A Constantly Racing Mind...

Anaconda (2025): When the Monster Knows It’s a Movie

2025-12-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

There was a time when Anaconda meant one thing: a loud, pulpy creature feature built on practical effects, over-the-top performances, and the kind of B-movie confidence that knew exactly what it was. It didn’t pretend to be prestige cinema. It wanted to entertain, and it did.

The 2025 version of Anaconda doesn’t reject that legacy — it interrogates it.

What makes this film fascinating isn’t just the presence of a giant snake or a familiar title. It’s the fact that the movie seems fully aware of its own place in cinematic history. This isn’t a reboot chasing nostalgia blindly. It’s a commentary on nostalgia itself.

A Movie That Knows Why It Exists

At first glance, Anaconda (2025) appears to be another attempt to cash in on a recognizable IP. However, within minutes, it becomes evident that the filmmakers are pursuing a distinct approach.

This version opens not with spectacle, but with self-awareness. The characters aren’t just surviving the jungle—they’re reckoning with relevance. The central figures are creatives who once mattered and are now trying to recapture something that slipped through their fingers. That framing turns what could have been a straightforward creature feature into something more reflective.

The plot follows two childhood best friends: Doug (Jack Black), a creatively stifled wedding videographer in Buffalo, and Griff (Paul Rudd), a struggling L.A. actor whose career has peaked at minor guest spots on S.W.A.T.

Seeking to reclaim their youthful ambitions, the duo decides to travel to the Amazon to film a shoestring-budget remake of the original Anaconda.

Accompanied by their friends Kenny (Steve Zahn) and Claire (Thandiwe Newton), the group soon finds that "making it real" is a dangerous proposition. Between a mysterious boat captain (Daniela Melchior) on the run from gold smugglers, we think, and a real, massive, and very hungry predator, the amateur film crew is forced to stop "playing" survival and start practicing it.

The jungle isn’t just dangerous. It’s symbolic. It represents time, entropy, and the uncomfortable truth that success doesn’t freeze you in your prime.

A Meta-Story Disguised as a Monster Movie

At its core, Anaconda (2025) is a film about making a film. The characters aren’t explorers or scientists — they’re people attempting to recreate a moment that defined them. That choice transforms the narrative into a commentary on creative stagnation and reinvention.

This self-awareness is baked into every layer of the film. The dialogue acknowledges genre clichés. The plot pokes fun at itself. The danger escalates not just from the environment but from the characters’ refusal to move on.

It’s comedy with teeth — not because it mocks the genre, but because it understands it.

The Monster as Metaphor

In the original Anaconda, the snake was a physical threat — massive, tangible, terrifying. In the 2025 film, the creature serves a different role.

It represents consequence.

The snake is not simply hunting people; it’s exposing them. Their egos. Their denial. Their need to matter. The more they try to control the narrative, the more the situation unravels.

This is where the film’s tone becomes especially interesting. The humor doesn’t undermine the tension — it amplifies it. The audience laughs, then realizes the joke is on the characters.

Performance as Commentary

The casting choices are key to the film’s success.

Jack Black -- Doug

Doug is the emotional engine of Anaconda (2025) — a once-passionate filmmaker whose creative ambitions have calcified into nostalgia. Jack Black plays him not as a buffoon, but as a man quietly panicking about his own irrelevance. His manic energy masks insecurity, and his obsession with recreating the “magic” of the past drives the entire expedition forward. Black balances absurdity with surprising vulnerability, grounding the film’s meta-commentary in something deeply human: the fear of being left behind.

Paul Rudd -- Griff

Griff is Doug’s longtime collaborator and emotional counterweight. Where Doug is frantic and idealistic, Griff is sardonic, pragmatic, and quietly exhausted by the cycle of chasing relevance. Paul Rudd leans into a weary charm, portraying a man who understands the joke but keeps playing along anyway. His performance anchors the film’s humor, turning sarcasm into a defense mechanism against creative failure. Together, Doug and Griff represent two sides of artistic burnout — obsession versus resignation.

Thandiwe Newton -- Claire

Claire serves as the group’s grounded center — a producer who understands logistics, consequences, and reality far better than the men spiraling around her. Thandiwe Newton brings authority and intelligence to the role, portraying a woman who sees through the chaos yet remains committed to getting the job done. As the only character consistently thinking several steps ahead, she functions as the audience’s surrogate, reacting with skepticism and sharp clarity as the situation unravels.

Selton Mello -- Santiago (The Silent MVP)

Selton Mello delivers one of the film’s most compelling performances as Santiago, the enigmatic snake handler. Calm to the point of being unnerving, Santiago treats the anaconda not as a monster but as a sacred force. His quiet reverence contrasts sharply with the panic of the others, making him both unsettling and oddly trustworthy. Mello’s performance walks a careful line between mysticism and menace, positioning his character as a philosophical counterweight to the chaos around him. He understands the jungle — and the consequences of disrespecting it — far better than anyone else.

Daniela Melchior -- Anna

Initially presented as a capable guide and ally, Anna gradually reveals herself to be something far more dangerous. Daniela Melchior plays the role with controlled intensity, transforming from a quiet presence into the film’s true antagonist. As a gold smuggler operating under the guise of a guide, she manipulates the group’s desperation to serve her own agenda. Her betrayal reframes the story, shifting the threat from the jungle itself to human greed. Where others fear the environment, Anna exploits it — making her one of the most chilling forces in the film.

Thematic Function of the Ensemble

Together, the cast embodies the film’s central thesis: the greatest danger isn’t the snake — it’s the human impulse to dominate, control, and repeat past mistakes. Each character represents a different response to that impulse, from obsession and denial to acceptance and exploitation.

This ensemble approach elevates Anaconda (2025) beyond a creature feature into a character-driven satire about ego, legacy, and the cost of refusing to move on.

Craft Over Spectacle

Visually, the film walks a careful line. The cinematography contrasts gritty handheld shots with controlled, cinematic compositions. This isn’t accidental. The filmmakers use form to comment on content—chaos versus control, illusion versus reality.

The CGI, while intentionally noticeable at times, reinforces the film’s thesis. When the snake feels artificial, it’s by design. The illusion is part of the joke. It mirrors how blockbusters often prioritize spectacle over substance and then asks whether that spectacle still works when everyone can see the strings.

Why This Film Matters

Anaconda (2025) isn’t trying to redefine the genre. It’s interrogating it.

It asks uncomfortable questions:

Why do we keep remaking the same stories?
What happens when nostalgia becomes a crutch?
At what point does self-awareness become self-parody?

The film doesn’t offer easy answers. Instead, it leans into the discomfort, using humor as a shield and a scalpel.

Final Thoughts

This isn’t a movie that wants universal approval. It’s too self-aware for that. But in embracing its contradictions — funny yet melancholy, ridiculous yet thoughtful — Anaconda (2025) becomes something more interesting than a simple reboot.

It’s a reflection on creativity, aging, and the stories we keep telling ourselves.

And sometimes, the most dangerous thing in the jungle isn’t the snake — it’s the past.

Film Details

Title: Anaconda (2025) Wikipedia
Director: Tom Gormican Wikipedia
Writers: Tom Gormican, Kevin Etten Wikipedia
Producers: Brad Fuller, Andrew Form, Kevin Etten, Tom Gormican Wikipedia
Cinematography: Nigel Bluck Wikipedia
Editing: Craig Alpert, Gregory Plotkin Wikipedia
Music: David Fleming Wikipedia
Studio: Columbia Pictures, Fully Formed Entertainment Wikipedia
Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing Wikipedia
Runtime: ~99 minutes (1 hr 39 min) Box Office Mojo
Country: United States Wikipedia
Language: English Wikipedia
MPAA Rating: PG-13 IMDb
Budget: ~$45 million (studio reported) Wikipedia

Release & Distribution

World Premiere: December 13, 2025 (Los Angeles) Wikipedia
Theatrical Release (U.S.): December 25, 2025 – wide release by Sony Pictures Releasing Wikipedia

James Ransone June 2, 1979 – December 19, 2025

2025-12-21T16:53:00.002-07:00

James Ransone in Sinister

It was late at night, and I was in the middle of editing a video when James Ransome's face appeared in a notification on my phone. For me, the horror film community will mourn the loss of James; he was a gifted character actor whose authentic performances brought depth and humanity to some of the horror genre's most memorable films. Ransone left us on December 19, 2025, in Los Angeles; he was only 46.

While James's versatile career spanned television and film, including his critically acclaimed portrayal of Ziggy Sobotka in HBO's The Wire, for me, it was his work in horror cinema that showcased his unique ability to ground supernatural terror in genuine human emotion. He possessed a rare gift for making audiences care deeply about his characters, even as darkness closed in around them.

In 2012, Ransone became an unforgettable presence in Sinister as the unnamed Deputy, a role he would reprise in Sinister 2 (2015). His character—earnest, persistent, and deeply committed to uncovering the truth—served as the moral compass in a world consumed by evil.

He brought warmth and determination to the Deputy, creating a character whose goodness stood in stark contrast to the film's malevolent forces. His performance resonated so powerfully with audiences that most know him affectionately as "Deputy So-and-So," a testament to how fully he inhabited the role.

In the film It: Welcome to Derry, James's portrayal of the grown-up Eddie Kaspbrak in 2019's It Chapter Two offered a compelling reason to revisit the story, capturing both the character's neurotic energy and profound courage.

His portrayal honored the beloved character while bringing his own unique perspective on fear, friendship, and sacrifice. The role showcased his range—moving easily from comic timing to heartbreaking vulnerability.

Most recently, he appeared in The Black Phone (2021) and its 2025 sequel, continuing to prove he belongs in horror and is elevated by actors who treat every role with sincerity and dedication.

Throughout his career, Ransone was open about his personal struggles, including overcoming addiction and surviving childhood trauma. His willingness to be vulnerable made him not only a compelling actor but also an advocate for others facing similar battles.

James is survived by his wife, Jamie McPhee, and their two children, as well as countless fans whose lives were touched by his work.

It is sad anytime a life is ended before its time. RIP James.

Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome | Viper Mark lll Unboxing & Summary.

2024-06-17T15:00:00.002-07:00

Today, we are looking at the first Viper Admiral, then Ensign Adama's, which was first assigned, the Viper Mark lll.

EAGLEMOSS BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: BLOOD & CHROME VIPER MARK lll REVIEW

As usual, the Eaglemoss Hero Collection comes in these attractive boxes.

All Battlestar Galactica Hero Collection models come with booklets that give images, history, and production insight into the series ship.

The Viper is packed in and surrounded by stylophones cut into the Viper and shape cutouts.

So far, my Viper Mark looks to be in good condition.

When I bought this model from Amazon, it was listed as having product dimensions of 13" x 9.5" x 5.25" inches, and the Viper is supposed to weigh 1.82 pounds, almost 2 pounds. But as I have learned, those measurements aren't entirely accurate. So, I measured.

Length 10 1/4" 26.035 cm

Width 6 1/2" 16.51 cm

Height 5 1/2" 13.97 cm

We have about ten and a quarter inches long for the length, which is about a little over 26 centimeters. And a height of about five and a half inches, which in metric is just a bit under 14 centimeters, and a width of six and half inches, otherwise known as sixteen points fifty-one centimeters.

L 10 1/4" 26.035 cm

H 5 1/2" 13.97 cm

W 6 1/2" 16.51 cm

I like the detail of the inset portions of the Viper's fuselage. The engine detailing is rather nice, too.

The weathering is phenomenal. The color scheme, with its grey tone, really allows the battle stripes to stand out. The Mark ll should have survived until after the war, but as in real life F-35. Just a thought.

Nice rear detailing. Similar to the original series but with more stylized engine exhaust ports.

My only peeve is that there is not a Viper jock in the cockpit. That would have been a nice detail, but hey!

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: BLOOD AND CHROME

The War was over. The Cylons lost. The ones, the fours, the fives, and their cadre of centurions stationed in the Colony were gone. Demolished by a nuke fired by dead colonial raptor pilots just as the Galactica escaped.

After finding themselves orbiting a pretty blue planet with giant oceans, green savannas, majestic mountains, and plenty of drinkable water with the correct amount of oxygen, nitrogen blends to support human life. The planet orbited the sun at just the right place in the system to have the proper temperature range to support human life.

The fleet rendezvousing with the Galactica makes plans to abandon technology and essentially burn their boats like Cortez's men when they landed in the new world.

There is no going back.

Admiral William Adama, who's been fighting Cylons most of his life. He took his last flight off Battlestar Galactica for the very last time, the first Battlestar he was assigned to many years ago.

Looking back at his career, we know that for some of that time as a Viper pilot in the first Cylon War, he flew the Viper Mark ll,

But did you know that he also flew the Viper Mark lll?

The Colonial Fleet relied on the Viper series, and the Mark III was the third generation of these fighters.

See my videos on the Vipers Mark l and ll.

