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popentertainment-moviereviews · 1 month ago

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‘SALEM’S LOT (2024)

Starring Lewis Pullman, Makenzie Leigh, Alfre Woodard, John Benjamin Hickey, Bill Camp, Jordan Preston Carter, Nicholas Crovetti, Spencer Treat Clark, William Sadler, Pilou Asbæk, Alexander Ward, Danielle Perry, Debra Christofferson, Cade Woodward, Joseph Marrella, Derek Mears, Timothy John Smith, Mike Kaz, Declan Lemerande and Oliver Dauberman.

Screenplay by Gary Dauberman.

Directed by Gary Dauberman.

Distributed by Max. 113 minutes. Rated R.

I have been a Stephen King fan for well over 40 years now, and ‘Salem’s Lot was my introduction to his writing, and is still my favorite King novel, although I feel that he has many other classics. I’ve read it several times over the years, most recently a few years ago. As far as I am concerned, it’s a nearly perfect horror novel.

‘Salem’s Lot was the second book that King had published, although I seem to remember hearing that he wrote it before he wrote Carrie, which was his breakthrough novel. And, as is generally the case with King’s books, ever since Hollywood has been trying to tame the story and bring it to the screen.

This is the third version of ‘Salem’s Lot to be filmed, although the first two times it was done as a television miniseries. The original – and probably the best – version was done in 1979 on network television with David Soul, James Mason and Bonnie Bedelia. It was directed by legendary horror filmmaker Tobe Hooper (Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Poltergeist). Since it was on old-time TV, it was a little slow-moving and not very violent, but it still had a few legendary scares.

In 2004, it was made as a miniseries for a cable network (TNT), so the makers were free to play with the violence, language, etc. It was extremely well cast – Rob Lowe, Andre Braugher, Donald Sutherland and James Cromwell – and faster-paced than the earlier series, but it strayed from the original storyline and eventually didn’t quite work.

Now, it has been made as a movie. Actually, it was made a couple of years ago and has been on the shelf at Warner Brothers for a long time. It was originally planned for theatrical release, then was pulled from release for quite a while, making it seem it would never see the light of day. Eventually, Warner Brothers decided they had already made it, may as well release it on their Max streaming service.

Honestly, the new ‘Salem’s Lot is a reminder of why Stephen King’s novels rarely work well as two-hour movies. There is just way too much of this storyline which is just skipped over. Major plot threads (like the history of the infamous haunted Marsten House) and characters are either downplayed or completely ignored. Without the background information, things happen way too quickly in the film and much of the plot makes little or no sense.

It should be noted that the original director’s cut was apparently three hours long, and honestly if the original edit were ever released (which I sincerely doubt considering the trouble it took to just get the movie released at all), I’ll bet the ‘Salem’s Lot movie would be a lot better, or at the very least a lot more understandable.

Maybe if you have never read the book or seen any of the previous versions, ‘Salem’s Lot would be worth the watch. Personally, I think it’s just okay but given the choice I’d rather just rewatch the 1979 version – which conveniently Max added to its service together with the new movie. Better still, just read the novel.

Jay S. Jacobs

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#Salem's Lot #2024 #Movie Review #Lewis Pullman #Jay S. Jacobs #Youtube

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ao3feed-brucewayne · 6 months ago

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Far Far From Home

by aiki_sweetie Peter was a decently normal person, right? I mean besides the fact that he's a superhero that works with the Avengers. In his defense, that is pretty normal where he lives. How many people have powers and don’t become a hero or villain? So someone could also argue that the situation he is in now is also perfectly normal. It's perfectly normal to wake up in an alleyway in his suit, Karen completely offline, covered in blood. That he's pretty sure isn't his. The only thing that's a bit confusing, is that he was just with Doctor Strange, asking him to make everyone forget he is Spider-Man. ----- Superheroes [2,682,196 Results] Thank you. [Batman] [Superman] [Wonder Woman] [Flash] [Green Lantern] [Green Arrow] … No, thank you. WHO THE ACTUAL HELL ARE THESE PEOPLE? … Calm, Calm Peter, Calm. Peter took a deep breath in and out. So, I’m probably not in my universe, that's fun. Does that mean I need to create a whole new identity? … …Fuck… Words: 2112, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, Spider-Man - All Media Types Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Characters: Peter Parker, Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Damian Wayne, Barbara Gordon, Jim Gordon, Kate Kane (DCU), Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown, Alfred Pennyworth, Duke Thomas, Rogues Gallery (Batman) Additional Tags: Why do I make the rules, I have issues, Canon Died a Brutal yet Necessary Death, DC stands for Disregard Canon, Man older brothers are so cool, I wish they existed, Author Had No Plan And It Caused Problems, Cobblepot Coffee, spiderman - Freeform, Batfamily, Captain Cold is Kinda, Bruce Wayne has Adoption Issues, Is it Incest if they are Both Foster Kids?, Once Again I have ISSUES, No Smut cause they are CHILDREN, Author Blames Kwite, Foster Family is Shit, but its gotham, We Stand the Flash Rogue Gallery Here, No Beta we die like Tony Woodward, How Do I Tag, Homophobia, Marcus is a jerk via https://ift.tt/VEBZYcz

