#and Mr. MacKay follows through with what I was just talking about

[age-of-moonknight]

“Ill Met by Moonlight,” Moon Knight (Vol. 9/2021), #24.

Writer: Jed MacKay; Penciler and Inker: Federico Sabbatini; Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg; Letterer: Cory Petit

[moondoposting]

do you have any good places to start reading the mk comics?

yes!

MOON KNIGHT (2016) #1-14

what people are talking about when they mention the "lemire run". first issue looks like this:

features:

amazing art

inventive storytelling and story concept

analysis of marc spector as a character

exploration of his jewish upbringing, mental health, and origin as moon knight

the inspiration for many of the show's aesthetics and set pieces

not gonna say much more, just go read it

it’s very much a coming together of a lot of moon knight characters from across the comics, but it’s still very enjoyable without prior knowledge. you can quickly pick up on the characters and their dynamics, but if you’re at all confused just look them up :) the main ones are gena, crowley, marlene, and frenchie.

that’d be my main starter recommendation, but here are some other great ones! (under the cut because this got very long):

MOON KNIGHT (2014)

it’s like a series of shorter, contained stories. they’re really fun and have some great art!

this run is often referred to by the first author's surname (ie. ellis), but be aware that this writer is a real POS so it would be best to avoid calling it that. upon recommendation ive starting to refer to it as the "shalvey run" or just "2014", cause it actually involves a lot more than just 1 artist.

they’re collected into 3 volumes that look like this:

features:

accessible, largely self contained stories!

fast paced - sometimes brutal - action

the origin of mr knight!

marc khonshu divorce arc

marc living in an abandoned hotel with a bunch of ghosts cause he’s a loser he pushed all his friends away

this one story that’s told almost entirely through camera/phone footage. it’s really cool when you see it

MOON COPTER

MOON KNIGHT (2021)

the mackay run. it does reference some things that happened in previous comics, but honestly all you need to know is that khonshu tried to take over the world and got put in jail for it. also marc technically has a kid. but it barely comes up. the first issue looks like this:

features:

the midnight mission, moon knight’s open door hero service/church of khonshu

more analysis of marc spector et al.

WHAT’S THAT, 8-BALL? I CAN’T HEAR YOU OVER THE SOUND OF THE INDUSTRIAL CAR SHREDDER!

the origin of hunter’s moon, another servant of khonshu!

mr knight sleeping in a sarcophagus like a vampire

MOON KNIGHT (2016) #188-200

the bemis run. it's numbered strangely because marvel changed the way they number their issues, but this follows directly after lemire. the first issue looks like this:

i…. hmm.. i have mixed feelings about this run. it has some really really fun stuff involving the other alters, but i kind of despise bemis’s writing. he loves to constantly refer to marc as “crazy” and in general seems to write with less love than the previous lemire stuff, if that makes sense? so i recommend it with the caveat that it has some uhhh cringe moments

features:

fun (and not so fun) system shenanigans

they have a kid??? more news at 8

origin of another avatar, this time of ra!

jake being fucking unhinged (sometimes derogatory)

the origin of the system's DID (specifically #194 if you just wanna read that, it’s pretty stand-alone tbh. content warning for discussions of the holocaust and nazism)

i honestly might just make a master post of fun system moments so people don’t have to read bemis LMAO

FINAL NOTES

there are a lot of things that are different from the show to comics but the main ones are:

steven grant is a playboy billionaire film producer, not a soft spoken gift shop-ist

marc is as aware of jake as he is of steven and vice versa. jake is also general not more violent than marc is, but is a bit rougher around the edges.

mr. knight =/= steven grant and moon knight =/= marc spector. it depends on the writer, but generally they are separate personas/alters and are almost always not tied to a single alter

while the DID rep in the show has its flaws, it is far more considerate than the majority of comic runs. outside of lemire and mackay, writers have not done the best to respectfully examine marc's mental illness so please be aware of that

other than that, have fun with it! these comics are great and i hope you enjoy them

[heathsbitch]

YES, SIR - g.m*

CHARACTER(S): George MacKay (Actor)

WARNING: Smut, unprotected sex, absolute filth, age-gap (Professor AU)

WORD COUNT: 3566

"That'll be all for today, remember you have exactly a week until your next assignments are due. Good luck," His voice reverberated throughout the lecture hall. People begun to stand up, their books carelessly thrown in their bags. "Y/N, can I borrow you for a moment?" My head snapped towards my professor, heart pounding against my chest, 'What did he want?' As soon as the hall was empty of students, with the exception of me, I approached his desk. "There's no need to look so worried, you're not in trouble," His smile was kind, it almost seemed to light up the space around him, but perhaps that was just my admiration for him. I was quite fond of my professor. He genuinely cared for his students, always pushing for them to be better; I always found myself striving to please him. Besides, he was also described to be the 'best looking professor I have ever laid eyes on'. Not my words, but I could hardly argue with them, they were true words.

His hands fumbled with the papers on his desk, his eyebrows furrowed in search of something. My eyes wandered him as I waited. They trailed up the veins of his forearms, disappearing into shirt he had rolled up to his elbows. The same shirt that hugged his biceps and chest, a deep maroon colour. "Here," Professor MacKay muttered to himself as he held a paper in his hand, my paper. "I wanted to congratulate you on it personally." I was lost for words, how could he be that impressed with it that he wanted to speak to me privately. "Thank you, sir, but can I ask why?" He chuckled at my coyness, "Come here," He beckoned me over to his desk as he placed the paper on it. My eyes flickered over my work, remembering the stress that I had gone through to hand it in on time.

He moved closer to me, his body mere centimetres away from mine. His long finger pointed at a particular section, he dragged it across my words as he spoke, "This imagery, Y/N, its one of the best things I've ever read, and I don't say that lightly," I could almost hear the smile in his words despite not looking at his face. "The way you write about her being utterly infatuated with him, to the point where she'd completely surrender herself to him...its beautiful. The way you write about love, it seems as though you lived through hundreds of relationships. Now that's not true, is it, Y/N?"

The way the words fell from his lips, the way he praised me, the way his voice lowered as he said my name; it had me weak in my knees. "No, sir." My words were quiet, not quite believing what he was telling me. "I'd love to hear about your thought process behind this piece." The truth, the real truth was that I was projecting myself onto the woman. I longed for someone to submit myself to, someone who could utterly dominate me. And the image that formed in my head when writing was none other than my professor. I stuttered, unsure of what lie to tell him. I couldn't possibly tell him the truth. His breath fanned my neck and I could feel his cerulean eyes burning into my frame; small and meek compared to his tall stature.

