put their blood and sweat into making MAYANS something special on the set and on the screen. I’m deeply indebted to John, Eric, Nick and all of the FX and particularly Colette Wilson who’s been in the trenches with us from day one for allowing us to continue to explore and create.”

The last episode of the season left us with EZ taking over the top dog seat, Bishop in a shocked second and Padrino walking away from a club he was trying to keep alive. With the last battle in their own ranks, the vote to go to war with the Sons of Anarchy is ahead. Now, the we are all going to have to take sides!

“Kurt Sutter and I talked about how EZ has this path. The universe was going to spit him out back where he belongs – that was always going to be his fate.” James talked about EZ never knowing if he was in or our because we all saw the mistakes he was making yet still rising in the ranks. “That’s what he’s doing now with the club where there are egos in the way like Bishop and Angel, and I don’t say ego in a negative way.”

Bishop spent the season licking his wounds and Angel spent the season going in and out of love and sadness as his own family starts to change his feelings toward life. But, EZ, well, EZ has the look of a man that is either going to succeed in taking down SAMCRO or, well, lets leave it at that. There will be more on this in a longer article once I have recovered from Comic Con, hey, a girl has got to get some beauty sleep here!

Attendees are told as well that their gift ticket is none other than a MAYANS MC t-shirt and trust when I say that it is the first best nightshirt in my 2022 collection for Comic Con this year.

Next up, the FX hilarious comedy WHAT WE DO IN SHADOWS. The cast panel included Executive Producer and writer Paul Simms, Executive Producer and writer Stefani Robinson, Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillen, Mark Proksch and Kristen Schaal (who cracks me up EVERY time).

Starting out watching an exclusive screening THE NIGHT MARKET, Simms teases that it is the biggest episode yet. That’s fine by me because it had me giggling for half an hour. The process was “Lot of hours of twiddling with my sword and playing with my sword and putting my sword up against Harvey’s sword. Take that as you will, my fellow Nandermo lovers”. The crowd loved it!

Demetriou as Nadja, talks about the hottest vampire club saying, “The reason we have the nightclub is because they’ve seen me dance. When you see a talent like that, you have to use it.” What the audience doesn’t know at this point is that the Comic Con gift from WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS is a tee-shirt with Nadja’s outline and club on it, suitable for becoming the next best nightshirt in my collection.

Simms says that future episodes including the gang in one room and a ‘boys weekend’ which is going to be epic when you think about it. Other tidbits are teasing that viewers are going to meet Guillermo’s family while he tries to find love. WHAT WE DO IN THE SHAWDOWS is on FX and can be seen Tuesday nights with new episodes and streaming the next day on Hulu.

That, my friends, is how I ended my journey through San Diego Comic Con International 2022 at the convention center in San Diego. There was excitement, surprises, trailers, talent and things to do walking around downtown to welcome back fans after a two-year absence. Comic Con did their utmost to protect attendees and with that, masks became part of costumes and it worked!

It a joy to see friends once again, reconnect with our fellow attendees and the excitement that we will once again come back to San Diego Comic Con International in 2023!

See you then!

 

 

Saturday at Comic Con Brings Action and Action Heroes

 

Jeri Jacquin

After a long night of waiting in line, and some since Friday, for Hall H on Saturday, there turned out to be a lot to be excited about.

Moderator Tiffany Smith begins the morning with SHAZAM! Fury of the Gods with the panel including Zachary Levi, David F. Sandberg, Asher Angel, Dylan Grazer, Lucy Liu and a screen appearance from the ever-delightful Helen Mirren as Hespera. Mirren made it clear, “I absolutely loved playing Hespera. She’s such a baddie and a bad-ass. And Zach, I have such a lovely time kicking the s**t out of you! Yea, pussy power!”

Levi introduces the trailer for the film by saying, “We’re all just trying to figure it out. It adds for a real great interesting bedrock of reality that you can connect to as a human being because we’re super heroes but we’re human beings.”

Next is Warner Bros. bringing out Dwayne Johnson as only they could – in his costume for the DC Comics film BLACK ADAM high above the rest of us mere mortals. Causing quite a ruckus of, he gives the death star before announcing, “Hall H, you’ve been warned. The DC Universe will never be the same again.” Well, after all, he is The Rock so I tend to think we should all listen to the man.

The panel includes Jaume Collett-Serra, Quintessa Swindell, Aldis Hodge and Noah Centineo along with Dwayne Johnson making a quick change out of his extremely tight super suit. He also makes it clear that his goal is to bring in ‘a new era in the DC universe.”

