Below is a list of my favorite Season One episodes from the Fox (now Netflix) series, "LUCIFER". Based on the Vertigo (D.C. Comics) comic book series and created by Tom Kapinos, the series stars Tom Ellis:
FAVORITE EPISODES OF "LUCIFER" SEASON ONE (2016)
1. (1.09) "A Priest Walks into a Bar" - Lucifer Morningstar (aka the Devil) and LAPD Detective Chloe Decker investigate a drug ring, which a priest believes is led by a local youth counselor. Meanwhile, archangel Amenadiel (and Lucifer's brother) meet with corrupt cop Malcolm Graham to explain why he had pull the latter out of Hell.
2. (1.13) "Take Me Back to Hell" - In the season finale, Lucifer and Chloe must work together to clear the former's name and find the true killer, Malcolm, after Lucifer is framed for murder.
3. (1.03) "The Would-Be Prince of Darkness" - Lucifer and Chloe explore the world of big money sports when a young football quarterback, whom Lucifer had convinced to lose his virginity, is arrested for the murder of the girl with whom he had sex.
4. (1.12) "TeamLucifer" - Lucifer, Chloe and the latter's ex-husband, LAPD Detective Dan Espinoza, investigates the death of a woman whose body with a "Hail Lucifer" message was found lying within a pentagram.
5. (1.07) "Wingman" - Lucifer turns to Amenadiel for help, while trying to find the contents of his stolen container - the wings he had removed from his body, following his arrival in Los Angeles.
"KING SOLOMON’S MINES" (1950) Review
To my knowledge, there have been at least four film adaptations of H. Rider Haggard’s 1885 adventure novel, "King Solomon’s Mines". One film had been released in 1937, featuring Sir Cedric Hardwicke and Paul Robeson. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer released one in 1950, starring Deborah Kerr and Stewart Granger. Richard Chamberlain and Sharon Stone co-starred in one in 1985. And in 2004, Patrick Swayze and Alison Doody starred in a two-part miniseries, based on the novel. But the film I want to focus upon is the 1950 version. Quite frankly, it is my favorite one.
It took Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer nearly four years to get "KING SOLOMON’S MINES" into production. They had originally planned to have Errol Flynn star as the Victorian hunter and guide living in Africa, Allan Quartermain. But Flynn dreaded the idea of spending time away from any form of luxury, while on location in Africa. He ended up taking the leading role in MGM’s other adventure, "KIM", in which he spent his off-camera hours at a resort in India. British actor, Stewart Granger, took the role of Quartermain . . . and became a major Hollywood star. The other cast members included Deborah Kerr as Elizabeth Curtis, the woman who hires Quartermain to lead a safari in search of her missing husband; Richard Carlson as John Goode, Elizabeth’s likable older brother; Siriaque as the mysterious Umbopa, who is revealed to be King of the Watusi; and Hugo Haas as Van Brun, a former hunter who is wanted by British authorities for murder. Directed by Compton Bennett and Andrew Marton, ”KING SOLOMON’S MINES” was filmed on location in the Republic of Congo and Kenya, along with California.
Loosely based upon Haggard’s novel, "KING SOLOMON’S MINES" tells the story of Allan Quatermain (Stewart Granger), an experienced hunter and guide in 1897 Kenya, who is reluctantly talked into helping Elizabeth Curtis (Deborah Kerr) and her brother John Goode (Richard Carlson) search for her husband, who had disappeared in the unexplored interior of Africa on a quest to find the legendary mines. They have a copy of the map that Henry Curtis had used in his journey. A tall, mysterious native, Umbopa (Siriaque), eventually joins the safari. And during the grueling journey, Elizabeth and Quatermain begin falling in love.
