Top Favorite Episodes of "AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D." Season Five (2017-2018)

 

Below is a list of my top favorite episodes from Season Five of Marvel's "AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.". Created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen; the series starred Clark Gregg:





TOP FAVORITE EPISODES OF "AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D." SEASON FIVE (2017-2018)

1. (5.22) "The End" - In this season finale, S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Phil Coulson and his team attempt to rewrite the fate of Earth by stopping General Glenn Talbot, who has become the supervillain Graviton, thanks to the Gravitonium.

2. (5.05) "Rewind" - With the help of his former colleague, Lance Hunter; nothing will stop S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Leo Fitz from finding his lost team after they had disappeared from a diner at the end of Season Four.

3. (5.18) "All Roads Lead . . ." - The team must find a way to stop HYDRA operative Ruby Hale, enhanced by an artifact from Season One known as a Gravitonium, before a prophesied chain reaction that can destroy Earth is put into motion.

4. (5.10) "Past Lives" - The team has one final chance to escape the Kree space station and return to their timeline, using a monolith, but their actions may have deadly consequences.

5. (5.15) "Rise and Shine" - While a prisoner of U.S.A.F. General Hale (who also proved to be a HYDRA mole), Coulson discovers her real agenda involving the Gravitonium could lead to the destruction of Earth, if S.H.I.E.L.D. is unable to stop her.

"THE SUICIDE SQUAD" (2021) Photo Gallery

Below are images from "THE SUICIDE SQUAD", the second adaptation of the DC Comics series. Written and directed by James Gunn, the movie stars Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, and Viola Davis:




"THE SUICIDE SQUAD" (2021) Photo Gallery

"NEW MOON" (2009) Review

  

"NEW MOON" (2009) Review

The sequel to the 2008 box office hit, "TWILIGHT" was released in theaters, the following year. Based upon Stephanie Meyer’s 2006 novel and directed by Chris Weitz 2007’s "THE GOLDEN COMPASS"), ”NEW MOON” continued the story of Isabella "Bella" Swan, the Washington State teenager and her love for vampire Edward Cullen.

”NEW MOON” began several months after the 2008 film, with Bella celebrating her birthday. However, her life underwent a drastic change when she cut her finger during a birthday party held for her by her vampire boyfriend Edward and his family, the Cullens. Her blood attracted the attention of Edward’s brother, Jasper Hale, and he attacked Bella. Not long after Jasper’s attack, Edward informed Bella that he and the rest of the Cullen clan plan to leave Forks. Following his departure, Bella succumbed to depression for several months, until she renewed her friendship with Jacob Black, the son of her father’s Quileute friend. Unfortunately, Bella’s relationship with Jacob threatened to fall apart, when he fell in love with her despite her feelings for Edward and when he began to manifest into a werewolf – a natural enemy of vampires.

I had not been particularly kind in my review of "TWILIGHT". And in ”NEW MOON”, I noticed that some of the aspects I had disliked in the 2008 film were also apparent in this second film. The dialogue – especially between Bella and Edward – seemed as atrocious as ever. I found the movie’s 130-minute running time to be unnecessarily long. Bella and Edward’s relationship not only brought back bad memories of the romance between Buffy Summers and the vampire Angel during the first three seasons of Joss Whedon’s ”BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER”, it also made me realize that William Shakespeare’s play, "ROMEO AND JULIET" might be overrated.

But what can one expect from adolescent love in fiction? If it caused young individuals to behave in the most ridiculous manner, then I can deal without it on my television screen or on a movie screen. And just to show how ridiculous adolescent angst was portrayed in this film, all I have to do is point out Edward and especially Bella’s behavior in ”NEW MOON”. For example, Bella sank into a depression for at least four to six months following Edward’s departure from Forks. Excessive much? She also risked her life with stupid acts that included accepting a ride from a group of bikers that reminded her of the bunch that nearly accosted her in ”TWILIGHT”, riding a motorcycle before Jacob could teach her, and engaging in bungee jumping without any elastic cord whatsoever. Why? Because Bella had discovered that thrill-seeking activities granted her visions of Edward. My God! What an infatuated moron! After Alice Cullen had a vision of Bella’s cliff jumping stunt, Edward assumed that his human ex-girlfriend had committed suicide and decided to kill himself by provoking the Volturi, a powerful coven of vampires, into killing him in Italy. What an idiot . . . you know what? Who wrote this shit?

And there were other aspects of the movie that bothered me. I never understood why Jacob and the rest of the werewolves in his pack found it necessary to walk around bare-chested, while in human form. If they were afraid of ruining their clothes, while transforming into werewolves, then they should have done without the shorts and tennis shoes as well. It would have made more sense. And I found the movie’s finale in Volterra, Italy to be a bore. Not only did I found Edward’s suicide attempt a waste of time, I also found his and Bella’s confrontation with the Voluturi vampire coven had seriously dragged the movie’s last half hour. Which also made me view this use of Michael Sheen and Dakota Fanning in this sequence as a waste of their talents.

