#and rhys-davies is fantastic as well

[footnoteinhistory]

[rtownpod]

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Review.

So it's been 14 years since the last movie which nobody seems to like, I enjoyed it but I get why people didn't like it.

I'm going to start by saying this movie was fantastic it was a great popcorn movie, do I think it will win any awards? Maybe.

There's no mention of Henry Jones the 3rd played by Shia LaBouf except for in passing.

There are a couple of good cameos in this movie, I will mention them below the Keep Reading...

I think the question everybody is asking is this movie worth seeing in theaters? I say absolutely yes.

This movie has all the Hallmarks you want in an Indiana Jones movie.

action adventure, car chase sequences, fights, the bullwhip, the fedora, Harrison Ford at his best.

Some of you might be wondering how good is the de-aging in this movie? Well it's definitely better than anything we've seen from DC in the last 10 years.

Hats off to industrial Light and magic for making Indiana Jones go from 81 years old to 45 to 35 and back to 81 years old all in one movie.

Is it noticeable? Yes but you don't mind it cuz it looks really good.

Harrison Ford said that they used all the archived footage from all the movies he's done for lucasfilm over the past 45 years to make him look younger in this movie.

So you're asking who has made cameos in this movie? Well we see John Rhys-Davies and later on we see Karen Allen.

As I suspected this movie has to do with a device that allows for time travel.

They didn't spend a lot time bouncing around Through Time although that would have been really cool but the time they did go to was really neat and it worked really well for the story.

As far as how I'm going to rate this movie, I will say this it's better than Crystal Skull but not as good as Last Crusade or the other two.

They should have done this movie 10 years ago.

4 out of 5 🌟🌟🌟🌟

[smokeybrandreviews]

Smokey brand Movie Reviews: Wise Choices

After being bored by Raiders of the Lost Ark, absolutely loathing The Temple of Doom, i finally found my way to the last of the original trilogy; Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. This one i actually remember seeing. I don't remember much, but i do remember the end. I always though it was hilarious. But, again, it's probably been two decades since I've actually seen this film. Since i was already on a roll, why not partake in the book end of the original Indiana Jones trilogy?

The Great

Sean Connery was perfectly cast in the role of Indiana’s father, Henry Walton Jones, Sr. Connery, as ridiculous and problematic of a man in real life, has always been an obscenely excellent actor. He has this presence and charisma that saturated, often overpowering, every role he takes. That smoldering prestige is on full display in Crusade, threatening to overtake even Ford. Fortunately, Harrison is up to the challenge and their scenes together make for absolutely brilliant cinema.

Speaking of Ford, this third outing as Indiana sees him having perfected the role. A lot of who we believe Indy to be, first coalesced here, in Crusade. I love his chaotic, almost slapstick, energy as he punches Nazis and solved centuries old riddles. This character is always at his best when there is a strong second to play off and having hi pops around give Indy fertile ground to work.

I though the chemistry between Ford and Connery was fantastic. Connery was, by this time, a seasoned veteran, often improvising lines. Ford, no slouch himself, was able to key in on that energy and turn in some of the best inter-character banter i have ever seen. I actually believe that these two people could be father and son, that’s how organic their performances are in this flick.

The Good

Once again, John Williams shows up with the heat. This score isn’t as grand as the one in Raiders, but it didn’t need to be. Don’t misunderstand, it’s excellent and fits the film perfectly, but it definitely takes a backseat to the acting this time. Connery and Jones are on full display and Williams just accentuates that skill.

The tone of this film feels like a proper Indiana Jones adventure. Coming of Temple, i was afraid Spielberg and Lucas lost sight of what made the character special but Crusade proved my worries were unnecessary. Third times a charm and what charm this film film has.

While on the subject of Spielberg, he turns in another great directorial effort.  I imagine having such pros on deck as Ford and Connery made his job a lot easier, most Connery. Dude brings out the best of any production. Still, great effort behind the camera here.

The story this time around is fantastic. It feels something worthy of the character, rather than whatever the f*ck Temple was supposed to be. Crusade is exactly that; A grand crusade of global scale. I missed this Indiana. Even though i don;t care for the franchise, i always respected the sheer scale of the narratives and this is one of the best. Lucas really turned out something special.

The supporting cast is pretty okay, There isn’t much to mention about those particular performances, though. I mean, i loved seeing Rhys-Davies as Sallah once again and River Phoenix as Young Indy was a surprise but i found myself rather enamored with the Fraulein Elsa Schneider. Coming off Willie, any chick with any semblance of agency would have been a godsend but Alison Doody actually does a great job with her part. The supporting performances were all great, i must say. Casting was nailed perfectly this time around.

Once again, the cinematography is on point. It was in Temple but i was too distracted by the terrible f*cking character writing to notice. Not here. This flick is stunning. I mean, a lot of it takes place in the middle of a f*cking desert, again, but we get to see such a different face of it all. This film was my first introduction to the city of Petra. I remember being awestruck by it’s majesty. That is the feeling an Indian Jones film should illicit.

The action is very good this time out as well. It doesn’t feel like one long ass chase scene, and it doesn’t feel forced or methodical. They found a good pace for the film this time and it really makes for a decent watch. I was never really on the edge of my seat but i was never bored either.

The Verdict

I actually really like this movie. Color me surprised. For me, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is the best film out of the series. It’s not my favorite, Crystal Skull is, but it’s the best version we’ve ever gotten of these characters. It’s not a classing on the same scale as the first Indy outing, but it’s a nice cap to the trilogy and easily redeems it’s preceding affront. The pacing is brisk, the story refined, and it’s shot beautifully. The two leads performances are incredibly strong but it’s the palpable chemistry between Connery and Ford which gives this movie it’s edge. If you’re a fan of movies, definitely check this one out It’s well worth your time.

[isagrimorie]

One of the reasons I keep coming back to Selena’s dreamwidth is because of how I feel her read on shows and episodes are often different from perceived fan wisdom. 

A lot of the time I find myself reconsidering a lot of my stances because of how she writes about an episode or character, in this case, Torchwood: Miracle Day which a lot of fans have derided and wants to forget. 

And in this one instance, I’ve even watched the episode Selena talks about: Immortal Sins written by Jane Espenson. 

Buzzfeed did an article about writers and the favorite scenes they wrote, from her whole body of work Espenson chose an episode from Torchwood: Miracle Day:

The episode is called "Immortal Sins" and in it, Gwen is driving Jack Harkness to what they both are sure will be his death. It's this fraught two-person road trip exchange that goes on for pages. From Gwen's point of view, she's choosing her child over Jack, whom she loves. For his part, Jack has always taken life lightly, but he suddenly finds himself a mortal creature and he shocks himself by how far he'd go to save his own life. I wrote draft after draft after draft and Russell T. Davies kept sending me back into the script to dig deeper. He knew there was more there, and wouldn't let me stop until I'd found it. I'm choosing this sequence over others that I wrote for Buffy and for Battlestar and for Husbands because Russell made me write so many drafts in search of the emotional truth. 

This is Selena’s commentary on the episode, especially regarding that scene: 

This was the big Jack character episode of the season, while being also a terrific Gwen character episode, and Eve Myles continues to slay me with her awesome, awesome performance, while Gwen slays me with being such an immensely real character, with her strengths and flaws so much intertwined. Somewhere between Jack almost conning her into untying him until she took everything she knew about him and decided what he was up to and their conversation about her willingness to sacrifice him for her child (and husband and mother) and his willingness to sacrifice her for his own survival I also realised that, who'd have thought it all the way back in season 1, by now I'm really invested in the Gwen & Jack relationship. I use the ampersand advisedly, because I don't mean in the sense that I want them to become lovers, au contraire. But they've grown into this ruthlessly honest friendship which I don't think either of them had with someone else, or rather, not without the added complication of family ties or romantic love. (I.e. I think Jack might have had it with Alice - remember how she in Day One of CoE realised exactly why he'd want to spend time with his grandson? - and I think Gwen ever since mid s2 is as honest as she can with Rhys, but he's also her husband and marriage also means compromise to spare each other's feelings now and then.) By now, Gwen has become Jack's equal, something I don't think any of the Torchwood members (that we met - who knows indeed about all of Jack's past), including Ianto, ever were (and Gwen herself wasn't until some point during CoE). (The Doctor isn't, either, because Jack still looks up to him.) "I'll strip the skin of your skull if it means I survive" is a far cry from heart-of-the-team idealisation of Gwen, but it's infinitely more real. As is him telling her about the most beautiful memory he has when she asks without intending to let this sway her for a minute. 

(emphasis in bold mine). 

Honestly, this is the thing RTD is good at as a showrunner, stripping back to the basic core emotional truth and pushing writers to digging deeper into the story. I watched the episode and it was really fantastic journey to watch from Gwen, who was infatuated with Jack, and Jack holding Gwen up to a pedestal to them knowing each other more than anyone. 

And finally that moment of betrayal, that instead of breaking them apart as a team, makes them trust each other more:

GWEN: Have you got what I'm saying to you, Jack? What I'm saying is no more. Because I know exactly what you're thinking, Jack Harkness. I know it. She won't do this. Not really. Not my Gwen. No, Gwen, she can't hurt me. Gwen loves me. She'd never hand me in. Well, this is about my daughter. And I swear, for her sake, I will see you killed like a dog right in front of me if it means her back in my arms. Understood? 

JACK: Understood. And let me tell you. Now that I'm mortal, I'm gonna hang on to this with everything I've got. I love you, Gwen Cooper, but I will rip your skin from your skull before I let you take this away from me. Understood? GWEN: Understood. I feel like I know you now better than I've ever done before. JACK: Yeah. Right at the end. GWEN: Mmm. Right at the end.