As I had stated, this version of "KING SOLOMON’S MINES" is my favorite version. It is not a very close adaptation of the novel. For one, there was no literary version of the Elizabeth Curtis character. And her husband, Henry, was definitely one of the characters. It was he who hired Quartermain to lead a search party – for his missing brother. John Goode was a close friend, instead of a brother-in-law. The novel was basically set in Southern Africa, instead of Kenya and other parts of East Africa. I am quite certain there are other differences between Haggard’s novel and this movie adaptation. But if I must be frank, I really do not care. I love "KING SOLOMON’S MINES". Its screenplay written by Helen Deutsch, the movie possessed a heady combination of an adventure film, a travelogue and intelligent drama. Cinematographer Robert Surtees deservedly won an Academy Award for his color photography in the movie. East Africa never looked more beautiful and wild. Ralph E. Winters and Conrad A. Nervig won the Academy Award for Best Editing. Thanks to them, there were able to allow the audience to enjoy the African photography, while ensuring that it would not get in the way of the acting and the story.
Speaking of the movie’s acting, MGM was fortunate to get their hands on Stewart Granger in the role of Allan Quartermain. Granted, I am a major fan of Errol Flynn, but Granger was right for the role. He did an excellent job of projecting the heroic qualities of Quartermain, yet at the same time, delving into the character’s cynical, yet slightly melancholy personality. Deborah Kerr was a perfect match as the equally caustic Elizabeth Curtis, who sets the journey in motion to find her husband and alleviate her guilt for driving the latter from England. The on-screen match between Granger and Kerr was so strong that it was simply a joy to watch their verbal sparring and sexual chemistry. Richard Carlson as Elizabeth Curtis’ brother, John Goode, provided cool and intelligent stability amidst the sexual heat and hostility generated by Granger and Kerr. And the East African actor Siriaque’s (I have no idea from which country he came from) character added mystery as the native who joins the Curtis safari.
I am trying to think of something negative to say about "KING SOLOMON’S MINES". Okay, there were moments when it was in danger of becoming nothing more than a travelogue. And Deborah Kerr’s new hairdo after she had “cut” her hair, resembled a style that a mid 20th century woman would wear and not one in the late 19th century would. No wonder many moviegoers had laughed. Other than the those two quibbles, I have nothing to complain about the movie.
The movie has one more blessing . . . its human portrayal of the African characters allowed it to avoid the tackiness of the 1985 Chamberlain-Stone version or the silly tactic that Paul Robeson was forced to use in order to reveal his character’s true identity in the 1937 version. The movie also provided excellent acting by its cast, great cinematography, and excellent action sequences. Is it any wonder that it ended up receiving a Best Picture Academy Award nomination?
Below is a list of my favorite episodes from Season One of "JESSICA JONES", the Marvel Netflix adaptation of the Marvel Comics heroine. Created by Melissa Rosenberg, the series stars Kristen Ritter as Jessica Jones.
FIVE FAVORITE EPISODES OF "JESSICA JONES" SEASON ONE (2015)
1. (1.10) "AKA 1,000 Cuts" - A discovery about the past of her former tormentor, the telepathic Kilgrave, has the chance to change the game between the latter and enhanced private detective Jessica Jones.
2. (1.01) "AKA Ladies’ Night" - In this series premiere, Jessica is hired by a couple to find their daughter, an NYU student athlete who has vanished. But the case turns out to be more than a simple missing persons case.
3. (1.06) "AKA You’re a Winner!" - Former lover and enhanced bar owner Luke Cage hires Jessica to help him find someone who may have skipped town, but she fears he’ might learn too much about her past history with his late wife.
4. (1.12) "AKA Take a Bloody Number" - Jessica’s hunt for Kilgrave reunites her with Luke. Her foster sister, radio talk show host Trish Walker receives some unexpected information about NYPD Sergeant Will Simpson and Jessica.
5. (1.03) "AKA It’s Called Whiskey" - Jessica thinks she has found a weapon to use against Kilgrave. After discovering that Luke is an enhanced person like her, Jessica bonds with him. And Kilgrave uses Simpson to go after Trish, who has become involved with Jessica’s case against him.
"LAURA" (1944) Review
When I had first saw the 1944 murder mystery, "LAURA", I felt inclined to read the 1943 Vera Caspary novel it was based upon. Needless to say, Caspary's novel seemed adequate. But I found myself preferring Otto Preminger's film adaptation a lot more.