A single-pilot, multi-role attack spacecraft, the third-generation Viper, was introduced near the conclusion of the First Cylon War as a replacement for the legendary Mark II.

The design of this aircraft served as an inspiration for later

versions of the multi-role Vipers, developed years after the Armistice and culminated in the highly sophisticated Mark VII.

The Mark III was meant to succeed the Mark II, but it was plagued by severe financial and material constraints throughout the War and the fighter's astronomical price tag. Therefore, the Mark III did not completely replace the Mark II by the Armistice due to its low use and small numbers.

By Operation Raptor Talon, Battlestars like Galactica had switched back to Mark IIs, while Mark IIIs played an essential role in missions like the Ghost Fleet attack. It is improbable that any Mark IIIs were operational during the Twelve Colonies' Fall since they were all decommissioned after the War.

Let's talk about context. When Battlestar Galactica's run was over, several ideas for more Battlestar content were floated on the SyFy channel.

At the time, Caprica was one of the potential shows the SyFy channel worked on for the Battlestar Galactica franchise.

This one was titled Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome, a precursor to the revamped Battlestar Galactica series. The web series evolved into a pilot for a potential television show that would have followed young William Adama's early adventures, but the project was canceled. The main actors are Ben Cotton, Lili Bordán, and Luke Pasqualino as the young gung-ho ensign Adama. Michael Taylor penned the teleplay based on his story, along with David Eick, Bradley Thompson, David Weddle, and Jonas Pate, who directed the film.

Blood & Chrome was first released on November 9, 2012, as a 10-episode web series associated with Machinima.com. However, Caprica was released by the SyFy channel in 2010. That show was set fifty-eight years before the events of the main series; Caprica depicted the creation of the Cylon androids by humans, which would eventually turn against them.

As referenced many times during Battlestar Galactica's run, Bill Adama's father and Lee's grandfather, Joseph Adama, was a lawyer. Who, apparently, Romo Lampkin claimed to have known is a featured central character in Caprica. Daniel Graystone, who developed the Cylons, was also featured in the show. Caprica, unfortunately, was canceled after only one season.

Blood and Chrome was broadcast on February 10, 2013, as a television movie on Syfy. Unfortunately, probably due to many already seeing the web series a few months earlier in 2012, they didn't bother showing up to watch it on SyFy. February 10 was a Sunday, and at that time, The Walking Dead was crushing all other Sunday shows.

I would be remiss if I didn't briefly summarize Blood and Chrome. I would have been ecstatic if they had at least gotten one or two seasons of stories about a young Bill Adama.

The story opens with a young William explaining why he joined the military in a letter he wrote to his father, Joseph.

We see the young pilot fighting the old-style Cylon Raiders. You know, the ones with the three Cylon Centurions required to fly them.

But alas, it is all a training simulation. It is the tenth year of the First Cylon War, and Ensign William Adama arrives on a shuttle to a less battle-scarred Battlestar Galactica with all its battle armor intact.

Acting all cocky due to his exploits in the simulation but with no real experience, he is quickly assigned to pilot a Raptor named "Wild Weasel."

He also meets Coker Fasjovik. Coker is ready to go home. His second mandatory tour is almost complete, and he wants to go home to see his wife and kid.

We also meet Galactica's CO, Commander Nash. He quickly assigns the two to make a simple supply run.

It is a four-day mission, and Adama is to avoid the enemy altogether.

Instead of supplies, Adama and Coker discover that Dr. Beka Kelly, a software developer, is aboard their ship.

The chemistry was obvious when Adama met her in the showers. But when he learned that she had worked for Graystone Industries before, his emotions quickly subsided.

The young Bill is unhappy about her line of work, considering she is one of the developers on the CPU upgrade project that brought the Cylons to full artificial intelligence.

Kelly, more or less, takes over the mission from Bill and Coker. Oh yeah, Coker is now calling Bill Husker.

They have been ordered to keep radio silence the entire way to the Battlestar Acheron's meeting point, close to the front lines.

Unfortunately, an ambush had already destroyed the Acheron when they arrived. Then, Bill starts making evasive maneuvers as three Cylon Raiders approach them. Kelly instructs them to transmit on an open frequency after dodging the enemy and informs them they cannot return to Galactica.

To enter Cylon space, they are provided with a set of coordinates. After a furious dispute, Coker agrees to comply with Adama and Kelly's demands, and the three set out.

While in flight, Kelly tells Adama she was married to the war hero Ezra Barzel, who encouraged many young people to enroll in the academy. They discover a field of asteroids concealing a string of Colonial "ghost ships"—ships that were believed lost—when they arrive at the coordinates.

Dr. Kelly meets with the Commander on board the Osiris, an Orion-class Battlestar, and they receive a mission briefing. Kelly is to be taken to the planet Djerba, located deep within Cylon territory, for an important assignment, and the fleet is on its way there.

Since they've gone this far together, Adama is adamant that the doctor be permitted to fly in with her. Surprisingly, a Cylon base star materializes upon their arrival on the planet. The Commander decides against aborting and orders a full launch, instructing Adama and his escorts to head for the surface.

As the Osiris were about to launch Adama's Raptor with a Viper escort, a Cylon Basestar appeared on Dradis.

The Osiris and her crew attempted to draw fire away from the landing party. She ended up having to ram the Basestar and detonate their nuclear warheads manually.

A fierce air battle erupted, with the Vipers and the Raptor engaging in a deadly dance with several Cylon Raiders. The space around them was a chaotic symphony of laser fire and explosive bursts.

The battle looked phenomenal. The old Cylon Raider never looked better than in this dogfight.

This is during the Cylon War when the Raptor comes equipped with a tail gun, and Coker takes on the gunner role.

Following a crash landing, the trio embarks on a suspenseful journey towards a beacon from a Marine tactical team.

What is Kelly's secretive mission? Her hidden motives add a layer of mystery to the plot, keeping the audience guessing.

They find the remains of the Marine team in a cave on this snow-covered Hoth-like planet. Apparently, biomechanical snake-like creatures killed the Marines. The only survivor, Tech Seargent Toth. A bomb ordnance specialist. He saves the trio and takes them off to a ski resort.

Yep, Djerba was a high-end ski resort planet. Taken over by the Cylons at the beginning of the War and supposedly abandoned by them, but there is a listening post. Which is our traveler's primary objective.

After a romantic interlude between Adama and Kelly, the Cylons attack, and there is some pretty cool hand-to-hand combat between humans and Cylons.

There is one peculiar thing. A strange-looking Cylon finds Kelly, but after scanning her dog tag, he leaves her alone. Coker takes out the Cylon. After the usual tension between Coker Adama and Kelly, they take off for the communication tower.

If you have not seen Blood and Chrome, I don't want to spoil the rest.

I liked the ending and wish there had been more episodes.

Having multiple Vipers in my collection reminds me of when I was in my early teens and wanted to be a film director.

My wife suggested that I display my BSG Viper and Cylon Raider models and hang them on the ceiling. (That way, it is out of her way.) I explained to her that it puts them too far away to enjoy, and all you see is the fighters' bottoms.

I know because that was my bedroom when I was 14 years old.

But, if you, like me, are a fan of Battlestar Galactica and enjoyed this video, I invite you to hit the like button, subscribe to this blog if you haven't, and share your thoughts on the Eaglemoss Collection or say hi in the comments. Your engagement is what keeps this community alive.

Battlestar Galactica Eaglemoss Hero Collection | Cylon Raider Unboxing

2024-05-01T00:39:00.001-07:00

Today, we are looking at the Cylon Raider from Ronal D. Moore's 2003 reimagined series.

I have gone with the Eaglemoss Hero Collection when collecting ships from the Battlestar Galactica franchise. Also, I purchase them on Amazon because I know I am guaranteed a refund or a replacement if the item arrives damaged or is not up to snuff in any way.

Almost all of the Amazon reviews of this model are positive, so I feel safe spending my hard-earned money on it.

For starters, the box is quite nice.

Front

Back

Side

As usual, Eaglemoss includes a brochure detailing the Raider, which includes some pretty nice shots of the ship. They include some concept art by Charles Ratteray.

When I looked up this model on Amazon on my phone to purchase, the dimensions seemed small.

I hoped to find something comparable in size and scale to my Viper collection.

The dimensions listed were quite strange. 3 " in length, 2 inches in width, and 10 inches in height. That's not very large. So, let's measure.

Some detail the insides and depict what Starbuck found when she opened the ship to escape off that planet or moon that we discussed earlier. This brings one of the theories that Scar is such a formidable opponent because it is the reincarnated entity that Starbucks shot down in the first season.

Tell me your thoughts in the comments, or can you show me where this can be found?

The book mentions that the biomechanical Raiders resurrect and are placed in new fuselages. Here is a fascinating depiction of the Raider jettisoning the "wings."

Inside, as usual, is the styrofoam packaging with the product cutouts, keeping the model secure.

The actual dimensions of the Cylonh Raider turned out to be:

The Cylon Raider has some heft to it. So, I weighed it.

It turns out to weigh 11.45 ounces. In metric, that coverts to 0.32 Kg or just 32 grams.

Very nice detail etched onto the fuselage.

Comparison to Viper

Check out these videos

Context

In the beginning, there was Star Wars, and the 13-year-old me sat stunned and amazed on the edge of my seat for two hours and saw that it was good. I saw it five or six times that year and many more in the following years, and each time, I declared it good. My life had already started to change. I had a reason to spend my extra time and money researching how to make a film just like that.

I spent my paper route money buying a Super 8 camera with my best friend. We enrolled in the school's drama class so we could learn the art of acting. I read books on cinematography. I bought every Starlog magazine to get an inside track on creating special visual effects for my film.

I bought model kits of X-Wings and Tie Fighters. Not only to hang them on my ceiling but also to explode them in front of said Super 8 camera. My room's ceiling was a menagerie of World War 1 and 2 model aircraft on one side of the room, and on the other side was my USS Enterprise, Pan Am starliner, and all my Sci-Fi models. It was wild.

I got books on scriptwriting and spent time at the library trying to understand sound design in films.

I was obsessed.

I still went to school, had a paper route, and was a voracious reader, but all that ended when I was shuttled off to the desert in the hot summer of 1978.

It took me time to acclimate to the harsh desert environment.

I got a job at a radio station, but that didn't stop my love of sci-fi, action stories, horror movies, and just being a kid.

I was still engrossed in Star Wars; however, on the horizon was a new world to immerse me in the galaxy of a rag-tag fleet fleeing from their inhuman enemies—Battlestar Galactica.

The "pilot" premiered in theaters on May 18th, 1978, as a 2-hour, 22-minute extravaganza that promised to bring religious ideals along with ancient alien concepts and tell the story that was supposed to be about how life here began out there.

It was supposed to be relatable to the mass audience of the late 1970s. And initially, it was. By that fall, the TV series had premiered on ABC. For 24 episodes of the original run, from the fall of 78 to the spring of 79, our heroes were chased from world to world in search of the mythical planet Earth.

Although I wasn't earnestly pursuing my film-making quest, I was still moving in that direction. I continued my work in 16 mm and, of course, started building Vipers and Cylon Raiders.

Yes, I had several Vipers and Cylon Raiders hanging in my bedroom.

After high school, I returned to my city by the ocean, escaping the desert hellscape. I did this on my own, leaving my family behind. A year or so later, when my family also decided to return, I found that many of my childhood models had to either remain in storage or be tossed due to a lack of space.

Besides, I had other endeavors.

What do millennials today call adulting?

After raising a family and building a career, while I no longer have the time to make these model kits, I have the resources to search out and find replicas that bring home those fond memories. But which fond memories?

By this time, a new Battlestar Galactica had returned to television. I am talking about Ronald D. Moore's reimaging. Not only did he rework the mythology to fit a modern-day audience, but they jettisoned the original network's mandate that the show had to be kid-friendly, thus quickly removing the Boxey character.

There is no ambush by Lizard creatures, with their robotic minions carrying out genocide during a peace meeting; there is an ambush. It is during an armistice. The Cylons are updated to look less like Roman soldiers and more like slender chrome killing machines with the iconic red eye that scams back and forth. And, oh yeah, the Cylons are now human-looking, and the first one we meet is gorgeous.

The attacks on the colonies are limited to radio chatter on the "wireless." We first meet the Cylon raiders when the Galactica fighter squad meets the attacking Cylons. The colonial pilots are not even sure what a Cylon Raider looks like.

Moments later, when the pilots come in range of the Cylon Raiders in this first encounter, the Viper pilots see what their enemies look like now, but they only live briefly.

Boomer and Helo fall back out of range and see the carnage as the raiders jam the Viper squad's electronics, dooming them to slaughter. The two race back to the Galactica, hoping to make a report.

Unfortunately, that report will have to wait as Boomer and Helo are pursued and wounded by two chasing Cylon Raiders, forcing them to put down on Caprica to make repairs. This is where they lose Helo and pick up survivors, including Dr. Gaius Baltar.