"George, you will not fucking believe what-oh," A saviour had arrived. "I thought you were alone." The man stopped in his tracks as he stared at us. I could feel Mr MacKay had moved away from me, his warmth no longer radiating onto me. "Dean, don't worry about it." His professional demeanor dropped as he spoke to his friend. "Professor, I should go." I turned around to face him and he nodded, his eyes darting between my own and his friend's. "Of course. Good luck on your next assignment, I'm expecting big things." His smile was intended to be comforting but his words shot anxiety through my body, more pressure being applied to me. "Thank you, sir." I left the room without a second thought, eager to get started on my work so I could finish it as soon as possible.

Three hours and counting. That's how long I'd been staring at my blank page, the whiteness of it boring into my tired eyes. Inspiration ran short in my mind. Mr MacKay's words paced through my head, "I'm expecting big things."

What if I couldn't deliver? Would he be mad at me? Disappointed?

Surely not, he always seemed so polite and comforting, he would understand, right? My thoughts turned dark almost instantly, what if he did have a darker side? My previous assignment appeared before me, the scene Sir was talking about firmly planted in my mind. The woman was on her knees, begging, and I couldn't help but imagine myself in that situation.

"Please, sir, I'm yours, all yours to do with as you please." He looked down at me, his fingers delicately holding my chin, a condescending smile playing upon his perfect lips. "I know you're mine, you little slut. You're mine and only mine, is that understood, angel?" His fingers moved down to grab my neck, squeezing the flesh that rested underneath his calloused hand.

Stop. I slammed the lid of my laptop shut. My work could wait until tomorrow when my head was clear.

Oh, how wrong I was. The two hour lecture was torture in its purest form, my thoughts from last night plaguing my mind still as I gazed upon my professor as he taught from the front of the hall. I had instantly regretted sitting in one of the front seats as soon as I sat down, his eyes bore into me for the entire time.He had never done that before, I realised. Previously when I'd sat at the front, he would always look at the other students so why was he only focused on me? I groaned underneath my breath, trying to focus on the words that left his mouth and that's when I realised. My t-shirt ran along the tops of my breasts, more skin was exposed than usual. 'Surely not.' I thought to myself. Mr MacKay couldn't be distracted because of some tits. But my theory was proven right when his gaze caught mine once more, his eyes flickering down to my chest before they came up to my eyes again. A red tint crept onto his cheeks, I had caught him.

The rest of the lecture went by surprisingly quick, and I didn't catch Mr MacKay looking at my chest again. As usual, I was the last one to leave and for the second day in a row, my professor called out to me, "Y/N, forgive me, I-I don't know what came over me." The blush returned to his cheeks as his hands toyed with one another. "Professor, you don't have to apologise, it's fine," A smirk slid onto my lips, maybe one day my fantasies would come true. 'Fat chance.' I mentally scolded myself. Silence fell upon the lecture hall, the light streaming in from the thin windows. Sun beams bounced off of Mr MacKay's face, highlighting his cheekbones and his jawline. His eyes seemed to glow in the light, the deep pools of blue dragging me further into his charm, further under his grasp.

"I should go."

"Yes, yes, of course," He responded almost immediately, "Big things, Y/N."He pointed a long finger at me, his teeth shining from the lighting in the room. I nodded before hurrying out the lecture hall

Two more days passed and I was still struggling with my assignment. I kept asking myself if I should just go to Professor MacKay and ask for help, but every time I went to seek out his office, I stopped myself. However it seemed that help came to find me instead. As I was leaving the campus, I bumped into none other than Mr MacKay himself. Quite literally. I wasn't watching where I was going and before I knew it, I was face-to-face with the man in question. Or rather, face-to-chest. "Sorry, Professor, I should've been looking where I was going." I let out a timid laugh but avoided his gaze. "It's quite alright," Silence passed over us again so I took the time to briefly look at him. A navy shirt hugged his chest, rolled up to his elbows as always.

"How's your assignment going?"

My heart beat doubled instantly. 'Should I tell him the truth?'  Oh, what's the harm. "Actually, it's not going too great," Once again, I tried to avert my eyes from his piercing gaze. "I, um, was actually wondering if you could help me with it."

"Of course, Y/N," He beamed at me, he seemed slightly too enthusiastic. He led me through various corridors and hallways to his office. Inside, the room was neat and tidy. I wouldn't have expected anything less from him. "Take a seat. Obviously, I can't help you too much, it would be unfair on other students. But I'll try and do what I can." I followed his instruction and took a seat in one of the leather chairs that sat at his desk. What surprised me is that he took the one next to me, rather than the one on the opposite side.

"Thank you, sir. For doing this for me." That damn smile. It was wrong, I knew it was wrong; pining after my professor like this. But that feeling, it spurred me on almost. The danger of it all, the risk. It was enticing, alluring, arousing.

"Show me what you have so far," I pulled my notebook out of my bag and placed it on his large desk. His eyes scanned over my scarce plan, his eyebrows furrowed in thought, his fingers playing upon his lips. He hummed slightly, his knee knocking against mine. I shouldn't have looked. As if my lust for him couldn't get worse, I had to go and look at his thighs. His thick thighs. I could practically see the muscles clenching and relaxing under the fabric of his trousers. His fingers danced upon the page of my notebook, one finger in particular pointing at a section. "I like this, could you expand on this?" His voiced lowered at the end of his sentence, blue eyes passing over my body. I came closer to him, to read what he had pointed out. Once again, I could feel his breath against me, the warmth of his body radiating against mine.

More. I wanted more.

I tore my eyes off the page to look at my professor. I could see the cogs ticking behind his eyes, the thoughts racing through his head. Eyes cast to my lips, his tongue passed over his own. "Professor..." I muttered before his lips came crashing onto mine, his large hand weaving into my hair to pull my head closer to his. Parting his lips, he pushed his tongue into my mouth. Wet, silky, soft lips moved against my own. My heart pounded against my chest so hard I was scared he'd be able to see it. I moved my own hands to rest on him, one on his knee, the other at the base of his neck. The hairs their enticed my hands, begged me to pull at the strands, so I did. A groan erupted from his lips, he pulled away not long after. "I-I, this." He seemed lost for words. "We don't have to if you don't want to." I told him, fearing I had over-stepped. "No, no, I want to," His eyes seemed to darken with his own words. "I was just wondering if this was alright with you."