Immortal Sins, Torchwood: Miracle Day written by: Jane Espenson. 

Transcript by: Chakoteya

Like dang that moment: “I feel like I know you now better than I've ever done before. Right at the end.” 

It’s so much like the moment between Clara and Twelve, when she betrayed him and instead of breaking them apart that betrayal actually brought them closer. 

It’s not nice, nor kind. It’s characters finally seeing each other clearly, without artifice and accepting each other for who they are. 

And that is just so fascinating. 

[godzillajuniorreborn]

Aquaman Review

Last night, my brother, sister, niece, and I saw Aquaman, the latest in the controversial DCEU (or World of DC as it's supposedly been relabeled). I thought it was good. Not great like Wonder Woman, but certainly better put together than some of their other works, and this is coming from somebody who actually thinks the likes of Batman v Superman, Suicide Squad, and Justice League are relatively okay. Plot wise: A week after the events of Justice League, Arthur Curry (AKA Prince Orrin AKA Aquaman) is forced to face his Atlantean heritage as its true heir after his younger half-brother Orm Marius (AKA Ocean Master) attempts to unite the Seven Tribes of Atlantis in order to declare war on the surface world. Joined by Princess Mera of Xebel, Arthur sets off in search of the Trident of Neptune whilst dealing with various perils such as Orm's elite commandos led by Captain Murk, the vengeful pirate David Hyde (AKA Black Manta), the ravenous fish-monsters known as the Trench, the monstrous guardian of the Trident the Karathen, and finally, Orm himself. I wanna get the cons out of the way since, I really only had a few gripes with this movie, though, some of them are pretty big. Warning, some spoilers. 1. It crammed in way too much stuff. They could've saved Black Manta for a sequel and have the end credit scene be of David building his armor and telling Aquaman he'd better be ready, because he's gonna bring the hurt. 2. Arthur’s fight with the Karathen is a little too short and felt kinda rushed despite how much the latter was built up. 3. WHERE THE HELL WERE THE OTHER JUSTICE LEAGUE MEMBERS!? Seriously, after a bunch of wreckage and garbage washes up on shores all over the world, you'd think it would catch the attention of Bruce, Clark, Diana, Barry, or Victor. 4. On the TV, one of the newscasters shoots down the Dr. Shin's theory of Atlantis and calls him crazy... despite the fact there have been attacks made by one of the New Gods, an interdimensional pair of siblings, Kryptonians, and the fact the Justice League (aside from Batman) consists of a Kryptonian raised by a Kansas family, a young man who can run from New York City to Japan in the amount of time it takes me to fart, a cybernetically enhanced former quarterback, and an Amazonian demigoddess. Yet SOMEHOW, Atlantis is too farfetched? 5. Mera's gripes with the surface world are never fleshed out unlike Orm's. 6. Speaking of Mera, where the Hell is Hila? (Unless they're setting her up for a sequel.) Now for the pros. 1. Topo cameo 2. Ocean Master has an expressive mask like in the comics. 3. Black Manta's design. 4. The action sequences, especially the final battle, just on the grounds of how insane they could get. 5. Mera's powers were accurately portrayed. 6. Willem DaFoe as Vulko. 7. The relationship between Arthur and Thomas was heartwarming. 8. Likewise, the relationship between Black Manta and his father was heartwarming as well (despite the two being bloodthirsty, murderous pirates). 9. There were some moments that made me tear up. 10. I like how it establishes why only certain Atlanteans need to have water to survive while others are perfectly able to be on land and underwater with no ill effect. 11. Orm wasn't completely evil and even gave Arthur a chance to concede and leave because he didn't want to kill his brother. 12. The Trench are legitimately creepy as Hell (as they should be). 13. It's not afraid to use names like Aquaman, Ocean Master, or Black Manta. 14. The music was fantastic. 15. The fact it uses some obscure characters like Vulko, Murk, and the aforementioned Topo. 16. John Rhys-Davies as a crab-man. 17. Nicole Kidman was fantastic as Atlanna. 18. Julie Andrews (MARY POPPINS HERSELF) as a sea monster that could go toe-to-toe with the likes of Godzilla. 19. The visuals were outstanding. 20. The humor was great (there's even a toilet joke in the film and it still made me laugh my ass off). All-in-all, this was a good entry in the DCEU and I hope Shazam and Wonder Woman 1984 are equally as good. 8.5/10

[153-centimeters-of-sass]

This extends to makeup, too. When I was a kid, I lived and breathed Legend (1985) with Tom Cruise and Tim Curry. Wikipedia says this about the cast’s makeup routines: “With the exception of Cruise and Sara, all the principal actors spent hours every morning having extensive makeup applied. Between 8 and 12 prosthetic pieces were applied individually to each face, then made up, molded and grafted into the actor's face so that the prosthetics moved with their muscles. Each person needed three makeup artists working on them for an average time of three and a half hours spent applying prosthetics. Actor Tim Curry took five and a half hours because his entire body was encased in makeup, the film's most challenging character design.”

Five and a half hours, his entire body encased in makeup.

And it’s freaking gorgeous!

Look at this! Look how the makeup contorts with his facial movements, the way normal muscles in a face would! This is art at its pinnacle.

Compare, then, to Dan Stevens as Beast in Beauty and the Beast (2017): “The Beast was portrayed with a "more traditional motion capture puppeteering for the body and the physical orientation", where actor Dan Stevens was "in a forty-pound gray suit on stilts for much of the film". The facial capture for the Beast was done separately in order to "communicate the subtleties of the human face" and "[capture the] thought that occurs to him" which gets "through [to] the eyes, which are the last human element in the Beast."”

His entire face is CGI, digitally motion captured from Dan’s movements and recreated on a computer, and you can tell.

This is the reason why John Rhys-Davis looks amazing as Gimli, and Ian McKellen as Gandalf, and all the actors who played the Dwarves in The Hobbit Trilogy, why all the extras playing Orcs and Uruk’hai and goblins looked so fantastic, why Doug Jones is amazing at what he does in any costume, they all wore prosthetics and makeup. None of them were CGI’d.

CGI does work and it can work very well for what you want to achieve with it. Check out the Mouth of Sauron:

THIS is how you use CGI for full effect. Only the mouth was altered. Everything else remained the same. And the result is spectacular!

Marvel movies have completely eliminated the concept of practical effects from the movie-watching public’s consciousness

[introvertguide]

Raiders of the Lost Ark; AFI #66

The tenth film the group reviewed from the AFI list is the magnificent adventure, Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). This movie might be one of the most fun to watch films ever, and critics have agreed with that sentiment for close to 40 years. The film was nominated for 9 Academy Awards and won 5 of them. Sadly, but deservedly, the movie took all the technical awards, but none of the acting/directing/writing awards. This makes since as Raiders came out the same year as Reds, On Golden Pond, and Chariots of Fire. That is some stiff competition and, since the Academy seems to favor drama over action, Raiders did not have much of a chance. Interesting, though, that Raiders of the Lost Ark is the only Best Picture nominee from that year to be included on the AFI 100. The film also won #10 on AFI’s Greatest Thrills and #2 Greatest Hero. It also swept the Saturn awards as it was an immediate hit with the sci-fi and fantasy adventure crowd. 

The movie is about the story of Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford). The film begins with Jones in a jungle and finding some ancient ruins with many traps protecting something he is after. His guides are soon shown to be working against him and Jones barely escapes the ruins alive with a golden idol (but not without being chased by a massive rolling boulder). He immediately runs into a rival treasure hunter named Belloq (Paul Freeman) who tries to kill Indy, but Jones escapes in a dramatic sea plane scene. So far, so good.

Jones is shown after his heroic escape to actually to be a professor of archeology at Marshall College, not just a treasure hunter. He is the hunky teacher that all the students crush on, but Professor Jones does not seem to care about these things. He is, however, interested in an offer to go to Cairo to find the Ark of the Covenant before Nazis do. He also wants to send the Ark back to the museum for study instead of using it as a weapon, the thing which Hitler apparently wants it for.

 He starts out by going to Nepal because an old colleague has a medallion that goes on top of a staff that reveals the location of the Ark. Upon arriving at an old bar in Nepal, he finds that his old colleague Abner Ravenwood is dead, but the daughter Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) is there with the headpiece. She and Indy have romantic history of which she seems angry about, but the reunion is immediately interrupted by a very strange Nazi interrogator (Ronald Lacey) who tries to take the headpiece. Indy and Marion are able to fight off the Nazi and his goons and escape, but the Nazi manages to get some information from the headpiece to start looking for the Ark.

Indy and Marion go to Cairo and meet his Egyptian contact Sallah (John Rhys-Davies) and gather information about the Nazi dig for the Ark. I really don’t want to spoil the process of looking for the Ark because it is so much fun. There is a lot of fighting off Nazis and Egyptian mercenaries, a lot of tomb raiding, and Jones’ rival Belloq shows up as the leader of the Nazi dig. There is a point where Indy does find the Well of Souls (where the Ark is kept) and it is full of snakes. He is found out by Belloq and the Nazi group and they steal the Ark from Jones. Indy follows the Nazi convoy and is able to steal back the Ark and hires a pirate boat to get him, Marion, and the Ark back to the U.S. Sadly, the boat is found by a Nazi submarine with Belloq aboard and the Ark is confiscated by the Nazis along with Marion. Indiana is able to stow away on the submarine as it goes to a small island to test out the power of the Ark.

