Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is "William Sharp" in director Michael Bay's action thriller, AMBULANCE. The film is due April 8, 2022. Below is one of three character posters released for the film:
Monday, March 14, 2022
Saturday, March 12, 2022
Review: "Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files: Bigfoot Volume 1" - A Boy and His Wizard
JIM BUTCHER'S THE DRESDEN FILES: BIGFOOT VOLUME 1
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
WRITERS: Mark Powers (adaptation) and Jim Butcher (story)
ART: Joseph Cooper
COLORS: Salvatore Aiala Studios
LETTERS: Dave Sharpe
EDITOR: Joe Rybandt
COVER: Christian McGrath
ISBN: 978-1-524-12129-7; hardcover (March 22, 2022)
160pp, Color, $24.99 US (March 9, 2022 – comic book shops)
Rated “M” for “Suggested for mature readers”
Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files: Bigfoot Volume 1 is an original graphic novel based on “The Dresden Files” series of contemporary fantasy novels and books. The Dresden Files series is written by Jim Butcher and comprised of 17 novels (as of this writing). The series focuses on supernatural private investigator and wizard, Harry Dresden, who was introduced in the 2000 novel, Storm Front.
Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files: Bigfoot Volume 1 is the first Dynamite Entertainment Dresden Files original graphic novel since Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files: Dog Men (2018). It is an adaptation of three Harry Dresden prose short stories: “I Was a Teenage Bigfoot,” “Bigfoot on Campus,” and “B is for Bigfoot” originally published in anthology paperbacks. They have been interwoven with new material to create an original graphic novel.
Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files: Bigfoot Volume 1 is written by Mark Powers, adapting the original stories of Jim Butcher. It is drawn by Joseph Cooper; colored by Salvatore Aiala Studios; and lettered by Dave Sharpe, with a painted cover by Christian McGrath.
Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files: Bigfoot Volume 1 opens with Harry Dresden helping Irwin Pounder and girlfriend, Connie, move into their new apartment. Harry has known Irwin since he was a kid because three times in his young life, Harry has come to Irwin's rescue, at the behest of his parents – his mother, Dr. Helena Pounder, and his father … known as "Bigfoot." So now, it is time for Harry to be a storyteller and treat Connie to tales of Harry and young Irwin.
It all begins when Harry travels to the woods of northern Wisconsin. This is where he meets a being known as “Strength of a River in His Shoulder,” whom Harry will come to call “River Shoulders.” Humans know people like River as “Bigfoot,” but he belongs to the “Three Stars Forest People.” It seems Bigfoot had a relationship with Dr. Pounder that produced a child, Irwin Pounder, who looks human like his mother.
Bigfoot has heard that his “scion” is having trouble in school, according to his mother. Bigfoot sends Harry to Dr. Pounder, and she tells him that Irwin, her “angel,” is coming home from his school, the elite Madison Academy, with bruises. Using her connections, Helena gets Harry into the school, where he immediately discovers something out of sorts. Irwin is a good kid, but not everyone at the school is good.
When Irwin is a high school student at St. Mark's Academy, Harry returns a second time to investigate Irwin's mysterious illness. The diagnosis is “mono,” but it is worse than that. Someone wants something Irwin has, and they may kill him to get it.
Finally, Irwin is a college student and football player at the University of Oklahoma. He has a girlfriend, Connie. What neither Irwin nor Connie k now is that Connie's life and lineage are more complicated than either realize. And it may cost both their lives.
THE LOWDOWN: From what I understand, The Dresden Files is detective fiction set in a fantasy world of magic and the supernatural, but I don't know for sure because I have yet to read one of the prose novels. [Yes, I need to fix that.] The few Dresden Files comic books that I have read suggests that Harry Dresden is a detective of the supernatural and also an investigator and fix-it man.