#IFTTT #bruce wayne #batman #the dark knight #the caped crusader #gotham #dcu #dc #ao3 #ao3feed

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coffee-n-bagels-comic-universe · 1 year ago

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Self-Indulgent Series December: Granite Hills

It's December, and that means I get to be self-indulgent and give myself gifts, mainly the gift of looking at actors I like.

I give you my series of self-indulgence, Granite Hills (1990):

~~💀💀~~

Set in 1980 in the fictional town of Mudslide, Wisconsin, mainly at the Granite Hills university. This cast will be a mix of actors who would and wouldn't be available at the time.

The Show's Cast Includes:

Alfred Molina as Angel Ramon Vega [Age: 24]

Anjelica Huston as Sandy Cherry Lawson [Age: 26]

Billy Connolly as Professor Darwin Derryl Rigby [Age: 40]

Billy Crystal as Jethro Mephisto Butcher [Age: 25]

Brendan Fraser as Dallas Nathaniel Gray [Age: 23]

Carrie Fisher as Veronica Beverly Chambers [Age: 21]

Cary Elwes as Easton Markos White [Age: 27]

Chris Barrie as Douglass Wilfred Bernard [Age: 20]

Christina Applegate as Storm Hekla Jóhannsson [Age: 18]

Christopher Walken as Professor Karl Cai Lowell [Age: 40]

Craig Charles as Chuck Vance Sheppard [Age: 21]

Dan Aykroyd as Cesar Clay Leon [Age: 23]

Danny John-Jules as Quentin Kingston Hollister [Age: 21]

Daryl Hannah as Bernadette Daphne Jordan [Age: 24]

Diane Lane as Saffron Elouise Mason [Age: 19]

Fran Drescher as Monique Joanne Curtis [Age: 22]

Geena Davis as Erin Kermit Cantrell [Age: 28]

Gunnar Hansen as Thor Hjörtur Jóhannsson [Age: 48]

Harold Ramis as Edmund Morgan Blackburn [Age: 29]

Jack Black as Odin Hrafn Jóhannsson [Age: 21]

Jeff Bridges as Professor Kennedy Troy Gill [Age: 40]

Joe Pesci as Professor Jeremiah Emmit Jekyll [Age: 40]

John Belushi as Julian Noel Hood [Age: 25]

John Candy as Dale Randall Newman [Age: 26]

John Cusack as Andrew Simon Garfield [Age: 23]

John Goodman as Cyrus Lars Nielsen [Age: 27]

John Leguizamo as Alijah Mrlon Cross [Age: 29}

Judd Nelson as Colton Kenelm Coy [Age: 19]

Katey Sagal as Ramona Adrienne Dunn [Age: 25]

Kevin Bacon as Brad Nathan Hardy [Age: 25]

Kiefer Sutherland as Trenton Homer Abbey [Age: 21]

Luis Guzmán as Jaxxon Garrett Flores [Age: 29]

Mandy Patinkin as Elishua Saul Zebedaios [Age: 28]

Matt Dillon as Dennis Waylon Marley [Age: 20]

Matthew Lillard as Alexander Buddy Jones [Age: 19]

Oliver Platt as Ruben Manuel Valdez [Age: 22]

O'Shea Jackson (Sr.) as Tyrese Jordan Maxwell [Age: 18]

Philip Seymour Hoffman as Parris Hayes Grant [Age: 19]

Raul Julia as Professor Marcel Gomez Agua [Age: 40]

Ray Winstone as Holden Montgomery Lynn [Age: 27]

River Phoenix as Kent Horace Woodward [Age: 18]

Robin Williams as Jaycee Aramis Ellis [Age: 26]

Sean Young as Maxine Jade Upton [Age: 26]