"It's more than alright." A smirk found it's way back onto my lips as my hand slid further into the fluff of his hair. "Tell me if you want me to stop, at any moment." His eyes were filled with concern, his eyebrows furrowed once more. His breath fanned my face, "I will, but believe me, I'm not gonna want you to stop," I moved my lips closer to his ear, my voice barely above a whisper, "I'm yours, sir. Use me as you please, treat me like the slut I am." A moan came from his perfect lips, his thigh tensing under my hand. "Didn't think you had it in you." He muttered before dragging me into his lap. Rough hands pressed into my body, squeezing at my flesh, starting at my neck and working their way down to my ass.

"Sir." I whimpered as he slapped it harshly. "Fucking love it when you call me that. Don't act like it doesn't turn you on too," Our lips met once more, more passionate than the first time. Teeth clashed with each other, tongues collided, lips smacked one another. It was all lust, lust driving us into each other, lust causing the friction between our laps. My hips began to grind against his, his hands urging me on. He pulled me closer to him then pulled me away, then closer again, repeating the same action over and over again, fighting for more friction between us.

His mouth parted from mine, "Stand up," He pushed me off of his thighs, it was like a switch had been flipped; one moment he was kind and generous, the next intimidating and dominant. Mr MacKay followed in my actions, standing up so our warm bodies pressed against each other once more. Despite his domineering actions, his hands trembled slightly as they raised my top above my head. "Been thinking about these," His head moved to my chest, peppering light kisses along the tops of my breasts. Hands making quick work of the clasp, he pulled the garment away from me, nipples hardening from the cool air of his office. My fingers, toiled with the tendrils of his hair, tugging at the strands. His hips thrusted into mine slightly with every tug of mine.

Purple marks started to form on my breasts from Mr MacKay's work, he made his way up to my neck, intending to leave his mark there too. I could feel his tongue slip and slide against my flesh, his teeth lightly biting into the skin. Sir's hands moved again, grabbing at my trousers, yanking them down my legs. My professor took a step away from me, his eyes burning through my body. "Fuck," He whimpered at the sight of me, my chest and neck littered with his mark, almost naked in front of him. The bulge in between his legs grew bigger by the second, begging to break free from its tight restraints. Thoughts began to fill his head again. "Do you think about me a lot then, sir?" I padded towards him, confusion light upon his face. "You said you've been thinking about these," I raised my small hands to play with my nipples, pinching them and twisting them. "Tell me, Professor. Do you touch yourself with thoughts of me in your mind?"

I cocked my head, hands coming from my body to press against his, fingers undoing the buttons of his shirt. His eyes watched me like a hawk watches its prey. "Tell me, do you have me on my knees, begging to such your cock?" Confidence poured into my veins, spurring me on more and more. "Or am I bent over your desk? Legs spread wide, dripping for your touch?" I slid his shirt off of his body. I was taken aback by it slightly, I wasn't expecting him to be so muscular. Veins slid down his chest, past his v-line and disappeared under his trousers. "You've got a pretty mouth, little one. Let's put it to use shall we?" His smirk was wicked as his hands pushed me to me knees.

His trousers were pooled at his ankles before long, his erection already leaking at the tip, a dark patch forming on his underwear. "To answer your question, yes, little one." Fire wracked my body, an intense heat sent straight to my core. My hands shook as I removed his restraints from him. His cock sprang free, thick and veiny before my eyes. I immediately took it into my hands, they appeared tiny in comparison. I ran them across the length before taking it in my mouth. It lay heavy against my tongue; I tried to take as much as I possibly could, his tip hitting the back of my throat quicker than I expected. I gagged and spluttered, pulling him out of me so I could regain myself. "What's wrong, slut? Never had a cock this big?" He antagonised me from above, hands threading into my hair, "Open wide."

I followed his orders and allowed him back into my mouth. Control was entirely his, his hips thrusting against my head. I was completely at his mercy, as I always wished to be. More gags came from me but he never stopped, he never yielded."Can't cum yet," He told me before pulling me off of his cock. But I brought my hands back to him, bringing him close to his orgasm again. "I thought you were a good girl, little one. Perhaps I should've taught you better. Bend over." He grabbed at me, pulling me from my knees and pushing me to his desk. I bent over, completely exposed to him, completely at his mercy. His large hands found their way to my flesh, running across it before delivering a hard smack my ass. A whimper left me, the stinging sensation causing more wetness to gather between my legs. "Look at how wet you are for me. Fucking pathetic," Another spank, and another, and another. "You know what you need? A real man. A real man to take care of you."

His fingers danced up my slit, toying with my entrance briefly before landing on my clit. "Yes, sir. Please, ruin me, professor." A groan echoed in the room before the sound of Mr MacKay kicking away his trousers. "Gonna use you now. This is gonna hurt, little one. Tell me if you want me to stop." He muttered in my ear. He took his cock in his hand and ran it across my slip, gathering the wetness before pushing into me. He stretched me open, the pain causing me more pleasure. "Shit." We hissed in unison from the feeling. "So tight, so fucking tight." Mr MacKay moaned, his hands forcing my hips into the desk. My nails dug into the wood below me, the euphoric feeling almost too much for me to bear. His pace started to quicken. Soon he was driving into me without mercy, using me for his own pleasure. Skin slapped against skin, the sound of moans and groans drowned the room.

His tight grasp on me broke to deliver another spank to my already red ass. "Fucking whore, my whore." He whimpered in my ear as he bent over the desk, his chest pressed into my back. The position didn't last long, he pulled out of me and turned me around so we were face-to-face once again. Mr MacKay entered me again, I wish I could've taken a picture because the sight of him was almost enough to make me cum on the spot. His hair was tousled, stray strands stuck to his forehead because of the sweat, his lips swollen and wet from kisses, parted from the feeling of my tight pussy gripping his thick cock. A hand made it's way to my throat as he pounded into me. He shoved me down onto his desk, his grip tightening every second. "S-sir, gonna..."

"I know, princess. I'm close too. Just hold on a little longer, keep your eyes open for me angel," My professor brought me back up to meet his lips once more briefly. We were chest-to-chest, our hands buried in each other's hair, sweat dripping from our bodies. "Cum for me, angel. Fucking cum," Warmth surged throughout my body as it pushed further against my professor. "Gonna cum," He warned me. Mr MacKay pulled out of me, his hand darting down to his cock, furiously tugging at it. His beautiful eyes screwed shut, the muscles in his chest and abdomen all tensed as ropes of hot cum shot out of his cock and onto my stomach.

"Fuck, Y/N," The room stilled. George's head rested in the crook of my neck, mine against his shoulder. The soreness had already begun to work it's way into my body, a small whimper left my swollen lips. As he heard the noise, he came back to meet my lips, placing a sweet kiss to them. It wasn't as lust-filled as all of the others we had shared that night, it was more passionate, more loving. "I should help with your assignment now." I chuckled against his chest, a laugh leaving him also. "Clean me up first, George."

