Author: Ed Sum

I'm a freelance videographer and entertainment journalist (Absolute Underground Magazine, Two Hungry Blokes, and Otaku no Culture) with a wide range of interests. From archaeology to popular culture to paranormal studies, there's no stone unturned. Digging for the past and embracing "The Future" is my mantra.

Baring Down on Jon Favreau’s The Jungle Book & Fond Recollections of a Tale Spin

THE JUNGLE BOOK

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Disney‘s live-action update to The Jungle Book shares a few visual and narrative similarities with its 1967 counterpart. While it’s a fun nod, I thought the nostalgia was unneeded. In what I enjoyed was a look at a darker, if not more violent, road to adulthood for a child found in the woods. A few scenes will most likely frighten toddlers but for youths, they may handle the bloodshed better. In the animal kingdom, these beasts have to scrounge for their meals and in this version, part of the tale is about the survival of the fittest.

Part of why I love this world is because of Tale Spin . This Disney Afternoon cartoon used characters from this work, introduced new ones (Don Carnage is a hoot) and placed the irrepressible Baloo the Bear (voiced by Phil Harris in the ’67 film, Ed Gilbert in the ‘toon and Bill Murray in this live-action film) in the lead role. Murray nails the adorability factor easily. While there’s no denying Gilbert was following in Harris’ footsteps for tonality and characterization, the generational factor is key to defining which version is going to be the most loved.

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Where’s the “Last Refuge” found in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow?

Legends of TomorrowBy Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

* Spoiler Alert

Some unintentionally funny moments written in “Last Refuge” in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow make this episode shine. Most of it is in how Rory and Sara are being set up as the next merry couple. The still troubled romance does not have to be between Carter, Kendra and Ray. There has to be a reason in why the two are always paired up. It’s destiny. When the main plot is about saving these younger incarnations of the team from death by a time travelling assassin known as The Pilgrim (Faye Kingslee, pictured right), just why these two youths are picked up as teens and not kids must be an executive decision. When they are stuck in the Waverider’s hold, I found it funny that Rory would get fresh with the White Canary.

At long last, the memories which shaped who Rory is are revealed. He fell in love with playing with fire and lost control of it when watching how its luscious curves can destroy. He’s consumed with guilt. He could have saved his family when the house went ablaze but something else guided him that night: fear. To see the child and adult interact with each other suggests the elder wanting his younger self to develop a heart, if not compassion. In addition to a great line, “You better not drop my future criminal partner!” by the elder to the youth holding baby Snart, I’m beginning to think he’s starting to change for the better. Dominic Purcell shines in this episode and it is about time. Despite the hate the two shared at each other in the past, some respect still exists between the two career thugs.

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What do the Three Prints Mean in AMC Theatre’s Captain America: Civil War?

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

AMC Theatres loves giving away collectible posters to reward fans who love seeing their favourite movies multiple times. This American-side chain is offering a set of three posters showing the three groups who will soon be fighting it out in Captain America: Civil War. While this tactic seems to leave other theatre chains in the dust, hopefully these other movie houses will have their own promotional campaigns to reward (comic book) film aficionados.

Matt Ferguson is providing the artwork for this set. Marvel Entertainment aficionados may recognize his style, as he’s provided the layout and design of the home video release box sets of this company’s films. They can be found in the packaging of both the Phase 1 and Phase 2 disc sleeves. His artwork on these multi-disc sets is certainly marvelous. To have one creative mind behind most of this company’s movie line-up is encouraging. On his Twitter page, he reveals how these prints must be arranged. 

In the artwork, one print shows Captain America, Winter Soldier and Scarlet Witch together. Another reveals Iron Man, War Machine and Black Panther. The third piece shows Falcon, Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye and Vision. The colours suggest each side’s allegience. Blue is the Captain’s signature colour, red is to symbolize Iron Man’s red suit and the grey represents neither. However, could the arrangement also imply neutrality? Hard to say until the film releases May 4th. To optain these prints, attendees must attend the screenings on May 8, May 15 and May 22.

A Look Into the Retro with Toy Collecting

SONY DSCBy Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Model railroads, Hot Rod cars, G.I. Joe, Transformers, Barbie and LEGO are all toys everyone has played with in their childhood, but growing up often leaves those playthings far behind. For the adult toy collector, they can finally own the stuff they couldn’t buy as a child, and the new toys coming out are a must because they look cool.

Biagio Woodward, manager of Cherry Bomb Toys in Victoria, BC believes that toys are designed for people of all ages. This shop moves a fair bit of product and the Christmas season is the best time for shoppers to look for that hard to find item for that hard to please nerd in the family. Sometimes, the perfect gift is a recycled one to bring back the nostalgia of what that geek loved when he or she was young, and in what was played with. Woodward believes what the current line of toys are trying to do is to match the quality of old toys, and collectors are willing to pay more money for them, old or new.

“For example, GI Joe toys from the 60’s is the basis of the 12″ toys of today because they are super-poseable,” says Woodward.

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Looking at Camosun College’s Comic Arts Festival 2016 Edition!

CCAF2016PosterCamosun College’s 4th Annual Comic Arts Festival is certainly growing and the program teaching the next generation of visual artists are here to show to residents of Victoria, BC they are ready to tackle the world. This show took place over the April 16th weekend, on the third floor of the Young Building at Lansdowne Campus.

Plenty of talent can be found in this exhibit of past graduate, current graduate and artists in the field of creating sequential art. Local talents like Nelson Dewey, Janine Johnston, and Glen Mullaly (to name a few) were also on hand to present their works, and sell their wares alongside their students. Gareth Gaudin’s Perogy Cat also made an appearance!

Also attending was Tsukino-Con to show that their event is not just about anime, but in celebrating the visual arts medium. Superheroes of Victoria was also present in costume (you have to be careful walking around Deadpool, otherwise the hilt may hit you) for the drop-in drawing-room. A few panels also highlighted the afternoon which looked at constructing web-comics (hosted by Alex Steacy), Splash! a watercolour painting demonstration by Karen Gillmore (Spam and the Sasquatch, Mermaid Music) in one of the most difficult of mediums to master, and a discussion of the ever-changing role of women in comics. A careful selection of comic convention level conversations can be found at this small show and they alone make this event worth attending every year. The best part is that for now, this festival is free to the public.

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DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Visit the Wild & Woolly West

legendsoftomorrowmag8By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

* Spoiler Alert

As much as I like to love “The Magnificent Eight,” something was missing in this trip to the Wild West. Where’s the weird? As a western, this episode of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow is enjoyable, but as a tribute to the material I adored from reading Jonah Hex comics, it was really lacking. The team is going into hiding in the aptly named Salvation City. Johnathon Schaech certainly put the grizzle into the performance, but I need my paranormal activity! The narrative did get science fiction-ish at the tail end, setting up a new villain for the team to fear, but I did not feel that this latest episode lived up to my expectations.

As Rip explained, there are periods in time where the Time Masters have difficulty homing in on. To find the team requires pinpoint accuracy and perhaps there’s something in this location which messes with the sensors this agency uses to find people. Whatever that may be, perhaps the reason will get explained in the future.

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