1950s Moon Movies: Project Moon Base

Welcome back folks for Day 2 of 1950s Moon Movies. As mentioned I really enjoyed Destination Moon given it was Robert A Heinlein's writing and technical expertise in Spaaaaaaaace!! Alas while today's film is also written by Heinlein(Rocket Ship Galileo, Have Space Suit-Will Travel, Farmer in the Sky, Starman Jones, Red Planet, Starship Troopers and The Puppet Masters) I still feel the execution of the film may fall on its ear. I just have a hard time believing in a really good run of films unless I take it out of my own personal library but dammit we will give this a try. This is Project Moonbase.

Bullet bras of THE FUTURE!!!

In the far distant future of 1970... General Greene (Hayden Rorke of Father's Little Dividend, Pillow Talk, The Night Walker, I Dream of Jeannie, Police Woman and Arthur Hailey's the Moneychangers) needs perspective bases scouted out but the scuttlebutt is foreign spies are attempting to undermine their mission so has to have his best pilots to investigate.

To the public, it looks like yet another visit to the moon is led by Colonel Briteis (Donna Martell of Abbot and Costello Meet the Killer, Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing, Ten Wanted Men, Outlaws, Bonanza and Grace Kelly) needing to be the objective and snap decision maker that she is. (See kids, Robert A Heinlein's novels did their level best to give equality to men and women and show they were capable of every dangerous scenario men were) Briteis is annoyed to with Greene giving her Major Bill Moore (Ross Ford of Challenge to Lassie, Air Hostess, Project Moon Base, Reform School Girl, Assignment: Underwater, The Case of the Dangerous Robin, Rawhide and My Living Doll) as her co-pilot.

Oh God, I farted in my suit and the filter isn't working!

In spite of him being one of the best pilots in the service, Moore and Briteis have some serious friction between them. Moore was passed over for a promotion and is rather pissed that he has to serve under a woman. Imagine such a thing. There is enough sexual tension between these two they could power a rocket themselves. Briteis has difficulties with patching up the radio and tuning it properly and Moore grumbles, talks under his breath and gets the job done. Apparently there is a saboteur on-board the ship that damaged the vessel. Briteis has to put the ship down for repairs. Still when you hear a bit of dialogue like, "Major, I think you're space happy," it may come off as a bit of camp and well you would be correct. My biggest problem of this film is Briteis doesn't even come across as competent and capable but an eager beaver and almost like a petulant girl.

Okay a quick few points to make. While Heinlein was damn progressive, the 1950s could only allow so much via film so yes you have a female leader and for that matter, a female president giving a bit more weight to the writing but, they need to be coaxed or motivated by men. Yup. A woman could manage a position of power but clearly they are so bird brained they need a pat on the head and a treat for a job well done. Charming. The other issues is this was a pilot for a TV serial that apparently didn't get picked up. Most of the costumes and props hailed from Cat Women of the Moon so um... glad they recycled?

Why yes, I am white and doughy but what's yer point?

Now given this is a Heinlein write-up, you can really feel his influence in the female characters but the tropes of their incompetency really detracts the progressive ideals he went with. Methinks some producers couldn't have "broads" outshining the fellas. Ugh. That being said, this is really the building blocks of future female protagonists that can kick ass and smile while doing it. Maria Von Trapp, Leia, Ellen Ripley, Sarah Connor, Alex Owens of Flashdance, Clarice Starling of Silence of the Lambs,Cher Horowitz of Clueless to name a few.

If anything, Mad Max: Fury Road is hailed a bit too high for doing the very thing that movies have managed for some time now. Creating a strong, intelligent and capable female character is not difficult but above all else, don't forget the heart, writers. 

Sorry can't get Wheel in the Sky out of my head. Damn catchy tune.

Agents of SHIELD Season 3

Welcome back to the randomness that is this week. With the crippling effects of the Terrigen Crystals smashed into the ocean of last season and warping the sea life, creating a vapor that alters the very DNA of a person creating terrigenesis (Transmogrification from human to inhuman) as humanity has been modified by ancient race known as the Kree millions of years ago that the very metamorphosis remains in human DNA to this day giving a race of super beings but how many will fight for what is right? This is Agents of SHIELD Season 3.