Before their deaths, the Viper squad saw flying machines that didn't seem to have a pilot. Looking at where a cockpit should be, the scanning red eye gave us all the impression that these were artificial intelligence running amok.

Well, that is at least until we get to the fifth episode of the first season: "You Can't Go Home Again."

This is where the big reveal comes into play.

Of course, the Cylons in the reimagined version are presented as two types: the Cylons that physically resemble humans and the Cylons that seem to be just an upgrade on the War-era Cylons, which are purely mechanical AI with Romanesque helmet-looking heads.

In the episode You Can't Go Home Again, Starbuck and a Cylon Raider go down on a planet or moon.

As she recovers from her parachute landing and damaging her knee. Hobbling along, she comes across the downed Cylon raider.

Approaching the Raider, she notices the hole in the side of the cockpit, or "head." She realizes the Raider, or the Cylon inside, is no longer operational. She opens a hatch only to find organs and mechanical tubing.

Like the humanoid Cylons, the Cylon Raider is a biomechanical entity.

This actually changes the dynamics of consciousness in the Battlestar Galactica Universe.

As it does have a mechanical side to its existence, Starbuck can cut out the
"brains" and operate the roll, pitch, and yaw herself. As there is a biological aspect to the Raider, there must be some way to keep the biology alive, like a circulatory system.

Tapping into the oxygen system, Starbuck takes off and returns to the Galactica.

In the first episode of the fourth and final season, the Cylons appear out of nowhere, and Adama orders a red alert, sending all the pilots to their ships.

Lee, who just testified in Baltar's defense, suits up, as does the newly promoted Samuel Anders, who just discovered he is a Cylon.

During the battle, Sam, new to the piloting thing, is caught dead to rights when a raider flips around and targets Ander's Viper.

The Raider scans Anders and recognizes that he is one of them. He communicates with the other raiders and breaks off the attack.

The purely mechanical centurions, which are clearly obedient robots, can think independently, except that the human models have installed telencephalic inhibitors into the centurions.

Once again, Battlestar Galactica transcends its 1978 predecessor by asking whether it is morally correct to lobotomize the raiders.

The Centurions discovered what Cavill was doing to the raiders because they failed to continue attacking the human fleet.

I always had an issue with the original Cylon Raiders.

When I was 13, I went along with the three Cylons required to fly the Raider. Technologically, why would it need three centurions?

Take that a step further: Why do we need a centurion at all? They are machines, robots. How soon before we no longer need human pilots to fly drones into war?

The Ronald D. Moore reimagined raiders are sleeker, faster, and much cooler-looking.

Tell me in the comments if you agree or not.

Denis Villeneuve's Dune Crysknife | Parts 1 & 2

2024-03-12T21:42:00.005-07:00

I was born on the west coast, by the sea. Green trees and morning mist surrounded my home, giving way to the warm, temperate sun that beat down upon my beautiful childhood. Spending hours on the sand and playing in the waves. I went hiking in the mountains with my friends to explore the forest that surrounded me. Walking the palm-lined streets as I strolled through the town's Old Spanish architecture, with red-tiled roofs, white stucco buildings, and intricate wrought-iron details. I hung out with my friends at school, visited various museums, and enjoyed life. The people were cool.

It was a simpler time.

That was until I was 15 years old when my father changed jobs. When he broke the news to me, I was devastated. As an adolescent, I didn't really understand the necessities of life and survival. We pulled up stakes from the land of my birth and moved to the desert in the middle of summer. During the last few days before the move, my best friend handed me Dune. He thought reading it would help in the transition.

The move, while tiresome, was also exciting. The long trek into the desert was a shock. I had never seen such desolation before other than in old Western movies and TV shows.

It was late after our arrival and unloading of the truck and cars, so we slept. The next day, my brother and I woke early; we wanted to explore. My older cousin, hung over from the night before, enlisted my brother and me to help him retrace our vehicle's path to our new house and find a sock he somehow lost on the way in the night before.

The thing we all noticed was that the sun was way too bright. The air was dry, with

no moisture at all. The air at 7 in the morning was dry and hot. We didn't have to walk far before we noticed the houses give away to empty fields of dirt and tumbleweeds. The wind did blow, but all it did was blast dust into our faces. We turned our heads to cough and spit out the dirt from our mouths.

I didn't read the book right away. It took me several weeks before I found it. After arranging my library, I looked at the book and decided to give it a chance. I didn't get far. I found the book to be slow and tedious. I called my friend and asked why he gave me this boring book. My friend told me to get past the first 100 pages.

I did and found myself identifying closely with Paul Atreides, the protagonist of Dune. I cannot explain how profound that experience was and how Frank Herbert's philosophy affected me. Since that time, I have read Dune and all six of Herbert's original Dune series books once a year for 35 years. I know the book very well. I also read some of Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's expanded Dune universe. I also incorporated many of Dune's principles into my life and how I raised my children.

With a new Dune movie out, we could celebrate by looking into Crysknife from Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of Frank Herbert's classic novel, Dune.

Now, I have done a couple of videos concerning Dune.

One video features the central religious text of the Imperium, The Orange Catholic Bible. It's a fascinating book if you are into comparative religions. I'll leave a link in the description.

The other video focused on the two versions of Crysknifes from David Lynch's 1984 version and the 2000 and 2003 Sy Fy mini-series of Dune and Children of Dune.

Here are the links to those videos:

Orange Catholic Bible

Dune Crysknifes from 1984 and 2000 - 2003

A Crysknife is the sacred weapon of the Fremen on Arrakis. It is made from the teeth taken from dead sandworms, and to understand the importance of the crysknife, we must look at its origins. And therefore, we must briefly talk about sandworms,

Before moving to Arrakis, Paul talked with Yueh (A million deaths for Yueh). He provided the young man with a filmbook on a small specimen that was only 110 meters long.

Better known on the planet Arrakis as Shai-Hulud. The Old Man of the Desert, Old Father Eternity, and Grandfather of the Desert, the Fremen, had a few names for this entity. The name Shai-Hulud, when referred to in a specific tone or written with capital letters, designates the earth deity of Fremen hearth superstitions.

Sandworms grow to enormous size (specimens longer than 400 meters have been seen in the deep desert) and live to great age unless slain by one of their fellows or drowned in water, which is poisonous.

Most of the sand on Arrakis is credited to sandworm action. Arrakis was a moist planet, and upon the arrival of the sandtrout, they encysted all the water to transform into the sandworm. This aligned with the tangible proof discovered on Arrakis, which consisted of salt beds that seemed to have been vast oceans in the past.

Large bodies of water may be encased by Sandtrout, converting a whole terraformed planet into a desert and enabling the survival of Sandworms, which cannot exist in a wet environment. In Dune, the sandworms evoke a fascinating aura of mystery, awe, and power.

I know there are various Dune Crysknife replicas on the market today. However, instead, I once again went with a creator on Etsy. The crysknife was produced by Stupendous Props.

Villeneuve gives us a first peek at the Crysknife in the new Dune remake we now call Part 1, when, like in the David Lynch version, the Shadout Mapes presents Jessica with the Crysknife as a gift.

Later, near the end of Part 1, Paul and Jessica are captured by the Fremen after escaping with Kyne's help from the Ecological base when it is overrun by

Sardaukar. Paul is forced to fight Jamis. Jamis is that guy. The typical dissenter is always complaining and challenging Stilgar's authority.

We see the crysknife as the chosen weapon of the Fremen.

Apparently, the Crysknife can break. As Jamis calls out, May Thy Knife Chip and Shatter.

During Part 2, there are various scenes where the knife is flashed but not necessarily featured.

That is, until near the end, Paul captures the Emperor and his entourage. Paul kills the Baron with his crysknife, and then a short bit later, he fights a duel with Feyd-Rautha to the death.

The battle looks realistic and looks like any modern close-quarter hand-to-hand knife battle.

Kudos to the actors for pulling it off.

The knife is delivered in a cardboard poster tube. It is well-sealed with packing tape.

As you can see, the replica is wrapped well with bubble wrap. Very well wrapped.

The blade is silver-looking, directly contrasting with the colored blades of the two previous films.

The blade is 3d printed in PLA. The sword and hilt are glued together instead of printed in one piece. The hilt is painted silver and brown, giving it a leathery look. Near the hilt, there is some decorative scrolling.

Now, according to the book Dune, the Freman manufactures the crysknife in two forms: The two forms are "fixed" and "unfixed." An unfixed knife requires proximity to a human body's electrical field to prevent disintegration.

Fixed knives are treated for storage.

All are about 20 centimeters. As mentioned, the 2021 and 2024 Crysknife versions are a bit longer.

The Stupendous Props Crysknife is 20.5 inches or 50.7 centimeters long. The blade itself is 14.5 inches, which is 36.83 centimeters.

The blade comes in 4 VERSIONS

*DIY kit for you to make (blade and sheath)
*Painted blade only
*Painted blade and sheath.
*Painted blade and sheath with a leather strap attached to the sheath.

The knife is very lightweight. No more than a few ounces.

I am sure many of you have seen either or both of Deni Villenue's adaptations of Frank Herbert's book.

I have learned to separate the two mediums after being so engrossed and deeply affected by the novels. Stephan King taught me that lesson. People like stories, and this is just another rendition of that story.

Villeneuve does an excellent job with both of his films, keeping the central theme in place: Dune, in essence, is a Greek tragedy on the scale of Homer. The hubris is on full display by almost all characters, especially Paul Muad'Dib, the Lisan al Gaib, the voice from the outer world.

Deni Villanueva, for whatever reasons he had, I will not question him on that, decided either for time constraints, budget, or resources, to eliminate many scenes and characters that show the underlying motivations of the great houses, the nuances of the culture of the Imperium, and of the Freman.

As I said, Villeneuve hit the major plot points while streamlining the story and changed a few of those plot points to tell a somewhat different story. In doing so, he wants to take us in a different direction, but I am sure he will ultimately end up in the same place by the end of the next sequel. Dune Messiah.

The political statement, while decidedly different than the subtle and gradual understanding that emerges in the books, is more explicit in the film.

For example, the southern fundamentalist freemen who have a presupposition of their dogmatic beliefs are willing to run headlong into the acceptance of a prophecy that is not divine but ultimately manmade, or in this case, Woman-made.

Is this a direct statement of our times politically? I leave that to the dear viewer.

The film is an amazing cinematic event. Everything about the production of Dune is fantastic and draws the viewer into experience.

Overall, the new Dune films are excellent as long as you let go of the novels to enjoy the visuals, the special effects, the grandeur, and the scale of this epic tale.

For me, the best Dune films are the ones I create in my mind as I read or think back about scenes in the novel and picture them as I imagine them to be.

So, after high school, I returned from the desert and enjoyed the ocean, the cool breeze, and moderate temperatures. Once again, the desert beckoned me to return. And I heeded its call and have remained in the desert for over half my life.

The desert is my home.

Battlestar Galactica Viper Mark l

2021-08-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

1977 was a big year for me. Two great films came out that year. Roger Moore in A Spy Who Loved Me with that crazy Lotus Esprit that turned into a submarine. And, of course, Star Wars. With the Death Star, Tie Fighters and Y wings, and the iconic X Wing fighter.

Now, most Star Wars aficionados know that John Dykstra was in charge of the special effects and worked to develop the computer motion-controlled cameras that could repeat the same movements multiple times so the camera could make multiple passes with various mattes attached, allowing to replace the blue screen in the background and add multiple effects onto the screen.

This revolutionized the film industry. However, 1977 came and went, and back on Earth, TV executives were looking for something that could capitalize on the Science Fiction frenzy that happened the year before, and they turned to Glen Larson for something that would bring back that excitement. That would be Battlestar Galactica.

In 1978, the original Battlestar Galactica series introduced us to the Viper Mark I, commonly known as the Starhound Class. As the battle between the twelve Colonies and the Cylon Empire progressed, it was constructed somewhere in the 7th Millennium to replace the now obsolete 6th Millennium fighter known as the Scorpion Mark I.

These small, quick, single-pilot ships were stationed on Colonial Battlestars, each with a squadron of 75 ships, and were built for both atmospheric and space flight. It was first used in the military as a defensive counterattack against the Cylon Fleet not long before the First Cylon War.

Another version, the Recon Viper, sometimes known as the Starchaser, is seen during a mission with Starbuck and is used for recon.

If you are new here, we cover the film genres of sci-fi, horror, action/adventure, prop culture, and all things geek. So if you want more videos like this, don't forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell to be aware of my new content.

So, the Viper is typically a one-person fighter. However, there must have been a two-person version. In the pilot, there is a scene after the attack on the colonies. Adama is rummaging through the burnt wreckage of his home and the remains of his wife, Apollo, Athena, and Zak's mother.

Apollo is stationed by the Viper as crowds began to descend on the ship, and Apollo urges Adama to hurry. Here, Adama issues the proclamation that people need to find transport, get off the colonies, and follow Galactica to Earth.