Johnson also says, “It has been a long journey, one that has been fueled with passion, with commitment and grit to push BLACK ADAM along. It has easily been over ten years as Jaume and I worked together for over five years now. The journey has been an incredible one and as many of you know I love coming to Comic Con but to be here in Hall H representing DC, DC superheroes, super villains is truly a dream come true.”

Continuing he says, “Because the dream when I started in this business many moons ago, I would come here and bring movies here and you all would be here. I would always hope people liked them and my dream and Seven Bucks Productions and to be here today to watch BLACK ADAM throw around lightening like he was passing out candy, I have to tell you it really is a dream come true. So, thank you so much for this kind of love and support.”

Of course, fans responded with enthusiasm and equal love.

Over in Ballroom 20, AMC’s INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE is taking a bite out of fans even before its premiered. Moderator Damian Holbrook has the opportunity to talk about Louis played by Jacob Anderson, Lestate played by Sam Reid and Claudia played by Bailey Bass and the story through the eyes of Daniel played by Eric Bogosian.

The panel brought executive producer Matt Johnson, showrunner Rolin Jones, Designer Mara LePere-Schloop along with Anderson, Reid, Bass and Bogosian. John says, “The books are so fun and so different, it is hard to believe they are connected in that way. The Anne Rice world is going to go on for some time on AMC.”

Anderson says of being cast, “I watched the movie when I was a teen. As soon as I got the email about the audition, I got this weird feeling in my stomach. I am really excited to be part of this world as I deeply connect with Louis.”

What I am excited about is that Rolin Jones teases, “If you have read Prince Lestat, The Vampire Armand and Interview with the Vampire, you’ll see lots of nods to the material. We are trying to build a universe, and there is some witchery thrown in there as well”. I have read ALL of Anne Rice’s books and if Marius makes an appearance, I’m going to lose my mind as he is my favorite character with a rich history.   

Back in Hall H, the Netflix series THE SANDMAN proves to be another amazing move for the streaming service. Tom Sturridge stars as Dream, the younger brother of Death who has been captured by a wizard. After his escape, he goes on a quest to find his lost powers. Comic creator Neil Gaiman has brought the story to life and will be seen by all August 5^th.

The panel moderator Kari Byron included Neil Gaiman, Allan Heinberg, Tom Sturridge, Vivienne Acheampong, Boyd Holbrook, Gwendoline Christie, Joanna Constantine, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Mason Alexander Park, Vanesu Samunyai and Patton Oswalt.

Gaiman said, “What I’m really excited about is that in less than two weeks, everyone’s going to see what we made. I’m so excited about it. I’m so proud of it.” Playing the role of Dream, Sturridge says, “I care so deeply about this piece of literature. I read and re-read the comic over and over.”

Leave it to Christie after spending years in armor in her role as Lady Brianne in the GAME OF THRONES series, she is in a different set of armor. In the role of Lucifer, she reminds the audience that at one time Lucifer was God’s favorite angel before falling.

After hundreds and hundreds of fans had spent almost 48 hours sleeping on concrete, their dedication will not be in vain. Hall H is about to erupt as Marvel Studios brings their slate. Starting with the iconic voice of Stan Lee, he says tell the audience that, “Marvel has always been and always will be a reflection of the world right outside out window.”

Moderator Ash Crossan asks Kevin Feige about WAKANDA FOREVER and are told that the film is the last Phase 4 film. Moving on to the next phase, the films ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: Quantumania, SECRET INVASION, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3, ECHO, LOKI Season 2 (which I have been waiting ages for!), THE MARVELS, BLADE, IRONHEART, AGATHA: Coven of Chaos, and CAPTAIN AMERICA: New World Order.

Also included in that slate are the eighteen episodes of DAREDEVIL: Born Again and THUNDERBOLTS which concludes Phase 5.

SHE-HULK: Attorney at Law has Jamila Jameel commenting on her role and character as, “She’s extremely annoying and I learned that from myself” also claiming jealousy is what motivates her. SECRET INVASION has a trailer as well with Nick Fury (minus an eye patch) talking about Skrull. Cobie Smulder as Maria Hill calls the film an exciting thriller.

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: Quantumania is up next as Kathryn Newton, Evangeline Lilly and Paul Rudd are introduced by director Peyton Reed to kick off Phase Five. There is a trailer to get fans captivated telling a little of the upcoming story so check out the trailer as soon as its released tomorrow morning.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 has James Gunn taking the Hall H stage. It is also the end of the Guardians Era. The good news is that Bill Murray will be part of the cast in some way or another. The cast gets a chance to see the first trailer and trust me when I say the cheering for Groot and Rocket was pretty cool.