Dresden is also apparently a wizard for hire and uses a staff, a blasting rod, and also a .38 revolver as implements of his trade – a mix of magic and practicality. The great thing about Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files: Bigfoot Volume 1 is that it is a mix of the natural and the supernatural. Harry uses magic, but often, he solves problems just by being a human – talking and listening; it is as if he is part mentor and part spiritual advisor. Harry is a problem solver and his brains and wits are on display as much as his wiles and his magic and magical knowledge.
Joseph Cooper's straightforward storytelling captures the sense of love, devotion, and friendship in this story, while not neglecting the dark magics and adversarial relationships and diabolical actions of some of the characters. The coloring by Salvatore Aiala Studios establishes the moods necessary to both connect these three stories and to also allow each to be different from the others. Dave Sharpe's lettering sets a steady pace and beat that will carry the reader through this entertaining and smooth jaunt into the supernatural.
Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files: Bigfoot Volume 1 has a good creative team led by Mark Powers clever and delightfully readable adaptation. My previous experiences with Dresden Files comic books tell me that Jim Butcher's world is a fun one to visit, and this graphic novel will encourage readers to visit it often. Those who read this graphic novel will be surprised by how much the themes of love and devotion play in the story, and I believe you will like that, dear readers.
I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of The Dresden Files novels and comics will want to read Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files: Bigfoot Volume 1.
A-
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
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MOVIE POSTER: Michael Bay's "Ambulance" Character Poster - Jake Gyllenhaal
Jake Gyllenhaal is the lead "Danny Sharp" in director Michael Bay's action thriller, AMBULANCE. The film is due April 8, 2022. Below is one of three character posters released for the film:
Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 6th to 12th, 2022 - Update #20
by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:
ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:
OSCARS - From THR: Wesley Snipes and Oscar-nominee John Travolta have been added to the list of presenters at the 2022 Oscar ceremony.
SCANDAL - From Deadline: Actor-singer, Jussie Smollett (of the former FOX series, "Empire"), received a five MONTH jail sentence for his alleged 2019 hate crime attack.
PIXAR - From Variety: The cast of Pixar's latest animated feature, "Turning Red," clap back after a controversial review of the film appears online.
MOVIES - From Deadline: Florence Pugh ("Black Widow") is in negotiations to play "Princess Irulan Corrino" in "Dune: Part Two."
From Deadline: Austin Butler is negotiations for to play "Feyd-Rautha" in "Dune: Part Two." Rock musician and actor, Sting," famously played the character in director David Lynch's 1984 version of "Dune."
VIDEO GAMES - From IGN: This is a link to a video that presents every reveal from Sony Playstation "State of Play" March 2022 in four minutes.
MARVEL STUDIOS - From Deadline: "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" director Ryan Coogler was mistaken for a bank robber in an Atlanta bank back in January.
MOVIES - From Deadline: Warner Bros. Pictures has changed the release date of six its films, including four films based on DC Comics properties.
DC FILMS - From Variety: Zoe Kravtiz is starring as "Catwoman" in the #1 movie in the world, "The Batman." But when she wanted to audition for Christopher Nolan's 2012 Batman film, "The Dark Knight Rises," Zoe was told that she was "too urban."
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 3/4 to 3/6/2022 weekend box office is "The Batman" with an estimated gross of 128.5 million dollars.
From Here: Negromancer's (and "I Reads You) review of "The Batman."
TELEVISION - THR: "How HBO’s Lakers Series Ticked Off the NBA, Ended a Friendship and Became the Most Anticipated Sports Show in Decades" by Lacey Rose.
From ScreenRant: Fact check: what is real and changed in Episode 1 of HBO's "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty."
MUSIC - From Variety: 1980s funk music legend, Morris Day, says that he can no longer perform as "Morris Day & the Time" because of the current trustees of the estate of the late music legend, Prince.
OBITS:
From Deadline: Actor Emilio Delgado has died at the age of 81, Thursday, March 10, 2022. He was a pioneering force in the depiction of Mexican-Americans on television. He was best known for portraying Luis Rodriguez, the "Fix-It Shop" owner on the children's educational TV series, "Sesame Street" from 1971 to 2015, 2019).
