Tag: Based on Television

Shin Kamen Rider or Masked, He’s still A Ronin At Heart

Instead of turning the franchise into a cinematic blockbuster Shin Kamen Rider is still very much a 70s superhero film about a lonely soldier boy.

Shin Kamen Rider Movie PosterFantasia Film Festival 2023 and Available to Stream on Amazon Prime as Shin Masked Rider
Spoiler Alert

Hidiki Anno’s Shin Kamen Rider is his latest entry to a self-contained universe, and it doesn’t change the story of Takeshi Hongo (Sôsuke Ikematsu) becoming the bug-like superhero by much. Although he isn’t ready to identify himself as Kamen, what he discloses is that he’s a Masked Rider.

By tacking the word “Shin” on front, this filmmaker isn’t making this film to bring in new fans. Instead, what he adds is a Frankenstein element to appease those in the know. The internal conflict this hero must be feeling has been explored before, and when Anno is involved, it’s sure to be good! This change to an kids television show to an adult one is a tonal shift I’m liking. Continue reading “Shin Kamen Rider or Masked, He’s still A Ronin At Heart”

Disney’s Legendary Gargoyles Are Back in Business and Their Future with Dynamite Comics

The art by George Kambadais beautifully recalls everything I adore from Disney’s Gargoyles cartoon, and even more!

Dynamite Comics GargoylesDynamite Comic‘s grande plan may well be to bring the complete catalogue of Disney Afternoon cartoons back in sequential art form! It’s cheaper than trying to reboot everything, and so far, we have Gargoyles and Darkwing Duck. Both even have along with facsimiles of their previous fruns. The former had an eleven issue run by Marvel Comics and the latter for eight by Joe Books.

The reason for the delay in saying anything is that I hoped I could track down the latter series to read and give a full review rather than partial. I didn’t find any at this comic book trade show in my city or at Fan Expo Vancouver, but I will say the reprint showed how absolutely fun and nostalgic that publication is. I need to attend a larger show to find them. Continue reading “Disney’s Legendary Gargoyles Are Back in Business and Their Future with Dynamite Comics”

Will the Chase Ever End in Tom & Jerry, The Movie?

Sadly, this film adds nothing to explain why Tom and Jerry have endured over the years.

Tom & Jerry (Official 2021 Film Poster).png

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Playing at select theatres (where open) & HBO MAX

SPOILER ALERT

Let’s face it, Tom the Cat can’t catch Jerry the Mouse no matter how hard he tries. Over the decades, these miscreants of their animal genus should be ashamed of themselves. Not even their own kin look kindly at them. Well, maybe the rodent might fare better. The two are rivals. The early cartoons are often about one trying to annoy or outsmart the other.

Their antics can’t carry a movie, and the shorts from long ago are far more effective than any feature length attempts. Those pieces are essentially Mack Sennett slapstick comedies, and the reason we love to watch them is that observing others beat up on one another is therapeutic.

Life is not a bed of roses either. The star is Kayla Forester (Chloë Grace Moretz), out of work and needing a new job. She’s certainly a smooth operator and fibs her way into a hotel management position, and pretty soon these cartoon characters get involved.

Continue reading “Will the Chase Ever End in Tom & Jerry, The Movie?”

Taking on Once More With Feeling, Year Two with Buffie the Vampyre Slayer!

This year’s version of Starry Starry Skies’ Once More, With Feeling; Buffie the Vampire Slayer is bigger and I’m sure the plans to even expand it further will take up the entire breadth of the stage.

Once More with FeelingBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Playing at The Roxy
aka Bluebridge Repertory Theatre
2657 Quadra Street

Sept 24-26 & Oct 2-4
Evening performances: 8:30pm
​Saturday Matinees: 5:30pm

Regular tickets available for purchase online and Virtual screening tickets can be bought here.

Original review posted 2019/10/19 

This year’s version of Starry Starry Skies‘ Once More, With Feeling; Buffie the Vampire Slayer is bigger and I’m sure the plans to even expand it further will take up the entire breadth of the stage. I’m fairly sure this musical will be a staple in the Victoria theatre scene like Atomic Vaudeville’s Rocky Horror Show (unless cancelled because of a certain pandemic). So far, this company is one of two shows at The Roxy offering something spooky for the Halloween season.

Instead of a female narrator demon, this year’s version is male, and there’s more gender swapping going on. One casting difference has another actor playing the role of Spike. Corin Bert Winglet really nailed that role for me with his charm from last year’s show. This time, he’s Sweet, the demon who magically compels his victims to break out into song and dance, and revealing something each character prefers to keep in the closet. But when all the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players, just who manipulates whom in this play is at the core of this musical.

Continue reading “Taking on Once More With Feeling, Year Two with Buffie the Vampyre Slayer!”

Six of One, Half a Dozen or Another with Netflix’s Stranger Things

The art by the team of Edgar Salazar, Keith Champagne, and Triona Farrell is excellent in this comic about Six from Stranger Things.

Stranger Things Six Comic Book Cover Available: May 29, 2019

Plenty of side stories exist to expand the Stranger Things universe and Dark Horse Comics is at the forefront of the action! Last year, we had The Other Side which saw Will successfully evade the Demogorgon in The Upside Down (now available to purchase on Amazon)Once More with Feeling in a collected edition), and this year is a four-issue series focussing on Six (also the title of this latest release). She is one of at least a dozen human test subjects interred at Hawkins Laboratory.

Francine’s backstory reveals how she has come to not trust anyone. She’s always had psi abilities and unfortunately, she cannot read other people’s mind… yet. If she is able, she would not have gotten into the predicament she’s in. She can blame Ricky, a young man she took a liking to. The drama is just as good as the series, and Jody Houser‘s narrative offers plenty of perspective of a young girl infatuated with this boy and also trying to understand life as a teen. She pulls you in and I’m not talking about the darkness that Six keeps on seeing seeping through to this reality!

Continue reading “Six of One, Half a Dozen or Another with Netflix’s Stranger Things”

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