Stanley Tucci as Luke Robin Flynn [Age: 22]

Steve Buscemi as Hugh Chester Sweeney [Age: 25]

Tom Hanks as Mark Everett Shaw [Age: 20]

Tony Shalhoub as Orlando Jaime Guerrero [Age: 25]

Val Kilmer as Earl Blue Dior [Age: 29]

Wayne Knight as Osborne Finnegan Jarvis [Age: 28]

William Baldwin as Theodore Joshua Ball [Age: 20]

Willem Dafoe as Terry Roosevelt Jepson [Age: 27]

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majorbaby · 2 years ago

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Stephanie Hsu was great in EEAAO but her performance was (IMHO) the weakest of the cast, and for an actress of her age, who has probably been denied opportunities to grow her craft because of her race, I think that is completely fair. I'm wary of the expectations placed on racialized women to always perform at an extremely high level in comparison to their white peers. And the pressure was really on Hsu to do that, in spite of all the barriers she faces.

With that said, the hackademy also gave 22 y/o Jennifer Lawrence the oscar for best actress for Silver Linings Playbook 10 years ago.

it's the racism, it's the bias, moreso than it's a nod to Jamie Lee Curtis' performance and that's to say very little of the snub to Angela Bassett, who in my not so humble opinion, deserved to win. It's the idea that Hsu can be told to wait for a turn that may never happen and she's expected to accept her lot in life and the film industry without complaint. This is what racialized girls and women are told every day of their lives.

"JLC only won because she's white" comes from a tradition of awarding white mediocrity and the denial of racialized women's right to exist in varied ways. It doesn't actually matter whether JLC gave the best or the worst performance of her life because merit isn't the only factor at play. That's overwhelmingly clear to me and it's true of other selection processes: the casting process, all hiring processes, academic acceptances processes, dating 'preferences', etc - these things are all affected by traits that people possess, whether they are mutable or not, and denying that just ensures we can never address it meaningfully.

JLC has had and likely will have ample opportunities to win future awards. Whereas, in a way that actually speaks directly to the themes of EEAAO and in addition to the blood, sweat and tears shed by whole generations of asian Artists (and the ongoing work of black artists who paved the way for racialized people to take up space in hollywood) the stars had to align just so for this to be a world where a movie by and for Asian people could win the highest honours offered by the film industry. We don't know if EEAAO is a replicable experiment.

When Lupita Nyong'o won best supporting actress for 12 Years a Slave, (saying in her acceptance speech, "No matter where you are from, your dreams are valid" - echoed by both Quan and Yeoh last night, retaining Nyong'o's meaning), amidst all the fanfare, her co-star Alfre Woodward said all too knowingly, "You know when we’ll know that things have changed? You know that brilliant, stunningly beautiful, and poised Lupita Nyong’o? 12 Years a Slave is an incredible launch of a career … ... We’ll see the trajectory of her path and what she’s offered after that. Then we’ll know whether things have changed or if Lupita is consigned to playing second banana."

I'd say the same of Hsu. We'll see how it goes.

Meanwhile, Angela Bassett is already being crucified for her reaction to her loss. Thus she is reliably cast in the role of the angry black woman as much in the real world as she and women who look like her are frequently cast in film. A win for her wouldn't even begin to put a dent in the problem, but at least it wouldn't double down on the same tired narrative for the billionth time.

There was a lot riding on how EEAAO performed at the Oscars last night, and it's important to keep the pressure on, because it's not really about the award, it's about taking up space in the collective consciousness and fighting unconscious bias. I'm sure there are racialized people who'd disagree with me on this, but I think this is worth noting.

For all my cynicism about Award Shows and the film industry, there's a reason why EEAAO makes such waves amongst Asian people and why, regardless of how you feel about the technical prowess of that movie and all the performances in it, it touches us. The movie, the people who made it, and the award acknowledges the asian experience and by extension, our existence.

#eeaao #re: eeaao #i had to write something about this

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doctortwhohiddles · 2 years ago

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sQeptics: Ben is a laughing stock in the industry, he's losing fans by the truck load and no one wants to work with him anymore.

Also the sQeptics:

Ben was cast because he's a talented and sought-after actor. If he was so unpopular or ridiculed, they would have picked someone else. For people who keep saying Ben can't find work, these morons sure as hell don't seem to like the fact that he can easily find work.

EDIT: of course they had to add to the stupid

Because none of the other actors are well known 🙄. I mean, who has heard of Omar Sy, or Alfre Woodward, or David Oyelowo.