"Shit, sorry. I like it when you say my real name." He smiled at me again before searching for something he could use to clean me up. The realisation had started to settle in, I had just slept with my professor. Would this be a one-time thing? Or a regular occurrence? Only time would tell.

[weekendwarriorblog]

Weekend Warrior Extra: What to Watch Over the Holidays!

Since this is the last column of the year, and honestly, I have no idea if I’ll be able to continue this into another year, I’m going to change things up a little. I’m not even sure if anyone is reading anything I write about repertory or limited releases anyway, so we’ll see how I feel about continuing to write all that stuff for free.

1917 (Universal)

One of my favorite movies of the year is Sam Mendes’ absolutely brilliant World War I epic, following the journey of two soldiers, played by George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman, as they’re sent on a mission to the frontlines to deliver a message to hold off an attack on the Germans. I already reviewed the movie for ComingSoon.net, so I won’t say too much more about it, but it is a movie that works well on repeat viewings just because every aspect of the filmmaking is so masterful, particularly the decision to make the film a single shot. There’s a lot to talk about the technical aspects of the film from Roger Deakins’ cinematography to the breath-taking production design and gorgeous score by Thomas Newman, but I want to draw special attention to the screenplay by Mendes with Kristy

Wilson-Cairns, which I feel is being overlooked in favor of the technicality of the film, maybe since there are so many stretches without dialogue. Don’t let that fool you. It takes a great deal of research and description in a screenplay to lead to a movie this good, and the writing that forms the backbone of Mendes’ latest and greatest should not be ignored. 1917is easily one of the year’s best film, and though it only opens in New York and L.A. on Christmas Day, it will be nationwide on January 10.

KNIVES OUT (Lionsgate)

I also reviewed Rian Johnson’s comedic whodunnit right here, so I don’t have a ton more to say about it, but I’m so happy that it’s continued to do well since opening over Thanksgiving. If you haven’t seen it and want a fun couple hours at the movies, Johnson’s movie can provide that, but it’s also quite a brilliant twist on the ensemble whodunnit that I’ve generally been a fan of as a kid, and the movie definitely stands up to repeat viewings.

BOMBSHELL (Lionsgate)

I also highly recommend Jay Roach’s “workplace drama,” which is about the Fox News sex scandals, mainly surrounding the news corp’s founder Roger Ailes, as played by John Lithgow. The movie stars Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly, Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson and Margot Robbie as “Kayla Pospisil,” as a composite character, the story following the three FOX News employees as they navigate the difficult Venn Diagram of politics and sexuality (or sexualization). Most of the events take place around the 2016 Presidential Election and Donald Trump’s grilling by Kelly about his statements about women, something that backfires for the anchor. At the same time, Carlson is moved to an afternoon slot, and she decides to fight back against Aisles’ demotion (and her subsequent firing) by getting lawyers and accusing Aisles of sexual harassment. As we learn from Robbie’s character, Aisles gets up to much worse, and I loved what her character brought to the mix, particularly her relationship with Kate McKinnon’s character. I’m thinking the movie hasn’t gotten nearly as much traction with critics because it’s written and directed by men, in the former case, Charles Randolph, the Oscar-winning writer of The Big Short, but we have to give some credit to the amazing female cast assembled and what they were able to bring to the material to make the film far less dreary than it might have been despite the yucky nature of the Fox News world. I also think that attention should be paid to John Lithgow’s performance as Ailes, which is a lot more than a good make-up job. Lithgow is such a nice person so for him to play such an oily, slimy character so well makes me think he shouldn’t be overlooked in the awards conversation. This is now playing in about 1,500 theaters across the country, and hopefully, it will be in even more over the coming weeks.

LITTLE WOMEN (Sony)

Sort of related to Bombshell in that it explores women’s issues from a very different standpoint, that of Louisa May Alcott’s classic piece of coming-of-age literature set post-Civil War. Greta Gerwig ably tackles far more difficult material for her second feature as a filmmaker, proving that Lady Bird was no fluke. It reunites Gerwig with that film’s Oscar-nominated star, Saoirse Ronan, playing Jo March, the writer who is trying to make her way in life and through her career as a writer.  I’m not a huge fan of the source material but Gerwig and Ronan have created such a marvelous bundle of joy in this film that follows the journey of the four March girls, but does so in a non-linear way that forces to pay close attention. Ronan is wonderful, as always, but I was equally and maybe even more impressed by Florence Pugh, who plays the super-dramatic Amy in a way that makes her far more convincing as the younger and older versions of her character than some of the other young actresses.  I think Emma Watson as Meg might be somewhat the weak link of the movie but she isn’t terrible and I did enjoy some of her scenes. Gerwig’s movie is rounded out by wonderful performances from the likes of Laura Dern, Timothée Chalamet (fantastic as Theodore Lawrence), Chris Cooper, Tracy Letts and others.  Actually, I really loved all of the interactions between Chalamet, Ronan and Pugh, three fantastic actors who I’m sure we’ll continue to see more great things from over the next few decades. I haven’t seen enough of the adaptations of Alcott’s book to really know how this stands up, but it’s the first time I really was interested in these characters and their story, and that’s quite an achievement.

CLEMENCY (NEON)

Although Warner Bros’ JUST MERCY (see below) is getting a ton more attention and marketing, personally I preferred Chinonye Chukwu’s CLEMENCY (NEON), which premiered at Sundance way back in March but just had a much more lasting impact. It stars Alfre Woodard as a prison warden where the pressures of death row executions have started to take a toll on her personal life, especially with the impending execution of Aldis Hodge’s Death Row inmate, who claims his innocence. This is a really tough drama to watch at times, but with such amazing performances by Woodard and Hodge that it pulls you in and keeps you riveted to what might happen next. I’m a little bummed that Chukwu isn’t getting more attention for her brilliant work writing and directing the film vs. other films like the recent Queen and Slim.  She’s a great filmmaker and I can’t wait to see her next film, A Taste of Power.

UNCUT GEMS (A24)

I’m not as big a fan of the works of Ben and Josh Safdie as many of my fellow critics are, but this crime-comedy (of sorts?) starring Adam Sandler, helped make me see their crazy mode of filmmaking in a new way. While I recommend this with reservations, I do think that Sandler’s role in the movie as Howard Ratner, a New York jeweler merchant to the stars, could help the Safdies break out to a new audience as they certainly seemed to have refined their mode of filmmaking with Uncut Gems, and the mix of characters and situations really make the movie something unlike anything else you’re likely to see this year.  The gist of the story is that Howard gets his hands on a valuable gem from Africa and that seems to change his luck as a chronic gambler where everything seems to be going right for him… until it doesn’t.  Much of the story involves him trying to get the rock back from basketball player evin Garnett (played by himself) who borrows the valuable gem and then won’t give it back.  All-in-all, it’s a pretty entertaining film with an absolutely amazing last act that will expand nationwide on Christmas Day.