Sir, are we bonding?

S.H.I.E.L.D.has been busting tail trying to find these new Inhumans with no training of their powers and a general threat them and others. Daisy "Skye" Johnson ( Chloe Bennett of Nashville, The Birthday Boys, Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast and Jake and the Never Land Pirates) is to train and lead a team of "Secret Warriors" against the hordes of Hydra as they race collecting Inhumans.

Current director of S.H.I.E.L.D, Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg of The Spanish Prisoner, Magnolia, State and Main, Iron Man, Thor, The Avengers, Ultimate Spider-Man, Lego Marvel's Avengers and Thrilling Adventure Hour Live) has to deal with the repercussions of S.H.I.E.L.D's previous collapse, the Age of Ultron and the beginning of the Inhumans made public to the people; the fear mongering brings a new agency to deal with these Inhumans the ATCU (Advanced Threat Containment Unit) which are abducting folk left and right that S.H.I.E.L.D feels the need to have a pow wow with them and see if they cannot just simply work together. With that in mind and if they didn't have enough to worry about, there are rumors of an Inhuman slaughtering fellow Inhumans because...there can be only one?

Tequila makes the time goes by.

Former S.H.I.E.L.D and current Hydra agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton of Blue Bloods, Army Wives, Killing Lincoln, Until Dawn and The Resurrection of Gavin Stone) finds the organization splintered and near destruction finding the last real seat of power Gideon Malick (Powers Boothe of Red Dawn, Philip Marlowe, Private Eye, Tombstone, Nixon, U Turn, Sin City, Justice League, Deadwood and 24) begins to reveal Hydra's beginnings, purpose and goals which is beyond the dreams of many.

Can Coulson and company stop Hydra once and for all? Can the Inhumans mingle amongst the regulars?

Well there is a few soap opera feels to the series with drama, tragedy and some new characters. The envelope is pushed further and getting more and more challenges tossed in their directions as our powered and non-powered heroes fighting an uneasy alliance against their common enemies. The show keeps the timeline with the other Whedonverse projects of Avengers: Age of Ultron as well as the aftermath of Captain America: Civil War trying to hold to the current MCU as much as possible. 

Yeah this is pretty heavy.

 

The introduction of Lash, the hunter Inhuman (Matthew Willig of Year One, We're the Millers, Concussion, Wild Card, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Happy Birthday) gives a sinister deadline for the team. Make no mistake fans of S.H.I.E.L.D, this is where the story is going to get even bigger.

Seasons Continue: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Hey folks, thought I should give a follow-up for Day 3 so consider this a Day 4 of Seasons Continue. The world was nearly taken over by alien forces and a handful of powered beings and talented normals fended them off. The Avengers, a pet project of SHIELD handled things but what keeps away the next threat? Are they expected to continue on the good fight without any support at all? Or did director Nick Fury think that maybe he should have a few mobile specialists at the ready? This is Agents of SHIELD.

Yes I know Thor and no I am not putting in a word for you.

With the events of New York almost toppled by an alien force called the Chitauri and super beings appearing, the world is scared. So scared that a cadre of agents are at the ready to stop devices of unknown origin, potential terrorist threats or high tech affliations from waging wars across the planet. With a network of agents, techs and hiarchy, SHIELD is on the case. Given multiple sanctions to operate in different countries, one team is out there dealing with the impossible or unexplained. Back from the literal dead, Special Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg of One Hour Photo, We Were Soldiers, The West Wing, Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, The Avengers, Lego Marvel Super Heroes, Ultimate Spider-Man and Agents of SHIELD) after Loki put his bladed septre through his heart is somehow been saved within time but was deemed classified intel so even the Avengers are unaware of his resurrection.

Putting together a team to help he needs specialist Grant Ward (Brett Dalton of Blue Bloods, Army Wives, Killing Lincoln, Until Dawn and The Resurrection of Gavin Stone) ace pilot and former specialist Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen of Mulan, Spawn: The Animated Series, ER, The Batman, Vanished, SGU Stargate Universe, Two and a Half Men and Eureka) to fly the "Bus", a retro-fitted communications/recon plane, an engineer and tech guru weapons designer Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker of Coronation Street, Lip Service, The Fades, Up There and Assassin's Creed III) and a biochemist/MD genius Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge of Hollyoaks, Shelter, The Thompsons, Reach Me and The Wolves at the Door).