From Deadline: American jazz musician and stage, film and TV actor, Conrad Janis, has died at the age of 94, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. A prolific character actor, Janis was best known for his recurring role on the former ABC comedy, "Mork & Mindy." His acting career began in the mid-1940 on Broadway. Janis was also noted for his "Beverly Hills Unlisted Jazz Band."
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94TH ACADEMY AWARDS:OSCARS - From Variety: The nominations for the 2022 / 94th Academy Awards have been announced. "The Power of the Dog" leads with 12 nominations. The winners will be revealed March 27th.
From Deadline: With his "Best Actor" nomination for "The Tragedy of Macbeth," Denzel Washington is the most nominated Black actor is Oscar history. He has been nominated in two acting categories a total of 10 times with two wins total.
From Variety: With her "Best Director" Oscar nomination for "The Power of the Dog," Jane Campion becomes the first woman nominated twice in that category. She was previously nominated in that category for "The Piano" (1993).
From Variety: With his three nominations today, Kenneth Branagh of "Belfast" becomes the first person to have been nominated in seven individual categories over his career.
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MOVIE AWARDS:From Deadline: The Visual Effects Society announced the winners at the 2022 / 20th annual VES Awards. "Dune" and Disney's "Encanto" led with four wins apiece.
From Deadline: The American Cinema Editors' 72nd Annual ACE Eddie Awards were held, Sat., March 5th. The top award, "Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic)" went to "King Richard."
From Deadline: The 2022/ 26th annual Art Directors Guild Awards turns out to be a good party. "Dune" and "Nightmare Alley" are among the winners.
From Deadline: The winners at the 2022 / 28th annual SAG Awards. "CODA" wins the top prize, "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture."
From Variety: Here is a complete list of winners at 2022 / 53rd NAACP Image Awards in the film, television and music categories. Jennifer Hudson was named "Entertainer of the Year."
From Deadline: The 2022 / 9th annual Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild Awards were announced. The Amazon film, "Coming 2 America" (the sequel to the 1988 film, "Coming to America"), led with three wins.
From Deadline: The 2022 BAFTA Film Awards nominations have been announced. "Dune" leads with 11 nominations. The winners will be announced March 13th.
From Deadline: The 2022 / 33rd annual Producers Guild of America Awards nominations have been announced. The winners will be announced Saturday, March 19th.
From Deadline: The nominations for the 2022 / 74th annual Directors Guild Awards have been announced. The winners will be announced March 12th.
From COFCA: The Columbus Film Critics Association name "The Power of the Dog" the "Best Film" of 2021.
From Deadline: Netflix's Black Western, "The Harder They Fall," was named the "Best Picture" of 2021 at the 13th annual African American Film Critics Association Awards. The Western tied with "King Richard" for most wins with four. Will Smith was named "Best Actor" for "King Richard."
From Deadline: The nominations for the 2022 / 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards have been announced.
From Variety: The snubs and surprises in the nominations for the 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards.
"RUST" ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING DEATH:From Variety: At the 2022 / 79th Golden Globes, "The Power of the Dog" wins "Best Motion Picture-Drama" and "West Side Story" wins "Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy."
From Variety: The National Society of Film Critics names the Japanese film, "Drive My Car," the best film of 2021.
From AwardsWatch: The nominations for the 22nd Annual Black Reel Awards were announced a few weeks ago. Netflix's Black Western, "The Harder They Fall," has a record 20 nominations. The winners will be announced February 27, 2022.
From AwardsWatch: The Columbus Film Critics Association announced the nominations for their annual film awards. Director Jane Campion's "The Power of the Dog" leads with 12 noms. The winners will be announced Thurs., Jan. 6th, 2022.
From Deadline: The Los Angeles Film Critics Association has named the Japanese film, "Drive My Car," the "Best Picture" of 2021.