It is the drums and vocals of Baba Maal that lead the audience cheering for BLACK PANTHER: Wakanda Forever. Ryan Coogler, director of the film, has the audience sending out cheers as he acknowledges the late Chadwick Boseman and his “enormous hands.” Bringing out Lupita Nyong’o, Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira, Florence Kasuma and Winston Duke he also includes newcomers Tenoch Huerta and Dominique Thorne.

Huerta has a chance to speak about being in the film and says, “I come from the hood. Without inclusion, I wouldn’t be here. By the way, Namor is amazing!”.

What a way to end Hall H for the evening and very difficult for Kevin Smith to follow with. Those that left, walked away very tired but very happy with what they have seen and the reason for Comic Con in the first place – the shared experience.

One more day folks!

Hall H on Friday Brought Excitement and a Sad Goodbye

 

Jeri Jacuqin

Hall H is always the place to be for film and television and Friday’s panels are no exception. Beginning the morning with a huge surprise by Stephen Colbert opening the day and leading the way to Prime’s upcoming series LORD OF THE RINGS: The Rings of Power. With the unusual look of an orchestra on the stage, Colbert introduces musician extraordinaire Bear McCreary who plays the most intense music with choir right behind. It is stunning, beautiful and ethereal. That is exactly what LORD OF THE RINGS: The Rings of Power is.  

The cast is so large it took three different panels because the stage would be overcrowded if they all came at once. Showing trailer after trailer, the audience became more and more excited and, at times, bantered with Colbert on who knew more about Middle Earth and it was hilarious.

The panel included Patrick McCay, J.D. Payne and Lindsey Weber as they explained their love of Tolkien and how deep their feelings run. Making sure our trip back thousands of years before Frodo and the gang is as wonderful, trust me when I saw fans and even those who might just want to check it out will not be disappointed.

There will be more on this in another article because trust me when I saw there is so much to share.

AMC brings Chris Hardwick back to the stage to moderate The Walking Dead Universe and after receiving a wonderful welcome back from the crowd, Hardwick introduces a new show. TALES OF THE WALKING DEAD is the next journey with six stories into the dead universe at Scott Gimple comes to the stage.

The panel includes Showrunner and Executive Producer Channing Powell, Director Michael Satrazemis, Terry Crews, Danny Ramirez and Samantha Morton returning as Alpha. To best describe the show, Satrazemis says, “This is everything with amazing stories and new people. TALES OF THE WALKING DEAD feels exciting and we like what we have done”. Of course a trailer makes the audience cheer knowing that universe has many surprises.

Hardwick then moderates AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD for its final panel in Hall H at San Diego Comic Con. Speaking with a few people in the audience, they tell me it is a mixture of sheer sadness yet happiness to be in Hall H to be a part of saying goodbye. Hardwick, trying to keep it together himself, introduces the cast that includes the return of Scott Gimple, Angela Kang, Greg Nicotero, Melissa McBride, a very blonde Josh McDermitt, Ross Marquand, Seth Gilliam, Lauren Ridloff, Cailey Fleming, Michael James Shaw and, of course, Norman Reedus.

There were laughs, memories shared and nods to other cast members but also there were tears coming from so many people on the stage and in the audience. McBride, who had played Carol from the very first season, tries to speak and continually becomes choked up tries to express her feelings about the end of THE WALKING DEAD.

Everyone notices two cast members who were not present and that is because Maggie aka Lauren Cohen and Negan aka Jeffrey Dean Morgan had an announcement of their own to make. Seems Maggie and Negan are going to find their way to New York City in another break out show ISLAND OF THE DEAD. I don’t care what they call it because I am more interested in how Maggie and Negan end up in New York as all will be revealed.

As the cast says their final goodbyes both to the audience and each other, it gets very intense. Each of the cast tells the audience how much their support has meant and as much as we all love the show (and I am a huge fan, just ask my Sheriff Rick Grimes badge on my desk), they wanted the fans to know their feelings are equally returned.

As they exited the stage, Scott Gimple remained because an audience member earlier had asked about the movie that had been rumored to explain where Andrew Lincoln aka Rick Grimes had gone. Gimple starts to talk when he is drowned out by the audience going nuts as Danai Guiria aka Michonne and Andrew Lincoln aka Rick Grimes saunter onto the stage.

There big announcement is that instead of a movie, there will be six episodes on AMC+ (I’m sure their subscription is going to go through the roof now!) that will explain where Rick and Michonne have been and wrap up that part of the story…or will it? Lincoln makes a date with the audience for next years Comic Con to answer questions and I’m sure there will be plenty. Its not like we want these characters to ever go away.

