When Alls Not Well in Heaven and We Need Jiang Ziya. Creation of the Gods 1: Kingdom of Storms, A Movie Review

Fans of the Chinese high fantasy will like Creation of the Gods 1: Kingdom of Storms despite its long running time and overuse of weak CGI.

Creation of the Gods I Kingdom of Storms (2023)Well GO USA
Coming to Theatres Sept 22
(Please check local listings)

When considering a lot of films have been made based on some part of the epic Chinese novel, Investiture of the Gods, it should not surprise me that one day, someone would attempt to adapt the entire text. Creation of the Gods 1: Kingdom of Storms attempts to tell the entire story and when there’s a total of 100 chapters, to bring it all to screen will require more than one film!

I’m glad director/co-writer Wuershan is attempting this project. I’m rather fond of his work in Mojin: The Lost Legend, and he’s on the right track. Hopefully the advice he got from James Schamus‘ (who gets credit as script consultant) isn’t for naught. He is best known for being one of the co-writers of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Even though I know bits and pieces through the various animated films released in prior years, it’s cool to see how it all comes to head in this magnum opus. There’s Jiang Ziya (Bo Huang) working with two other immortals to stop the Great Curse that’s threatening the Shang dynasty.

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Despite How Clichéd A Haunting in Venice is, A Horrifying Time in Isolation is Guaranteed!

Although not every aspect of the Spiritualism movement and its philosophy is explored in Kenneth Branagh’s film, A Haunting in Venice, there’s a few jolly moments to get your spook on (even though none of it was real according to the merry detective).

A Haunting in Venice Movie PosterIt’s easy to jump right into the world of Agatha Christie with the release of A Haunting in Venice last weekend. It’s based on her novel Hallowe’en Party and has the right amount of spooky ridden moments to sate fans of the paranormal. That’s because of where the story takes place, and I wanted to see what Director Kenneth Branagh and writer Michael Green‘s take on it would be like, since it’s all about rationalising what’s going on and saying whether life after death is indeed real.

This author does have an interest in it, but it’s nowhere like how other detective agencies approach the subject. I did not see this movie because it continues Hercule Poirot’s life as a detective on the silver screen. As much as I respect Branagh for remaking and delivering a modern polish to Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, just how he delivers that product when I have a fondness for the originals is not my cup of tea. Thankfully this one hasn’t been adapted before, and that’s enough reason for me to go see how spooky this filmmaker can deliver the goods.

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5000 Space Aliens is Coming November 21st! Are You Ready to Have Your Mind Blown?

Scott Bateman believes movies should do other things as well, and still be fun and entertaining to watch. He said, “With 5000 Space Aliens, I set out to create an entertaining, non-narrative film.”

5000 Space Aliens Publicity StillDirector Scott Bateman & Producer Lucas A. Ferrara are excited to share the trailer for their new genre-bending animation, 5000 Space Aliens, which is coming to digital download worldwide from 21st November. 

Imagine meeting a space alien. Now imagine meeting one space alien every second. This is what happens when what Bateman presents is found footage, vintage photo studio pictures from Venezuela and Romania, scraps from a 100-year-old psychology textbook, and more into 5000 one-second shots of animated characters. Instead of a typical narrative, 5000 Space Aliens is more like a ride: You just let the hypnotic rhythm of images wash over you. This one-of-a-kind animated extravaganza was made by just one animator, director Scott Bateman.

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When All You Need is “Yaga,” You Better Be Ready to Fight Instead of take Flight

Halloween season has begun! And to get your early scares on, The Belfry is bringing the cross country hit, Yaga, to Victoria, BC!

Kat Sandler's Yaga Title Card
Playing at The Belfry, Victoria, BC
From Sept 14th, 2023 to Oct 8, 2023.
Tickets are available here

Please check Playwrights Canada for other regional performances.

The formula for what Kat Sandler‘s play, simply titled Yaga, is about may well be like an episode of Twin Peaks for some attendees, but for myself, I’m thinking Murder, She Wrote. But instead of solving mysteries from the perspective of a best-selling author, the point of view is from an omniscient presence needing more than the usual sustenance. Baba Yaga is an infamous Slavic witch known to eat children, but these days, she’s not picky.

Ever since this show’s debut in 2019, various theatre houses have put this play on across Canada. To kickstart Victoria, BC’s The Belfry 2023/24 season and get attendees ready for Halloween, it seems the director Jani Lauzon added an indigenous touch on top. We’re in a birch house to listen to the very beginnings of life. It’s told by a woman shaman (Tracey Nepinak) in a set that I believe was designed to resemble a traditional First Nation longhouse.

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A Guide to Fixing Everything Hasbro’s Dungeons and Dragons Cartoon Action Figures Got Wrong

As much as I love owning these toys from the Dungeons and Dragons cartoon, there’s problems in the manufacturing. Some of the issues can be fixed by doing what I didn’t get right the during my first attempt.

Dungeons and Dragons Cartoon Classics - Eric Packaging ProblemsThe two most problematic figures in Hasbro’s action figure line for the 40th anniversary of the Dungeons and Dragons cartoon are Hank the Ranger and Eric the Cavalier. With the first toy, the arms are not fully posable. No matter how hard I try, I can’t get him to look like he’s in a comfortable pose to fire his energy bow.

For Eric, the colour on his chain mail armour is wrong. As a result, I had to laugh at the packaging since it shows the inconsistency of the product box art to the figure. It’s easy to add some oomph to the energy with either fluorescent or UV reactive paint, but if it can’t glow in daylight, it’s not worth the extra effort. Instead, I recommend using enamel (like Testors) over acrylic paint for improving both.

To be honest, neither holds onto the plastic very well, even after priming. Repainting them comes with a warning: touch-ups may be required. This. issue is especially true for Hank holding his electrified bow.

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