From Deadline: The 2022 / 37th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards have announced their nominations. "Zola" leads with six nominations. The winners will be announced Sun., March 6, 2022.
From THR: The 2022 / 79th Golden Globes Awards nominations have been announced. "Belfast" and "The Power of the Dog" lead with seven nominations each. Winners will be announced Jan. 9th, 2022.
From GoldDerby: The 2022 Critics Choice Awards nominations have been announced. "Belfast" and "West Side Story" leads with 11 nominations each. Winners will be announced Jan. 9th, 2022.
From Deadline: The American Film Institute announced the "2021 AFI Awards" Top 10 list, and the list includes "Dune," "The Tragedy of Macbeth," and "West Side Story."
From THR: Director Aleem Khan's "After Love" tops the 2021 British Independent Film Awards, winning six awards, including "Best Film of 2021."
From Variety: The New York Film Critics Circle has named the Japanese drama, "Drive My Car," as the "Best Film of 2021."
From Deadline: The National Board of Review hands director Paul Thomas Anderson's "Licorice Pizza" it "Best Film" and "Best Director" awards. Will Smith picks up the "Best Actor" award for "King Richard."
From THR: Netflix’s "The Lost Daughter," directed by actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, dominated the 2021 Gotham Awards in New York on Monday night (Nov. 29th). The film won in four of the five categories in which it was nominated, including "Best Feature."
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From Deadline: This link will take you to Deadline's Halyna Hutchins page, which articles related to everything about her shooting death on the set of the Western film, "Rust."
From THR: Alec Baldwin moves to shield himself from liability in the shooting death on the set of the Western film, "Rust." In an arbitration demand, he blames others for the death of Halyna Hutchins.
From People: Alec Baldwin says that certain lawsuits recording the Western film, "Rust," are targeted at "deep-pocket litigants" and that the suits are all about money.
From Deadline: Matt Hutchins, the husband of Halyna Hutchins, blames Alec Baldwin for Halyna's accidental shooting death on the set of the doomed Western film, "Rust."
From Deadline: The family and estate of Halyna Hutchins has filed suit against Alec Baldwin (who accidentally shot Hutchins), a slew of production companies and entities, producers, and key crew members involved in the Western film, "Rust," for her death.
From THR: A Republican New Mexico legislator, State Sen. Cliff Pirtle of Roswell, on Monday introduced a bill that would require all film set personnel who handle firearms to complete a safety course offered by the New Mexico Game and Fish Department. This is in the wake a cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, being fatally shot on the set of the Western, "Rust," last year by Alec Baldwin with a weapon he says he thought was not loaded with live ammunition.
From Deadline: Alec Baldwin and the other producers of the doomed Western film, "Rust," want a California judge to dismiss the lawsuit filed against them by the script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell.
From Deadline: Alec Baldwin has finally turned over his cell phone to police for their probe into the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Baldwin's Western film, "Rust," last October in New Mexico.
From Variety: One of the producers of tragic Western film, Rust, Emily Salveson, pushes tax shelters and hid income.
From THR: "I let go of the hammer and 'Bang,' the gun goes off" says Alec Baldwin says in his first interview of the moment when a gun he was holding accidentally killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western film, "Rust."
From Deadline: Alec Baldwin will sit down with ABC's news-reading clown George Stephanopoulos for a one hour special tomorrow night to talk about what happened on the set of the movie "Rust." It will be Baldwin’s first extensive interview about the shooting.
From Deadline: Industry veteran, Thall Reed, the father of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the Western, "Rust," may have handed the police a tip on why the film's cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, was shot to death on the set.
From THR: A search warrant affidavit filed Tuesday for a prop shop sheds light on how alleged live ammunition ended up on the set of the Western film, "Rust," where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed in October.
From Deadline: A month after cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, was shot and killed on the New Mexico set the movie Western, "Rust," by a prop gun “discharged” by Alec Baldwin, those closest to the cinematographer held a private ceremony and interred her ashes at an unknown location.