Surprisingly, Preminger had not been the first choice as the movie's director. Producer William Goetz, acting as 20th Century Fox's studio head in Darryl Zanuck’s absence, allowed Preminger to act as the film’s unit producer. When Zanuck returned to the studio, he expressed a lukewarm attitude toward the project. And he DID NOT want Preminger to act as the film’s director. Instead, Rouben Mamoulian was hired as the director. The latter proved to be a bust. Mamoulian wanted Laird Cregar, instead of Clifton Webb in the role of columnist Waldo Lyedecker. Nor did he seem to be utilizing the cast very well. In the end, Preminger convinced Zanuck and Goetz to allow him to direct the film. And the rest, as one would say, is history.
"LAURA" centered on the brutal murder of a Manhattan advertising executive named Laura Hunt. Assigned to the case, police detective Mark McPherson interviewed those close to her. They included Laura's mentor and newspaper columnist Waldo Lyedecker; her Kentucky-born fiancé, Shelby Carpenter; Laura’s socialite aunt Ann Tredwell; and her maid, Bessie Clary. Via flashbacks and McPherson’s interviews, moviegoers learned that Laura was a warm and kind-hearted woman that also happened to be a talented advertising executive. Moviegoers also learned through her relationships with men like Waldo, Shelby and an artist named Jacoby, Laura had lousy tastes in men. Everything changed when Laura appeared at her Manhattan apartment following a prolonged weekend in the country . . . very much alive. The murdered woman proved to be a model that bored a strong resemblance to Laura named Diane Redfern. And since the latter was having an affair with Shelby Carpenter, Laura became a murder suspect.
Most people would be inclined to believe that the literary source is superior to any film adaptation. I have read Caspary’s novel only once. And quite frankly, it failed to blow my mind, let alone impress me. Yet, the movie has managed to blow my mind or move me every time I see it. Thanks to Preminger’s direction and the screenplay written by Jay Dratler, Samuel Hoffenstein and Elizabeth Reinhardt; "LAURA" turned out to be a well-written mystery filled with sharp wit and a memorable plot twist. The movie could also boast some fascinating characters that were shadowed by their personal demons. Even the nearly perfect Laura seemed hampered by a particular flaw – namely bad taste in male companionship. I also have to give kudos to Preminger for injecting a rich atmosphere in a movie dominated by interior shots. "LAURA" could have easily spiraled into a filmed play without Preminger’s direction and cinematographer Joseph LaShelle's photography. No one cannot even think about the movie without considering David Raskin’s score. Which is deservedly considered to be one of the best in Hollywood's history. I have nothing against Duke Ellington and his famous piece, "Sophisticated Lady". But I must admit that I am glad that Raskin convinced Preminger to allow him to write his own score, instead of using Ellington's music for the movie. "LAURA" must also be one of those rare crime movies – even for those from the 1930s and 40s – that lacked any real action, save for the movie's last explosive scene that I find haunting, even to this day.
One would be inclined to assume that I view this movie as perfect. Well, that person would be wrong. Although I consider "LAURA" to be well paced, it did threaten to drag in the minutes leading toward Laura’s so-called resurrection. Only a conversation between Lyedecker and McPherson over the latter's "obsession with a corpse" prevented me from falling asleep. As I had stated earlier, the Laura Hunt character did seem a bit too perfect at times. Which brings me to the character of Bessie Clary, Laura's maid. I have no problems with a movie servant being competent or profession . . . or even somewhat loyal to his or her servant. It is another matter when a servant lavishly worship the ground his or her employer walked upon. And Bessie seemed to belong to the latter category. Her worship over Laura came off so strongly that I found myself wondering if there had been a deleted scene that featured her on all fours, shining Laura’s shoes with her tongue. I mean . . . honestly! Her slavish loyalty toward Laura made me cringe so much that I almost considered becoming a Communist at one point. Many film critics and historians have commented upon Hollywood's racism and sexism over the years. Yet, I wonder if anyone had ever considered that class bigotry reared its ugly head in many of these old movies.
