The Lost Universal Monster

Normally when one thinks of the Universal Monsters, there are five biggies one thinks of - Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolfman, the Invisible Man, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Of course there are second tier monsters like the Phantom of the Opera, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, the Bride of Frankenstein, Dracula's Daughter, the Invisible Woman, and other derivatives.

But does anyone remember the lost Universal monster? Who knows the Gorilla Girl, a monster so popular in her time that her film spawned two sequels? 1943's Captive Wild Woman starred John Carradine, and introduced Acquanetta as the Gorilla Girl. Jungle Woman and The Jungle Captive quickly followed in 1944 and 1945, yet no one seems to remember the lost Universal monster.

The gist of the series is one of surgical terror and mad science. Would the transplanting of human glands into a gorilla create a more human gorilla or a half-human beast that would haunt your nightmares? Your guess is probably right. This precursor to theoretically Planet of the Apes is moody, atmospheric, campy, and a perfect fit into the Universal horror mythos.

Yet, no one remembers. Was it because she was a woman? Even in the horror world were women second-class citizens? Let's look at that list above again. The only females in the bunch are derivative of male major players. Perhaps the powers-that-be ignored the Gorilla Girl on purpose to keep women down.

You can still see these movies, and I suggest you check them out if you can. It's like finding a new Universal horror, and in a way, it really is.

Wayward Pines

I'm an M. Night Shyamalan fan. Yes, I admit it, and I've continued to watch and have faith much longer than many folks. When I first heard he was moving to episodic television with a limited series that was reminiscent of "Twin Peaks," I put it on my watch list.

My friend, editor over at Biff Bam Pop!, and a "Twin Peaks" authority, Andy Burns, got around to seeing and reviewing "Wayward Pines" before me. He was unimpressed, and you can read his thoughts here. I have to say we're pretty much in agreement. This story of a Secret Service agent, waking up after a car accident while in search for two other agents, and finding himself in a small town full of strange characters and paranoia, is nowhere near as good as it could have been.

"Wayward Pines," or the pilot at least, had potential. The books it's based on - The Wayward Pines Trilogy by Blake Crouch - I have not read but have heard are quite good and recommended for folks who dug "Twin Peaks" because of the similarities and vibe. Between that and the M. Night connection I was starting to look forward to this. Add in that it was going to be on Fox, who had brought the TP mood from "Broadchurch" in their American remake called "Gracepoint," I could definitely see it working.

Andy Burns had good things to say about the cast, not their performances, mind you, but their casting. If I'm being honest, other than Melissa Leo (and she is hands down the best part of this show) and Toby Jones, I thought the casting better suited to a parody of a drama than an actual drama. Speaking of drama, lead Matt Dillon to me has always been the real life version of his brother Kevin Dillon's character Johnny Drama on "Entourage," and I've never been able to take Juliette Lewis seriously.

The rest of the cast stumble through this mess like zombies overacting in a school play. Terrence Howard is an embarrassment, and unbelievable as the potential heavy. This could have been good. There is more "Lost" and "The Prisoner" to this stinker than "Twin Peaks," and M. Night does little to distinguish himself or improve his rep here. The pilot is it for me, I won't be watching further. Consider this a case of having me watch something, so you won't have to.

Bosch

I never would have believed it when I first got my Kindle Fire, but it's true. Amazon Prime has been a wonderful source of quality entertainment. Amazon, like Netflix, is producing some amazing television. One of these is "Bosch."

Based on the Harry Bosch book series by Michael Connelly about a homicide detective in Los Angeles, this Amazon TV series is overseen by both Connelly and one of the folks behind one of the best shows ever done for television - "The Wire" - Eric Overmyer. I've never read any of the Bosch novels (but now I will), but with just Overmyer's name I was sold on this.

The story is pulled from several of Connelly's Bosch books and is very rough and slick at once, a police procedural that doesn't feel like a police procedural. It has qualities of both the aforementioned "Wire" and HBO's "True Detective." Yeah, it's that good, and folks who know me know that I do not heap praise like that lightly.

Titus Welliver, a character actor perhaps best known for playing the Man in Black on "Lost," brings Harry Bosch to life in the first season, which pulls storylines from three different novels. Welliver is surrounded by an excellent ensemble cast in this series more focused on storytelling than the characters. I dug this a lot, and cannot wait for the second season. Check it out.