THE TWO POPES (Netflix)

In case you don’t want to go out in the cold this week, you can also stay home and watch some of the great films now on Netflix. While I assume you’ve already seen The Irishmanand Marriage Story, I hope you’ll also check out this wonderful two-hander written by  Anthony McCarten (Darkest Hour), which explores the relationship between Pope Benedict (Anthony Hopkins) and his successor Pope Francis (Jonathan Pryce), as they try to get along even though they don’t see eye-to-eye on how the Catholic Church should be won. I was a little surprised how much I enjoyed this movie, but it reminded of a little-seen 2016 movie called The Journey, a two-hander starring Timothy Spall and Colm Meaney as two sides of the war in Northern Ireland trying to come to an accord while driving to the airport from talks that have fallen apart.  I’ve long been a fan of Pryce but playing the Argentine cardinal who would become Pope is a fantastic role that allows him to show so much more depth as an actor, but we also learn a lot about Pope Francis’ past and the regrets he has about his involvement with the government’s anti-religious actions. Hopkins is also great, and for a movie that’s mainly two men talking, it’s perfectly captivating.

Although it’s been out for a while now and has already been losing theaters, I also recommend checking out Marielle Heller’s It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, starring Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers, if it’s still playing anywhere near you, because it’s a really wonderful story about a journalist whose spotlight of Mr. Rogers turned into a way that he can find redemption in his own family issues.

I’ve actually seen a lot of the other movies opening in limited release this weekend, including the doc WHAT SHE SAID: THE ART OF PAULINE KAEL  (Juno Films), which opens at New York’s Film Forum on Wednesday. If you’re even remotely interested in film criticism and its origins through the story of one of the most respected and beloved critics, you definitely should check this one out. I haven’t seen it since Doc-NYC back in 2018

As mentioned in my write-up of Clemency above, I wasn’t nearly as crazy about Destin Daniel Cretton’s JUST MERCY (Warner Bros.), which is a different movie with similar elements, this one starring Michael B. Jordon as Bryan Stevenson, a young civil rights attorney who is trying to free a wrongly-convicted Death Row inmate, played by Jamie Foxx. Cretton’s good luck charm Brie Larson (they first teamed for Short Term 12) is also in the movie, but I don’t feel she’s nearly as good, and there was just something about the movie that really didn’t click with me. Even so, it will also be nationwide on January 10 and maybe I’ll try to give it another chance before then.

I was semi-excited about Donnie Yen’s return in the title role of Wilson Yip’s grand finale, IP MAN 4: THE FINALE (Go USA Films), which has the martial arts master who trained Bruce Lee (and whose first name, I only just realized, is “Man”) comes to San Francisco in the late ‘60s to back up his pupil’s desire to teach non-Chinese martial arts. Along the way, he gets into issues with the local martial arts masters as well as the Marines, who believe that Japanese judo is the only proper martial art. As with some of the other movies in the series, this one is mainly good for Yen’s performance and his martial arts scenes, although Kwok-Kwan Chan is also excellent as Bruce Lee in one particularly good fight scene, and there are a few others as well. My main issue with this, as with may martial arts film from China, is that the American actors are written terribly and the performances they’re giving (particularly by regular offender Scott Adkns) are just terrible. It’s a classic case of over-villifying the non-Asian characters to the point of them being a joke, and there are few surprises about who is going to win in most fights. It’s been a while since I’ve seen the other chapters, and martial arts fans will probably like parts of this, but it’s not a particularly good movie when all is said and done.

A movie I liked quite a bit more is François Girard’s historical drama THE SONG OF NAMES (Sony Pictures Classics), produced by Robert Lantos (Barney’s Version), another terrific Canadian film that deals with Jewish issues. It stars Tim Roth as Martin Simmonds, a young British man whose family took in a Polish Jew named Dovidl, who was also a violin virtuoso, to live with them just before the start of WWII. The night of Dovidl’s anticipated 1951 live concert debut in London, he vanishes, and years later, Martin, starts to track down his old friend to find what happened to him. It’s a pretty amazing movie, partially due to Roth’s performance, but also the two young actors playing Martin and Dovidl, since so much happens in the past. Like much of Sony Classics’ output, this will probably appeal more towards older audiences, but it’s another original story set during the period of the Holocaust that puts its own spin on the times with the musical element, which plays such a large part in the film. (Clive Owen plays the older Dovidl, but it’s a fairly small role compared to the others.)

I’m very excited that The 21st Annual Animation Show of Shows (ACME Filmworks)is returning to the Quad Cinema on Christmas Day, and while I was hoping to write something more extended about this, I just haven’t had the time. There’s an amazing line-up of films from a lot of different countries including Germany, Switzerland, Russia, Belgium and more, but there’s also a couple doc shorts about the filmmakers among the films. The Czech Republic film Daughterwas recently included on the Oscar shortlist for animated shorts, but otherwise, it’s a fairly strange mix of films, including the very disturbing Kids.

I haven’t seen Wayman Boone’s horror film Apparition (Vertical Entertainment), starring Mena Suvari and Kevin Pollak, but apparently, it’s another horror movie involving an APP that connects to the user to the dead. It’ll open this Friday.

A few other things on Netflix over the next couple weeks including John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch special, which looks like more quirky fun from one of my favorite stand-up comics. That opens on Christmas Eve i.e. today, while a couple new series begin on Netflix on New Year’s Day, The Messiah(starring the wonderful Michelle Monaghan) and Spinning Out.

I decided to take a much-needed break from the repertory stuff this week, but we’ll see what happens with that going into the New Year, and I’ll have my annual Top 25 to share with you all next week!