#haters #ffs #with fans like these #extreme derangement syndrom #gatorfisch

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vancouverislandtotoronto2023 · 1 year ago

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Day 17, Monday, June 12: OKC to Kingfisher to Seiling to Woodward to Laverne, Oklahoma to the border and Englewood to Minneola to Dodge City to Cimarron to Garden City, Kansas. 492 km.

Oklahoma City is the capital of the state of Oklahoma and is known for its cowboy culture, surrounding working oil wells, and the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P.Murrah Federal Building. With a population of 687,725, it is one of my bigger stops.

It's raining when I wake up. I dress for, and pack the bike in, the wet. I ask Garmin for an "avoid freeways" route and end up heading north from OKC on US 4 to Kingfisher. The sky is dark as far as I can see, and it's coming down pretty heavily as I turn west on US 33 toward Seiling. Once free of OKC and its interminable stop lights, the roads are clear, and the great plains are long and scenic in their red and green.

I ride for about 160 km and spot a small cafe in Seiling - The Crooked Arrow - and decide to pull in and warm up. I end up eating breakfast with a bunch of locals who explain to me all about farming in Oklahoma.

I asked them what happened to Oklahoma after the dust bowls of the 30s. Apparently as part of the New Deal, Roosevelt's Farm Security Administration provided emergency relief, promoted soil conservation, resettled farmers on more productive land, and aided migrant farm workers who had been forced off their land. The Soil Conservation Service helped farmers enrich their soil and stem erosion by planting trees. It shows, Oklahoma has a lot of trees.

After breakfast, I continue north west on US 183 to Woodward, where I spot a Sonic drive-in restaurant. I stop, take a photo, and since it's stopped raining, strip off my rain gear. The cloud cover persists, but the rain stops. What a difference. Seat and handle grip warmers off, rid of the layers, and visor open, I can feel the sun and wind in my face and hear the sound of the bike in my ears again.

At US 283, I turn north to Lavern, my last call before the Kansas border. I love the grand entrance to this small town of less than 1,200 and stop for a photo.

Back on the bike, I continue north to the border and stop for the obligatory photo of me and the "Welcome to Kansas" sign.

The first town I see is Englewood. A former railroad junction it has fallen to a population of 24. It shows. I take a few photos and push on to Minneola. On the way, I encounter the Big Basin Prairie Reserve, which is a sink hole in the middle of the prairie about a mile wide and 100 feet deep. It was formed thousands of years ago by the dissolving and collapse of gypsum and salt formations hundreds of feet beneath the surface. I took a video of half of it to remember it by.

I gas up in Minneola with about half a liter left in my tank and head north to Dodge City. Yep, that one, although (don't tell anybody), the actual Gunsmoke show, which ran from 1955-1975, was filmed in Utah.

"Getting out of Dodge," I head west on US 400. By now, it's raining again, so I pull over in Cimarron and kit up for the balance of the journey to Garden City. I arrive mid afternoon, which I like as it gives me a chance to unpack, rest, maybe go for a swim, and dinner, then work on my blog and my emails at a leisurely pace.

As I sit here writing, it is pi**ing outside, and it's supposed to be wet all the way to Nebraska tomorrow. I'm too tired to care. I'll make my wardrobe decisions in the morning. I'm going to take another look at that picture I took of a dead tree and go to bed.

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historyhermann · 2 years ago

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Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur Spoiler-Filled Review

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, also called Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur or Moon Girl, is an animated superhero adventure series created by Laurence Fishburne and Helen Sugland. It is based on the 2010s Marvel Comics series, Moon Girl, by Brandon Montclare, Amy Reeder, and Natacha Bustos.

Reprinted from Pop Culture Maniacs and Wayback Machine. This was the twenty-? article I wrote for Pop Culture Maniacs. This post was originally published on April 24, 2023.

The plot of Moon Girl centers on a young girl named Lunella Lafeyette (voiced by Diamond White). She is secretly a superhero named Moon Girl, named after her favorite scientist, and a student by day. She uses a dimensional portal to bring a T-Rex named Devil Dinosaur (voiced by Fred Tatasciore), to the streets of New York City. Her best friend, Casey (voiced by Libe Barer) helps her, while she fights against villains like The Beyonder, a mischievous and curious trickster voiced by Fishburne.