From Deadline: Actor Daniel Baldwin defends his brother, Alec Baldwin, in the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film, "Rust." "Someone loaded that gun improperly," Daniel says.
From Deadline: The newest lawsuit involving the tragic shooting on the set of the Western film, "Rust," has been filed by the film's script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell, against Alec Baldwin, the producers, the production company, armorer Hanna Gutierrez Reed, and others.
From Deadline: Serge Svetnoy, the gaffer on "Rust," has filed a lawsuit against several parties related to the film, including the production, the financiers, star Alec Baldwin, armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, and first Assistant Director David Halls.
From THR: In the wake of the tragic accidental shooting on the set of his film, "Rust," Alec Baldwin on Monday took to social media to urge Hollywood to employ a police officer on every film and TV set that uses guns.
From THR: The budget for "Rust" - Alec Baldwin was set to earn $150,000 as lead actor and $100,000 as producer, while $7,913 was earmarked for armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and $17,500 was set aside for the rental of weapons and $5,000 for rounds.
From Deadline: Attorneys for Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the set of the film, "Rust," said that they’re looking into whether a live bullet was placed in a box of dummy rounds with the intent of “sabotaging the set.”
From THR: Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the film, "Rust," released a statement through her lawyers. She says she had “no idea where the live rounds came from” that were recovered by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's during the investigation of the accidental on-set shooting death of Halyna Hutchins.
From Jacobin: An opinion piece says that cinematographer Halyna Hutchins' death on the set of the film, "Rust," was not a freak accident, but was about Alec Baldwin and his fellow producers' cost-cutting decisions. Baldwin accidentally fired the gun that killed Hutchins.
From Deadline: Two of executive producers on "Rust," Allen Cheney and Emily Salveson, disavow responsibility for the film's troubled production.
From THR: Iconic "Ghostbusters" actor Ernie Hudson is reeling from the news of the death of Halyna Hutchins, like the rest of Hollywood. Hudson also appeared in the film, "The Crow," the film in which its star, Brandon Lee, was killed because of an on-set accidental shooting. He also agrees with the call to ban real guns from movie sets.
From THR: The Sheriff of Sante Fe County says that his office has recovered three guns and 500 rounds of ammunition from the set of the movie "Rust" where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed.
From Deadline: Regarding criminal charges in the death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust," District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altweis, "all options are on the table - no one has been ruled out."
From THR: Does Hollywood Need Guns? Will new regulations lead to an overreactions to a tragedy.
From Deadline: "Rust" producers have opened an internal investigation into the fatal shooting on the set of the Western film. They have hired outside lawyers to conduct interviews with the film's production crew.
From Deadline: "Rust's" AD (assistant director), Dave Halls, has come under scrutiny in the wake of the on-set shooting death of the film's cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins.
From Deadline: The affidavit of Sante Fe Sheriff's Department Detective Joel Cano has been made public. It can be read at "Deadline." The affidavit was for a search warrant from the property were the Western, "Rust," was being filmed.
From THR: The production company behind "Rust" has shut the film down until the police investigation into the fatal, on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins is through. The Sante Fe County Sheriff's Office has also revealed a timeline of the shooting.
From Deadline: The Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department confirmed Thursday night that Alec Baldwin “discharged” a prop gun on the New Mexico set of the movie, "Rust." As a result, one crew member, director of photography Halyna Hutchins, was killed and director Joel Souza was injured and remains in a local hospital - his condition unknown.
From THR: "Rust" director, Joel Souza, who was wounded in the accidental on-set shooting, says that he is "gutted" by the death of his cinematographer on the film, Halyna Hutchins.
From Deadline: The fatal shooting on the set of "Rust" may have been "recorded" according to detective for Santa Fe Sheriff's Department.