[euroman1945-blog]

The Daily Thistle

The Daily Thistle – News From Scotland

Wednesday 26th September 2018

"Madainn Mhath” …Fellow Scot, I hope the day brings joy to you…. what a beautiful early morning, heaven full of stars, empty streets and walking with my Bella.. I can see the hint of a sunrise on the western horizon soon at 4am it will be early dawn, so it's best to take advantage of the darkness now, that way I can look at the stars and look back in time……

BOOZE LABEL WARNINGS 'YEARS OUT OF DATE'…. AHA wants consumers to be able to see clear warnings and health information on alcohol products. Fewer than 10% of alcoholic drinks carry up to date health warnings, according to campaigners. A new study claims multi-national alcohol companies are choosing to ignore advice to display important health information on products. One charity claims a pint of milk is required to show more information than a bottle of wine. Pressure is growing on alcohol producers to display better warnings about the dangers of alcohol to health. The Alcohol Health Alliance, a coalition of 50 organisations, found fewer than 10% of 300 products they surveyed carried the safe drink guidelines of 14 units a week. This came into effect two-and-a-half years ago, but some products carried the old limits and most carried no warnings of the risk of disease from drinking. On Thursday the chief executive of one Scottish alcohol charity raised the issue at the AGM of the drinks giant Diageo. Alison Douglas, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland said: "It is notable that the global multi-national producers do not seem to have made any effort to update their labelling to communicate the current low-risk drinking guidelines, while some smaller independent producers have done so. "The Alcohol Health Alliance surveyed more than 100 Diageo products and not one of them included the current guidelines of 14 units a week. "Referring people to industry-funded websites is not good enough. We need reliable health information directly on bottles, cans and menus, where it can usefully inform our decisions. At the moment more information is required on a pint of milk than on a bottle of wine. The public deserves better and industry clearly won't do this voluntarily; it's time for government to act." The Portman group, which represents drinks producers, said bottle labels direct consumers to a website containing up to date health information.

NEW SALTIRE GRAPHIC NOVEL AT GLASGOW COMIC CON…. The latest graphic novel about a comic book character dubbed "Scotland's first superhero" is to be launched at the largest Scottish comic con. Saltire is a creation of Glaswegian John Ferguson. The comics are published by St Andrews' Diamondsteel Comics. First printed more than two years ago, the comics follow Saltire's encounters with Saxons, Romans, Highland clan warriors and also supernatural beings. The new graphic novel will be unveiled at the weekend's Glasgow Comic Con. Set in a mythological Scotland, the Saltire stories are inspired by historical events and real places. Some of the characters have been inspired by historical events and figures, including the mysterious disappearance of the Roman auxiliary legion the 9th Hispana in Scotland in AD 120 and the Hebrides' medieval Lord of the Isles. Ferguson, who will also discuss his character as a guest at The Lakes International Arts Festival in Cumbria next month, said: "It's been over two years since our last title so I'm looking forward to seeing all the fans and finally getting the book out there. "We believe this book is as good, if not better, than its predecessor so hopefully the fans reaction is just as enthusiastic. Comic Con will be our first chance to find out." He added: "Superheroes are a big part of mainstream culture these days and our Scottish protagonist creates a lot of enthusiasm so we're excited to bring him back."

GENTLE GIANTS PROVE TO BE FAST AND AGILE….. A team of scientists have discovered that basking sharks, the world's second largest fish, can jump as fast and as high out of water as great whites. The researchers said plankton-eating basking sharks had a reputation for being "slow and languid", while their cousin was "famously powerful". In their new study, the scientists recorded a basking shark that achieved a top speed of 5.1 metres per second. Other research has suggested the sharks likely breach while feeding. Every summer basking sharks gather in large numbers around small islands between Skye and Mull, off Scotland's west coast. They later migrate south to waters around Madeira and the Canary Islands off west Africa. The new research was led by Queen's University Belfast and London's University of Roehampton and published in the Journal Biology Letters. During its study, the team recorded a basking shark accelerate from a depth of 28m (92ft) to the surface with 10 beats of its tail over a period of about nine seconds. The animal broke through the surface at almost 90 degrees and was clear the water for one second, peaking at a height of 1.2m (4ft) above the surface. To achieve this breach, the basking shark exhibited a six fold increase in tail beat frequency and attained a top speed of about 5.1 m/s.,This is more than twice as fast as the average competitor in the Olympic men's 50m freestyle swim, the team said.

WIGTOWN BOOK FESTIVAL KICKS OFF 20TH EDITION…. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is a special guest on the first day of proceedings in Wigtown. The line-up of guests includes fiction writers, poets, broadcasters, philosophers and historians. Among the highlights this year are talks from Susan Calman, Sally Magnusson, Ann Cleeves, Clare Balding, Andy Stanton and Louis de Bernieres. Advanced ticket sales have reached record levels and already exceeded the total sold by the end of last year's event. Organisers attributed the success to the first minister's visit, media coverage of the 20th anniversary and a VisitScotland campaign to promote the region. The festival runs until 30 September.

MAN ADMITS BARE-CHESTED CHAINSAW ATTACK AT GOLF CLUB…. The incident happened at Caird Park Golf Club in Dundee. A bare-chested man smiled as he attacked a complete stranger with a chainsaw at a golf club. Joe Brown, 45, approached Arthur Innes, 61, as he prepared to play golf with two friends at Caird Park Golf Club in Dundee. The High Court in Glasgow heard Brown scraped the chainsaw down the right side of his victim's head and the top of his right shoulder. Brown admitted attempting to murder Mr Innes on 2 May. The father-of-three was only wearing a pair of jeans when he approached Mr Innes and his friends Ian Martin, 61, and Matthew Waterson, 71, with the chainsaw in his hands. At the time of the attack, which happened about 14:00, the men were getting their golf clubs out of their cars. Brown walked up to Mr Martin said: "Madness is in the eyes, madness is in the eyes." Mr Martin, who backed away, said the accused was smiling and his eyes were bulging out of his head. He was wearing no top and no shoes. Seconds later Brown pulled the chainsaw cord and it started immediately. Mr Innes was wedged between cars in the car park and could not escape. Brown raised the chainsaw and brought it down towards his victim, who put up his arm to protect himself and was struck on the upper arm. Prosecutor Owen Mullan said: "The accused against struck Mr Innes with the chainsaw, scraping it down the right side of his head and the top of his right shoulder. "As the accused did this Mr Innes turned to face him, put his head down and barged into him, forcing him backwards." The court heard the accused then ran off after dropping the chainsaw. Doctors who treated Mr Innes at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee said he was lucky the wounds were not deeper. He suffered a significant scar to his arm and another lesser scar to his head. Almost two hours later, at 15:50 the accused approached Andrew Hay, who was on his mobile phone, at the Kingsway and said: "I'm asking you for help." He then punched Mr Hay and pushed him to the ground before running off. Minutes later Brown, who was wearing no top and no shoes, walked out into the carriageway. Driver Callum MacKay managed to stop his car a foot from Brown who started shouting at him and laughing. Brown was found collapsed outside the back door of grandmother Michelle Hunter, who thought he may be having a breakdown. He told her: "I'm a bad man. "I attacked someone with a chainsaw on the golf course." When police arrived Brown said: "I didn't mean to do it" and asked: "Have I badly hurt him?" Brown then said: "I want to stay on my knees and pray for the guy I hurt. If I've hurt somebody I won't live with myself." A cannabis farm was later found in the accused's home in Graham Court, Dalclaverhouse, Dundee. Officers also recovered 36 Ecstasy tablets and 34g of cocaine. In court, Brown, who is a prisoner at Perth, pleaded guilty to the assaults, attempted murder, being concerned in the supply of cannabis and possession of the other drugs. Mr Renucci told the court psychiatric reports were prepared and the conclusion was that most of his behaviour was attributed to his drug misuse. Judge Lord Matthews called for a background report on Brown and will sentence him next month.