The next panel kept everyone in their seats as the panel for BRZRKR, Keanu Reeves comic book character gets its first time in the very large Hall H. Along with Ron Garney, the book is about a half-man-half-god making his way through time. Moderator Coy Jandreau was geeking out a little speaking with Matt Kindt, Matt Gagnon, Eric Harburn, Mattson Tomlin and Stephen Christy.

Speaking about the character of B, Reeves says, “I had this idea of a character who can punch you through the chest and rip arms off who was cursed with violence trying to figure out who they are and reclaim their humanity.” Meeting with Boom! Studios, the idea was pitched and it took a few years to put it together.

Continuing to gush about the project, Reeves says, “The people at Boom! Curated my experience in a special way. They brought together a team that helped this be more enjoyable. But when the first issue was in my hand, I thought it was f**king Christmas. When I read it, I thought it was some of the best creative days of my life.”

Growing up with comic books in Toronto, it is clear that this project is something special by Reeves and his team so expect it to be epic.

But that isn’t all – Reeves returns to the stage letting fans know they were not going to get out of Hall H with empty hands. Giving out posters for JOHN WICK 4, fans (yes, I’m one) get an even bigger swag gift with a trailer to the film.

That is a day fill with excitement that can only be found in Hall H! Now comes Saturday, the day people have slept overnight for on concrete because who doesn’t want to go home with a story of their own to tell. It is going to be a feast for the eyes and senses because San Diego Comic Con in Hall H never disappoints!

  

COMIC CON 2022 is Here!

 

Jeri Jacquin

San Diego Comic Con 2022 is back and it is time to get in the best cosplay outfits or even just a good pair of tennis shoes to experience a two-year absence from our skyline!

Beginning on Wednesday, attendees had so many choices going from San Diego Central Library to Food Wars at the Marriott to seeing the films THE DARK CRYSTAL, STAR TREK The Wrath of Khan and BLADE RUNNER to games and Anime.

Of course, there were costumes, meeting up with friends and fellow ComicCon lovers who have been absent for the last two years and lots of collectibles and special items to be bought and had. It is just the beginning to four more days of catching up!

Thursday began with the thrilling return to Hall H for DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: Honor Among Thieves from Paramount Pictures starring Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Rege-Jean Page, Sophia Lillis, Justice Smith, Hugh Grant and so many more. Unleashing the greatest evil the world has ever known might be a little harder than they could have imagined.

Showing right in Hall H was the new TEEN WOLF: The Movie panel with Sarah Michelle Geellar, Jeff Bryan Davis, Tyler Hoechlin and Tyler Posey.

Ballroom 20 was taken over by GHOSTS! The CBS comedy follows Samantha and Jay, a couple who discovers their home has been taken over by ghosts from over the span of time. The series stars Rose McIver and Utkarsh Ambudkar as the couple with Brandon Scott Jones, Richie Moriarty, Danielle Pinnock, Asher Grodman, Roman Zaragoza, Sheila Carrasco, Rebecca wisocky and Devan chandler Long as the misty houseguests.

Also in Ballroom 20, NATIONAL TREASURE: Edge of History from Disney+ and the panel included Jordan Rodrigues, Zuri Reed, Antonio Cipriano, Lisette Olivera and Jake Austin Walker. A woman sets out to discover the mystery that is in her family and maybe find lost treasure as well (bonus!).

Hall H brings on the celebration of MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: 40 Years. That is a big deal in my household considering that we spent afternoons and Saturdays watching the show. It is amazing and a little scary that so much time has gone by yet, MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE is still a staple of childhood.

Ballroom 20 brings the Appletv+ series SEVERANCE and if you have not watched the show then you really, really should. The series is coming into its second season as moderator Patton Oswalt speaks with Dan Erickson who is the creator and writer of the show.

Also, on the panel was director Ben Stiller, Britt Lower, Dichen Lachman, Jen Tullock and Tramell Tillman. If you want a show that is original, trippy and just has your head scratching before theories kick in, then SEVERANCE is for you.

Finally in Hall H, it is SHATNER ON SHATNER as William Shatner talks about the documentary of his life brought to the screen by Exhibit A Pictures and Legion M. Talking about how it came together, he says, “For years I’ve had people approaching me to do a documentary about my life, but I turned them all down because it didn’t feel like the right fit.”

Continuing, Shatner included, “When I heard how Legion M wanted to incorporate audiences to be part of it, it was perfect.” He acknowledges that fans have been ‘responsible for my career – it only seems right that they should own this documentary.” Well said captain my captain!

All of this is just the beginning with three more days of panels, talks, and sites to behold for 2022’s San Diego Comic Con International!