From Deadline: The production company behind the film, "Rust," will launch an internal safety review after the fatal accident that killed Halyna Hutchins; possible prior gun incidents; and a camera crew walkout.
From CNN: Crew member yelled "cold gun" as he handed Alec Baldwin prop weapon, court document shows.
From Variety: Actor Alec Baldwin releases statement on the death of Halyna Hutchins: "There are no words to convey my shock and sadness."
From Variety: The prop gun that killed “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza on during an on-set accident on Thursday contained a “live single round,” according to an email sent by IATSE Local 44 to its membership.
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Friday, March 11, 2022
Review: "RESIDENT EVIL: Welcome to Raccoon City" is Scary as Hell
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 13 of 2022 (No. 1825) by Leroy Douresseaux
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Canada/Germany
Running time: 107 minutes (1 hour, 47 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong violence and gore, and language throughout
DIRECTOR: Johannes Roberts
WRITER: Johannes Roberts (based upon the video game, Resident Evil)
PRODUCERS: Hartley Gorenstein, James Harris, and Robert Kulzer
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Maxime Alexandre
EDITOR: Dev Singh
COMPOSER: Mark Korven
HORROR/SCI-FI/ACTION
Starring: Kaya Scodelario, Robbie Amell, Hannah John-Kamen, Tom Hopper, Avan Jogia, Donal Logue, Neal McDonough, Marina Mazepa. Janet Porter, Holly De Barros, Chad Rook, Nathan Dales, Daxton Grey Gujral, and Lily Gail Reid
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is a 2021 science fiction, action, and horror film from writer-director Johannes Roberts. It is the seventh installment in the Resident Evil film franchise and a reboot of the franchise, which is based upon the Capcom survival horror video game series, Resident Evil. Welcome to Raccoon City is set in 1998 and focuses on a small group of people trying to survive a zombie outbreak in a small town.
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City opens sometime in the 1980s in the small town of Raccoon City. The Raccoon City Orphanage is the current home of orphaned siblings, Claire Redfield (Lily Gail Reid), and her brother, Chris (Daxton Grey Gujral). The children are subject to being experimented on by Dr. William Birkin (Neal McDonough), an employee of the Umbrella Corporation, the world's largest pharmaceutical company. Eventually, Claire manages to run away.
On the rainy night of September 30, 1998, an adult Claire (Kaya Scodelario) returns to Raccoon City. She hopes to convince her estranged brother, Chris (Robbie Amell), who is now an officer of the Raccoon City Police Department (RPD), that Umbrella is experimenting on the people of the city. However, Chris is not happy to see his sister, nor does he believe what she tells him about Umbrella's activities.
In fact, Umbrella Corp. has pulled out of Raccoon City, turning it into a ghost town. The only people still in town are a skeleton crew of the corporation's last employees and those who are too poor to leave. Before Claire can convince anyone of anything, Raccoon City's remaining citizens start getting sick and eventually, they begin turning into hungry zombies. Soon, Claire and Chris are each leading a small group of police officers on a quest to escape the city with neither knowing that they are rapidly running out of time.
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City was not a success at the box office, which is a shame. As the first entry in a new series of films, it is superior to Resident Evil, the 2002 film that kicked off the franchise. I will be honest. The characters are shallow, but character development and motivation are not the most important things in Welcome to Raccoon City. The scares are.
To that end, it is very successful. Writer-director Johannes Roberts turns in a film that makes superb use of nighttime settings, shadows, darkness, and a rainy night. With film editor, Dev Singh, Roberts strangles his audience with fearsome sequences of zombies and monsters jumping out of every darkness. There is a scene in which Chris Redfield has to ward off zombies with very little light. Every time, he fires his weapon, there is a flash that briefly illuminates an attacking zombie. In fact, Welcome to Raccoon City's zombies may be twenty-first century's scariest. I felt that with every bump and thump in the night my blood was freezing.