Again, I don’t want to spoil too much, but I will say that Indiana Jones is captured and both he and Marion are captives when the Nazis attempt to open the Ark on the island. Let us say that it doesn’t go well. The power of the Ark is not kind to Belloq and the Nazis and it is far and away the most disturbing violence in the movie (I used to cover my eyes when I was a kid). Indiana and Marion survive and bring the Ark back to the states. Unfortunately, the government confiscates the prize and puts it in a giant storage unit where it will assumedly never be found. Cue the music and the end of the movie.

I think that the fun comes from the pace of the movie because I think it is 70% action/drama, 20% puzzle solving, and only about 10% establishing. It is a very stereotypical “guys” movie and the inner 13-year-old boy in me absolutely loves every second of it. Both George Lucas, who wrote the film, and Steven Spielberg, who directed it, wanted to remake the adventure film serials from the 30s and 40s. This was the equivalent of weekly adventures that would have been on TV if the technology existed, but instead were put out in cinemas and were favorites of younger boys. Neither Lucas nor Spielberg are old enough to have been alive for these serials when they came out, but they bonded over their affinity for the style.  

This movie is especially known for the sounds, sets, and cinematography. Some tomb scenes in the movie were filmed on sets in California, but the Cairo scenes were shot in Tunisia, the jungle scenes in Hawaii, and the submarine and docks were shot in France. It is not what one would call “on location” filming, but all the areas are gorgeous and well utilized. I love the John Williams score for the film, as he always does a great job, but I love the sound and sound editing on this film even more. Traditional foley artists used especially loud guns fired in echo chambers to “beef up” the gunshots. The fight sound effects are simply baseball bats hitting leather gloves so the punches sound weighty and devastating. This is very unrealistic but much more satisfying for the audience.

This movie is so much fun, I was able to watch it three times in five days without hesitation. I saw it initially on my laptop with headphones and was blown away by the sound effects (like I am every time). This is definitely a film to enjoy with the guys, so I also watched with my housemates on the big TV and it was a lot of fun. There was no playing with phones during this movie because it just does not stop with the action. FInally, I watched on my room TV to take plot notes, but had the sound down because it was rather late at night. Still a fantastic experience. I think what I am trying to say is that it doesn’t matter what size screen or sound system you have when you watch this movie. It also doesn’t matter if you are alone or in a group when watching the movie. It will be fantastic in about any situation.

As far as a recommendation, it is a resounding yes. Please do. Treat yourself to 90 minutes of awesome fun. I will say that the first and last 10 minutes might be a bit frightening for the very young and the especially sensitive, but it is otherwise pretty tame as far as scares go. The film is not in the same league as something like Citizen Kane or The Godfather, but it is still fantastic and has had as much influence on Americana as either of those movies. In my opinion, Raiders deserves the spot it has on the AFI list and is the perfect example of a fun American action film.  

[smokeybrand]

Smokey brand Movie Reviews: Wise Choices

After being bored by Raiders of the Lost Ark, absolutely loathing The Temple of Doom, i finally found my way to the last of the original trilogy; Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. This one i actually remember seeing. I don't remember much, but i do remember the end. I always though it was hilarious. But, again, it's probably been two decades since I've actually seen this film. Since i was already on a roll, why not partake in the book end of the original Indiana Jones trilogy?

The Great

Sean Connery was perfectly cast in the role of Indiana’s father, Henry Walton Jones, Sr. Connery, as ridiculous and problematic of a man in real life, has always been an obscenely excellent actor. He has this presence and charisma that saturated, often overpowering, every role he takes. That smoldering prestige is on full display in Crusade, threatening to overtake even Ford. Fortunately, Harrison is up to the challenge and their scenes together make for absolutely brilliant cinema.

Speaking of Ford, this third outing as Indiana sees him having perfected the role. A lot of who we believe Indy to be, first coalesced here, in Crusade. I love his chaotic, almost slapstick, energy as he punches Nazis and solved centuries old riddles. This character is always at his best when there is a strong second to play off and having hi pops around give Indy fertile ground to work.

I though the chemistry between Ford and Connery was fantastic. Connery was, by this time, a seasoned veteran, often improvising lines. Ford, no slouch himself, was able to key in on that energy and turn in some of the best inter-character banter i have ever seen. I actually believe that these two people could be father and son, that’s how organic their performances are in this flick.

The Good

Once again, John Williams shows up with the heat. This score isn’t as grand as the one in Raiders, but it didn’t need to be. Don’t misunderstand, it’s excellent and fits the film perfectly, but it definitely takes a backseat to the acting this time. Connery and Jones are on full display and Williams just accentuates that skill.

The tone of this film feels like a proper Indiana Jones adventure. Coming of Temple, i was afraid Spielberg and Lucas lost sight of what made the character special but Crusade proved my worries were unnecessary. Third times a charm and what charm this film film has.

While on the subject of Spielberg, he turns in another great directorial effort.  I imagine having such pros on deck as Ford and Connery made his job a lot easier, most Connery. Dude brings out the best of any production. Still, great effort behind the camera here.

The story this time around is fantastic. It feels something worthy of the character, rather than whatever the f*ck Temple was supposed to be. Crusade is exactly that; A grand crusade of global scale. I missed this Indiana. Even though i don;t care for the franchise, i always respected the sheer scale of the narratives and this is one of the best. Lucas really turned out something special.

The supporting cast is pretty okay, There isn’t much to mention about those particular performances, though. I mean, i loved seeing Rhys-Davies as Sallah once again and River Phoenix as Young Indy was a surprise but i found myself rather enamored with the Fraulein Elsa Schneider. Coming off Willie, any chick with any semblance of agency would have been a godsend but Alison Doody actually does a great job with her part. The supporting performances were all great, i must say. Casting was nailed perfectly this time around.

Once again, the cinematography is on point. It was in Temple but i was too distracted by the terrible f*cking character writing to notice. Not here. This flick is stunning. I mean, a lot of it takes place in the middle of a f*cking desert, again, but we get to see such a different face of it all. This film was my first introduction to the city of Petra. I remember being awestruck by it’s majesty. That is the feeling an Indian Jones film should illicit.

The action is very good this time out as well. It doesn’t feel like one long ass chase scene, and it doesn’t feel forced or methodical. They found a good pace for the film this time and it really makes for a decent watch. I was never really on the edge of my seat but i was never bored either.

The Verdict

I actually really like this movie. Color me surprised. For me, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is the best film out of the series. It’s not my favorite, Crystal Skull is, but it’s the best version we’ve ever gotten of these characters. It’s not a classing on the same scale as the first Indy outing, but it’s a nice cap to the trilogy and easily redeems it’s preceding affront. The pacing is brisk, the story refined, and it’s shot beautifully. The two leads performances are incredibly strong but it’s the palpable chemistry between Connery and Ford which gives this movie it’s edge. If you’re a fan of movies, definitely check this one out It’s well worth your time.

[pheriannath-archived-blog]

So I dunno about your day but my day was fantastic. So!!! This morning I arrived at Amsterdam Comic Con, just made a little stroll around, and walked along the tables with the actors and such. Billy was there as well, stood up from his seat, pointed at me with his super happy face, and did a thumbs up! I then walked over to him, highfived him and he was like “She came for me!” and told me I “better come to get an autograph.”  in a somewhat stern voice (he failed to be stern he is THE NICEST GUY EVER). After that I went to take a picture with just him, and then one with him and John Rhys Davies as well! Short after I went to get them signed. Also got a Beecake album signed by Billy. He was just!! So happy to see I got one of his albums and continued to talk about it and whether I had the new album as well and such. Took a few pictures with other LOTR cosplayers as well!! And actually met @driftinglightofthewoods which was really cool!

Honestly, Billy Boyd is such a nice guy and I honestly am so so so glad I met him. Tomorrow I will be going again, and will take another picture with him (not in cosplay this time). But damn. This day was amazing. I think I love him even more now. Also? My muse for Pippin is IMMENSE.

[superman86to99]

Karl Kesel/Tom Grummett Panel Recap!

by @donsparrow

Last month I had the enormous privilege of moderating a panel at 2017’s SaskExpo, a Comics and Pop Culture Convention in Canada.  This panel was a spotlight on the work of two of the show’s biggest creator guests, Tom Grummett and Karl Kesel, who are no doubt familiar to regular readers of the blog.  Here’s the questions I asked, and what I remember of the responses.  Should a full transcript become available, I’ll definitely share it with you.  Overall the panel went well.  I’m sure we would have liked a larger crowd (we were scheduled opposite a panel featuring the great John Rhys-Davies!) but it was certainly a blast on my end.

1. What did you do before comics?  Tell me about getting that first comic gig.

Tom made a very important distinction when answering this one, clarifying that he always made comics, they just weren’t published (or at least not by a major company) which was good to remember—even if no one is paying you, always be making comics.  Both Karl and Tom worked in printing and design while working on their samples, and in Karl’s case in particular, it was his persistence (having moved to New York to be closer to comics publishers) that got him the gig at the start, more than his raw talent.

2. Influences. Since I’m here moderating a panel with two of my heroes, I was curious who your creative heroes were growing up—in comics and outside of comics.  

The big name that came up with both Karl and Tom was unsurprising:  Jack Kirby.  Tom singled out Kirby’s DC work as his entry into comics, while Karl was entranced by the Fantastic Four.

3. The past few years have seen an explosion in superhero films and television shows, including the Doomsday storyline being touched on in Batman v Superman, or a live action Flash taking on King Shark in multiple episodes.  What is it like seeing something you created on-screen?  

With a laugh, both men had to admit they hadn’t seen King Shark on The Flash, as they are not regular viewers of the show, nor did they see Batman v Superman, but they did appreciate that these characters are reaching new audiences.

4. Karl, how was it joining the super-team full-time?  Having inked John Byrne and done those great Newsboy Legion backups, was it like coming home, or were you nervous fitting into the rotating framework that had been up and running for so long?