Surprisingly, ”NEW MOON” was not a complete exercise in torture for me. It had its moments. I have to give kudos to director Chris Weitz for the original way he had depicted Bella’s depression by revolving a camera around actress Kristen Stewart, as she sat in front of window, revealing views of the passage of time during a four-to-six-month period. Javier Aguirresarobe’s photography of the Pacific Northwest was just as impressive as Elliot Davis’ in the first film . . . and just as atmospheric. I can also say the same about his photography of Siena, Italy that served as the town of Volterra. Many of the interactions between Bella and Jacob seemed like a breath of fresh air, following the overwrought angst fest between her and Edward. With Jacob, she seemed so . . . normal. Relaxed. Until Jacob manifested into a werewolf and declared his love for her. Still . . . Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner had a natural screen chemistry that made me wish that Bella had chosen Jacob, instead of Edward.

I had been somewhat tolerant of Stewart’s screen chemistry with Robert Pattison in the first film. But after viewing ”NEW MOON”, my tolerance went by the way of the Dodo bird. I just found it so difficult to endure Bella and Edward’s moments together. Without Pattison around and during Bella’s saner moments, Kirsten Stewart gave a natural and competent performance. And she also did a good job in carrying the film on her shoulders. Graham Greene gave a subtle performance as Harry Clearwater, a Quileute tribal elder and friend of Bella's father, Charlie. I also found Billy Burke’s portrayal of Bella’s father, Charlie Swan, a little more impressive in this film – especially in a scene in which Charlie pleaded for Bella to break out of her depression. Dakota Fanning was impressively sinister as Volturi vampire Jane. And Michael Sheen gave an entertaining performance as Aro, the leader of the Volturi coven, even if I found his appearance, like that of Fanning, a waste of time. However, the performance that really impressed me came from Taylor Lautner, who portrayed Bella’s friend and newly manifested werewolf, Jacob Black. If I have to be honest, Lautner struck me as the movie’s true bright spot in an otherwise unimpressive film. He seemed like a natural and very relaxed actor. It seems a pity that his career has not gone any further since the "TWILIGHT" franchise ended. I also thought that he brought out the best in Stewart, allowing her to be more natural, relaxed and a lot less constipated.

When I first saw "NEW MOON" in the theater, my eyes had spotted a poster for the "TWILIGHT" saga's third film, ”ECLIPSE”, as I left. I must admit that I had not been looking forward to seeing it. But my sister (a fan of the movie, who is also familiar with Stephanie Meyer’s novels), informed me that the Jacob Black role was even bigger in this next film. After a re-watch, I will see if "ECLIPSE" proved to be a continuation of the mediocrity and annoying angst fest I had found in "TWILIGHT" and "NEW MOON".

Favorite Pre-Gilded Age American History Books

 

Below is a list of my favorite books that covered the history of the United States from the late British Colonial period to the end of the U.S. Civil War:



FAVORITE PRE-GILDED AGE AMERICAN HISTORY BOOKS



1. "The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism" (2014) by Edward E. Baptist - This book centers on how slavery and the cotton industry helped develop the rise of U.S. capitalism.





2. "1861: The Civil War Awakening" (2011) by Adam Goodheart - This book depicts the last months of the United States' Antebellum period and the first months of the U.S. Civil War.





3. "1858: Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant and the War They Failed to See" (2008) by Bruce Chadwick - The book focuses on the historical events in the United States during the year, 1858.





4. "Thomas Jefferson & Sally Hemings: An American Controversy" (1997) by Annette Gordon-Reed - This book won the Pulitzer Prize for its in-depth exploration of President Thomas Jefferson and one of slaves, Sally Hemings.





5. "The Town That Started the Civil War" (1990) by Nat Brandt - This book is an in-depth study of Oberlin, Ohio during the 19th century and its role in one of the most famous slave rescues in U.S. history.





6. "Slavery and the Making of America" (2004) by James Oliver Horton and Lois E. Horton - This book is a detailed account of the history of slavery in the U.S. from the Colonial period to the end of the Civil War.





7. "The World Rushed In: The California Gold Rush Experience" (1981) by J.S. Holliday - This book is an in-depth study of the California Gold Rush between 1848 and 1855.





8. "The War Before the War: Fugitive Slaves and the Struggle for America's Soul from the Revolution to the Civil War" (2018) by Andrew Delbanco - This book focuses on slavery and especially the abolition movement from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War.





9. "John Adams" (2001) by David McCullough - This book is a biography of President John Adams and won a Pulitzer Prize.





10. "Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad" (2015) by Eric Foner - This book is a detailed account on the history of the Underground Railroad and the abolition movement in New York City.





11. "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" (2005) by Doris Kearns Goodwin - This biography is about the life of President Abraham Lincoln and the more prominent members of his Cabinet before and during the Civil War. It won both the Lincoln Prize and the inaugural Book Prize for American History of the New-York Historical Society.





12. "A Southern Odyssey: Travelers in the Antebellum North" (1976) by John Hope Franklin - This book is an account of the experiences of Southern travelers in the Northern states during the years before the Civil War.

"MAD MEN" Season Three (2009) Photo Gallery

 

Below are images from Season Three of AMC's "MAD MEN". Created by Matthew Weiner, the series stars Jon Hamm:




"MAD MEN" SEASON THREE (2009) Photo Gallery