Now the Viper design. Like the X Wing, Ralph McQuarrie also contributed designs for Larson's production company.

Today we are taking a look at the Eaglemoss Hero Collection.

The Viper squadrons were now stationed in launching bays onboard the Battlestars and launched into space on rails designed to keep the ships centered in port and starboard launching tubes.

The emphasis on mobility, which was critical to the Viper's success as a fighter, was similar to WW2 aircraft. However, the ship was now piloted with the pilot's right hand holding a joystick (you probably thought that was a gaming phrase).

The joystick now has a three-button fan-shaped handle. On the right, a green "IM" button, in the center, a "Turbo" button, and on the left, a "fire" button. Which is a natural position for your thumb to be in.

IM stood for reversing thruster, and the turbo provided that extra surge of power.

The three separate engines may now be easily enabled or deactivated. These controls allowed the pilot to take immediate evasive action if necessary.

The cockpit was, of course, hinged, and the pilots climbed in the same way rebel pilots got into their X-Wings as pilots do today in their jet fighters.

If you recall, the Viper pilot's helmet is trapezoid in shape and lacks a faceplate from the front, and resembles an Egyptian Pharaoh's headdress. I've always believed the lights on the helmet's rim were some kind of force field designed to keep the vacuum of space out if their cockpit's canopy was ever breached.

Now, unfortunately, the cockpit of this Eaglemoss Viper is devoid of any detail or a Viper Pilot figure.

Now looking at this model, I find the detail quite fantastic and not getting paid for that.

Now, lengthwise it is exactly the same as the Viper Mark 2. Which is 10.75" or 27.3 cm and has a 6" or 15.24 cm Wingspan. The tail raises to about 5" or 12.7 cm in height.

Now, to scale, that would put the Viper to about 28 and 1/2 feet or 8.7 meters.

I'll leave a link in the description.

As a teenager, I loved to make plastic models from kits that you could buy from the store. Star Trek, Space 1999, 2001 A Space Odyssey, Star Wars X Wings and Tie Fighters, The Battlestar Galactica original version, and of course, the Viper.

I would even make models from scratch, and sometimes I would kit-bash kits like crazy. In one case, I took the front end of a Viper and the backend of an X-Wing with the wings modified. Unfortunately, the only picture I have from the time is pretty degraded. But hey.

However, as an adult, you find that time is the most important commodity you can have, and building plastic models takes up quite a bit of time.

So model kits like this from Eaglemoss are great for collectors like me who live busy lives and want something from our favorite Science Fiction films and TV shows to enjoy daily as part of our home displays. I am delighted so far with the hero collection from Eaglemoss. I like the detail, except for the lack of cockpit detail, I like the size, and I like that this Viper is ready to display in seconds. And I like the price.

Thanks for the view. And, watch this video right here for more Cosplay and Film prop fun.

Take care.

The Black Death and the Plague Doctor mask

2021-08-23T10:49:00.000-07:00

The Great Mortality or as it is better known to as the Black Death, was a time in

the medieval history that saw the population of the world practically drop by half.

It was a turning point in history that left us with a new world rising from the ashes.

Join me as we travel back in time to Medieval Europe and take a look at a time and the headgear of the plague doctor

The year is 1347, and it's been almost 800 years since a plague ravages the Roman Empire The bacterium Yersinia pestis ravaged the Mediterranean Basin, Europe, and the Near East, and Constantinople.

Instead of focusing on the horrors of the Plague, I want to briefly discuss what good, if any came from these 300 years.

Before the Great Pestilence, Europe experienced a remarkable expansion period during the High Middle Ages (1050-1300 CE). This period was called the Medieval Climate Optimum.

However, by 1301 the weather was changing again. As we enter 1347, many events took place to put the Great Pestilence on the map.

If you are new here, we cover the film genres of sci-fi, horror, action/adventure, prop culture, and all things geek. So if you want more videos on this subject, don't forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell to be aware of my uploads.

The Black Death is the single most significant disease in Western civilization to date, an actual and literal plague. The word Plague derives from an ancient Greek medical term plêgê meaning "stroke"—it's a reference to the speed with which the disease brings down its victims—and this Plague was a real death-blow to medieval Europe. The Black Death, or simply "The Plague," came on its victims quickly and powerfully. It was such a debilitating disruption of facilities. It seemed to on-lookers in the day as if the person had been "struck" by some invisible force.

The "black" in Black Death more likely derives from the Latin word atra, meaning "black, dreadful." Death usually follows soon afterward, most often from septicemia (blood poisoning), due to massive internal hemorrhaging as the bloodstream grows congested with bacteria.

Before the outbreak in 1347, feudal Europe was divided socially by the three estates. While the system was made up of clergy (The First Estate), nobles (The Second Estate), and the peasants (The Third Estate).

It's probably safe to say that something on the order of a quarter to a third of the population of Europe died during the Great Pestilence, thus creating a tremendous upheaval of the three estate system

The Plague respected neither noble, cleric, or peasant.

With so much death, the peasants who were bound to the lord of the manor found that they could just go to the next manor and hire their labor out for more than a meager existence. Even then, the nobles tried to regulate the pay a lord could offer. And how much a worker could demand. This really didn't work, and the feudal system started to crack.

Priests were not immune. In many cases, but not all, the priest would or could do little for their flock.

Perhaps hasty last rites and then get the heck out of Plague-infested house.

Seeing that the church was of no real help, perhaps the survivors needed to rethink their relationship with the church.

Scholars feel that this, like many other factors, was the slow brewing resentment that brought on the Protestant Reformation 200 years later.

The merchant class was proliferating. Cash strapped nobles were quick to marry their children off to merchants who were more wealthy than the manor's lords. The merchants were eager to join the nobility.

Another positive result of the bubonic Plague was the development of medicine as a science in the West. Whereas in the late Middle Ages, Islamic doctors had, for centuries, been advocating sensible measures like general cleanliness and the value of studying anatomy. Western healers before 1347 were still burdened by the Medieval scorn of the body and ancient medical fallacies like the theory of "humors".

But when Plague wiped out nearly all the doctors in Europe, just as it had the clergy—physicians, like priests, attend to the dying and because of this was exposed at a higher rate to the more virulent pneumonic form of Plague—it precipitated a change in both personnel and precept.
Ironically, modern Western medicine owes much to the bacterium Yersinia pestis, one of its most horrifying failures.

It is here where we discuss the hazmat suit of the 14th century. While the oldest drawings are from the 17th century, scholars have descriptions from much earlier of the suits that look like beaked birds.

Why the beak, you ask?

Well, the doctors of the time believed that epidemics were caused by miasma, or bad air, emanating from rotting organic matter. To counter the rotting stench, many times, people would carry flowers in their sleeves to smell them when the buboes' odor was overwhelming.

Doctors came up with long robes, gloves, and mask to keep from touching the diseased.
And the beak was there to hold the posies and other sweet-smelling items.

To filter out the miasma, so to say.

Well, as Halloween approaches, I thought it would be great to have a costume that represents this year.

The Cross of King Arthur | Reel Art

2021-08-09T21:52:00.001-07:00

Archeology is the search for facts, not truth, So,

When looking at the historical King Arthur, we, unfortunately, must put aside all the romantic characters and imagery that we have been exposed to throughout our lives. We forget the tales of knights in shining armor and start from scratch with the story of Arthur.

I am not even sure if there was a King Arthur. However, many Arthurian scholars do believe that there was someone who historically could fit the description.

A beginning is a time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are correct. We must first place Arthur in his time, born in the late 5th or early 6th century CE. And take the most special care that you locate Arthur in his place. The Isle of Brittania is forever his place.

Knowing this --- we must forget the following details:

That Camelot was not a majestic stone castle but perhaps a defensive wooden fortress on a hill.

Merlin, The story of this character comes much later. There is a Welsh bard named Myrrdren. If you know French, you may be shocked by this name. Perhaps it was Latinized to Merlinus.

The round table is not even mentioned until the second millennium CE

Sir Lancelot, Nope a 12th-century French addition to the stories

Guenevere - again, a 12th-century addition. However, we still use this name to some degree in its modern form --- Jennifer.

the Holy Grail - definitely a French addition which was not formerly sacred or even holy

The chivalric code is once again, a later addition to set an example for a time that needed it.

Mordred - a later addition who could be either a villain or a hero depending on a particular point of view.

And the Isle of Avalon not mentioned until the 12th century either, but this where we have some possibilities.

The late 5th century was a tumultuous time in the Roman Empire.

In 410, the Goths sacked Rome, and the legions were recalled home to defend the Eternal city.

Thus gives rise to oral tales of a hero that turned back to the Irish's tide from the west and the Angles and Saxons from the east. At least for another 300 years.

Romano-Britons defended themselves against the invaders.

These are the times of tales of Ambrosius Aurelianus and others but not one named Authur.

However, in the 600s CE, the name Arthur started showing up in the birth records of noble families in the post roman Britain.

So let's begin.

Somewhere between 500 to 550 CE, the Britons appear to have held back the invading Angle-Saxon advance. However, in the following years, they were pushed back into Cornwall and Wales. The territory held by the Saxons eventually became known as England, and the people in Wales were called 'Welsh' from the Saxon word 'weala,' meaning 'foreigners' or worse slaves. The Welsh call themselves 'Cymry' indicating 'fellow countrymen' and their country 'Cymru.')

The first reliable reference to Arthur is in the 'Historia Brittonum' written by the Welsh monk Nennius around the year 830 AD. He refers to Arthur as a warrior - not a king. He lists twelve battles fought by Arthur, including Mount Badon and the City Of The Legion. Most likely, his title was Dux Bellorum rather than Rex or King.

It was the Welsh cleric Geoffrey of Monmouth, wrote down in Books Five and Six of the Histories, he establishes the basis of the Arthurian legends that we know today. His work, 'Historia Regum Britaniae' or in English known as The History of the Kings of Britain, also known initially as De gestis Britonum (On the Deeds of the Britons), was written in the year 1133 AD. He claimed to have based the work on an ancient Celtic document in his possession. It became a 'best-seller' of its time, and two hundred manuscripts still survive. It was later foreign writers have expanded his themes and added new strands to the story. By the way, Geoffrey's History is the first to mention King Lear's story that Shakespear would later retell and expand on this story.

The Norman chronicler Wace was the first to mention the Round Table, in his Roman de Brut of 1155. He simply says that Arthur devised the idea of a round table to prevent quarrels between his barons over the question of precedence. Now, Wace's version is more of a loose and expanded translation of almost 15,000 lines of Norman-French verse of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Latin History of the Kings of Britain.

Around 1177, Chrétien de Troyes adds Lancelot du Lac (meaning Lancelot of the Lake, also know as the knight of the cart. It Chrétien's that is one of the first stories of the Arthurian legend to feature Lancelot as a prominent character.

Robert de Boron from Burgundy was a French poet of the late 12th and early 13th centuries who wrote several poems within the Arthurian cycle. Joseph d'Arimathie [fr] and Merlin. The Poem Joseph of Arimathea gives the grail its Holiness and sacredness. Remember, it is at this point in 1187 that the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem was surrendered to Saladin in the Holy Land. Robert wrote Joseph after 1191, which lines up with when the monks at Glastonbury claimed to have discovered the coffins of King Arthur and Guinevere.

The first English version was written by a priest known as Layamon in around 1200 CE. He pretty much follows Wace's 1155 release of the Histories. However, in Layamon's version, Arthur did not die from his wounds, he remained on the Isle of Avalon - to return in the future.

Almost 300 years later, in 1485 and around 40 years after Gutenburg invented the printing press, William Caxton published 'Le Morte d'Azur' - one of the first printed books. Written by Sir Thomas Malory, this was a collection of eight stories that brilliantly drew together the whole saga and gave us the account we know today.

The legendary King Arthur and History Britain are tightly intertwined. There is too much information to include here, so this is where I am going to mention the Great Courses Plus, where you can take a course with a University Professor who teaches the Arthurian Legends. Professor Dorsey Armstrong explains in 24 Lectures the history of Britain, and the Celtic, Latin, French, and English legends from the Low to High Middle Ages. She with take you on tour through the historical sites attached to the title of King Arthur. I highly recommend the Great Courses Plus for this and many other subjects available. Oh, I am not sponsored by the great course, but because I enjoy the classes so much, I am sharing my affiliate link so you can also take part in this learning opportunity.

Rex quondam, Rexque Futurus

This Latin phrase was supposedly carved upon Arthur's tomb at Glastonbury, according to Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur 21:7:

Yet some men say in many parts of England that King Arthur is not dead, but had by the will of our Lord Jesu into another place... many men say that there is written upon his tomb this verse: Hic jacet Arthurus, Rex quondam, Rexque futurus.

Translated in full, the phrase is "Here lies Arthur, King Once, and King in the Future"--or as T.H. White so succinctly translates it, "The Once and Future King."