Welcome to Hogwarts!

Intercepting a hack that made its way through SHIELD's most classified intel a rightous hacker demands that SHIELD comes clean with all the info they have hidden from the world. Considering some of the more dangerous artifacts and super powered beings they have encountered, Coulson steps up and talks with this hacker. Our brillant keyboard jockey Skye (Chloe Bennet of Intercept, Nashville, Jake and the Never Land Pirates and Agents of SHIELD) is offered a choice: to either get on board with SHIELD and do the same good works or look at the Federal statues she has been building as a hacker. Can this slap dash team do good in the field? Are they ready to handle what life throws at them? Can they even begin to imagine the possiblities?

With Joss Whedon's production company Mutant Enemy (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly and the Dollhouse) he and his brother Jed lead a team of no less than 11 writers cranking out a full 22 episodes for this season, bringing familiar faces of Marvel into the small screen and introducing a whole new fan base into the Whedonverse. Successfully directing a few of the episodes between both the first and second Avengers movie, they have tried to balance small screen with big screen and creating a coherent universe between the two. So if you love comics, spy shows and a little bit of action with decent story arcs then step up and join SHIELD. 

So your the heartthrob, right?

Seasons Continue: Burn Notice Season 5

Hello all and welcome to Day 1 of Seasons Continue. Now before I get chastised about letting Supernatural fall behind, I would point out... I forget crap. It happens. That being said we now look at the further adventures of our favorite burnt spy. HAHA!!! Yeah you can wait for Supernatural, punkers. As we move on, taking down a major Black Ops crew operating off the books is deemed bad by the intelligence communities. As a driving force to stop this unofficial creation, Weston is brought to Washington to have some face time with one of his former mentors.

This is Burn Notice Season 5.

Hold me closer, tiny photo.

The CIA using Michael's solid intel allowed them to follow the trail of bread crumbs leading to the heads of the company and bringing them in or six feet under. With that being said, Michael is also on a short leash as he has his own CIA liason Max (Grant Show of Melrose Place, The Girl Next Door, Swingtown, Accidentally on Purpose, Private Practice and Big Love) making sure that Weston sticks to the prodical and not making it up as he goes along.

Months of investigation and team missions have put this into play but something crucial seems to be missing... Oh yeah, how about Sam, Fi and newcomer Jesse?? As luck would have it, Sam has slimmed down and wowing the ladies and I can imagine Bruce Campbell not having to flip flop between weight is much better for it. Fi is trying her level best to not rub the CIA the wrong way but she is not a team player when there is that much red tape in the way. Counter-Intelligence Agent Jesse decides against going back to the biz when he felt helping the little guys and gals hands on was something he was proud of doing. That being said and all he is working for a major security firm that are more than generous in their stipend and love of his skills.

Sam, stop staring at Fi's legs.

Michael's mom is making changes in her life and we also see little brother Nate make some appearances so all seems to be going well until... Max has been shot and killed, and the killer managed to put the murder weapon in Michael's hands. Covering his tracks, he also covered Max's killer's tracks. The CIA pissed in losing a good man, has their watch dog to solve this mystery requiring Michael to be at least 4 steps ahead of Agent Pearce (Lauren Stamile of Grey's Anatomy, Alligator Point, Community, The Event, Complications and CSI: Cyber) who wants the man that murdered her friend and colleague. With the clock ticking, the lies that will only cover Michael so far and trust that can be easily believed as a front, the gang need to get Weston cleared of these charges.

Weston is also dealing with the nagging sensation is the company that burned him actually dead and buried? Could this just be his paranoia kicking in or are the ashes of the old rising anew?