Speaking of Bessie Clary, I must admit that actress Dorothy Adams did a solid job in her portrayal of Laura’s faithful maid. I especially enjoyed how she conveyed Bessie’s defiant attitude toward McPherson and other cops. It seemed a pity that screenwriters Dratler, Hoffenstein and Reinhardt seemed bent upon portraying her as an excessively loyal servant. Following her role as the sinister Mrs. Danvers in 1940’s "REBECCA", Judith Anderson gave a more subtle performance as Laura’s socialite aunt, AnnTredwell. What I enjoyed about Anderson's performance was that she portrayed Ann as a cool and calculating woman who was brutally honest about her love for Shelby Carpenter without being over-the-top about it. Vincent Prince became a rising star, thanks to his portrayal of Shelby Carpenter, Laura's impoverished Kentucky-born fiancé. Waldo Lyedecker had contemptuously described Shelby as a "male beauty". Shelby was also a "male beauty" with a nasty talent for sponging money and favors from women more fortunate than himself. And Price beautifully portrayed that unpleasant aspect of Shelby's character with warmth, subtlety and gutless charm. He also had the fortunate luck to be given the best line in the entire movie.
Clifton Webb earned a well deserved Academy Award nomination (which he should have won) for his portrayal of the waspish and acid-tongued columnist Waldo Lyedecker. Despite his contempt for nearly everyone around him, Waldo harbored an obsessive love for Laura and Webb conveyed this beautifully. Many believe that Webb had managed to steal the picture from his fellow cast members. I would now go that far. But I do believe that he gave the movie's best performance. But Webb was surrounded by a strong cast in which three others also became stars. And this is why I cannot give him credit for stealing the movie.
Although he had been around for a few years, Dana Andrews received his big break as Mark McPherson, the cynical police detective assigned to investigate the murdered body found in Laura’s apartment. Superficially, Andrews’ portrayed McPherson as a typical movie detective – tough, sarcastic and intelligent. But he also managed to convey McPherson’s growing obsession toward "dead" Laura without engaging in any theatrics. I doubt that very few would agree, but I have always considered Andrews to be one of the better screen actors I have ever seen – past or present. He had a gift for expressing an array of emotions with his eyes, with great ease. Even with body language, Andrews managed to convey his interest in Laura by the way his character diligently listened to the suspects' recollections of the "victim" and the manner in which he examined Laura's apartment. Frankly, I feel that Andrews has been somewhat under-appreciated as an actor.
Gene Tierney gave a warm portrayal of the title character, Laura Hunt. As I had stated earlier, her character came off as superficially perfect. I am more inclined to blame Vera Caspary and the movie's screenwriters than the actress. Fortunately, Tierney had the talent to prevent Laura from becoming such an unbearable character. More importantly, she injected a good deal of spirit in her character . . . especially in the scenes she shared with Dana Andrews. I especially enjoyed the scenes in which she made it clear to McPherson that she was not in the habit of blindly obeying others, and when she finally expressed Laura's annoyance at Lyedecker's obsessive meddling.
For a murder mystery that featured very little action and a great deal of dialogue, "LAURA" still managed to be an engrossing and atmospheric story. And producer-director Otto Preminger made this possible by bringing together a superb cast with an unforgettable score written by David Raskin, Joseph LaShelle's photography and one of the wittiest screenplays in Hollywood history. In fact, I would go as far to say that "LAURA" is probably one of the finest mystery films ever made.
After a recent re-watch of the Season Three "MAD MEN" episode called (3.09) "Wee Small Hours", I came up with the following observations:
"MAD MEN" OBSERVATIONS: (3.09) "Wee Small Hours"
*I think that from the moment tobacco heir Lee Garner Jr. tried and failed to seduce Sterling Cooper's art director, Sal Romano; the latter was simply screwed. Even if media buyer Harry Crane had immediately informed co-owner Roger Sterling or creative director Don Draper about Garner’s demand; or if Sal had acted professionally and told not only Don, but Roger on what happened, he was screwed. The client came first. Especially clients like Lee Garner and Conrad Hilton, who were too powerful to ignore. As I recall that back in Season One, even Don had to apologize to one of the agency's clients, Rachel Menken, for his outburst. Despite the fact that she had yet to become an official client.