NOPE

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres this Friday from writer/director Jordan Peele, Monkeypaw Productions and Universal Pictures is the big NOPE.

The Haywood family has a history with horses that dates back farther than anyone knew. Training horses for television and films, patriarch Otis Haywood Sr. (Keith David) keeps the isolated ranch running. That is until something unusual happens to change the dynamic of the family.

Son OJ Haywood (Daniel Kaluuya) is working hard to keep the farm going as well with the sometimes help of sister Emerald (Keke Palmer). While in the middle of their usual brother and sister banter, OJ notices something in the sky that is odd. Using their outdated ranch cameras to see it, Emerald has a big idea.

Down the road is Ricky ‘Jupe’ Park (Steven Yeun), once child star who met with some strangeness of his own and now runs a desert theme park. OJ sometimes has to sell a horse or two to get buy and Jupe is accommodating with his latest acquisition of Lucky.

When Emerald gets a big idea, she calls Antlers Holst (Michael Wincott), a renowned camera man to see if he would be interested in getting ‘the shot’.  When that does not really pan out, OJ and Emerald turn to Angel Torres (Brandon Pera) to update their cameras and get them set up. That’s when Angel realizes there is something going on at this ranch.

When an afternoon performance as Jupe’s place turns bizarre and the story breaks on the news, Antlers realizes that Emerald might be right. OJ, Emerald and Angel, after a night of horror, begin to understand what they are fighting and what it will take to win and want to get it all on film.

Kalyyua as OJ is more the quiet of the brother-sister duo. He speaks when he needs to and is the observant one. Putting the pieces together is what he is good at which can be difficult when working with a squirrely sister and a chatty tech guy. Kalyyua gives a straight up performance yet Peele knew he could since his role in the 2017 film GET OUT.

Palmer is the mouthy out of control sister Emerald that always has something to say but most of it is just rolls out irritatingly. Kalyyua’s OJ knows he can not expect anything in the way of help with work or even keeping the ranch running because she has wild ideas yet none of them are in play. This is a different role for Palmer and she gets it done.

Pera as Angel is bored with his life as a Fry’s tech and finds what is going on with the Haywood’s so interesting and worth returning again and again. When he sees what is out on the ranch, he wants to help even though his courage is a little out of whack.

Wincott as Antlers is that craggy voiced, self-indulgent photographer who wants the ultimate on film and the rest of it is all boring. Realizing what is happening at the Haywood ranch, he might have found something less boring!

Yeun as Jupe has his own creepy story to tell about being a child star which fascinates Emerald. He is working equally as hard to keep his little theme park going and will do whatever it takes to keep the doors open – its that ‘anything’ that is the problem.

Other cast include Wrenn Schmidt as Amber Park, Donna Mills as Bonnie Clayton, Barbie Ferreira as Nessie, Oz Perkins as Fynn Bachman, Devon Graye as Ryder Muybridge, Jacob Kim as Young Ricky, Sophia Coto as Mary Jo Elliott, Terry Notary as Gordy, Andrew Patrick as Tom Bogan, Eddie Jemison as Buster and Jennifer Lafleur as Phyllis.

So, (taking a deep breath), I know I am supposed to just rave about this film because its Jordan Peele but all I can say is ‘meh’. There are moments I give a nod to but after two hours and fifteen minutes I just wanted to get out of my seat. The problem with saying more is that I do not want to give anything away in case it is someone else’s’ cup of tea.

The plot had the potential to be so creative but it gets bogged down with other stuff that felt more like a lecture than an enjoyable time at the movies. The twists and turns just irritated me and all I could scream in my head is ‘why…Why…WHY?’

Seriously, this could have been so much fun for a summer film and I’m sure it will make a lot of money because, and let’s be honest, the push is insane. That’s what you do when there is not a lot coming down the pipeline. I feel like this is the director’s having hit a speed bump, or as I like to call it an M. Knight Shyamalan moment. Meaning Shyamalan hit a speed bump with THE HAPPENING and THE LAST AIRBENDER and he came back swinging.

Did I want to like it? Of course! I enjoyed GET OUT and US so what this tells me is that Peele has stories to tell and is able to tell them but with NOPE he should have really thought out more. If I am spending more time hearing people say ‘I don’t get this mess at all’ or ‘that’s two hours of my life I’ll never get back’, then I feel less crazy about how I am feeling about it.

Honestly, my opinion probably does not make sense but that’s what happens when trying not to tell more of the story without ruining it. Oh well. Perhaps I will give it time for people to see and THEN we can talk detail and why I ended up laughing at certain scenes.

In the end – it is all about the nope!