Karl said that it was a bit of both—he had been a regular reader of the Superman books, and the chance to step in was an attractive challenge.  He then praised the unique storytelling of that era, pointing out that each team had their strengths—Dan Jurgens excelled at action and big picture ideas, Roger Stern was great at character and at finding a satisfying ending to a story.  Louise Simonson was all about heart and emotion, and so, through his strengths, and by default, Karl and Tom’s Adventures became the more light-hearted, sometimes comedic book.  He also said that the transition was pretty seamless and painless, in part because it was such a well-oiled machine by that time.

5. As you may or may not already know, I co-write a weirdly obsessive blog covering your time on the Superman books, and my co-writer on that blog, Max, is from Chile.  When I mentioned I’d be moderating this panel, he wanted me to ask you: by any chance, did ever read the old Spanish translations of the Silver Age Superboy comics? Because, in those comics Lana Lang's name was (for some reason) translated as "Lina Luna". "Luna" of course means "Moon", so Max had wondered if Tana Moon's name was a reference to that.

This was a fun one.  Karl replied with a flat “no” that he hadn’t read any Spanish language translations of any comics, but when I explained the Tana Moon/Lana Lang connection, he thought that it was a very cool coincidence, and then, jokingly, answered that, yes, it had all been planned, intentionally.

6. How do you feel about the industry as a whole?  Of course we hear the stories of sales declines, but we’re also in a time where comics can be a lot more democratic—properties like Section Zero can be brought back through the fans directly by crowdfunding.  In that way, is this not a time of unique opportunity as a creator?

Both creators were very optimistic about the industry, stating that comic sales have always gone up and down, and that there have been scares about the longevity of the medium for as long as they’ve been reading comics.  They also agreed that the ability to connect directly with audiences was an exciting element unique to today’s comics, and that Section Zero is viable with only a few thousand patrons, all passionate about the project, which is different than when it first came out.   Karl detailed that, since the project was creator owned, it also meant that there was no money up-front—the initial issues had to be fronted by the creative teams.  Karl explained that his financial situation changed when he went through a divorce, and so he could no longer afford a comic without a guaranteed paycheck.  But now, through crowdfunding, Karl and Tom are able to pay their bills as they work on completing the project, eliminating the need to put their finances on hold as they had to the first time around.

7. Having worked alongside so many fellow greats in the industry, how did you decide on the lineup for the pinups and extra features in the revival of Section Zero?  And for those here who haven’t heard about it, could you let us know how Mike Weiringo ended up as one of the artists?

The first part of this question, Karl candidly said that he was going with artists that had a large social media following, since online marketing was the main way the Section Zero project would be funded.  He then got into detail about trying to honour Mike Weiringo’s memory, which was previously shared here.  

8. Karl, your run writing Daredevil stands out for being a return to the original wittier, lighthearted version of the character.  Does humour still have a place in comics today?

Karl comedically answered with another flat “yes”.  Then pausing, before elaborating that the great thing about comics is the diversity of tone, and comics should always feel fun.

At this point I started to worry that I was asking too many questions, so we might not get to the audience, so I opened up to the floor for questions.  I was surprised by the first one, which was

“What is Section Zero?” (which I had thought we had covered pretty extensively in the earlier part of the panel) at which point they explained the elevator pitch, which is “X-Files if it was written by Jack Kirby”.  And, honestly, who wouldn’t want to try a comic with that pedigree?

The next question was a funny one, from a local purveyor of comics.  In an earlier answer, Karl detailed that his divorce contributed to Section Zero stopping production.  The questioner pointed out that the Gorilla Press line itself (of which Section Zero was a part) crumbled not long after that, before making the comment “that must have been some divorce”.  

Over laughter, Karl explained, without assigning blame or much detail, that the Gorilla Press funding never came through in the way it was supposed to, and so similar problems arose for each of the other creative teams, of not being able to afford to front the production of the books on the hopes of later sales.  That exhausted the audience questions, so back to mine:

9. Tom, have any of Karl’s scripts contained something so tricky to draw that you wanted to say “Karl, you’re an artist—you should know better!”

Tom was very complimentary in his answer, saying that Karl’s art background made him a great writer, and so he never took issue with anything he had to draw.  Karl echoed this, saying that for whatever reason, he and Tom had always clicked creatively in a very natural way, and that Tom’s design sense made often surpassed what Karl envisioned for the page.  They talked about specific characters from Section Zero, one of whom Karl credited Tom for having wholly created, who quickly became one of Karl’s favorites in the series.

10.  Given the cyclical nature of comics, is it ever frustrating when changes in continuity “erase” a storyline or fact you worked on?  Specifically I was thinking  of the lineage of the Conner Kent Superboy, who was originally a clone of both Superman and Westfield, but was later retconned to be the clone of Superman and Luthor.  

Karl was very diplomatic and generous in his answer, stating that Geoff Johns’ idea of having Lex Luthor be revealed as Kon-El’s donor/father was a stroke of genius, and added a lot to the mythology.  I agreed, but also pointed out how hotly this topic was debated on this very blog, which surprised the panel.  Karl said that for the most part, he didn’t create these characters, either, and so he understood that each writer or artist that follows will make changes to suit the times, and that those changes can be what makes comics exciting.  He hinted at elements behind the scenes, leading me to believe that even Westfield wasn’t Karl’s first choice for Superboy’s lineage, but that at the time DC editorial was very protective of Superman as a character, and so Superboy couldn’t be a straight up clone, according to their edict.  

Tom mentioned elements like the Matrix Supergirl, and echoed Karl’s answer, saying that changes to continuity doesn’t magically erase the comics in your long boxes, they’re still there, with characters waiting to be discovered, or perhaps even used by coming generations of readers or creators.

At this point Tom related a story Karl had told him, of Karl meeting a cosplayer at a convention who was dressed as the Kon-El Superboy.  The cosplayer explained that they had found an old Superboy comic in a dollar bin, never having heard of this version of the character, and fell in love with the story, enough to both dress up as this character, and seek Karl out to thank him for his work. 

(Then I pointed out that my own four year old son had picked Kon-El Superboy as his Halloween costume this year!)

Karl also touched on current comics, saying that he understood the appeal of the new Superboy being the son of Superman, and was at peace and enjoying that storyline, knowing that Kon-El would probably come back someday. 

11. Any other projects you’d like to bring back, maybe via crowdfunding?  I was pretty keen on The Power Company, myself.

Tom and Karl were very clear that for them, the perfect vehicle was, for the present, only Section Zero, and that they had enough stories cooked up to continue with further installments for years to come. 

I ended the panel by thanking Tom and Karl for a lifetime of great comics, and for personally inspiring so much of my interest in the artform and the characters, which they laughed at, taking mock umbrage at the “lifetime” part, protesting that they are very much alive, and that there are many more years of comics to come.

After the panel, both creators were very kind and seemed to have enjoyed taking part.  I was busy at my own table for the rest of the show, so I didn’t have much of a chance to hang with the guys and bother them with my weird, way too specific questions about Superman.  But I want to thank Saskatoon Expo for allowing me to moderate, and of course, Tom and Karl for being such great subjects and creators.  It was a real thrill.

Find out more about Kesel and Grummett’s new comic, Section Zero, here: https://www.panicbuttonpress.com/section-zero

[kentuckertv]

Emmys 2017 predictions: Who will (and should) win

(Photos: HBO, Hulu, NBC, HBO, NBC)

The 69th Primetime Emmy Awards are almost here, so it’s time to make those all-important predictions — both who will win, and who will be robbed in each key category. Let’s get to it:

Outstanding Drama Series nominees:

Better Call Saul (AMC) The Crown (Netflix) The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu) House of Cards (Netflix) Stranger Things (Netflix) This Is Us (NBC) Westworld (HBO)

Will win: This Is Us. The only network drama in this category, the NBC show fought its way into Netflix/HBO-dominated categories. This cannily conceived drama is the kind of product Emmy voters love: it’s emotional, it’s popular, it has a bunch of likable characters, and it comforts the older tier of voters in assuring them that network TV can still yield a quality hit. All that said, there’s one big alternate scenario: The Handmaid’s Tale might win this just as easily.

Should win: Better Call Saul. What a fantastic season this show had, full of rich stories about the brotherly competition that Bob Odenirk and Michael McKean inhabited so well. Every hour brought the show closer to its time-line confluence with Breaking Bad, yet each hour stood on its own as a beautifully filmed work of art.

Outstanding Comedy Series nominees:

Atlanta (FX) black-ish (ABC) Master of None (Netflix) Modern Family (ABC) Silicon Valley (HBO) Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix) Veep (HBO)

Will win: Veep. How can HBO’s best sitcom — which managed to survive the transition into the Age of Trump with sharp funniness — lose? The news that the coming season will be its last was announced too late to be a factor for sentimentality in Emmy voting, and I’ll bet folks had already pulled the lever for it anyway.

Should win: Atlanta. Donald Golver’s FX series was the Emmy year’s most original comedy, certainly one of the funniest, and regularly one of the most creatively filmed and edited. If there’s one upset victory on Emmy night, let it be this over the already well-rewarded Veep.

(Michele K. Short/AMC via AP)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series nominees

Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us) Anthony Hopkins (Westworld) Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul) Matthew Rhys (The Americans) Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan) Kevin Spacey (House of Cards) Milo Ventimiglia (This Is Us)

Will win: Sterling K. Brown. He won last year for his work as Christopher Darden in FX’s The People v. O.J. Simpson, and that momentum will help carry him across the Emmy finish-line first here. And he deserves it: As Randall Hill, a neurotic and sensitive husband/father/son, Brown gives his character a necessary strength underpinning the vulnerability.