Season 5 brings in some solid writing and griping suspension. You have a spy drama showing its "A" game and presenting so many unknown elements along with still being able to assist people with their problems. Clients are being helped and the crew really are meshing together as a dynamic. Admittedly I wasn't really sure about Coby Bell's character Jesse Porter, who felt like a watered down version of Michael but he has come to the edge of the abyss without blinking last season and it was great seeing him back. Familiar faces make their way in and provide good performances. Is Dead Larry gone for good or will he hurt Michael to the bone? Tune in and find out!

 

So Heather Locklear... you get to make out with her, Grant?

As the Season Goes On: Burn Notice Season 4

Greetings one and all to As the Seasons Go On. Naturally I speak not of the physical seasons from summer to the dreaded winter but of TV series. Today we get back in touch with our favorite burnt spy as he had just saved Management from a deadly assassin that was completely crackers then was whisked away to a secret holding facility. Is this the beginning or the end of Michael Westen? This is Burn Notice Season 4.

That awkward moment ignoring Sam's beer farts.

With Michael (Jeffrey Donovan of Bait, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, Touching Evil, Law & Order, Crossing Jordan and Fargo) gathered up to God knows where, he is greeted by Vaughn (Robert Wisdom of Face/Off, Supernatural, Happy Town, Passion Play, Nashville, Spider-Man: Web of Shadows and The Wire) of the organization that burned Michael with open arms and congratulations. Vaughn breaks down that Westen has major brownie points for saving Management from Simon and there is still plenty of work to be done to insure America's choice of lifestyle and so on and so forth. Man, their mantras are all sounding alike. They can honestly justify to you, me and themselves the need to torch villages for the greater good. Pointing out how they got off to a rocky start, they have a mastermind, a shadow figure with deep pockets dispatching the organization's people left and right.

Uriel from Supernatural???  Oh crap.

In spite how Michael feels about the organization, he knows the good they can do without having to be bogged down with red tape and procedures. Michael agrees to look into it but he wants to handle it his way. That in mind, he is back in Miami as Sam (Bruce Campbell of The Evil Dead, Running Time, Ellen, Pitfall 3-D: Beyond the Jungle,Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess,Spider-Man and Ash Vs Evil Dead) our boozy flirty former Navy SEAL and everyone's favorite IRA sharpshooter and demolitionist Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar of Scent of a Woman, For Love or Money, The Three Musketeers, The Practice, The Tudors, The Family Tree and A Warrior's Heart) are back in the game and glad to have Michael back. Naturally his mother Madeline (Sharon Glass of Cagney & Lacey, Turnabout, House Calls, The Trials of Rosie O' Neill, Queer as Folk and Nip/Tuck) makes an appearance and offers sage advice in-between Marlboros.

While doing the super spy gig, Michael gets a spy Jesse Porter (Coby Bell of L.A. Doctors, Third Watch, Halo: Reach, Archer and The Game) burned. Westen befriends Jesse in the hopes he can get his position back and clear his name before Jesse gets hip to who did the actual deed. Juggling personal, professional and emotional baggage. Westen and crew need to stop this global mogul before he takes more of what he wants when he wants or more people will die. Irking biker gangs, syndicates and foreign intelligence presents a whole bunch of fight scenes, car chases, gun battles and more than a few guest stars.

So does it ever cool down in this town?

Indiana Jones Week: Indiana Jones: Attack of the Hawkmen

Well folks it is Day 4 of Indiana Jones Week and I bet you are all expecting the most talked about, sneered at and ridiculed Indy film: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull... Well... I hate to disappoint you I thought I would tackle a few of my favorite Young Indiana Jones TV films.
Yeah I know it sounds like I am cheating and avoiding reviewing said movie, but what can I say that has not already been covered?   Journey with me during World War I, where Indy takes the false name of Henri Defense and is enlisted in the Belgian Army.   This is Indiana Jones: Attack of the Hawkmen.

Sacre bleu!! Who beefed??!!

Indiana Jones: It's from Richthofen
Hobie: How do you know?
Indiana Jones: I had spoils with him.