Of course, the Glastonbury Cross has a different inscription, usually given as: "HIC IACET SEPULTUS INCLITUS REX ARTURIUS IN INSULA AVALONIA": Here Lies the Tomb of the famous King Arthur on the Isle of Avalon.

As for King Arthur's return, the messianic element of the Arthurian mythos is not to be overlooked. While a common theme in medieval literature--Charlemagne is also said to sleep under a mountain--the reason for its attachment to King Arthur should be examined.

It is not uncommon for an oppressed people--in this case, the Britons, soon to be Welsh--to have a type of messianic figure in King Arthur, the last great British king, who waits on Avalon and will return in the time of greatest peril. Jesus will have a second coming, and this element of Christianity is most emphasized during times of crisis. Elijah is said to return; a son of Zoroaster will come; Baldr will be resurrected at Ragnarok; Charlemagne is under Chateau Montsegur2, Francis Drake and Drake's Drum; Holger Danske will rise from his repose (either below Kronborg Castle at Elsinore, or Nonnebakken at Odense) and fight to preserve Denmark in her hour of need1; and so on. The idea that a hero/savior will appear one day and drive out the oppressors is a popular one, and understandably so.

2021-06-07T09:25:00.001-07:00

Today we are taking a look at an ancient alien race that has visited Earth over 5000 years ago, and during this time, they have been the guardians of this world. In their own Divine language, the word guardian can be translated as Mondoshawan. Yes, that's right, we are going back to visit the world of the Fifth Element and explore these ancient creatures.

I tend to support the artists on Etsy. While looking around, I found a couple of items that would go very nicely with my Fifth Element shrine/display. I found one item from 3DMirrorArt,

Now Austris, the same artist that created my Five Element stones, created something special. And another who created a replica key to the secret chamber in the Egyptian temple of the Fifth Element.

In the Fifth Element, the Mondoshawan are a race of aliens that are friendly to humans. They are a bit taller than humans, roughly 7 to 8 ft tall. The Mondoshawan are semi-biblical beings that serve as the caretakers of both the Four Elemental Stones (Water, Earth, Fire, Air) and the Fifth Element guardians. Although little is known of their homeworld or race, it can be assumed that it is some distance from Earth, remaining relatively secluded from the other races. We don't know much of what the Mondoshawan actually look like, as they are only seen wearing impenetrable golden armor. But we believe that they are a peaceful and ancient sapient race that appears to be similar in anatomical structure to grounded avians.

At some point in Ancient History, the Mondoshawan visited the Humans "before time was time."

And established a priestly order to protect the Fifth Element and the Chamber in Egypt.

A Dark Force or Evil attempted to destroy the world 5 millennia before 1914, the first time we are introduced to Mondoshawan in pre-World War 1 Egypt. Some say that dark forces attacked Earth, possibly causing the Moon to form around Earth.

Evil is an apparently sentient and sapient living planetoid supposedly indestructible, which seeks to destroy all life, starting with Earth's. To this end -- the Mondoshawans seek to destroy this evil, stating that "time is not important, only life is important."

Near the Fifth Element, a Mondoshawan ship visits Earth, specifically the Chamber in Egypt. Upon arriving, the ship's crew were greeted by the current Priest who ensured them that the stones and Fifth Element were safe, despite an archaeologist and his apprentice investigating the chamber.

The Mondoshawans render the archaeologist unconscious and then extract the stones and Fifth Element inside the secret chamber.

When the priest asked why the Mondoshawan were taking Earth's only defense against Evil, the Leader, distinguished by the large spikes on his armor, replied, "War is coming, stones not safe on Earth anymore." Unfortunately, he was shot at by the bewildered apprentice played by Jason Priestly and was sealed in the chamber, but not before passing the Key to the Priest with the command "Pass the knowledge to the next priest as it was passed on to you." The Mondoshawan then left Earth, returning 300 years later.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gN_j2oBuDg

In the year 2214 the Mondoshawan returned with the Fifth Element as promised, they made their way back to Earth as the Great Evil returned. Unfortunately, Mangalores hired by Zorg shot down the Mondoshawan's ship as it passed Jupiter in a vicious attack that left only one survivor, the Fifth Element who was later retrieved by Human Scouts and reanimated back in the modern city of New York, Earth.

Although only the Mondoshawan accompanying the Fifth Element and Elemental Stones were seen, it is assumed there are other Mondoshawan. The Mondoshawan are also excellent strategists and back-up planners.

Although they failed to safely deliver the Fifth Element to Earth themselves, they did separate the Fifth Element from the Elemental Stones, preventing the loss of them all.

So, to start off with we have from Rbreplicas Store on Etsy. Russel Brown crafted this replica prop out of brass for the key and aluminum for the stand. It was and is part machined and laser cut from solid brass,

The key is 5 and three-quarters inches long which is 14.6 cm. AND is one and a half inches wide which is 3.81 cm

Rbreplicas has many machined parts from Star Wars, Andromeda Strain, Batman, James Bond, The Avengers, and other films. I enjoyed this piece and I will leave a link in the description

Now, this big box contains my Ancient Alien.

I felt as a science fiction film lover, and The Fifth Element being one of my favorite films I thought the character of the Mondoshawan is easily recognized by anyone who has seen the film. As I mentioned, this is the second item that I purchased from Austris and his prop store on Etsy 3DMirrorArt in Latvia. Now as his shop is in Europe, it does take about a month to arrive.

Now, the Mondoshawan is made out of PLA plastic, finished with acrylic paint with a coat of varnish

It stands just under 9 inches which is 20 cm tall and is 5 and a quarter wide which is 13.4 cm and a tad under 4 inches thick which is 10 centimeters.

So here they are. What do YOU think of my little fella and the key to the secret chamber? I feel that having something like this to adorn my shelf in front of the element stones would make a great display. Or should I have a separate shelf for these two movie items?

let me know in the comments. Also, make sure you share your thoughts about these two prop pieces

Indiana Jones and the Grail Tablet

2020-08-11T13:30:00.003-07:00

The grail tablet was one of two markers left by three brother knights of the first crusade. The third night who was dying of extreme old age tells his story to a Franciscan friar, that he, along with his two brothers, Richard and the Grail Knight had set out to find and protect the Holy Grail of Jesus Christ. Which they did in the temple of the sun in the canyon of the Cresent moon in Halay. 150 years after finding the grail two brothers started their journey back to France leaving the grail knight to guard the relic. The grail tablet was one of the markers left by one of the two returning brothers. The other was Sir Richards's shield buried with him in the catacombs of Venice. Both markers were there to describe the location of the Holy Grail. The tablet was made of sandstone, made in the Middle East, and was found by Walter Donovan's people who digging out there for copper in the mountains north of Ankara, I believe.x

According to Indiana Jones, It used an early Latin text. Which was probably from the mid 12th century that was during the second major crusade during the fall of the county of Edessa. I got this piece from Propland

2000 which has a store on Etsy and they are based out of Spain. Link in the description. Ordered during the peak of the pandemic, it took about 3 weeks to arrive due to the new quarantine rules going into place. My question is how well did this item stand up to international travel and then storage until it eventually arrived. Wow, I'm impressed, there is a lot of paper and this resin cast is wrapped in some very sticky bubble wrap. This box looks a bit beaten up, however, my tablet looks like it is in good shape. Jesus over at Propland2000 kept in contact with me to let me know how my prop was progressing and then over the course of shipping the product until it finally arrived.

In the movie, the Last Crusade, without the top half, Indy still tries to translate it. As shown at the beginning of the film, Indy knows several languages by the time he was 14 such as Greek. He pours a bit of water on top of the tablet to clean it and still tries to translate it. Now it translates something like this. .whoever, or who drinks the water I shall give him, says the Lord, will have a spring inside him welling up for eternal life. Let them bring me to your holy mountain in the place where you dwell. Across the desert and through the mountains to the Canyon of the Crescent Moon, to the temple where the cup that holds the blood of Jesus Christ resides forever."―

Now, this piece is a resin and fiberglass casting. It was painted and weathered. and has a hollow back which helps with shipping costs. This prop measures 20,07” x 18,50” x 1,18” width Centimetres 51 cms x 47 cms x 3 cms width

Okay, there is something weird wrapped up in bubble wrap and taped to the back. Okay this is a fertility idol, Thank you very much

Dune, Arrakis, Desert Planet - Unboxing the Crysknives of the Film and Mini-series

2020-08-06T01:30:00.000-07:00

It's 2020 and a new adaptation of Frank Herbert's classic is scheduled to come out at the end of the year.

Right now Denis Villeneuve director of "Sicario," "Arrival," and "Blade Runner 2049" takes a crack at this epic story which is expected out on December 18, 2020.

This is a great way for people who missed out so far on the Dune experience to check out the material, either on the big screen or taking a look at the older materials or even reading the books. c

Before I get into the two previous screen adaptations I want to talk about what Dune means to me personally.

At the time I was 15 years old, I lived on the South Coast of California. Beautiful beaches, nice weather year-round. I had Friends, Family, a paper route, there were girls and I was getting ready for High School --- then all of a sudden. Well, it seems like it was all of a sudden to me...

My dad moved my family out to the California Mojave Desert.

I was devastated.

My best friend gave me a book to help in through this terrible time. The book was Dune.

I remember telling him that I thought it was boring and I could barely get through the first 25 pages.

He told me to read the first 100 pages then tell him what I thought. I did and I told him and then for the 30 years, I read that book at least once a year. Along with that, I read Dune Messiah and Children of Dune as well.

zzOf course, I read all of Frank Herbert's books. "God Emperor of Dune," and "Chapterhouse of Dune." I went on to read Destination Void and that whole series. I sought out the "Encyclopedia of Dune,". "Eye," and "Heretics of Dune."

Then David Lynch directed the DeLaurentis Production of my favorite book. While I thought that Lynch's version had some good ideas and some not very good concepts I certainly hated the pronunciations of the names in his film

I could go on

Then there was Sci-Fi's mini-series "Frank Herbert's Dune" in 2000 and 3 years later saw "Frank Herbert's Children of Dune" with James McAvoy as Leto the second

This too had some good ideas and some not so good. I could do a whole video on both of either of these. story renderings.
While some of the characters may change genders in the upcoming film, however, one of the "main character" and the largest is SHAI-HULUD or the great sandworms of Dune.

These leviathans of the desert had segmented rings that essentially had a life of their own,

They had rings of teeth at the eating end of their bodies

The somewhat indigenous desert people known as the Fremen.

These Fremen, akin to the bedouin of the Arabian Penninsula controlled the desert and the planet is 80 percent desert.

Therefore they controlled the planet.

As a Fremen, they had a consecrated knife, made from the teeth of the sandworms.

So we are going to take a look at two different knives, both made of worm teeth.

Well not really.

The funny thing about this box is that I actually bought this off of Etsy and not eBay. The seller, James Arnold of ReelArt out of Florida does sell these on eBay as well. Each of these knives is sold separately but I figured that I would just get one from the film and one from the mini-series. Why just one of each? Why would I get two?

Etsy Reel Art
Dune Mini-Series Crysknife: https://etsy.me/3fKv4iv
Dune 1984 Film: https://etsy.me/3eqloJN

Now, personally, I am excited that Villeneuve is directing Dune. I was tripped out by Arrival, Sicario was all too real considering I used to live somewhat near the border. And Blade Runner 2049 pretty much was food for thought when it comes to Artificial Intelligence. You know Cylons and all.

I plan on seeing this film with an open mind.

Now although neither of the two previous versions had everything that I was hoping for, I do understand how hard a story like Dune is to bring to the big screen. The fact that he is planning to break the story into two films will hopefully allow him to tell a complete story, or at least he will get the chance to tell that story.

This makes me think that the studios are going to have to rethink how they track the profit of a film and how they make decisions on what films get a sequel or not. The world is changing and HAS been changing and unfortunately, the way we used to do things may not evolve as "THEY would like

Now looking at some of the photos I can see that there are some of David Lynch's design elements peeking through in this film. Look at the stillsuits. Very similar to the 1984 film They just need the Jubba cloak, IMHO

I am thinking that the choice of actors is interesting. I mentioned that there is a couple of characters whose gender and ethnicity were altered. In the case of Liet Kynes --- Sharon Duncan Brewster of Rogue 1 will be taking over for the recently passed Max Von Sydow. and Zendaya will play Chani.

Considering how well I think that worked with Battlestar Galactica, I am hopeful.

Dark News Update

2020-08-05T17:33:00.000-07:00

Today, I want to talk about some movie release updates and what you can watch in the meantime.

So, last week I let you know of the Summer Blockbuster Release schedule
And I asked the question, ARE YOU READY TO RETURN TO THE MOVIE THEATERS IN SPITE OF THE PANDEMIC?

Those who did answer did so with a resounding NO!