Lunella's family have an important role in this series. Her grandmother Mimi, mother Andria, father James Jr., and grandfather "Pops" are protagonists. They are voiced by acclaimed actors such as Alfre Woodward, Sasheer Zamata, Jermaine Fowler, and Gary Anthony Williams. I personally remembered Williams for voicing characters in Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars Resistance, Velma, The Cuphead Show!, and The Owl House, or when Zamata voiced Jade in the subpar film, The Mitchells vs. the Machines.

From the get-go, I knew that Moon Girl would have a superb animation quality because the show's production companies include the animation arm of Disney (Disney Television Animation), a Marvel Studios subsidiary (Marvel Animation), and two animation studios: Titmouse and Flying Bark Productions. The latter two are known for Star Trek: Lower Decks, Fairfax, The Legend of Vox Machina, Glitch Techs, What If...? and Pantheon.

Fishburne's own production company, Cinema Gypsy Productions, is helping produce Moon Girl. This could be part of the reason the series got a favorable reception from executives, resulting in renewal of a second season before the first season had premiered. The animation style is said to be inspired by Spider-Verse, pop art such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, and Keith Haring, along with comic book and graffiti style, and other influences.

Moon Girl has an impressive cast including well-recognized names like Indya Moore, Craig Robinson, Pamela Adlon, Jennifer Hudson, Anna Akana, and Asia Kate Dillon. It includes actors of Indian, Iranian, Puerto Rican, Vietnamese, and Palestinian descent.

This is reinforced by executive producer Steve Loter, composer Raphael Saadiq, and producers Pilar Flynn and Rafael Chaidez. Loter is an executive producer of The Ghost and Molly McGee and has been recognized as a former Kim Possible producer. Saddiq previously did the discography for Lovecraft Country Season 1. Flynn was co-producer of Elena of Avalor.

Show director Trey Buongiorno previously been a storyboarder on Glitch Techs and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Samantha Suyi Lee storyboarded on Cleopatra in Space, Christine Liu on Steven Universe, Rodney Clouden on Futurama, and Ben Juwono on Big Hero 6. Show writers Jeffrey M. Howard, Kate Kondell, Halima Lucas, Liz Hara, Taylor Vaughn Lasley, Maggie Rose, and Lisa Muse Bryant have written for Elena of Avalor, Rugrats, Sesame Street, Broad City, and Kenan.

The cast and crew of Moon Girl support the series' aim to be something for "everyone" and have tones of "heart...comedy, incredible action and great music" as Loter put it. What he is saying has validity since the series is clearly smart, punchy, dynamic, dazzling, and enchanting, with a unique personality.

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Representation in Moon Girl is central to the show's storyline. In an interview with the show's producers in February 2023, Loter noted that the show started with Laurence Fishburne loving the Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur comic series because he had read the original late 1970s Devil Dinosaur comic. Supervising producer Rodney Clouden said that it "means a lot" for the series to have the first Black female protagonist in a superhero series by Marvel.

Later in the interview, Clouden added that Lunella is more than young Black girl into science and math, but is about helping her community and family. This is because her brains are her superpowers, not any other special abilities. She is a 13-year-old who has teen problems that are relatable, and universal. This is done with the intention of making the series inspirational and creating "sophisticated and elevated children’s program", to summarize Clouden's words.

There is more beyond the interview with Loter and Clouden. Like The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, Craig of the Creek, or My Dad the Bounty Hunter, the series has a Black-majority main cast. Moon Girl is different than those two series, in that it is centered on superheroes. There are very few other Black superhero animated series, apart from three prominent series, either Vixen in the 2010s, Static Shock in the 2000s, or Todd McFarlane's Spawn in the 1990s. Various additional Black cartoons aired since the 1970s, but few are in the superhero genre.

Moon Girl has outward LGBTQ representation. This includes Lunella's classmate, Tai, and living/A.I. supercomputer named LOS-307, which are both non-binary, and Brooklyn, an openly trans character. Furthermore, Casey has two dads: Isaac and Antonio.

The voice actors for Tai and LOS-307, Ian Alexander and Asia Kate Dillon, are non-binary in real life, while Indya Moore, the voice of Brooklyn, is trans and non-binary. In addition, Wilson Cruz and Andy Cohen, who voice Casey's dads, are both gay actors. It remains to be seen if any of the main cast will be shown as LGBTQ or not. Some fans have seen hints of romantic attraction between Casey and Lunella, shipping them either as "Lucasey" or "Mediamoon", but ship this has not been confirmed presently. Furthermore, it is possible that since Michael Cimino, who voices Lunella's loud friend, Eduardo, has seemed to say his sexual identity is fluid, this may be reflected in his character.