Revolution

I recently had the chance to view the pilot episode of "Revolution" via OnDemand. Apparently it's also on Hulu and NBC.com, so I have to wonder if anyone will watch this when it airs Monday night. After the last few television projects from J.J. Abrams, I was prepared to be unimpressed, but I gotta say, I might give this a shot. It actually seems like it might be fun, conditionally, that is.

The concept of "Revolution" is a world where all the power has gone off. Logic dictates some sort of electromagnetic pulse possibly, but who knows really what it could be in a J.J. Abrams show? Didn't he make up that island you could drive on "Lost"? So the power goes off, and our story begins fifteen years later. America has devolved into small villages of folks living off the land and warring militia states. Still, nobody has gotten the power back on, or even had the know-how to build a simple generator. Did no one pay attention in high school science class?

Logic aside, it does have its moments that set it slightly above other scifi fare currently on TV. I like our reluctant hero Miles, played by Billy Burke, who is like a mild-mannered badass with a sword. I also like our middle management villain Neville, played by Giancarlo Esposito, Fring from "Breaking Bad." He plays the baddie with the same quiet deadly charisma of The Operative in Serenity.

"Revolution," created by Abrams, and with this pilot episode directed by Jon Favreau, also depends a lot on its potential genre nerd cred. One of the best moments in the pilot is when Charlie, played by Tracy Spiridakos, and someone who has lived most of her life without power, reveals her secret stash - in an Empire Strikes Back lunchbox, and we hear a few notes of John Williams movie score. Moments like that elevate this show, and make me want to keep watching.

The only thing that would keep me from watching, and it's the condition I spoke up at the beginning of this review, is that plot device that the show revolves around. What caused the black out? If that will be the carrot on a stick, that keeps viewers watching, yet never gets revealed, I think I'm out. I don't want another "Lost," and I certainly don't want another "Flash Forward" or "Journeyman" where we never find out what happened.

Now watch the following preview at your own risk. It's one of those that pretty much tells you everything that happens in the pilot, right in the preview. Stupid television executives…

The All Things Fun! New Comics Vidcast for the Week of 4-18-2012

The All Things Fun! New Comics Vidcast is shot live every week at All Things Fun! - the area's best comics and gaming store, located in West Berlin, NJ. Co-hosts Ed (Blue Lantern) Evans, Allison (Lost Girl) Eckel, and Glenn (Reprecussions) Walker discuss the new comics out this week in two fun video segments, in wicked high definition, and available on the YouTube. See it here!

Discussion featured in this brand new extended episode includes: Still reading, Free Comic Book Day, Batman: Night of Owls, spoilers, why Justice League #8 bothers Glenn, "Lost" story structure, chicks with guns in Wonder Woman #8, Captain Atom, Black Canary, and Blue Beetle, Supergirl #8, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents and Legion, Green Lantern Corps #8. Avengers vs. X-Men #2 and associated titles, old school Defenderin', Amazing Spider-Man #684, Thunderbolts, Hulk, and Iron Man, the non-AvsX X-titles, Fables #116, Garth Ennis' The Shadow #1, The Walking Dead #96, Ed's indies, Glenn faces repercussions, Allison's kids comics, trades and manga.



Be sure to check out the dynamic new All Things Fun! website, and the All Things Fun! Blogs, by Allison and Glenn, and ATF! on YouTube.

Special thanks go to Dina Evans who keeps us all in line, and on the straight and narrow, and runs the show from behind the scenes. And be back here every Wednesday (or Tuesdays at midnight) to watch the new broadcast, and thereafter throughout the week!

Dead Is Dead?

"Dead Is Dead."

Anyone else remember this one? And no, before you say it, I’m not talking about the episode of “Lost” that also carries the title.

Actor Godfrey Cambridge produced this 21-minute anti-drug film in 1970. I saw it at least every year I was in senior high school. Among the things featured in this powerful no-holds-barred short are footage of addicts going cold turkey, the music of Bill Withers and Curtis Mayfield, and a female heroin addict vomiting as she falls down a flight of stairs.

It seemed to be the school’s answer to show the film rather than actually talk to us about drugs, a subject many of us at that age already knew more about than the teachers did.

Still, I’d love to see this film again. Anyone else remember it, or better yet know how to obtain a copy?