I think the Studios heard me because they pushed back the release dates to August. I probably should have put up a disclaimer, and Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all dates are tenative

So what are we to do NOW!\

I tell you in a moment, but I want to address something very quickly,

People ask me, Rob, why do you claim to have a constantly racing mind?

Well, because I do, and do you wanna know why?

xxxBecause of films like "Memento," where Leonard, a guy with short term amnesia, tries to avenge the murder of his wife. Or was he? He is helped by Cypher from the "Matrix," or is he? The movie flows backward and forwards, and while it tells a fascinating character study and of human nature, it confounds the brain, leading to many sleepless nights contemplating the film structure and humanity itself

Then there is "Donnie Darko." Jake Gyllenhaal's Donnie faces a rabbit from the future, family issues, his issues with sleepwalking, adolescence, the impending end of the world. You know, crap like that

Then there is "Inception," the dream traveling, time-bending and questionable narration by a possibly unreliable narrator who travels through people's dreams to plant an idea that the sleeping individual believes is his own.

All of these films I watched many times just trying wrapping my head around the many currents that time may flow, does flow, and where it ends

Now, the film, "Tenet," the word itself is a palindrome, as of our last discussion was set for June 30th, that got pushed back until August 12th, and I'm guessing that will change as well

Again, all dates are tentative due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Tenet another Christopher Nolan film deals with time inversion, I'm not sure what that means, but this sci-fi film sure does look interesting

Damn you, Christopher Nolan. DAMN YOU

ARE YOU READY TO GO BACK TO THE THEATERS? If so, what precautions should they take to ensure your safety, or is that YOUR responsibility?

So what do we do NOW

Well, lucky for us, or those of us who have Netflix, "Dark:" Season 3 just dropped on Saturday, June 27th

What is "Dark," you ask?

Well, it's a German-produced web series that follow four families in the small yet fictitious town of Widin Germany.

First, there are the Kahnwalds whom the main character is Jonas Kahnwald, an older teen still in high school whose father hangs himself at the beginning of the film, which is on June 21st, 2019

Jonas goes away to a psychiatric institute for the summer. In the meantime, his mother, Hanna, a woman in her 40s, starts having an affair with Ulrich Nielson, a man she's had a crush on since she was in High School

While he is gone for the summer, Jonas' girl-friend Martha Nielson takes up with Jonas's best friend Bartosz Tiedemann.

Oh, by the way, Martha's dad is Ulrich, (the one having an affair with Jonas's mom, Hanna. Ulrich is also a police officer who is investigating the disappearance of the High School drug pusher, supplier, party favor guy Erik Obendorf

Jonas, Bartosz, Martha, her older brother Magnus, and her younger brother Mikkel along with Franziska Doppler, whose mother is the police chief and Ulrich's boss decide to go to a cave in the woods near the towns nuclear plant, where else kids go to get high to see if they can find Erik's stash.

As the kids get closer to the cave, weird sounds start emanating from the cave, and their flashlights start flickering, of course. Chaos ensues, and they scatter, Jonas realizes that young Mikkel was left behind, goes back calling for him but can't find him

Later, Ulrich and Katherina, his wife, the kid's mother, and the principle of the High School are devastated, and Ulrich now has two kids to find, and one is his son

Worse yet, when Ulrich was a rebellious teenager, his younger brother went missing in 1986, which is a 33-year time difference.

Family drama ensues. Mikkel is the talk of the town, Ulrich breaks up with Hanna, oh beware of a woman scorned, and things get weirder for the town of Widin

Mikkel woke up in 1986. Not sure what to think, he ends up at the hospital where Ines Kahnwald, the attending nurse, helps the kid and eventually decides to adopt him

Oh, oh, you know means.

Soon after that, "the Stranger" delivers a package to Jonas that contains Michael's suicide note and instructions on how to access the wormhole in the caves

There's a wormhole in the caves?

The nuclear reactor went live in 1953 oh yeah, 33 years

Jonas tries to go back to 1986 and bring Mikkel back, but the stranger tells him that he would form a paradox and erase himself

Did I forget to mention back to the future?

Turns out that the stranger is Jonas from guess when?
33 years in the future. 2052

Ulrich, while searching for his son Mikkel, find a fresh body in the woods. The boy cannot be identified, but Ulrich knows who it is? It's his brother Mads who disappeared in... wait for it, 1986

It turns out that the is a man who dresses like a pastor, who is kidnapping the kids and is trying to do time-traveling experiments with. Either sending kids back to from 1986 to 2019 or from 2019 to 1953.

Confused, don't be. That was only season 1

Season 2 is just a strange, yet still pulls you into the story and where the hell is this thing going?

All of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again?

Don't worry about this film being produced in Germany with a German cast, The audio is in English dubbed very well by American actors

My intention was not to give a complete rundown of this series but to get you to at least take a look at Dark as they will do a full recap at the beginning of this new and final season

Indiana Jones and the Cross of Coronado

2020-07-17T11:08:00.000-07:00

In this article, we are looking at The Cross of Coronado from Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade.

If you're new here, I cover film, sci-fi, horror, action-adventure, and the historical genres as well as props and cosplay.

The Cross of Coronado is an artifact that only appears in the first scenes of the 1989 George Lucas produced, and Steven Spielberg directed blockbuster.

Far more importantly, the cross helps to establish the mindsets of Father and Son in the early days and how their stories or motivations have changed over the next 30 years.

Indiana, an altruistic teen, looking out for the public good who believes that historical artifacts should be shared with the world and not in the hands of the private collectors. Indy later turns somewhat mercenary. So, by 1935, we find Jones willing to sell the ashes of Emperor Nurhaci to crime boss Lao Che for diamonds to eventually moving closer to wanting more than material objects to something somewhat spiritual as he does in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
It also shows how Jones's succumb to their obsessions and tend to lose themselves to them.

The Cross of Coronado does all this within the first half of the first act of the film.

The year is 1912, Somewhere in the southwest desert, Indiana Jones is a teenaged boy scout. His troop is out for some cave exploring.

However, Indy and his friend have left the scouts behind to go exploring on their own.

They enter a cave only to find that there are treasure hunters already in the cave.

One man dressed in a leather jacket and a brown fedora. He could pass for Indiana Jones from a distance. He and his gang have just come across a 400-year-old artifact -- The Cross of Coronado. Indy tells his friend that this is the cross that Cortez, the conqueror of Mexico gave to Coronado in 1512/ And it belongs in a museum.\

He sends his friend back to get the sheriff to do what ... I don't know after a long-drawn-out chase on a train that is transporting a circus to their next town. The gang, lead by the man in the leather jacket and the fedora chase him towards the back of the train where he finally gets off and escapes the railroad and runs back to the house where he and his widower father live.\

It is revealed that Jones Sr. was intent on his passion project as he writes in his diary. The Grail Diary. Moments later, his friend from the boy scouts whom he sent to get the sheriff arrives blowing his trumpet to announce his arrival. The sheriff walks in with the treasure hunting gang behind him.

Do you still have it? The sheriff asks Indy. Indy gives it to the sheriff, who tells him that it was reported stolen earlier that day. Roscoe, the bowery kid, runs out to give the cross to a man in a white Panama hat.

The man in the leather jacket and brown fedora takes off his hat and places it on the young Indiana Jone's head and tells him. "You lost today, but you don't have to like it. Next thing you know, we are out in the middle ocean in the midst of a storm.

Indy looks up just in time to get a punch in the face. We can see the man with the white Panama hat come down from the bridge area to the main deck to reclaim his cross. Indy tells him that the cross belongs in a museum ---- again.

The sailors go to throw Indy into the raging sea and leave him to drown. But of course, he escapes their clutches as the boat is thrown from side to side. Indy goes after the man in the Panama hat as he climbs a set of stairs. Indy grabs him, and the Panama hat man loses the cross, and as it is about to slide off the deck, Indy grabs it. Indy still has a fight on his hands. As he is fighting, cargo is starting to break free. Once again, Indy breaks away and climbs to the top of some crates and grabs a cargo line and swings out over the ocean and into the sea. In the meantime, knocking over several large oil drums that catch on fire and crash onto the deck.

Indy lands in the water as the cargo ship, the Coronado sinks into the deep.

Back at the college where he teaches, professor Jones is finishing a class when Marcus Brody arrives. Indy concludes the sale of the cross to the National Museum, where Marcus is the curator. And that is the last we hear or see of the Cross of Coronado.\

The Amazon seller where I got this piece is the Costumebase,

Now, this piece of art is made of a metal alloy, plated, and comes with a 3 feet long gold chain which is attached with a gold plated jump ring. Now this Cross measures 8"x 6" (21cm x 15.5cm) and is 3/4" (2 cm) thick and has 12 artificial pearls & 4 artificial aqua gems. Now, the makers used a sketch from "Lost Journal of Indiana Jones" for the back inscription.

The Cross of Coronado was a jewel-encrusted golden crucifix with a chain. It was believed to contain a piece of the real cross upon which Jesus Christ was crucified.

Francisco Vázquez de Coronado y Luján was born in 1510 and died in 1554. He served as the Spanish Governor of the Kingdom of Nueva Galicia. He was also an explorer and conquistador who, in 1540, based on an overly embellished report by Friar Marcos de Niza, who was the first European in what is now the State of Arizona.

Fray Marcos de Niza at the age of 44 in 1439 traveled north from Mexico to Arizona and up to Hopi and Navajo area and over through the present-day New Mexico over to the Zuni peoples saw the city of Cibola one of the Seven Cities of Gold.

In 1540, reports brought back from explorations made by the shipwrecked explorers Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and confirmed by missionary de Niza convinced Viceroy Mendoza of the presence of vast riches to the north, located in the so-called Seven Golden Cities of Cíbola.

Reaching the area in question, Vasquez de Coronado found simple pueblos but no gold. Not wanting to call the expedition a failure -- the conquistador pushed on to Kansas, and the Texas panhandle in search of another fool's errand based on the rumor passed on to him by a native they called the Turk to a wealthy civilization called Quivira.

During his expedition from time to time, he would get into fights with the native American peoples and would slaughter many. Upon ending the voyage and returning to Nueva Galicia, he was eventually brought up on charges of war crimes but was absolved.

Many on the internet ask the question, is the Cross of Coronado real. The answer is no. Coronado did not go to Utah but bypassed it into New Mexico, According to Indy fandom the cross was given to him by Hernan Cortez have the cross to him in 1521. However, Vasques do Coronado was only 11 at the time and still in Spain.

That being said, the cross may have been based on the cross of Emperor Justin, the second, Eastern Emperor of Rome. The cross, called "Crux Vaticana," or the Vatican cross was given to the people of Rome by the Emperor sometime around 568 or 569 AD.

Costume Base https://amzn.to/2D0J5ul

The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows

2020-06-01T12:56:00.000-07:00

Every time I watch Roman Polanski's "The Ninth Gate," I find myself more and more fascinated by the lore behind the main plot device in the film. That device is "De Umbrarum Regni Novem Portis" or better known as "The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows.." Like other fictional grimoires, I find this one especially intriguing. Woodcuts within are devious and yet tend to hold one's attention. I decided that I had to have this book in my collection.

I looked around the internet and prices range from $40 to $400 depending on the quality that you may be looking for. I looked both on Etsy and on eBay. After doing a general Google search, I found one result that caught my eye. That result was from an online, on-demand bookseller. Lulu.com. Weighing the options, I decided to purchase it there. Here is a link in case you wish to check it out.

https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/aristide-torchia/the-nine-gates-of-the-kingdom-of-shadows-boris-balkan-version/hardcover/product-1jw8ygg.html

Get The Ninth Gate BlueRay (Affiliate Link)

https://amzn.to/2NuWCfK

While no means a faithful weathered copy of the film prop. I decided that this would still be a nice addition.

Unboxing the devilish book.

What makes this book so notorious? Throughout the film, "The Ninth Gate," Roman Polanski, sets the film up by introducing us to the main character Dean Corso. Played by Johnny Depp, one might say that he is the protagonist, however, I leave that title for his character is reserved as the jury is still out.

Dean Corso is a book buyer, seller, and authenticator. He is summoned by Boris Balkan who is fiendishly played by actor Frank Langella ("Dracula," "Lolita"). He wants Corso, to "authenticate" his copy of the "The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows.." It is at this point that Corso reveals his knowledge of this book which is a surprise to Balkin. Corso, "Sure. Venice, 1623. The author and printer was Aristide
Torchia, burned by the Holy Inquisition, together with all his works. Only three copies survived." Thus signaling that the book must be evil as it's author must be evil.
However, Balkin believes that only one copy is real.

Thus. Dean Corso sets out on his quest. The first person on his list to interview is the widow of the former owner. Liana Telfer, a young woman in her mid 30's oozing sexuality,
in comparison to her husband Andrew Telfer who must have been at least twice her age.
Who quietly wrote a letter and hung himself on in his study a few weeks before, which takes place at the beginning of the film. She seems to be a bit surprised that her husband has sold the book. After some pleasantries, they get down to business. Of course, she wants to know who owns the book currently. She mentioned that her husband bought the book in Spain while they were on vacation. While Depp's character didn't get all the information he was looking for, he did realize that there was something that Telfer was hiding. This would not be the last time the two meet.