In watching Moon Girl, I was reminded by the fact that Moore previously voiced a trans character in animation (Shep in Steven Universe Future). Recently, Dillon provided the voice for the genderfluid and pansexual Val/entina Romanyszyn in the ever-controversial and problematic gen:LOCK. This series appears to be the first voice role for Cohen, but not for Alexander or Cruz.

This is not unique to Moore and Dillion. Diamond White has provided her voice for characters in Phineas and Ferb and Sofia the First. Tatasciore has voiced characters in animated series since the 1990s. Fowler prominently did voices for Tuca & Bertie and BoJack Horseman. Others have voiced characters in wide-ranging series including We Bare Bears, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Mira, Royal Detective, The Simpsons, and Hamster & Gretel.

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The show's first episode began with a bang and pulled me in almost immediately. I've been lamenting the reality that few present series have roller-skating protagonists. This could be because wearing such shoes seem almost retro these days. It is part of Lunella's shtick, as she skates around fighting villains with the help of her dinosaur (Devil), using her gadgets for good.

Having a protagonist move around in roller skates puts in her good company alongside protagonists such as Sakura Kinomoto in Cardcaptor Sakura and Candace Flynn in Phineas and Ferb. Occasionally Kim Possible of Kim Possible and Milo Murphy in Milo Murphy's Law wear them. The same is the case for characters in the Steven Future Universe episode "Bismuth", possibly Jenny /XJ-9 in My Life as a Teenage Robot, and more directly, Neon Katt as shown in some RWBY volumes.

What further endeared me to Moon Girl was the setting, in New York's Lower East Side, and character's relatability. In the 44-minute first episode, Lunella almost abandons being a superhero, after Devil is seriously injured by Aftershock. She is reassured on her path by her wise grandmother, Mimi (voiced by Alfre Woodard). The latter makes even more sense after the revelation in the season one finale that Mimi knew that Lunella was Moon Girl the entire time!

I can see how Moon Girl is like the musical coming-of-age comedy, Karma's World, created by rapper Ludacris. Both series emphasize the importance of community, family, and history. The latter is manifested within Moon Girl with blending of the old with the new. Moon Girl uses a cassette player as a device. The show's fight scenes featured music which fits perfectly with the story and action, while in-keeping with the series style. As a person who enjoys interacting with "analog" technology, or possibly soon-to-be analog (CDs and DVDs), I liked this part of the story.

The series has similarities with Karma's World and The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder when it comes to episodes about the dangers of fighting online trolls, and themes of cooperation (rather than competition), friendship, self-acceptance, patience, and Black girl's hair. One episode even echoes the "Sugar Rush" episode of Elena of Avalor. Lunella speeds up tasks because they are taking "too long", reminding me of Elena using her powers to speed up the making of chocolate desserts. Another episode slightly mirrors Steven Universe finale "Change Your Mind" where Steven fuses with himself (Pink Steven), when Lunella comes back together with her hair, Mane (voiced by Jennifer Hudson), promising to take care of it.

Moon Girl has recurring villain-of-sorts, as noted earlier. He is one of the most playful I've seen in animation and is named the Beyonder. He is not conniving like Cece Dupree in Karma's World or downright evil such as Salem in RWBY. He can be playful and fun, but can do a lot from the snap of a finger. In fact, he even threatens to destroy all of humanity in the show's seventh episode, unless Lu "proves" to him that humanity is worth saving.

In another, he kidnaps Lunella's mother and Casey, threatening to send them to another dimension, where she will never see them again. He never considers how his actions will cause trauma, only claiming that what he is doing is "helping" her, which is questionable. Hopefully, Lunella doesn't have a meltdown like Ruby Rose in Volume 9 of RWBY, who takes her own life, or Steven Universe in Steven Universe Future who becomes a monster.

The ninth episode of Moon Girl mirrored some plot points in the classic Futurama episode "Time Keeps Slippin'" and the more-recent Cleopatra in Space episode "Do-Over". In all three cases, skipping forward in time goes horribly wrong, but with completely different results. In the case of Moon Girl, the episode points to the dangers of A.I., as shown by the Skipster App, and hints at possible future scenes in the show's second season.