Should win: Bob Odenkirk. Brown is really good, but as I said, he’s already got an Emmy — so how about one for Odenkirk? He has shown more growth as an actor than anyone could have imagined if you remember him from Mr. Show, and in the latest season of Saul, he managed to be poignant, wily, and funny within nearly every episode.

(George Kraychyk/Hulu via AP)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series nominees

Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder) Claire Foy (The Crown) Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale) Keri Russell (The Americans) Evan Rachel Wood (Westworld) Robin Wright (House of Cards)

Will win: Elisabeth Moss. She gives a great performance in the kind of strenuously dramatic role that Emmy voters love to reward. While I had problems with the pacing of the second half of the first season (i.e., frequently slooooow), Moss’s own performance was always perfectly calibrated.

Should win: Moss. That said, I really admired Claire Foy’s command of queenly passion in The Crown, and would not be disappointed at all if she won. But Moss is pretty great in Handmaid’s Tale.

(Photo: FX)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series nominees:

Anthony Anderson (black-ish) Aziz Ansari (Master of None) Zach Galifianakis (Baskets) Donald Glover (Atlanta) William H. Macy (Shameless) Jeffrey Tambor (Transparent)

Will win: Donald Glover. I’m going out on a limb here — Tambor and Macy are veteran winners in this category, and maybe voters will think it’s time to reward Anthony Anderson’s work on black-ish, but I think the amazingly impressive performance by Glover as the smart, shrewd, conflicted Earn will win him the prize. Glover’s performance insists that you understand Earn in all his contradictions — he’s a hard worker who’s also depressed; a loyal friend who’s also lousy in certain relationships; a man who is a frequent victim of racism both casual and pointed, yet not a victim at all in his insistence upon being measured for his talents and abilities. Like the show itself, Earn is bursting with potential.

Should win: Glover, no doubt and in full.

(Ron Tom/ABC via AP)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series nominees:

Pamela Adlon (Better Things) Tracee Ellis-Ross (black-ish) Jane Fonda (Grace and Frankie) Lily Tomlin (Grace and Frankie) Allison Janney (Mom) Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep)

Will win: Julia Louis-Dreyfus. There’s a reason she keeps winning in this category: She’s giving, season after season, one of the most enjoyable and sharp-witted performances on television. If she wins this one, it’ll be six in a row.

Should win: Tracee Ellis Ross. Woefully underrated, Ross has been doing very fine work on black-ish from the start. Her character Bow is at once a believable professional woman and a believably frantic, frazzled wife and mom. Ross has a gift for physical comedy that’s rare among this year’s nominees in this category (Louis-Dreyfus and Kemper her only competition there), and she’s a team player, frequently playing excellent straight-woman to Anthony Anderson’s joker.

(Photo: Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series nominees:

John Lithgow (The Crown) Jonathan Banks (Better Call Saul) Mandy Patinkin (Homeland) Michael Kelly (House of Cards) David Harbour (Stranger Things) Ron Cephas Jones (This Is Us) Jeffrey Wright (Westworld)

Will win: John Lithgow. This used to be an easy Emmy formula: Familiar actor portraying famous historical figure = Emmy. Thus, Lithgow’s thorough embodiment of Winston Churchill — and really, after the first few minutes seeing him, you pretty much forget it’s Lithgow — ought to be a sure thing, right? Perhaps; enough so that I’m picking him. Plus, I think the Academy wants to give some awards — if not the very top awards — to The Crown.

Should win: Ron Cephas Jones. Jones played my favorite This Is Us character, William Hill, the formerly dissolute dad to Sterling K. Brown, the father he never knew growing up. Jones convinced you that he was a musician who’d squandered his talent, a recovering drug addict, a now-excellent grandfather, and a man dying of cancer. If that doesn’t deserve an Emmy, what does?

(Photo: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series nominees:

Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale) Samira Wiley (The Handmaid’s Tale) Uzo Aduba (Orange Is the New Black) Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things) Chrissy Metz (This Is Us) Thandie Newton (Westworld)

Will win: Chrissy Metz. As I said above, This Is Us is filled with likable characters, and Metz’s Kate is one of them for sure. As Kate Pearson, a lively charmer who suffers from poor self-esteem and is navigating a serious romantic relationship, Metz has won over a lot of viewers, and probably the Emmy Academy.

Should win: Ann Dowd. Dowd is great in almost anything (The Leftovers, Masters of Sex), and never more so than playing the awesomely severe Aunt Lydia in The Handmaid’s Tale. Taking hold of a character that could have been one-note, or a variation on One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’s Nurse Ratched, Dowd managed to make Aunt Lydia both a villain and a poignant figure — you can see that she wasn’t always this cruel a person. She deserves an award for that.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series nominees:

Alec Baldwin (Saturday Night Live) Louie Anderson (Baskets) Ty Burrell (Modern Family) Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) Tony Hale (Veep) Matt Walsh (Veep)

Will win: Alec Baldwin. If there is one lead-pipe cinch in this year’s Emmys, it’s that Baldwin will win for his Donald Trump impersonation on SNL. I am, apparently, alone in feeling Baldwin’s take on Trump is loose and vague — he doesn’t have Trump’s gestures down accurately; his puckered lips don’t approximate Trump’s mouth — but there is such a lust to see Trump humiliated, I guess this will have to do.

Should win: Matt Walsh. I wasn’t counting lines, but it seemed to me that Walsh’s superbly incompetent speechwriter Mike McLintock took on an even greater presence in last season’s Veep. His subplot as the ghostwriter of Selina Meyer’s autobiography enabled Walsh to bring new depth to Mike superficiality.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series nominees:

Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live) Vanessa Bayer (Saturday Night Live) Leslie Jones (Saturday Night Live) Anna Chlumsky (Veep) Judith Light (Transparent) Kathryn Hahn (Transparent)

Will win: Kate McKinnon. McKinnon is SNL’s MVP, a most valuable player of hard-to-play characters, from Angela Merkel to Mika Brzezinski to Jeff Sessions. (Her Justin Bieber is pretty great, too.) But let’s face it, she’s going to win on the strength of one impersonation: her Hillary Clinton, whom McKinnon portrays as a plucky workhorse whose strenuous attempts to be media-likable now seem tragically poignant.

Should win: Anna Chlumsky. Much as I admire McKinnon’s skills, I think the five-times nominated Chlumsky for her performance as Chief of Staff Amy Brookheimer in Veep. As the seasons have proceeded, Chlumsky interprets Amy in an increasingly complex and emotional manner that never forsakes comedy, but increases our identification with the put-upon Amy.

(Craig Blankenhorn/HBO via AP)

Outstanding Limited Series nominees:

Big Little Lies (HBO) Fargo (FX) Feud: Bette and Joan (FX) The Night Of (HBO) Genius (National Geographic)

Will win: Big Little Lies. This is one of the tightest races of the Emmys; I think Feud: Bette and Joan could win this just as much as Big Little Lies. But ultimately, I’m reasonably sure that the big-star fire power (Reese, Nicole, Shailene) of Lies, combined with what is possibly the best writing adapter David E. Kelley has ever done, will secure this HBO miniseries a win, and a well-deserved one.

Should win: The Night Of. But not as well-deserved as The Night Of. This other HBO miniseries never quite had as much buzz as other esteemed shows this season, but writers Richard Price and Steve Zaillian constructed such a sturdy murder mystery/prison saga/courtroom drama, stocked with great performances that include Riz Ahmed, John Turturro, Bill Camp, and Jeannie Berlin, that I wish it could pull out a surprise win.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series nominees:

Riz Ahmed (The Night Of) Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock: The Lying Detective) Robert De Niro (The Wizard of Lies) Ewan McGregor (Fargo) Geoffrey Rush (Genius) John Turturro (The Night Of)

Will win: Riz Ahmed. He was very good indeed as Nasir Khan, the college student accused of murdering a one-night-stand lover. Ahmed’s large, expressive eyes conveyed Naz’s innocence about the rough world he was plunged into immediately upon his arrest, and Naz’s journey from shocked victim to cagey survivor is completely convincing.

Should win: John Turturro. He took what could have been a caricature role — a sad sack lawyer with a gimmick (itchy feet) — and made it into something richly three-dimensional. He met the challenge of making mediocre lawyer John Stone something close to a tragic figure.

(Photo: HBO)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series nominees:

Carrie Coon (Fargo) Felicity Huffman (American Crime) Nicole Kidman (Big Little Lies) Jessica Lange (Feud) Susan Sarandon (Feud) Reese Witherspoon (Big Little Lies)

Will win: Nicole Kidman. As a character that could have been defined by her victimization as an abused spouse, Kidman played Celeste Wright as a lot more than a victim; she was strong and, in her own way, an exploiter and manipulator of various aspects of her superficially fabulous California-suburbia life.

Should win: Reese Witherspoon. Taking the perhaps least sympathetic role among the female pals in Lies, executive producer Witherspoon turned in a marvelously flinty, finely-detailed performance that deserves an Emmy.

Outstanding Variety Talk Series nominees:

Full Frontal With Samantha Bee (TBS) Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC) Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO) The Late Late Show With James Corden (CBS) Real Time With Bill Maher (HBO) The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)

Will win: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The shock that registered on Colbert’s face during his live election-night Showtime special carried over into anger, sarcasm, and an eloquent bitterness on The Late Show, super-charging his monologues and making him a source of both comfort and controversy as his show became TV’s most consistently fine source of political commentary. You can say that Colbert won’t be able to sustain his anger, or his ratings surge, but give him the Emmy first.