After his unit almost completely died from Malaria in Uganda Africa, Indy and his men had the Gods smile upon them saved by Dr. Albert Schweitzer.  Giving Indy a completely different perspective of the war, Jones (Sean Patrick Flannery of Kingdom Come, Raging Angels, Powder, Suicide Kings, The Boondock Saints and The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Travels with Father) and his buddy Remy (Ronny Coutteure of Hiver 60, Bachou, Carnaval, Blueberry Hill and Arlette) are whisked to Belgian Intelligence work... for the next few months it is immensely boring.

Take that, Snoopy!

Indy gets the brilliant idea to fake papers to get them into the thick of the war with French Intelligence.  As luck would have it, both men are accepted.  Remy is owner of a cafe allowing for contact information to gather to and fro while Indy joins reconnaissance photography, a position with a fairly high death toll.   While taking pictures he and his pilot are shot down by German flying ace Baron Von Richthofen (Marc Warren of Agatha Christie's Marple, Green Street Hooligans, Land of the Blind, Doctor Who, Hogfather and Dracula) The Red Baron! Get Snoopy!  Has Indy's luck ran completely out and will he be tortured by the Kaiser??   Will he be forced to eat Blood sausage and everything will be boiled??!!!

I had just a few comments to make on this film at this time.   As with many of the Lucas and Speilberg projects the famous Foley sound effect the Wilhelm Scream (originated stock sound from Sheb Wooley for Distant Drums)  at least 3 different variants of it was used in this picture.  This was Jon Pertwee's last picture done before his untimely demise in 1996 as a German general for the unveiling of the Zeppelin.   Sean Patrick Flannery is found for saying his time as Indy was unusual.  He auditioned, got called back for another read and then proceeded to not go home for 6 years.

Ve have vays of making you reverse ze polarity of ze neutron flow!

Season 1: The Story Begins

Normally I am not a huge USA network fan.  I skim through it every so often for series in repeat or marathons on episodes I have missed and generally do not care for films that have been censored and neutered to make less offensive.   So in 2007, I heard on the IMDB grapevine that a new show is coming out I do a brief scan and it looks interesting, I watch the first 3 episodes and it becomes captivating so grab your cell phone, your Sig Sauer and prep your lies.  This is Burn Notice Season 1.

The review you are about to read may contain spoilers and above all else is "need to know" information that is classified…(okay I was having fun that last bit).

Series creator and head writer Matt Nix (Burn Notice and The Good Guys) devised a complex series of episodes outlining a spy’s life of point and counterpoint.  Who are enemies and who allies are and lastly who blurs in between those lines.  To cap off this series is one Michael Westen (Jeffery Donovan of Touching Evil, Hitch and The Pretender) who narrates throughout the chapter.  At first I feel like it was unnecessary and just let the show unfold as it is but after a few episodes I got the feeling that the narration is integral to the action and scenes.  While conducting a little hush money transaction to a ruthless warlord in order to smooth diplomacy to warring nations, Westen’s alias has be compromised and is cut loose from any back up.  The warlord’s men proceed to beat him and he comes up with a decent lie to formulate a plan of escape. 

 Making his way to the agency plane he passes out and wakes up in a cheap hotel in Miami where he is greeted awake (by a light boot in the bruised ribs) by former girlfriend and IRA terrorist Fiona Glenn Anne (Gabrielle Anwar of Scent of a Woman, The Three Musketeers, Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead)   Given all his assets and money are frozen he has to seek operating funds elsewhere and speaks to former SEAL and friend Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell of Evil Dead, The Adventures of Brisco County Jr., Spiderman)   Michael has to figure out who set him up and who he can turn to for help.   Family is always a good choice unless you are a Westen.  Mother, Madeline Westen  (Sharon Gless of Cagney and Lacey) could teach the KGB a thing or two about manipulation but she has a good heart and should have blacken lungs from how often she chain smokes.

This show feels like an action movie.  The fight choreography is a very similar approach to the Bourne Trilogy.  Very fluid motion and it does not feel staged.   Car chases have such precision; it is mind boggling.  The gun fights are intense.   Which each new scene you get the sensation that this conspiracy against one capable man is very elaborate and a far bigger puzzle than Michael has put together thus far and it is only going to get worse before it gets better for him.   As for the viewer, if you appreciate a well rounded cast, good writing and impressive story telling then give this show more than the once over.  You just might be pleasantly surprised.