The value of a work-life balance is emphasized through Lunella faking a sickness to get out of a photoshoot. This reminds me of the Cleopatra in Space episode "Cleopatra Needs Space". The difference is that Lunella lies to her friend Casey, claiming she cannot get of bed so she can have a break, while Cleo wants to get away from her two friends who are flirting with one another. However, Moon Girl doesn't as directly counter the issues with overwork, making it different, in that regard, from the isekai anime, I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level, which emphasizes this theme repeatedly.

I further enjoyed the episode in which Lu rallies her community against the Muzzlers, two White home inventors, who are trying to gentrify the Lower East Side. The episode examines gentrification as much the Season 2 finale or three-part Season 4 finale of Karma's World, both of which approach the topic in their own ways. Moon Girl is more poignant on this topic than the construction by the golf-addicted Mafia in Birdie Wing, in which the protagonist's family are evicted, or that shown in City of Ghosts.

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The last few Moon Girl episodes, which focus on value of chosen family, facing your fears, and being perfect the way you are, strongly end the first season. These episodes also center plotlines about Jewish traditions (since Casey is part Jewish) and the issues with clout-chasing. The latter is somewhat reflected in certain episodes of The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.

The two-part season one finale of Moon Girl is unique. The villain, Maris Morlak (voiced by Wesley Snipes), wants to construct a dimensional portal so he can gain recognition for his contributions from White leaders, which are those with authority.

Maris reveals that his work, and that of Lu's grandmother, Mimi, were ignored by their White bosses, with White scientists taking all the credit when speaking to the U.S. military generals. This story of casual and institutional racism is more relevant than ever, with White supremacy currently running rampant across society. I liked how even though Mimi disagrees with his method (opening the portal), she agrees with his concerns, but says he doesn't need others to validate him.

The actions of Maris go beyond the actions taken by other series villains, such as the Rat King, Abyss, and Gravitas, and Odessa Drake. He has an army of followers to support him, called the Enclave, and is willing to do anything to achieve his goals. In fact, he is probably the most ruthless villain of the series, destroying Lunella's underground lab, even when Devil is trapped inside, causing Lunella to drop to her knees and think Devil died. Although this is not the case, it undoubtedly deepens Lunella's growing trauma, which may be addressed more in season 2.

The first season of Moon Girl ends on a cliffhanger, with Mimi and Lu turning off the dimensional portal from each side. It could possible provide fuel for crossover fan fictions to be written by dedicated fans. The second season of Moon Girl may feature more of S.H.I.E.L.D. and its Agent, Maria Hill (voiced by Cobie Smulders), tying the series more into the Marvel Universe.

The growing friendship between Lunella and Casey will likely be an important part of the next season. By the end of the season, Casey becomes almost becoming the equivalent of Tomoyo Daidouji in Cardcaptor Sakura, who made all of Sakura Kinomoto's Cardcaptor outfits. This is because Casey made the outfits that Lunella used as a superhero. In addition, it is possible that the Beyonder will have a bigger role in the next season, and there be more fourth-wall breaks. The series might even have a storyline akin to the OK K.O. episode "Your World Is an Illusion", in which K.O. realizes that his whole world is an illusion.

Moon Girl fills the void left by the season 2 finales of The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder on February 1 and Star Wars: The Bad Batch on March 29, and the series finales of The Owl House (on April 8) and Amphibia in May 2022. Unfortunately, with the last episode of Moon Girl airing on the Disney Channel on May 6, it may be some time before any other series with as strong plot, characters, animation, and writing airs on Disney+ or other Disney-related platforms.

Although Kiff and Hamster & Gretel have their merits, as do any of the other animated series on Disney+ or Disney Channel, none of them measures up to Moon Girl, or the quality of The Bad Batch, Amphibia, and The Owl House. The same may be the case for upcoming series such as Hailey's On It!, Primos, Iwaju, Cookies & Milk, Tiana, or Moana: The Series, something which can only be proven or disproven after said series begin airing.

Although the episode-dumps on Disney+, the equivalent of Stevenbombs, undoubtedly reduced the possible audience, Moon Girl remains a shining example of a recent animated series. It can be enjoyed by all, even though it is primarily aimed at children. It is for that, and reasons I have previously stated, I recommend this series and look forward to the second season.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is currently airing on Disney+.

#moon girl spoilers #moon girl and devil dinosaur #futurama #disney #disney plus #elena of avalor #she ra #gen lock #lgbtq #karma's world #birdie wing #cleopatra in space #the proud family #the proud family louder and prouder #reviews #pop culture #racism #white supremacy #Youtube

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hitchell-mope · 1 year ago

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Hypothetical titles for season sixteen of 88

The academy. Season premiere. Part one. Findlay’s out for Lucia’s blood when she finds out that Barnaby has been accepted into The Cabal Academy in California. First appearance of Winslow Fegley as Barnaby Sullivan and Walker Scobell as Jonah Sullivan.