Should win: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. After Alec Baldwin, Colbert is the performer who has benefitted the most from the election of Donald Trump, and while I’ll bet Baldwin thanks his lucky stars for this turn of events, it probably fills Colbert with private sorrow. Which is why he ought to win: his monologues are filled with as much fear for the country as they are with outrage.

The Emmys will be broadcast Sunday at 8 p.m. on CBS.

Read More From Yahoo Entertainment: Emmys flashback: The team who helped Chris Rock ‘Bring the Pain’ Tom Hardy turns 40: All the times he was adorable with puppies Jennifer Lawrence on the perils of nursing a robot baby in ‘mother!’

[deluscr-a-blog]

So I dunno about your day but my day was fantastic. So!!! This morning I arrived at Amsterdam Comic Con, just made a little stroll around, and walked along the tables with the actors and such. Billy was there as well, stood up from his seat, pointed at me with his super happy face, and did a thumbs up! I then walked over to him, highfived him and he was like “She came for me!” and told me I “better come to get an autograph.”  in a somewhat stern voice (he failed to be stern he is THE NICEST GUY EVER). After that I went to take a picture with just him, and then one with him and John Rhys Davies as well! Short after I went to get them signed. Also got a Beecake album signed by Billy. He was just!! So happy to see I got one of his albums and continued to talk about it and whether I had the new album as well and such. 

Honestly, Billy Boyd is such a nice guy and I honestly am so so so glad I met him. Tomorrow I will be going again, and will take another picture with him (not in cosplay this time). But damn. This day was amazing. I think I love him even more now.

[donheisenberg]

Emmy Nominations Reaction:

As I write this the 2017 Emmy nominations have just been announced and it is certainly a fascinating if not quite frustrating list. Awards always get some things right and some things wrong, but looking at in particular the drama categories the Emmy’s have certainly got more wrong than right, although you could potentially say the opposite for drama. Let’s take a closer look at some of the major categories.

Outstanding Comedy Series

Atlanta

black-ish

Master of None

Modern Family

Silicon Valley

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Veep Okay this is a strong list, minus Modern Family. To be fair the state of the half hour comedy/dramedy is so strong it would be tough to come up with a bad list but I am certainly happy to see the excellent Atlanta included, alongside the likes of Veep, Kimmy and Master of None, even if I expected all of those to get nominations. I would like to have seen Catastrophe get nominated and I really like the latest season of Transparent even while others saw it as a bit uneven, but I’m not going to complain too much about their choices here.

Outstanding Drama Series

Better Call Saul

The Crown

The Handmaid’s Tale

House of Cards

Stranger Things

This is Us

Westworld

Well firstly wow. This is a crazy list. Only BCS and HOC have any pedigree here with the other five choices all being new to the party. Yet while I like to see the Emmys mixing it up I have to say I’m not crazy about these choices. Admittedly I have not got around to seeing all of them (peak TV and all that) but I must say that I don’t believe that HOC, Stranger Things and Westworld deserve to be nominated instead of the unparalleled The Leftovers, the fantastic Halt and Catch Fire or even the slightly below-par fifth season of The Americans, plus a whole host of other great shows like Rectify and OITNB. 

Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Viola Davis

Claire Foy

Elisabeth Moss

Keri Russell

Evan Rachel Wood

Robin Wright

I really did not like Westworld, at points I may have even actively disliked it but I have to say I’m happy to see Evan Rachel Wood get recognised, she was the best thing on the show. Also delighted to see Keri Russell continue to get nominated even when her show is not. On the other side of things Carrie Coon’s admission while not surprising is disappointing (although she has been nominated in the limited series category for her work in Fargo) because that is the best performance on TV.

Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Sterling K Brown

Anthony Hopkins

Bob Odenkirk

Matthew Rhys

Liev Schrieber

Kevin Spacey

Milo Ventimiglia

Sorry but Liev Schrieber, Anthony Hopkins, Kevin Spacey are any of these actually good performances. I mean they are all fun but are these performances really better than Justin Theroux, Lee Pace, Wagner Moura, the answer is no. Otherwise happy to see Rhys be recognised and maybe this year he will finally get his long overdue victory.

Lead Actress, Comedy

Pamela Adlon

Jane Fonda

Allison Janney

Ellie Kemper

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Tracee Ellis Ross

Lily Tomlin You can’t really argue with this list in terms of the talent that is there but there is something boringly predictable about it. Pamela Aldon is something of a curve-ball but I would have loved it if they had thrown in a couple more like maybe Sharon Horgan, Aya Cash or Rachel Bloom just to name a few. I mean for however amazing she is Julia Louis Dreyfus does not really need another Emmy, at this stage they’re just cluttering up her house.

Lead Actor, Comedy

Anthony Anderson

Aziz Ansari

Zach Galifianakis

Donald Glover

William H. Macy

Jeffrey Tambor

Another strong if predictable list. Not 100% sure about the inclusion of Ansari, I know many praised his performance this year but I’m still not convinced by his abilities as an actor. I think that place might have been better served going to Rob Delaney or Chris Geere. 

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black)

Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale)

Chrissy Metz (This Is Us)

Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things)

Samira Wiley (The Handmaid’s Tale)

Thandie Newton (Westworld)

Can’t argue with these choices to much either other than to say Amy Brenneman should have been recognised for her fantastic episode of The Leftovers this season.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Jonathan Banks (Better Call Saul)

Michael Kelly (House of Cards)

John Lithgow (The Crown)

Jeffrey Wright (Westworld)

Mandy Patinkin (Homeland)

David Harbour (Stranger Things)

Ron Cephas Jones (This Is Us)

Jonathan Banks is more deserving of his nomination than everyone on this list but how Michael McKean has not been nominated is beyond me. One of the single best performances on TV and it gets nothing. Christopher Eccleston and Clayne Crawford (Rectify) both can feel aggrieved to, but not surprised.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Louie Anderson (Baskets)

Ty Burrell (Modern Family)

Alec Baldwin (Saturday Night Live)

Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)

Tony Hale (Veep)

Matt Walsh (Veep)

Again like Banks Hale and Walsh are very deserving but this was the year of Jonah Ryan and Timothy Simons should have been nominated here.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Leslie Jones (Saturday Night Live)

Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live)

Vanessa Bayer (Saturday Night Live)

Kathryn Hahn (Transparent)

Judith Light (Transparent)

Anna Chlumsky (Veep)

The dominance of SNL is telling but outside of that I am happy to see Kathryn Hahn and in particular Judith Light, just for her cover of Hand in Pocket alone, get nominated.

[ultraericthered]

1. Roscoe Lee Browne - This is a big case of “Can’t Unhear It”, as when you read comics with Fisk in it, Roscoe Lee Browne’s low and gravelly yet sophisticated voice is likely what you’re going to hear in your head. Not even this series’ notoriously crappy voice direction messed up this one, it was just that perfect a fit for the character as he’s usually written.

2. Michael Clarke Duncan - Another dearly departed black actor who was a perfect fit for the Kingpin, both in his performance in the Daredevil movie and his guest appearance on the MTV Spider-Man show. The size and weight of his voice really jives with that of the character.

3. Vincent D’Onofrio - This video counts him as a voice for Fisk, and I will have to concede that his voice, like his overall portrayal of the character, is excellent in it’s depth and edginess.

4. Bob Joles - Turning up in at least one version of the Spider-Man 3 game, Joles’ Kingpin sounds very much like Roscoe’s take in it’s sophisticated elegance mixed with a deep, gravelly tone of voice and a sense of collected, intelligent menace that really suits him.

5. Travis Willingham - He played Fisk as a typically hammy comic book bad guy in SHSO, but in the new Spider-Man PS4 game, his vocal performance almost sounds like a D’onofrio impersonation...and a damn good one, making Fisk sound appropriately threatening.

6. Jim Cummings - It’s Jim Fucking Cummings, giving that kind of performance to make his villain sound extra intimidating. There’s no way this isn’t ideal casting for the Kingpin. 

7. Tom Harvey - The first voice for Kingpin, setting a standard for the vocal characterization that Roscoe Lee Browne would perfect years later. It actually still holds up very well.

8. David Sobolov - Dave’s certainly a better Darkseid than he is a Kingpin, but he shined in this role too, sounding close to D’Onofrio’s Fisk long before the actor even played the part, and the dude even looks like he could’ve played him in live action too!

9. Gregg Berger - There’s nothing wrong with his take on Fisk, it’s actually very suitable. But he sounds so much like Clancy Brown’s Lex Luthor at points that it’s a teensy bit distracting.

10. JB Blanc - He did alright, but the performance was rather disappointing compared to the talent he’s shown elsewhere. He could’ve made a fantastic Fisk, but by playing up the thuggish gangster nature of the character, he’s merely an adequate one instead.

11. Walker Edminson - His voice isn’t bad for Fisk at all, but his performance kind of went too overboard, playing up this mad scientist-like angle that doesn’t really suit the Kingpin.

12. Stephen Stanton - Again, an okay voice, but this time the performance is too understated, making Fisk sound like just any other criminal rather than the Kingpin of Crime.

13. Stan Jones - His voice sounds too recognizably the same as Doc Ock from that same show, which is already a lot like his Lex Luthor, plus his line delivery sounds so phoned in.

14. John Rhys-Davies - If we’re counting all of Fisk’s actors, we count him too. And he wasn’t really right for the part, physically or vocally.

15. Unknown Voice Actor - REALLY not right for the part. He sounds positively wimpy!

[yahoo-roto-arcade-blog]

Fantasy baseball roundtable: Judge and jury

The 2017 baseball season is into its second month, still early enough that fantasy owners should remain vigilant on the waiver wire. The Yahoo fantasy baseball crew is here to help identify the players to go after:

Q: Which outfielder, owned in less than 40 percent of Yahoo leagues, are you most interested in adding to your fantasy team?