On that note I will say that I hope you have enjoyed the news from Scotland today,

Our look at Scotland today is of Warrior Saltire in action….

A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Wednesday 26th September 2018 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…

All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in

Be safe out there…

Robert McAngus #Scotland #News #Spain

[weekendwarriorblog]

Weekend Warrior Extra: What to Watch Over the Holidays

Since this is the last column of the year, and honestly, I have no idea if I’ll be able to continue this into another year, I’m going to change things up a little. I’m not even sure if anyone is reading anything I write about repertory or limited releases anyway, so we’ll see how I feel about continuing to write all that stuff for free.

1917

One of my favorite movies of the year is Sam Mendes’ absolutely brilliant World War I epic, following the journey of two soldiers, played by George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman, as they’re sent on a mission to the frontlines to deliver a message to hold off an attack on the Germans. I already reviewed the movie for ComingSoon.net, so I won’t say too much more about it, but it is a movie that works well on repeat viewings just because every aspect of the filmmaking is so masterful, particularly the decision to make the film a single shot. There’s a lot to talk about the technical aspects of the film from Roger Deakins’ cinematography to the breath-taking production design and gorgeous score by Thomas Newman, but I want to draw special attention to the screenplay by Mendes with Kristy

Wilson-Cairns, which I feel is being overlooked in favor of the technicality of the film, maybe since there are so many stretches without dialogue. Don’t let that fool you. It takes a great deal of research and description in a screenplay to lead to a movie this good, and the writing that forms the backbone of Mendes’ latest and greatest should not be ignored. 1917is easily one of the year’s best film, and though it only opens in New York and L.A. on Christmas Day, it will be nationwide on January 10.

KNIVES OUT (Lionsgate)

I also reviewed Rian Johnson’s comedic whodunnit right here, so I don’t have a ton more to say about it, but I’m so happy that it’s continued to do well since opening over Thanksgiving. If you haven’t seen it and want a fun couple hours at the movies, Johnson’s movie can provide that, but it’s also quite a brilliant twist on the ensemble whodunnit that I’ve generally been a fan of as a kid, and the movie definitely stands up to repeat viewings.

BOMBSHELL (Lionsgate)

I also highly recommend Jay Roach’s “workplace drama,” which is about the Fox News sex scandals, mainly surrounding the news corp’s founder Roger Ailes, as played by John Lithgow. The movie stars Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly, Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson and Margot Robbie as “Kayla Pospisil,” as a composite character, the story following the three FOX News employees as they navigate the difficult Venn Diagram of politics and sexuality (or sexualization). Most of the events take place around the 2016 Presidential Election and Donald Trump’s grilling by Kelly about his statements about women, something that backfires for the anchor. At the same time, Carlson is moved to an afternoon slot, and she decides to fight back against Aisles’ demotion (and her subsequent firing) by getting lawyers and accusing Aisles of sexual harassment. As we learn from Robbie’s character, Aisles gets up to much worse, and I loved what her character brought to the mix, particularly her relationship with Kate McKinnon’s character. I’m thinking the movie hasn’t gotten nearly as much traction with critics because it’s written and directed by men, in the former case, Charles Randolph, the Oscar-winning writer of The Big Short, but we have to give some credit to the amazing female cast assembled and what they were able to bring to the material to make the film far less dreary than it might have been despite the yucky nature of the Fox News world. I also think that attention should be paid to John Lithgow’s performance as Ailes, which is a lot more than a good make-up job. Lithgow is such a nice person so for him to play such an oily, slimy character so well makes me think he shouldn’t be overlooked in the awards conversation. This is now playing in about 1,500 theaters across the country, and hopefully, it will be in even more over the coming weeks.

LITTLE WOMEN (Sony)

Sort of related to Bombshell in that it explores women’s issues from a very different standpoint, that of Louisa May Alcott’s classic piece of coming-of-age literature set post-Civil War. Greta Gerwig ably tackles far more difficult material for her second feature as a filmmaker, proving that Lady Bird was no fluke. It reunites Gerwig with that film’s Oscar-nominated star, Saoirse Ronan, playing Jo March, the writer who is trying to make her way in life and through her career as a writer.  I’m not a huge fan of the source material but Gerwig and Ronan have created such a marvelous bundle of joy in this film that follows the journey of the four March girls, but does so in a non-linear way that forces to pay close attention. Ronan is wonderful, as always, but I was equally and maybe even more impressed by Florence Pugh, who plays the super-dramatic Amy in a way that makes her far more convincing as the younger and older versions of her character than some of the other young actresses.  I think Emma Watson as Meg might be somewhat the weak link of the movie but she isn’t terrible and I did enjoy some of her scenes. Gerwig’s movie is rounded out by wonderful performances from the likes of Laura Dern, Timothée Chalamet (fantastic as Theodore Lawrence), Chris Cooper, Tracy Letts and others.  Actually, I really loved all of the interactions between Chalamet, Ronan and Pugh, three fantastic actors who I’m sure we’ll continue to see more great things from over the next few decades. I haven’t seen enough of the adaptations of Alcott’s book to really know how this stands up, but it’s the first time I really was interested in these characters and their story, and that’s quite an achievement.

CLEMENCY (NEON)

Although Warner Bros’ JUST MERCY (see below) is getting a ton more attention and marketing, personally I preferred Chinonye Chukwu’s CLEMENCY (NEON), which premiered at Sundance way back in March but just had a much more lasting impact. It stars Alfre Woodard as a prison warden where the pressures of death row executions have started to take a toll on her personal life, especially with the impending execution of Aldis Hodge’s Death Row inmate, who claims his innocence. This is a really tough drama to watch at times, but with such amazing performances by Woodard and Hodge that it pulls you in and keeps you riveted to what might happen next. I’m a little bummed that Chukwu isn’t getting more attention for her brilliant work writing and directing the film vs. other films like the recent Queen and Slim.  She’s a great filmmaker and I can’t wait to see her next film, A Taste of Power.

