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Disney’s Encanto Can Only Last So Long…

27 Nov

Encanto poster.jpgBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Walt Disney Animation Studios continuing plan to explore other cultures through their films has always been enlightening even though they aren’t always educational. Their latest, Encanto, is a mixed bag of wonder created by a committee.

Byron Howard, Jared Bush and Charise Castro Smith introduce us to a latino world where mysticism is still practised. The backstory reveals how the Madrigal family became the town’s founders and protectors. A magical hacienda (called a Casita in the film) emerged out of the candle and it’s been protecting this clan for generations, so long as it keeps burning. It’s easy to ignore one factual problem of living in the middle of nowhere and nothing has been said further about those pesky conquistadores. 

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The Parapod Isn’t Just A Very British Ghost Hunt, But Also Is An Exercise on Patience

25 Nov

The ParaPod: A Very British Ghost Hunt (2020) - IMDbBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

It’s hard to believe two comedians can embark on The ParaPod: A Very British Ghost Hunt based on their interest in proving and disproving the paranormal. They are not expert ghost hunters because they don’t have established protocols for each place they visit. Well, one of them tries to set some rules down….

The team of Barry Dodds and Ian Boldsworth (who also directs) are better known for their individual work at comedy clubs and the local (fringe) theatre circuit before starting their podcast in 2015. They are a double act. Three years in the making, this mockumentary follows their exploits at trying to outwit instead of convincing the other about the existence of the supernatural. Their success is less about the fun they had together, and more thought-provoking when they look back at all that’s they’ve uncovered.

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There’s No Time to Die With James Bond’s Home Video Outing

23 Nov

unnamed4K Collector’s Edition available to preorder on Amazon USA

James Bond’s No Time to Die will continue to run in theatres for another week or so, but for those wanting to keep his spirit alive, this film will be arriving on home video on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™ and DVD Collector’s Editions on December 21, 2021.

This film from Albert R. Broccoli’s EON Productions, Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has generated more than $700 million worldwide and is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. It’ll be the perfect holiday gift for the James Bond enthusiast who has everything to date, and this release promises more than an the usual bonus content exploring the action, spectacle and stunts. It’s possible a Daniel Craig legacy collection is in the works for release too, but news hasn’t dropped yet as for when that package will be offered.

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Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop: The Return of a Classic

23 Nov

Netflix Debuts a Cowboy Bebop Trailer and a New Poster

By Shawn Trommeshauser
(Dreaming in Digital)

Now Available on Netflix

Cowboy Bebop, the new sci-fi series streaming on Netflix, follows the exploits of Jet Black and Spike Spiegel, a pair of bounty hunters travelling the solar system while trying to make ends meet. In their line of work, they have to deal with everything the solar system sends their way from drug dealing nut jobs to ridiculous fuel costs and everything in between.

Cowboy Bebop is also based off the classic anime of the same name from 1998 with the same characters and premise. Currently rated nearly 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, many consider it to be legendary, and I’m one of them. So when Netflix announced a live-action remake of Cowboy Bebop, I was excited. Though the fandom immediately split on whether or not this reboot was going to be good or if it should have been made at all. Remakes and reboots rarely have a very good track record, but I’m not against them at all, so I decided to be cautiously optimistic.

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Afterthoughts on Ghostbusters: Afterlife

21 Nov

GB2footsc02By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Heavy Spoiler Alert

Not everyone from the original films returned to appear in Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Two characters we didn’t get to see Louis Tully (Rick Moranis) and the other is the titular Slimer. The former is understandable as the actor retired a long time ago, to take care of his kids when his wife sadly passed. Though they’re older now, and Moranis has done a few voice-over roles, to convince him to appear on screen requires more than being friends with Ryan Reynolds or what Sony / Columbia Pictures can offer. 

Regarding why he declined to appear in the 2016 film, “I hope it’s terrific. But it just makes no sense to me. Why would I do just one day of shooting on something I did 30 years ago?” he said to The Hollywood Reporter in 2015. His reasoning can apply to this 2020/21 film (delayed due to the pandemic).

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