Conducting the next part of his research takes place at the library, which is where Corso gets a glimpse of the mysterious Green Eyed Girl. Like a subtle case of Deja Vu, she is there, and then she is not. Unnerving he continues consulting the arcane tomes until it is late at night. Arriving home only to find it ransacked, he decides that something evil is afoot.

Death will soon follow. At this point, Corso is sure that the book means trouble and it needs to be kept safe. He decides to hide it with his book broker (fence?).

Once again Corso encounters Telfer, she shows up at his place and promptly seduces him. She wants the book. This scene alone is hilarious and one of the few times that humor is injected into this serious dark film. Certainly, a scene to look for when watching this film.

Bernie is killed apparently for the book, but it was well hidden.

This film plays out much like a detective novel. Corso is the sleuth, yet he already seems sets up to fail. Much of this film takes place in Europe as Polanski is unable to come to the United States due to his statutory rape conviction.

"Books of this type often contain little puzzles."

The Book
In Toledo. Spain, Corso meets the Ceniza twin brothers, who clue him on the mysteries of the book and more importantly, the woodcuts in the book. As Pablo, one of the brothers, says, "Books of this type often contain little puzzles."

Like the woodcut reproductions in the Lulu.com version, the books are signed either by the original author and printer, Aristide Torchia, or by his supposed co-author Lucifer. This was notated by the initial "LCF."

Corso also finds out, contrary to Liana Telfer's insistence that it was her husband's favorite book, that it was actually she who wanted it. Now he understands the fierceness in her eyes when she attacked him after the seduction back in his apartment.

The book that this film is based on "The Club Dumas," written in 1993 by Spanish novelist Arturo Pérez-Reverte. His book is very detailed and has a lot to do with the French writer Alexandre Dumas (of the "Three Musketeers," "The Corsican Brothers," and "The Count of Monte Cristo Cristo" fame). Corso's search for De Umbrarum Regni Novem Portis ("Of the Nine Doors of the Kingdom of Shadows").takes him to Madrid (Spain), Sintra (Portugal), Paris (France) and Toledo (Spain).

Let me know what you think of the film, the Lulu book and, or my video on the subject.

Movie Data

Genre: Thriller, Drama, Horror

Year: 1999

Starring: Johnny Depp, Lena Olin, Frank Langella, Emmanuelle Seigner

Director: Roman Polanski

Producer(s) Roman Polanski

Writer(s): Arturo Pérez-Reverte, John Brownjohn, Enrique Urbizu, and Roman Polanski

Rating: R

Mandalorian Beskar Steel

2020-05-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

Back in the 1980s, no one, not even George Lucas, would have imagined that the character of Boba Fett, let alone the Mandalorians whose armor he wore, would become as popular as he is now 40 years later. Actor and direct Jon Favreau have produced for Disney, whom George Lucas sold his company to has developed a new popular series that only can be seen on Disney's streaming channel. That series is "The Mandalorian." Consider the lone gunman traveling from town to town in the United State's old west, and you have the basis for the show. Think of Clint Eastwood in any of Sergio Leone's Italian westerns where Eastwood's character has no name and neither addressed nor introduce. Only speaking when necessary and who is intelligent and quick with his revolver.

eLike the "Man with no name," "The Mandalorian" is a reluctant hero. He doesn't go looking for people to help. No, he is just looking for the next bounty. As he like other Mandalorians, he is a bounty hunter. Not necessarily the most honorable of professions, but it's a living. Not to spoil the show if you have not seen it yet, I will just say that Favreau creates a mysterious character, but it is also a character that one can actually get to know and understand.

Now on to the "Beskar" or Mandalorian Steel. Supposedly Beskar has a high tolerance to extreme forms of damage. Like the Man of Steel, Bskar can withstand a direct blaster shot and can deflect a lightsaber hit, or in other words, it is the most durable material that exists. It was so strong, that it is used to make their recognizable armor.

When I decided that I wanted something from "The Mandalorian" series, I tend to start small and work my way up to more elaborate and more expensive props or costumes. My search for Beskar Steel gave me over 135,000 results. I initially purchased a resin Beskar ingot, which is an excellent looking prop. But after that, I also decided that I wanted something a bit more substantive.

I found prices for ingots ranging from $12 to 110 dollars. I eventually found an artisan on Etsy that had ingots that seem to be around the correct size and thickness. Now in comparison to the resin ingot that I had purchased, I did notice that there was a difference in on the back. Whereas the resin version has two cutouts on the back top portion.

As far as the Mandalorian Disney Plus series goes: I thoroughly enjoyed it. Not a superhero character in the least, he is the character that we can relate with. Although his character arc is not new. A mercenary loner who decides to fight for what is right. I'm thinking Pale Rider, and The Good the Bad and the Ugly motif. I am looking forward to the second season.

Thanks for taking a look at this article and please subscribe to my YouTube channels and most importantly, please take care of yourself.

Indiana Jones Satchel Bag Unboxing

2020-05-18T15:19:00.003-07:00

I am starting my Indiana Jones collection. The collection will comprise of both costuming, gear, and props. As a young adult in the 1980s, I found the intrepid archeologist not only intriguing but with a look that was inspiring. To start off the collection I decided to start small. Although present in all of the films, it is usually obscured by the jacket or the whip. I am talking about Indiana Jones' satchel bag.

While the first three Indiana Jones films take place in the 1930s, the bag that he carries and uses to carry his treasures was actually a WWII surplus gas mak bag. More specifically it was the British MKVII bag. There were actually a few manufacturers of the bag usually in green canvas but sometimes in white or yellow. During the war, both the infantry and the police wore this mask.

Most of what one sees when looking at Indiana Jones is the leather strap over his shirt but the bag in many shots the bag is under the jacket. However, in the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls, Professor Jones wears it over the jacket.

The bag comes with a canvas strap, which is usually the same color as the bag, however, in the film, it was replaced with a leather rifle strap. You can order the bag with or without the strap. Mine cost me an extra $12. Once the package is opened, you will need to cut off the canvas strap and replace it with the leather one. There is a slight trick to getting the right look to it.

After removing the Chicago screw on the end that has the loop, run that part through the left side of the metal ring, and then through the strap buckle. Give yourself some room for adjustment (about 18 inches depending on how tall you are) and then with the secure the strap loop onto the other metal ring by replacing the screws. Once you have it on, you can make further adjustments to the strap. Just make sure that the strap goes from right to left and the buckle should be right about your sternum.

Here is a demo on how to do this in the video below.

While I buy my own products with my own funds, here is a link to What Price Glory's website and to the actual bag that I bought. I ordered this right as the pandemic was realized and this still came in about a week. http://onlinemilitaria.net/products/1914-The-MK-VII-MARK-SEVEN-Indiana-Jones-Bag-ORIGINAL/

Thank you for looking and please subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Rob

Han Solo Vest Unboxing - Todd's Costumes

2020-05-11T14:22:00.000-07:00

As a young teen in 1977, I saw "Star Wars" (now called "Episode IV: A New Hope"), and as I have written before, it changed the way I saw my life. As a kid, my passions gravitated towards the filmmaking process. I loved the characters and could understand the archetypes that they represented.

Much later in life, I decided I wanted to revisit my youth and my passion for film. I wrote reviews of movies that I saw, and as always, life happens. The Star Wars Costumes that I desired were usually quite bulky and hot. I live in the desert, and when we do have comic cons or film fests, I decided I did not want to sweat for hours and not really enjoy the convention. So I decided I want to wear something a bit more comfortable.

So recently, I decided it was time to start creating or assembly costumes that are more comfortable but yet very recognizable to everyone attending.

I have chosen the Han Solo "look," and I was able to get a sharp-looking vest (shirt is on its way). I looked around the internet and was looking at the cheap Halloween costumes that are usually made very cheaply and fall apart after time.

Instead, I decided to go with Todd's Costumes. I was lucky, as, at the time, the vest and shirt were available as a set. At this time, you can preorder if you so desire. The cost was $199.00 without tax and shipping.

One thing to note about the vest is that there many pockets and loops on the screen vest. Both on the back (above) and on the front below.

The vest I purchased (shirt coming in a future video and blog post has the requisite pockets based on 1977's "A New Hope."

On the front right side of the vest, the configuration of the pocket shows the upper right pocket with an angular side pocket

The vest has a nice silky inside material that a quality vest should have. And the outside is the thickness of a coat.

While the pockets are real they do have that stitch that doesn't allow for the to open unless you cut the thread.

I ordered the vest and shirt in 2XL and I think it fits just fine.

I am not an affiliate of Todd's, however, I am supplying a link to the shirt vest combo

https://www.toddscostumes.com/costumes/han-solo-costume/han-solo-vest-shirt-combo/

Let me know what you think.

And thanks for taking a view.

Welcome - A Constantly Racing Mind Youtube Channel

2020-05-04T14:12:00.002-07:00

Lately, I have been deep in contemplation. you know, the usual things. Life, Death, Immortality. I haven't posted a review in quite a while yet my mind is constantly thinking about films, books, movies, and TV props, and costumes. I have been watching a lot of Great Courses. As I was watching I starting thinking about some of the props from historical movies. Or movies somewhat based on historical films.

Talking it over with my wonderful wife, we decided that I would start a Youtube channel. A Constantly Racing Mind explores the history and philosophy behind films. We explore props, the storylines, the costumes, and how they relate to us with an eye on history, literature, the media, and current events.

I will still post to this platform as I really want to go more in-depth in many of the subjects covered

And... As this is May the Fourth, Here is a link to the video.

Take care,
Stay safe,
and Happy May the 4th!

The Aeronauts ~ Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones Trailer

2019-10-08T19:56:00.001-07:00

It's about time that Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones have joined forces once again. This time to bring us a tale about a semi-true life story of English meteorologist, aeronaut, and astronomer, James Glaisher. As you recall, both of them told the story of astrophysicist Stephen and Jane Hawking in "The Theory of Everything." As they have both gone off and became stars in both the Sci-Fi or Fantasy genres. Jones in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" as rebel Jyn Erso. Redmayne as the bumbling Newt in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" and then again in "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald."

Glaisher was known as both a pioneering balloonist and a founding member of the Royal Meteorological Society. On September 5th, 1862, he broke the world record for altitude at 8,800 meters. He did pass out around that point. Glaisher's co-pilot Henry Tracey Coxwell is not in the film but is replaced by Felicity Jone's character Amelia Wren (like the bird... get it).

What I am hoping for is an epic adventure fictionalized, if necessary, that takes Redmayne and Jones to breathtaking and vertigo-inducing heights.

"The Aeronauts" is directed by Tom Harper ("The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death") based on a story by Tom Harper and Jack Thorne with a written by credit. Music is composed of Steven Price, whose credits include "Gravity," "Baby Driver," and "Fury." The film opens on December 6th, 2019.

Movie Data

Genre: Action, Adventure, Biography

Year: 2019

Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Himesh Patel

Director: Tom Harper

Producer(s): Tom Harper, Richard Hewitt, David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman, Jack Thorne

Writer: Tom Harper, Jack Thorne
Rating: G-13

Running Time: 200 minutes

Release Date:12/6/2019

Joker ~ Why Is There Evil

2019-10-07T16:14:00.000-07:00

W
hy is there evil? Ah yes, the age-old question rears its ugly head once again. Todd Phillips promises to answer that question, at least in the case of Batman's arch-nemesis in "Joker." As I walked in for my screening, I quickly noticed an armed police officer standing near the entrance. I tend to not listen to what others have been saying, but with all the hub-bub about mass shootings, I understood why he was there.

The film opens on a busy Gotham street looking eerily like the 1980's New York. Joaquin Phoenix ("Inherent Vice," "Walk the Line" ) is playing the hapless Arthur Fleck all decked out with white paint on his face, a rubber skull cap with green bozo hair and silly small bowler hat and the red rubber nose. He is twirling a sign in a gaudy clown suit. This is not the iconic image we all have come to know from images past. He is in front of a store that is going out of business. I didn't realize that they had sign twirlers in the '80s, but hey.

A group of kids come running by and grabbing his sign, and they take off. Arthur, in his giant clumsy clown shoes, gives chase. They lead him into an alley, and Arthur follows. As he sees his quarry in sight, he is blindsided by a kid with the sign slams him in the face, and Arthur goes down. The kids viciously begin kicking him. They kick him in the back, the side, the ribs, and in the groin. You immediately feel bad for Arthur. But that is what writer and direct Phillips wants you to explore. He wants you to feel sorry for Arthur. Don't fall for it.