UNCUT GEMS (A24)

I’m not as big a fan of the works of Ben and Josh Safdie as many of my fellow critics are, but this crime-comedy (of sorts?) starring Adam Sandler, helped make me see their crazy mode of filmmaking in a new way. While I recommend this with reservations, I do think that Sandler’s role in the movie as Howard Ratner, a New York jeweler merchant to the stars, could help the Safdies break out to a new audience as they certainly seemed to have refined their mode of filmmaking with Uncut Gems, and the mix of characters and situations really make the movie something unlike anything else you’re likely to see this year.  The gist of the story is that Howard gets his hands on a valuable gem from Africa and that seems to change his luck as a chronic gambler where everything seems to be going right for him… until it doesn’t.  Much of the story involves him trying to get the rock back from basketball player evin Garnett (played by himself) who borrows the valuable gem and then won’t give it back.  All-in-all, it’s a pretty entertaining film with an absolutely amazing last act that will expand nationwide on Christmas Day.

THE TWO POPES (Netflix)

In case you don’t want to go out in the cold this week, you can also stay home and watch some of the great films now on Netflix. While I assume you’ve already seen The Irishman and Marriage Story, I hope you’ll also check out this wonderful two-hander written by  Anthony McCarten (Darkest Hour), which explores the relationship between Pope Benedict (Anthony Hopkins) and his successor Pope Francis (Jonathan Pryce), as they try to get along even though they don’t see eye-to-eye on how the Catholic Church should be won. I was a little surprised how much I enjoyed this movie, but it reminded of a little-seen 2016 movie called The Journey, a two-hander starring Timothy Spall and Colm Meaney as two sides of the war in Northern Ireland trying to come to an accord while driving to the airport from talks that have fallen apart.  I’ve long been a fan of Pryce but playing the Argentine cardinal who would become Pope is a fantastic role that allows him to show so much more depth as an actor, but we also learn a lot about Pope Francis’ past and the regrets he has about his involvement with the government’s anti-religious actions. Hopkins is also great, and for a movie that’s mainly two men talking, it’s perfectly captivating.

Although it’s been out for a while now and has already been losing theaters, I also recommend checking out Marielle Heller’s It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, starring Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers, if it’s still playing anywhere near you, because it’s a really wonderful story about a journalist whose spotlight of Mr. Rogers turned into a way that he can find redemption in his own family issues.

I’ve actually seen a lot of the other movies opening in limited release this weekend, including the doc WHAT SHE SAID: THE ART OF PAULINE KAEL  (Juno Films), which opens at New York’s Film Forum on Wednesday. If you’re even remotely interested in film criticism and its origins through the story of one of the most respected and beloved critics, you definitely should check this one out. I haven’t seen it since Doc-NYC back in 2018

As mentioned in my write-up of Clemency above, I wasn’t nearly as crazy about Destin Daniel Cretton’s JUST MERCY (Warner Bros.), which is a different movie with similar elements, this one starring Michael B. Jordon as Bryan Stevenson, a young civil rights attorney who is trying to free a wrongly-convicted Death Row inmate, played by Jamie Foxx. Cretton’s good luck charm Brie Larson (they first teamed for Short Term 12) is also in the movie, but I don’t feel she’s nearly as good, and there was just something about the movie that really didn’t click with me. Even so, it will also be nationwide on January 10 and maybe I’ll try to give it another chance before then.

I was semi-excited about Donnie Yen’s return in the title role of Wilson Yip’s grand finale, IP MAN 4: THE FINALE (Go USA Films), which has the martial arts master who trained Bruce Lee (and whose first name, I only just realized, is “Man”) comes to San Francisco in the late ‘60s to back up his pupil’s desire to teach non-Chinese martial arts. Along the way, he gets into issues with the local martial arts masters as well as the Marines, who believe that Japanese judo is the only proper martial art. As with some of the other movies in the series, this one is mainly good for Yen’s performance and his martial arts scenes, although Kwok-Kwan Chan is also excellent as Bruce Lee in one particularly good fight scene, and there are a few others as well. My main issue with this, as with may martial arts film from China, is that the American actors are written terribly and the performances they’re giving (particularly by regular offender Scott Adkns) are just terrible. It’s a classic case of over-villifying the non-Asian characters to the point of them being a joke, and there are few surprises about who is going to win in most fights. It’s been a while since I’ve seen the other chapters, and martial arts fans will probably like parts of this, but it’s not a particularly good movie when all is said and done.

A movie I liked quite a bit more is François Girard’s historical drama THE SONG OF NAMES (Sony Pictures Classics), produced by Robert Lantos (Barney’s Version), another terrific Canadian film that deals with Jewish issues. It stars Tim Roth as Martin Simmonds, a young British man whose family took in a Polish Jew named Dovidl, who was also a violin virtuoso, to live with them just before the start of WWII. The night of Dovidl’s anticipated 1951 live concert debut in London, he vanishes, and years later, Martin, starts to track down his old friend to find what happened to him. It’s a pretty amazing movie, partially due to Roth’s performance, but also the two young actors playing Martin and Dovidl, since so much happens in the past. Like much of Sony Classics’ output, this will probably appeal more towards older audiences, but it’s another original story set during the period of the Holocaust that puts its own spin on the times with the musical element, which plays such a large part in the film. (Clive Owen plays the older Dovidl, but it’s a fairly small role compared to the others.)

I’m very excited that The 21st Annual Animation Show of Shows (ACME Filmworks)is returning to the Quad Cinema on Christmas Day, and while I was hoping to write something more extended about this, I just haven’t had the time. There’s an amazing line-up of films from a lot of different countries including Germany, Switzerland, Russia, Belgium and more, but there’s also a couple doc shorts about the filmmakers among the films. The Czech Republic film Daughter was recently included on the Oscar shortlist for animated shorts, but otherwise, it’s a fairly strange mix of films, including the very disturbing Kids.

I haven’t seen Wayman Boone’s horror film Apparition (Vertical Entertainment), starring Mena Suvari and Kevin Pollak, but apparently, it’s another horror movie involving an APP that connects to the user to the dead. It’ll open this Friday.

A few other things on Netflix over the next couple weeks including John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch special, which looks like more quirky fun from one of my favorite stand-up comics. That opens on Christmas Eve i.e. today, while a couple new series begin on Netflix on New Year’s Day, The Messiah(starring the wonderful Michelle Monaghan) and Spinning Out.

I decided to take a much-needed break from the repertory stuff this week, but we’ll see what happens with that going into the New Year, and I’ll have my annual Top 25 to share with you all next week!