Orientation. Season premiere. Part two. Sidney accompanies Barnaby to the Academy’s parent and child orientation weekend. With this episode Barnaby Sullivan is downgraded to a recurring role

Three branches. Birch’s team, ACS&Associates and Solaris’s squad band together when the precinct burns down overnight.

Empty nest syndrome. Jonah, feeling suffocated by a very clingy Findlay, sneaks away to Drummond’s apartment in Greenwich to get some time for himself.

Kicking her ass into gear. Drummond admits Findlay back into Melinda’s office to combat her empty nest syndrome. Guest starring Alfre Woodward as Dr Melinda Crenshaw.

Family law. With the precinct rebuilt. The team help Maybelle on a missing persons case involving her ex husband. Final appearance of Paul Rudd as Conrad Rhys. Guest starring Laverne Cox as Maybelle Archer an Liv Hewson as Conrad and Maybelle’s child Mattie Rhys

Mixed doubles. Drummond’s satyr instincts cause trouble when Odessa signs them up for a charity tennis tournament with Lysander and Tina.

Interstate PTA. Still trying to deal with her empty nest syndrome, Findlay makes the mistake of applying for the Cabal Academy’s Parent-Teacher Association. This leads into a crossover that continues into the Cabalibu episode Parents Weekend.

Au naturel. The team takes a case involving a ritualistic murder at a male oriented nudist colony located just outside Long Island Sound. Guest starring Henry Cavill as Christopher Laurent the centaur leader of the Laurie Colly.

The celestial funeral. The Christensen family gathers together to say a last goodbye and renewed hello to Adam and Eve. First full appearance of Matt Lanter and Adrienne Palicki as Adam and Eve Christensen.

Contrition. Findlay has to deal with a seemingly new and improved Eve begging her for forgiveness for the hurt she caused the Five Families

A steely grey Christmas. Midseason finale. Part one. Barnaby has decided to stay at the Academy for Christmas which, naturally, does not go over well with Findlay.

A steely grey Christmas. Midseason premiere. Part two. Odessa, Cain and Derek play a Christmas Carol on Findlay’s dreams to get her out of her holiday funk. Guest starring Lucas Till as Cain Christensen and Daniel Radcliffe as Derek Christensen.

To forgive, benign. Birch’s team works to reunite the werewolf cub with his pack before his pack finds them. This is a crossover episode continuing on from the Cabalibu episode To Were(wolf) Is Human

Running mate. Part one. President DuPont asks Findlay a favour that she feels morally required to turn down. Guest starring Amy Acker, Liz Hurley, Meryl Streep and Anna Sophia Robb as the DuPont family.

Presidents of politics past. Part two . As a compromise. Findlay holds a seance for the DuPont family to help the president decide wether she should run for reelection or not. Guest starring Melissa McCarthy and Kathryn Hahn as Amelia and Marguerite DuPont

The devil wears Manolo’s. Lucia takes over Jonah’s tutelage for the day while Andy is otherwise unavailable causing Findlay no end of stress.

Dry. A run of the mill investigation into a daylight axe murder becomes delicate when the suspect makes their escape through a mosque at the height of wedding season.

A little party never killed nobody. Arlene gets confronted by an old friend at her Fifth Avenue set birthday party. Guest starring Anna Kendrick as Sandra Kilmer

How the other half lives. Arlene tries to prove to Sandra that she hasn’t changed her principles. But it looks like Sandra has an ulterior motive for her visit

Tried, tested and true. Findlays professionalism is put at war with her fangirl inclinations when Emerson Davenport is held hostage along with a focus group. Guest starring Chris Pratt as Emerson Davenport.

My three dads. Odessa gets an welcome surprise when her extremely estranged biological father turns up at the Spratt house. Guest starring Stephen Amell as Matthias Wayne

Solo mission. Season finale. Part one. Drummond takes revenge on Myrna Bale when his biological grandparents are killed in an engineered car crash.

Unlikely allies. Season finale. Part two. Drummond gains some surprising help as his war against Bale reach’s its apex. Guest starring Adrienne Palicki as Eve Christensen. Final appearance of Kristen Chenoweth as Myrna Bale. With this episode Barnaby Sullivan is upgraded back to a series regular

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