As origin stories go, "Joker" is superb. The scene is set. A cold, cruel world where the common man is marginalized. Arthur lives in a run-down apartment with his mother, Penny. Frances Conroy () plays his mother throughout the film as one would expect a loving mother with a disability would be. "Put on a happy face," Arthur intones as he tells people he meets is what his mother always told him. Fleck also tells them that his mother says that he was put on this Earth to make people smile. In the run-down apartment building that he lives in, we meet Sophie (Zazie Beetz - "Deadpool," "Atlanta"), and her daughter in an elevator. Luckily for Fleck, that suddenly stops giving them a moment to make eye contact and give Arthur the moment to focus on a possibility.

As the film moves steadily towards his transformation into "Joker," we find Arthur and ourselves in a cold dark world of class upheaval. A world fraught with rudeness, cruelty, and where the truth is turned upside down. Sound familiar? It should.

When "Jaws" came out in 1975, and "Alien" in 1979, we had monsters that evil was their nature. They killed the innocent because that is what they do. In John Carpenter's original "Halloween," Michael Myers was just evil. He wasn't, as in Rob Zombie's version, a neglected and bullied child whose mother is not only single, but a stripper ignores the signs that her son is spiraling down into madness. We already knew the Joker was criminally insane. Did we really need to know why? We knew that Dracula was not only a vampire but evil as well. In both Bram Stoker's novel and in the 1931 Bela Lugosi classic, we are not told why he is a vampire or of any wrongs that God may have inflicted on the Count. It doesn't matter, he is evil.

The picture that director Todd Phillips paints is one of man, used and abused just trying to fulfill his dreams. What dreams are these? First, he wants to be like his hero late-night host, Murray Franklin. Enter Robert DeNiro ("Family," "Godfather") plays the Carson like talk show host in a manner, not unlike Jerry Lewis in the 1982 film DeNiro starred in with the late comedian, "The King of Comedy." The talk show host is aloof and to some degree, cruel. Joaquin Phoenix's performance is excellent, the story is both brilliant and direct.

DC fans will both love and hate this adaptation, and I think in this political and conscious gun divide will both adore and deride the film with a good reason for both points of view. Movies are a reflection of our society, and this is precisely what this film is. I always said that a hero is only as good as his enemy or the villain of the story. When it comes to the Joker, Heath Ledger and Jack Nicholson did it for me. That being said, go see this film, you might find yourself something within you that finds "Joker" appealing. "Joker" runs 2 hours and is rated "R" for restricted.

Movie Data

Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Year: 2019

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy

Director: Todd Phillips

Producer(s): Bradley Cooper, Joseph Garner, Aaron L. Gilbert, Walter Hamada, Todd Phillips

Writer: Todd Phillips, Scott Silver

Rating: R

Running Time: 122 minutes

Release Date: 10/4/2019

The Ice is Melting in the Antarctic and That Is A Good Thing!

2018-06-14T19:55:00.000-07:00

While the scientist may find it alarming that ice shelves are melting at the bottom of the world, I find it refreshing. Sure, many coastal cities will be lost in this process, however, we all knew this was coming.

Don't look at me with that deer in the headlights gaze. You saw this a more than a decade ago.

Climate deniers say that climate change is happening but at such a slow rate that it couldn't possibly be caused by humans and our vast industrial way of life. It must be the volcanos or other stuff that they (the climate deniers) refuse to mention. Nevermind the hole in the ozone layer right above Antartica. But that's okay, we deserve what we are getting. Hell, we clamoured for it, we begged for it.

Me, I live in Arizona. I hear it is going to be 110 degrees today. But at least, it's a dry heat. However, what people don't mention (if you aren't talking to a full-time resident of Arizona - not those Snow Birds who flee the heat in March) is that there is a thing in the Arizona desert called "monsoons." Torrential rains that come in the late afternoons with thunder and lightning and maybe some sheets in little pockets around the state. Welcome for an hour or two, but like your in-laws, sometimes they overstay their welcome. It gets hot and humid and you might just get washed away while trying to cross the street. Or, if you live in Tucson your house might just flood. Good luck with that.

I am looking forward to a nice trip down to the bottom of the world where the temperature might be a bit chilly but at least it will be dry. No ice sheets, no frozen tundra like up in Canada. Oh yeah, I hear that there is a crap load of methane ready to be released into our atmosphere when the tundra thaws. Good job humans!

What I want to see for myself is the ancient ruins of early civilizations that lived before the world tilted to it's current 23 and something degree axis. I want to explore the ruined temples of the Elder gods, see the cyclopean structures that confound the mind, look into the vast emptiness of the abyss that has been covered for many a millennium and see who stares back. I want to go where the Hollow Earthers say Hitler and his like have been hiding out since WWII.

While I mourn for my hometown on the West Coast and the whole California coastline, they knew they were on shaky ground. Too busy looking in the mirror deciding where they want to dine tonight or worry about who is going to offend them next. The same goes for the East coast. Goodbye Washington DC, Atlanta, Boston, Charleston and Long Island. I can picture a tour boat just outside the flooded Manhattan skyline showing tourists the tops of the skyscrapers and be rounding the tip of Liberty's torch as if it was the tip of an iceberg.

Don't think I will mourn for those who refused to evacuate, I will. However, when dealing with human beings there will always be a percentage of them who just do stupid. It is programmed into our DNA. Just like this climate change thing. We know from science (the thing we use to explain nature without invoking a higher being when we just can't figure something out) says that without the ozone layer, all life on Earth would not exist. On the other hand, too much of a good thing is never a good thing. Just think of alcohol, ice cream, or even cheese.

Of course, there are plenty of those people -- you know who I am talking about -- who stick to their old fashion almost radical (in today's way of thinking) that things were better back then. I remember the past, it was old and dark and a pretty depressing place without my cell phone

Women knew their place in society, people not like us were not quite as good as we were (or so we thought), and who needed safety regulations - damn the government for interfering in my right to have my body hurled out through my car's windshield and into the closest tree. Who needs regulations? Why keep industrial plants from dumping their chemical waste into our rivers and lakes? Poor Iron Eyes Cody. I am sure he is turning in his grave.

Who the hell is Iron Eyes Cody? 

As the great Old Ones awake from their slumber down below as their sheets of ice melt away, plagues quarantined from mankind below the ice's surface will also awake and be let out of their frozen environment like Pandora's box of old. Don't worry, climate change is just a theory!

Film Makers Handbook: Create a Feature Film on a Limited Budget

2017-02-09T15:17:00.000-07:00

Ialways wanted to be a film director, However, in "Film Makers Handbook" author and filmmaker Walter Werner, puts the basics down in simple terms for the beginning director, producer, or anybody who wants to make a film on a limited budget.

The Film Makers Handbook is about making your very first feature film from scratch. It covers topics such as pre-production, as well as getting set up and creating your movie on a limited budget.

Also covered is the production process and everything that goes along with that massive project. The production section really helps the listener to get a grasp on how to efficiently and affordably produce his or her own feature film.
Lastly, the book goes over postproduction and how to finalize your project to turn it into a full-blown feature film.

Click Here!

The book closes with a brief synopsis of starting distribution of your independently created film and where to start getting the word out. Overall this is a book about how to create a feature film and do so on a budget, which would be ideal for students or first-time filmmakers.

While not the only book that I have read on this subject. Lord knows when I was younger, I had piles upon piles of books ranging from visual style, cinematography technique, to acting, sound effects, visual effects (I was infatuated with Star Wars and how Lucas and Dykstra changed filmmaking). This book is a great beginning for today's new filmmakers.

Here are the obligatory purchase links, the book goes for less than $6.95 USD

To purchase from Amazon http://amzn.to/2kYID4J
To purchase from Audible http://adbl.co/2lvYq9d
To purchase from ITunes: http://apple.co/2kYwywF

Robert Barbere Audible Page

Frankengiraffewolf by Jeffrey Jeschke

2017-01-15T09:07:00.000-07:00

Frankengiraffewolf was an entirely new kind of monster. It had the fangs of a vicious wolf. It partially had the head of Frankenstein. It also had the body of a very huge giraffe. This 2700-word short story introduces a whole new kind of monster. It terrorized Africa with a ruthlessness that was unheard of.

"Once upon a time a mad doctor roamed the heart of Africa searching for the perfect experiment. He was truly insane, but he was also an absolute medical genius. His name was Doctor Von Giraffenstein. He absolutely loved to experiment on cadavers and electricity. He was absolutely infatuated with the local wildlife of Africa. He especially loved giraffes. He liked how tall they were and how big they were. He also loved wolves, but he also liked human cadavers. He loved how sharp the fangs were inside of a wolf’s mouth. One night the mad genius had a very strange and mysterious dream. In that dream the mad man dream't that he created a vicious beast that was part, giraffe, and part man, along with some wolf in it. After that strange dream he was absolutely infatuated with creating such a beast. He was so infatuated he could never sleep, until he figured out a way to make his dream come true. Some say he took insanity to a whole new level."

This was and is a crazy book and fun to read. The premise is silly, but, like the author told me once, "Nothing like creating a new kind of a monster."

AudioBook Data
Written by: Jeffrey Jeschke
Narrated by: Robert Barbere
Length: 16 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:09-30-16
Publisher: Jeffrey Dale Jeschke

Here are the obligatory purchase links, the book goes for less than $4.00 USD

To purchase from Amazon http://amzn.to/2jMItJT

To purchase from Audible http://adbl.co/2jMJn9e

Robert Barbere Audible Page

Another Vampire Story: A New Audio Book

2017-01-09T23:48:00.000-07:00

IIn film and television there is an overabundance of vampire stories. Many have degenerated into films about a virus or a plague where the victims show symptoms of vampirism. A few, like "Dracula Untold," keep the supernatural flair going. However, "Another Vampire Story," is a short story (34 minutes) by a writer by the name of Patrick Finerd.

However, the story is short and simple but, shows another view of the life of a vampire. I liked the story enough to want to narrate it. Here is a short clip to let you know about the story.

"The sky grew darker than normal as I made my way home from school. The wind was whipping and howling; scattering dead leaves in all directions. The branches on the naked trees waving as the brisk cool air swirled around me. A loud boom of thunder can be heard in the near distant, followed by a steady mist of rain bouncing off all surfaces."

Although set in present day, the mood is set quickly with a sense of Gothic sensibility.

Here are the obligatory purchase links, the book goes for less than $4.00 USD

To purchase from Amazon http://bit.ly/vampstory

To purchase from Audible http://bit.ly/vmpstory
To purchase from ITunes: http://bit.ly/AnVampStory

Robert Barbere Audible Page

Beauty and the Beast Trailer: Golden Globe Awards Preview

2017-01-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

2017 is already looking up. Emma Watson stars a Belle in Disney's live version of "Beauty and the Beast."

The original story, based on the original French tale "La Belle et la Bête." It was a 1740 story written by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve. She was in turn influenced by Fairytale writer, Charles Perrault whose tales include Le Petit Chaperon Rouge (Little Red Riding Hood), Cendrillon (Cinderella), Le Chat Botté (Puss in Boots), and La Belle the wood Dormant (The Sleeping Beauty). If you recall, the Brothers Grimm, retold Perrault's stories years later in their collection of folktales. One must be cautious, however, as the lyrics state:

"Tale as old as time

True as it can be..."

The researchers at universities in Durham and Lisbon, the story originated around 4,000 years ago.

Like the 1991 animated Disney version, certain plot details stray from the original telling in that the main character's name is Belle and not Beauty, and like a 1946 film version, there is also a suitor included in the story. The best part is that Disney will retain

The best part is that Disney will retain the best part of its animated version...Music!!!

Harry Potter alum takes over as Belle, the thoughtful and well-read daughter of a merchant who must trade places with him as a prisoner of the dreadful Beast. "Downton Abbey" and the upcoming "Legion" TV series takes over from Robbie Benson as the Beast. The light of the Force comes to the film as Obi Wan Kenobi actor Ewan McGregor takes over for Jerry Orbach as Lumiere the candle. Mrs. Potts will be voiced by Emma Thompson replaces Angela Lansbury. Luke Evans of "Dracula Untold," and the "Hobbit" films fame voices Gaston, the self-centered creep who wants Belle for his own.

As a father of two children who spent their pre-teen years in the 90s, Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" and "Alladin" are two Disney films that played a lot in my household. I guess nowadays that film is "Frozen."

Alan Menken returns to score this live-action adaptation, which includes new recordings of the original songs in addition to new songs written by Menken and Tim Rice.

Opens in the United States and theUnited Kingdom on March 17, 2017.

Movie Data

Genre: Action, Family, Fantasy, Musical, Romance

Year: 2017

Starring: Emma Watson, Ewan McGregor, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Emma Thompson

Director: Bill Condon

Producer(s): Don Hahn, David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman, Thomas Schumacher, Jeffrey Silver

Writer: Evan Spiliotopoulos, Stephen Chbosky, Bill Condon
Rating: PG

Running Time: Unknown

Release Date:3/17/2016