*Following the original airing of the episode, I had read a few posts on Betty Draper’s aborted affair with political advisor Henry Francis. I find it interesting that so many viewers and critics were disappointed that she did not go ahead with the affair. In fact, they had harshly criticized Betty for not going through with the affair . . . which I found rather odd. Even more interesting was that some of the fans had demanded to know what she really wanted. Henry had also seemed to wonder. Judging from her disappointment with her marriage to Don at the time and the realization that Henry may have simply wanted an affair, I eventually suspected that Betty had wanted a meaningful relationship with someone. That had explained the letters she exchanged with Henry, her anger at Don for keeping her in the dark about his contract problems, and her tears following the dinner with Jimmy and Bobbie Barrett in (2.03) "The Benefactor". And when she had visited Henry’s office, Betty had wrongly suspected that she would never receive one from Henry, anymore than she had received one from Don.
*Despite Betty’s remark about civil rights, Carla was one lucky woman . . . at the time. After eavesdropping on Betty's telephone call with Henry, she could have easily found herself in the same situation as Sal ended up by the episode’s end. All Betty had to do was fire her and lie to Don about her reasons behind the discharge. Unless she had feared Carla would retaliate by telling Don about Betty’s meeting with Henry. That is the only reason I could find why Carla remained employed by the episode's end.
*I still find it interesting that many had lobbied criticisms at Betty for her remark about the Civil Rights Movement. I found it interesting and a little hypocritical. One, of course Betty would make such a remark. She was a white female from a privileged background. And she was also a conservative, although a moderate one. She had called Carla "girl"when referring to the latter during a phone call with Henry. What had many fans expect? Yet, many of these same fans had made excuse after excuse for Joan’s unnecessary and racist remarks to Sheila White back in Season Two. And had conveniently forgotten that Don had been in the habit of calling Carla or other black female servants, "girl", as well.
*How many times had Don assumed an aggressive stand when a client failed to be impressed by his work? Why did he do this? Was this Don’s way of intimidating a client into accepting his work? I can still recall him pulling this stunt with Rachel Menken, which angered her in the process. He had also pulled this stunt with the client from Belle Jolie account and succeeded. Then he tried it with Conrad Hilton and failed. Ironically, many of the series' fans had reacted angrily over this incident at Hilton. I found myself feeling slightly sympathetic toward him. After all, he is the client. If he did not like Don’s presentation, he did not like it. Don’s slight temper tantrum seemed a bit uncalled for.
*Is it just me or did Peggy look slightly smug after Connie Hilton made it clear that he disapproved of Don’s presentation? Mind you, I had not been impressed by it, either. The presentation had struck me as a bit too simple and infantile. And it failed to invoke the glamour of travel, while maintaining the message of American values. At least to me.
*Pete hacking up a storm after taking a puff on a Lucky Strikes cigarette still strikes me as hysterical after ten years. So does the scene in which a frustrated Betty threw the money box at Henry.
*Don's affair with Suzanne Farrell. Even after ten years, I still fail to see the chemistry between actors Jon Hamm and Abigail Spencer. In fact, Sally Draper's teacher, Miss Farrell, seemed like a second-rate version of Rachel Mencken, but with a less stable personality. I realize that Don had wanted a meaningful relationship in his life . . . but with Suzanne Farrell? I think he could have done better than her. Especially better than someone who had recently been his daughter’s teacher. Now that I think about it, she could have done better than Don. What made their affair even more troubling was that Don was using Suzanne as some kind of drug. He had suffered rejection from Conrad Hilton, a man he was beginning to view as a parent figure, and he turned to Suzanne for comfort. Unfortunately, I suspect that Suzanne may have viewed him as something more and in the end, their relationship had ended on a surprisingly quick and unsatisfactory note . . . at least for her.
*Was Roger still a force at Sterling Cooper during the time of this episode? Judging from how British bosses had regarded him by the season's end, I rather doubt it.
"HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY" (2008) Review
Based upon the Dark Horse Comics character, "HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY" is the 2008 sequel to "HELLBOY", the 2004 hit about a red-skinned demon that works for a paranormal agency of the U.S. government. The sequel is about Hellboy’s conflict with Prince Nuada, son of the King of Elves, who wants to use a clockwork group of soldiers called the Golden Army to exterminate humanity in revenge for the latter’s past hostilities against mythical creatures.
Okay, so what did I think about the movie? About the same as I had felt about the original 2004 film – I though it was simply a good, old-fashioned adventure-fantasy movie, filled with solid entertainment. I never saw anything really exceptional about "HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY". Well, I take that back. There were aspects of the movie that I really enjoyed.
For example, I was happy to see that director Guillermo del Toro managed to bring back most of the original cast from the first movie. I had read somewhere that the studio executives for the original film wanted someone like Vin Diesel in the leading role of Hellboy. Fortunately, del Toro had insisted upon casting Ron Perlman, with whom he had worked before. And all I can say is thank goodness. Perlman established a memorable version of the Hellboy character - not only in the first film, but in this second one as well. Ron Perlman is Hellboy. Granted, Vin Diesel has become a good actor over the years, I really cannot see him portraying the snarky and slightly aggressive demon with a mixture of gruffness, sarcasm and heartfelt tenderness toward his lady love.
Selma Blair reprised her role as Hellboy’s pyrokinetic love, Liz Sherman. And as in the first film, her subtle, yet sardonic take on Liz balanced beautifully with Perlman’s gruff Hellboy. Doug Jones’ portrayal of the fluidic Abe Sapien rose to the level of delicious charm and pathos, especially when his character falls in love with Prince Nuada’s sister, Princess Nuala. Jones also portrayed the androgynous and enigmatic Angel of Death with equal ease. Jeffrey Tambor was just as snarky as ever as director of the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, Tom Manning.
Additions to the cast included Anna Walton, in a sweet and effervescent portrayal of Princess Nuala. Actor and singer Luke Goss portrayed the yang to Nuala’s yin, Prince Nuada. Although the villain of the story, Goss’ Nuada is a complex and fascinating character who desire for the destruction of humanity is not driven by sheer evil. He wants revenge for humanity’s betrayal against the supernatural world and views them – or us – as a potent threat to the future. And I must say that Goss as Nuada wielded a mean sword with moves that would impress (perhaps mildly) the likes of Jet Li. Replacing FBI Special Agent John Myers (Rupert Evans) in the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense was Johann Krauss, a German psychic who became an ectoplasmic being contained in a suit after a botched séance. And actor/writer Seth MacFarlane did a hilarious job in capturing the exacting and anal Krauss with a delicious German accent.
Screenwriters del Toro (the director) and Mike Mignola (also creator of Hellboy) created a solid and entertaining tale that centered around Hellboy and the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense’s attempts to meet the threat of Prince Nuada’s plan to use the Golden Army against the humanity. The movie also focused upon the demon’s continuing problems in his relationship with Liz (who is pregnant) and his new immediate supervisor, Strauss. Speaking of the latter, there is a hilarious sequence in which the ectoplasmic being uses locker doors to prove how dangerous he can be.
And what is a HELLBOY movie (or should I say Guillermo del Toro movie) without visual effects? Once again, del Toro enlisted the help of Spectral Motion to create some stunning visual effects. Amongst the most memorable for me were the collection of demons featured in the Troll Market sequence and especially the multi-optical demon voiced by Doug Jones – the Angel of Death. Usually, I tend to be turned off by over-the-top visual effects. Especially when they are pushed into your face by filmmakers eager to show the unusual aspects of their film. In "HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY", del Toro and Spectral Motion managed to refrain themselves by revealing the visuals when the story truly required them.
I am not going to pretend that "HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY" was at the same level as the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, the DC Extended Universe films or "THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY". But I must admit that it was damn entertaining, thanks to a first-rate cast led by Ron Perlman, a solid story and weird and stunning visual effects. I highly recommend it.