Brandon Funston: MANUEL MARGOT. San Diego’s top offensive prospect entering ’17 is on a pace for a 15/20 rookie campaign, and he’s hot at the moment (.343 BA in past nine games). 

Andy Behrens: There’s no way the Phillies can possibly remove AARON ALTHERR from the lineup, right? I realize that team threw suitcases full of money at sketchy vets, but Altherr clearly has to play. He’s been an all-category monster since entering the everyday lineup. I’m in. 

Scott Pianowski:  HERNAN PEREZ has shown up in this space before, but you guys have to push him over 40 percent. He’s a versatility ace, and getting a juicy spot in a deep Milwaukee lineup. I’ll also sign off on the Behrens call of Altherr — the Philly outfielder reached base 11 times in the Chicago series and shouldn’t have to sweat the Howie Kendrick return. 

Dalton Del Don: MANUEL MARGOT. Thanks to hitting leadoff, he’s scored 15 runs despite a poor OBP. Margot has added three homers and four steals (he’s already attempted eight stolen bases), so a run at 20/25 seems plausible. Thanks to strong defense (and a weak class so far), Margot is actually tied for the NL lead in WAR among rookies.

Predict the line: Considering that he went undrafted in many leagues, Yankees young slugger Aaron Judge has to be considered the fantasy MVP of the first month of the ’17 campaign. What fantasy recommendation (Buy/Sell/Hold) would you give him at this time, and please provide your prediction for his year-end five-category roto line?

Funston: HOLD. I would love to be selling on this as-good-as-it-gets streak by Judge, but I don’t see enough of an inflated market, frankly. There’s a Judge for Charlie Blackmon deal in that view of the Yahoo trade market, and that’s the kind of swap I’d be looking for if I was a Judge owner. But the reality is that owners aren’t quite buying all the way in on Judge’s historic first month, so the best play is to hold. I’ll predict that Judge averages five homers a month the rest of the way, while his average steadily declines along the way as pitchers figure out new ways to attack the Yankees’ young slugger. Final line: .265, 37 HR, 105 RBI, 90 R, 5 SB

Behrens: HOLD, tenderly. If I were to shop him — let’s say in the Friends & Family league, hypothetically, where I have many needs — I’d want a star, an early-round pick. Judge certainly isn’t a fluke. The kid hit 19 homers in just 93 games at Triple-A last season; he pretty clearly has another 20-plus homers in him. 

Pianowski: It’s one of those forced HOLDS, because a trade forces his owners to make a negative assumption and the other owner to make a positive one. The same rules apply to the Eric Thames owner.  Judge has 20-25 more homers in him, with an average around .260. 

Del Don: HOLD. He strikes out too often to bat much better than around .260ish moving forward, but the power is so obviously real. I wouldn’t necessarily be trying to sell high, as I assume most others realize Judge’s crazy hot start isn’t exactly fully sustainable. I’ll predict he finishes with a line of .285-100-40-115-5, helping his owners win a bunch of fantasy titles in the process. 

Q: Which infielder, owned in less than 40 percent of Yahoo leagues, are you most interested in adding to your fantasy team?

Funston: JOSE REYES. I liked Reyes as a nice late-round sleeper heading into the season and, after a very slow start, he’s finally starting to validate that opinion. In his past eight games, Reyes is hitting .391 with three home runs and two steals. With 3B and SS eligibility, he offers nice utility off the bench.

Behrens: Let’s go deep, people. If you have the old “NA” spot available to you for a minor league stash, please consider Phillies first base prospect RHYS HOSKINS. He’s crushing at Triple-A, following a 38-homer season at Double-A Reading. When he arrives in the bigs, you’ll want him. It’s not as if Tommy Joseph has done anything notable. 

Pianowski:  Are we having fun with MARWIN GONZALEZ yet? Maybe it’s not really a fluke. He’s hit .279 before. He’s hit 13 homers as a part-timer before. He’s stolen 12 bases before, not that he’s a high-percentage thief (call it the Springer Rule). Some mechanical adjustments at the dish are paying dividends. Playing every day goes a long way towards a player’s confidence. 

Del Don: ASDRUBAL CABRERA. He’s coming off a season in which he totaled 28 homers/steals and hit .280 in just 141 games. Cabrera is batting second in the Mets’ lineup and is on pace to score 108 runs. 

PICK ‘EM: Which struggling corner-eligible player would you be most interested in making a buy-low play on right now – Edwin Encarnacion, Kyle Seager, Chris Davis, Evan Longoria, Alex Bregman?

Funston: KYLE SEAGER. Slow starts have become the norm for Seager, who came into the season with a .216 BA in April over the past three seasons. But you know in the end you’ll get 155-plus games played, and something in the neighborhood of .270, 25 HR, 90 RBI – write it down in pen.

Behrens: Any? All? OK, maybe not Davis, because he’s actually doing his usual thing — leading the league in Ks and hitting .220-ish. And maybe not Longoria, because he’s ambiguously injured. But I’d make a play for anyone else on this list. 

Pianowski:  The proven guys get the nod, the Seager, Encarnacion, Longoria group. I’m more Davis believer than disbeliever, but we at least have to acknowledge the downside risk he carries. Bregman’s pedigree is pretty, but he’s just a .264/.329/.425 man in the majors. The preseason helium might have been premature. (I expected Behrens to write in “Schwarber” here, no matter the positions. Oh, wait, there’s a video.)

Del Don: ENCARNACION. I worry a bit about Bregman, especially given how aggressively he was drafted in many leagues, but I’d expect the rest of these veterans to all bounce back over the rest of the season. It’s a little odd Encarnacion has struck out so much in the early going given his career K rate, but Cleveland is a great hitter’s park, and I fully expect him to rebound moving forward. 

Q: Which pitcher, owned in less than 40 percent of Yahoo leagues, are you most interested in adding to your fantasy team?

Funston: ARCHIE BRADLEY (if looking for relief); JESSE HAHN (if in need of a starter). Bradley has been mostly untouchable (.167 BAA) in relief for Arizona, and he might be in play if/when Arizona has to demote Fernando Rodney from the closer role. Among starters, Hahn has delivered a quality start every time out this season. His fastball average (94 mph) ranks top 25 among starters, he’s limiting baserunners (1.03 WHIP), and his home is one of the most pitching-friendly environments in the league.

Behrens: For me, the answer to these pitching questions is usually going to be a non-closing reliever, someone you can use to control your pitching ratios and enhance your K-rate. This week, I’ll go CARL EDWARDS JR., who’s been near perfect for the Cubs. He’s striking out well over a batter per inning this season, just like last year. 

Pianowski:  The last thing I want to do is assume logic with St. Louis manager Mike Matheny, but TREVOR ROSENTHAL might be back in form. He’s struck out 17 batters in 8.1 innings — against just two walks — and has three rogue saves. Meanwhile, Seung-hwan Oh hasn’t looked sharp all year.

Del Don: PATRICK CORBIN. Over his last three starts, Corbin has a 1.86 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP with a 23:4 K:BB ratio over 19.1 innings. His 12.0 SwStr% ranks No. 17 among all starting pitchers this season. There’s a lot of strikeout potential here. 

PICK ‘EM: Which of these veteran closers – Jim Johnson, Francisco Rodriguez, Neftali Feliz (we’ll leave Fernando Rodney out of this because, well, that’s just too easy) – do you think is most likely to lose his job first and, in the event that happens, which set-up man would you expect to benefit from that demotion?

Funston: NEFTALI FELIZ. I’ll go with Feliz because the best closer-in-waiting behind any of these guys is Corey Knebel, who is off to a fantastic start (1.26 ERA, 11.9 K/9 rate). If Feliz continues to run into trouble, I’m guessing Milwaukee would promote Knebel without blinking.

Behrens: FELIZ, because he’s no better than the third or fourth best reliever on his own team. Jacob Barnes definitely has closing-quality stuff, but COREY KNEBEL has been absolutely lights-out. 

Pianowski:  I’m not sure how Jim Johnson landed on this list. He was rock-solid in Atlanta last year, and his current FIP is barely over one. You want to sell your Johnson shares, I’m your first call. I expect the Tigers to mistakenly give K-Rod an extensive leash, so by default let’s vulture FELIZ, with Corey Kneble the slight speculation preference. 

Del Don: FELIZ is definitely the most worrisome for me, as he’s already allowed four homers over 11.2 innings. All three are possible trade candidates, but Feliz’s stuff simply isn’t what it once was. Corey Knebel (and his 34.6 K%) would be the most likely option to take over closing duties should Feliz lose the job. 

Follow the Yahoo crew on Twitter: Andy Behrens, Dalton Del Don, Brad Evans, Brandon Funston, Liz Loza and Scott Pianowski

[celticmythpodshow]

CMP032 Faerie Days and Faerie Knights

Pwyll travels to the Land of the Dead!

We love getting your feedback, please email garyandruth@celticmythpodshow.com, or call us on Speakpipe

  Show Summary:

In the last episode, Pwyll, the Welsh Prince of Dyfed, strikes a bargain with the Grey Lord, Death Himself - Arawn, Lord of Annwn. To make up for his great insult, he agrees to enter into single combat and fight a mighty King in the Otherworld on Arawn's behalf. Arawn uses his magic to change his shape with that of Pwyll, so that each looks like the other and then escorts him through the worlds to his castle in Annwn.

In this tale, Pwyll finds his way around the Court of Arawn, seeing many strange marvels and meeting many mysterious people. As the time of the evening Feast approaches, he finally gets to meet the Great Queen herself..!