I hope that Johannes Roberts gets a shot at making a sequel to Welcome to Raccoon City. Online and especially on social media, I have come across complaints about this film, but these complainers must be jaded. In the blended genre of survival horror and zombie films, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is quite an achievement.
7 of 10
A-
Thursday, March 10, 2022
The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint or syndication rights and fees.
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TRAILER: Pixar's "TURNING RED" Debuts on Disney+ on March 11th
Pixar Animation Studios' 25th feature length animated film is "TURNING RED" directed by Oscar-winner Domee Shi. The film will stream on Disney+, beginning March 11, 2022. Below is the film's first official trailer:
Thursday, March 10, 2022
Comics Review: Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #114
SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU? (2010) #114
DC COMICS
STORY: Sholly Fisch; Alex Simmons
PENCILS: Valerio Chiola; Robert Pope
INKS: Valerio Chiola; Scott McRae
COLORS: Valerio Chiola; Heroic Age
LETTERS: Saida Temofonte; Travis Lanham
EDITORS: Courtney Jordan; Michelle Siglain (reprint)
COVER: Derek Fridolfs with Jeremy Lawson
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (April 2022)
Ages 8+
“Jailhouse Shock”
Welcome, dear readers, to my continuing journey through the Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? comic book series, which began publication in 2010. I continue to renew my subscription so that I can continue to review this series for you, dear readers.
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #114 opens with “Jailhouse Shock,” which is written by Sholly Fisch and drawn by Valerio Chiola. The story finds Mystery Inc.: Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, and Velma at a local police station, after closing their most recent case involving bank fraud and someone masquerading as a Yeti.
Before they can leave, they learn from Sarge, the head of the station, that the building is being haunted. The haunt is none other than the ghost of the notorious early twentieth century bank robber, Muggsy Derringer, who claims to want revenge. The real Muggsy, however, was hunted down a century ago in Chicago, so why would his ghost be haunting this police station? It is up to the gang to find out?
The second story, “Dead & Let Spy” is, as usual, a reprint story and is written by Alex Simmons and drawn by Robert Pope and Scott McRae. [This story was originally published in Scooby-Doo #106 (cover date: May 2006).] Mystery Inc. is meeting the spymaster “G,” who wants the gang to help his nephew, J.Z. Bang, a teen secret agent.
J.Z. is used to dealing with spies and secret agents, but his latest adversary, a freelance agent called “Cadaver,” uses spooky tricks, such as employing monsters and ghouls. The teen secret agent is trying to gather the ten pieces of a new invention created by the eccentric Dr. Ooh. He needs help fighting off a menagerie of creeps that look as if they are a rogues gallery from a horror film festival. Are the monster-hunting talents of Mystery Inc. just want J.Z. Bang needs?
The funniest thing about “Jailhouse Shock” is that Mystery Inc. knows from the beginning that the ghost of Muggsy Derringer is a fake. Well, at least Shaggy and Scooby-Doo are willing to sell the idea that they are facing a real ghost. While Sholly Fisch's story is funny, I still haven't bought into Valerio Chiola as an appropriate artist for a Scooby-Doo comic book. He draws the Mystery Inc. characters well enough, but all the other character are awkwardly drawn.
“Dead & Let Spy,” the reprint tale, is a better story and it is also drawn by one of the better Scooby-Doo comic book artists, Robert Pope, inked here by Scott McRae. Pope's graphical storytelling is fast paced, from beginning to end, and he offers an impressive menagerie of monsters. The monsters J.Z. Bang faces include the classic Scooby-Doo creep, the Yeti, which first appeared in “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!” (1969-70) Season One, Episode 17 as the “Snow Ghost.” I think writer Alex Simmons has come up with a scenario that would make a nice Scooby-Doo graphic novel and perhaps, be excellent source material for an animated Scooby-Doo film.
B
[This comic book includes a six-page preview of the original graphic novel, “Teen Titans Go! DC Super Hero Girls: Exchange Students!” by Amy Wolfram and Agnes Garbowska.]
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
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