This episode is the third episode in our Mabinogion series and continues the story of Pwyll, the Prince of Dyfed.

Full Shownotes, with sources and credits, can be found on our main Website at http://celticmythpodshow.com/welsh3 Show Summary:

Running Order:

Intro 0:42

News & Views 1:57

Story 3:49

Promo - Woody Tales 28:30

We hope you enjoy it!

Gary & Ruthie x x x

  Released: 13 Dec 2012, 35m

  News & Views

We tell everyone that we're going to closer down our Forums. We explain that they are not being used any more and that most folks talk to us on Facebook.

You can find us on our Facebook Show page, Gary's Profile, Ruthie's Profile or add us on Twitter @CelticMythShow.

You can also get hold of us by email at garyandruth@celticmythpodshow.com

We also offer a big thanks to our Special Guest actors, Damh the Bard and Cerri Lee. You can find out more details at the bottom of these Show-notes.

  Faerie Days and Faerie Knights: Part 3 of the First Branch and Part 3 of the Mabinogion

Episode 3 is also the third episode of the First Branch: Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed. At this stage of the tale, Pwyll (wearing the shape of Arawn) is in the Otherworld, so we can't offer any maps! However, the names used (in order of appearance) in the story are listed below.

In this tale, Pwyll finds his way around the Court of Arawn, seeing many strange marvels and meeting many mysterious people. As the time of the evening Feast approaches, he finally gets to meet the Great Queen herself..!

Names Used in this Story

Listed in order of appearance

Pwyll

Dyfed

Arawn

"Storm"

Elaine

Tylwyth Teg

Romani

Berwyn

Gwyneth

Promo - Woody Tales

Barry Patterson

How do you put across the idea of caring for the environment without talking down to people? The Wild Man of the Woods is probably the widest traveled Green Man in Britain! The show explores our changing relationship with nature and the landscape through songs, stories and humour - ancient and modern. He's been promoting natural history and local distinctiveness with considerable passion from Sunderland to Torquay, from Sherwood Forest to the inner city since 1991!

  You can find Barry Patterson's website at songandstory.co.uk and his Podcast is hosted on Soundcloud with a link and credits on his songandstory website.

You can also get in touch with Barry on Facebook or Twitter @wildmanofwoods.

  Huge Thanks to our Guest Actors

Damh the Bard

Damh is a modern-day Bard whose spirituality, and love of folk tradition, is expressed through his music, storytelling and poetry. Drawing on the Bardic traditions his performances are both entertaining and educational, weaving a tapestry of myth, peace, and anthems that speak directly to the heart, but never without a good splash of humour.

Damh is a musical storyteller who works within the world of myth that cannot be proved; where the Faerie really do dance on Midsummer's Eve, where the trees talk, and the Hollow Hills take you into the realms of Annwn. Where the Goddess rides her horse, guiding you to magic, and the Horned God of old calls us from the shadows of the Greenwood. [source]

Damh is also the relaxed voice behind Druidcast, the podcast from the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD).

You can find outmore about Damh and his work on his website at paganmusic.co.uk or on our Contributor page.

  Cerri Lee

Cerri Lee is a multi-talented visonary artist who can turn her hand to almost anything creative. She is inspired by nature, and the ancient Pagan myths and legends of many cultures, her beliefs as a modern day Druid as well as those around her. She can create anything from Rights of Passage gifts and altar pieces to wedding and birthday gifts, and will happily take on commisions. Each piece of artwork she creates is individual and can be personalised to you or your loved ones. Her artwork has been used for album covers, featured in leading Pagan magazines, used as tattoos, and her sculptures are sent throughout the world.

Cerri is equally in her element when she is up to her elbows in clay or painting one of her fabulous pictures. She is partner to Druid musican and long-time supporter of our show, Damh the Bard and can be found supporting him at many of his performances. You can see a gallery of Cerri's artist work on our website at Cerri's Gallery and you can find out more about Cerri and her work on her website or on our Contributor Page.

  Extra Special Thanks to Show Friends

Anne Roos

We are pleased to be able to bring you a superb piece by Anne, Adieu Mon Chou from her album Mermaids and Mariners. Thank you, Anne! You can find out more about Anne on her website or on her Contributor Page.

  Portcullis

A special thank you to Jason, Sue and Haydon for the wonderful courtly sounds of Portcullis that can be heard as the Minstrels playing at the court of Arawn in this episode. You can find out more about Portcullis on their website or on her Contributor Page.

  Phil Thornton

We are proud to debut Phil in this show as he provides the music for the dance of the Tylwyth Teg with the track Summer Solstice from his album, Solstice. You can find out more about Phil's wonderful music and services on his website or more details on his Contributor Page.

  Sources used in this Episode

The Mabinogion, pp ix-xxxvi, 3-21, 227-232, Sioned Davies , Oxford, 2007, ISBN 978-0-19-283242

The Mabinogion, pp 9-41, 45-65, Jeffrey Gantz, Penguin, 1976, ISBN 0-14-044322-3

The Mabinogion, pp ix-xliv, 3-24, 275-278, Gwyn Jones & Thomas Jones, Dent & Dutton, 1977, ISBN 0-460-01097-2. Can also be found online at www.donaldcorrell.com

Pwyll Pendeuc Dyfed, Lady Charlotte Guest, Mary Jones

Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed, Lady Charlotte Guest, 1877, Sacred Texts

Notes to Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed, Lady Charlotte Guest, 1877, Sacred Texts

The Mabinogion, Lady Charlotte Guest, 1849, Project Gutenberg

The Mabinogi of Pwyll, W. M. Parker, mabiongi.net. Notes at mabinogion.info

'The Lord of Dyfed', from Legends of the Celts, p.134ff, Frank Delaney, HarperCollins, 1991, ISBN 0-586-21151-9

Tales from the Mabinogion, Gwyn Thomas & Kevin Crossley-Holland, Gollancz, 1984, ISBN 0-575-03531-5

Celtic Myths & Legends, p.147ff, Michael Foss, Selectabook Ltd., 1998, ISBN 0-75252-402-X

Prince of Annwn, Evangeline Walton, Del Rey, 1974, ISBN 0-345-27060-6

Encyclopaedia of Celtic Wisdom, p.117, 156, Caitlin & John Matthews, Element, 1994, ISBN 1-85230-560-6

The Celts, p.211, Frank Delaney, Grafton, 1989, ISBN 0-586-20349-4

Women in Celtic Myth, Moyra Caldecott, Arrow, ISBN 0-09-955920-X

Celtic Heritage, p.41 ff, Alwyn & Brinley Rees, Thames & Hudson, 1978, ISBN 978-0500110089

Pagan Celtic Britain, p.288, Anne Ross, Constable, 1967, ISBN 0-09-472330-3

'Myth in the Mabiogion', from A Celtic Reader, p.151, John Matthews, Aquarian, ISBN 0-85030-935-2

Celtic Myths and Legends, p.356 ff, T. W. Rolleston, 1995, ISBN 978-1859580066

Celtic Folklore: Welsh & Manx Vol.2, pp 499ff, John Rhys, Wildwood House, 1980, ISBN 0-7045-0406-5

The White Goddess, p.215ff, Robert Graves, Faber, 1952

And, of course, the Awen - inspiration and imagination!

  Special Thanks

For incidental music:

Zero Project, Winter Princess from Fairytale, and the Age of the Unicorn, The Lower Dungeons from Fairytale 2. From his amazing Disabled Emotions Suite, you can hear Part 1 and Part 4. See the Contributor Page for more details.

Torchomatic, Sunrise from his podsafe music. See the Contributor Page for more details.

Diane Arkenstone The Secret Garden. See the Contributor Page for details.

Kim Robertson, Angels in Disguise, All or None . See the Contributor Page for details.

Jigger Time Ticks Away. See the Contributor Page for details.

  For our Theme Music

The Skylark and Haghole, the brilliant Culann's Hounds. See their Contributor page for details.

  Extra Special Thanks for Unrestricted Access to Wonderful Music

(in Alphabetic order)

Anne Roos Extra Special thanks go for permission to use any of her masterful music to Anne Roos. You can find out more about Anne on her website or on her Contributor page.

Caera Extra Special thanks go for permission to any of her evocative harping and Gaelic singing to Caera. You can find out more about Caera on her website or on her Contributor Page.

Celia Extra Special Thanks go for permission to use any of her wonderful music to Celia Farran. You can find out more about Celia on her website or on her Contributor Page.

Damh the Bard Extra Special thanks go to Damh the Bard for his permission to use any of his music on the Show. You can find out more about Damh (Dave) on his website or on his Contributor page.

The Dolmen Extra Special thanks also go to The Dolmen, for their permission to use any of their fantastic Celtic Folk/Rock music on the Show. You can find out more about The Dolmen on their website or on our Contributor page.

Keltoria Extra Special thanks go for permission to use any of their inspired music to Keltoria. You can find out more about Keltoria on their website or on their Contributor page.

Kevin Skinner Extra Special thanks go for permission to use any of his superb music to Kevin Skinner. You can find out more about Kevin on his website or on his Contributor page.

Phil Thornton Extra Special Thanks go for permission to use any of his astounding ambient music to the Sonic Sorcerer himself, Phil Thornton. You can find out more about Phil on his website or on his Contributor Page.

S.J. Tucker Extra Special thanks go to Sooj for her permission to use any of her superb music. You can find out more about Sooj on her website or on her Contributor page.

Spiral Dance Extra Special thanks go for permission to use Adrienne and the band to use any of their music in the show. You can find out more about Spiral Dance on their website or on their Contributor page.

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