Mill Creek Entertainment adds to its awesome TV Land catalog, which already includes CS DVD sets of series such as "Coach" and "Mad About You," with a pair of November 19, 2019 releases. MCE couples the (reviewed) CS DVD set of the CBS Monday-night sitcom "The King of Queens" with a single CS Blu-ray set of both "Charlie's Angels" (1976-81) AND the 2011 TNG series from Drew Barrymore. This roughly coincides with the November 15, 2019 release of the latest big-screen adventures of that trio of gorgeous female detectives with mad skills. 

The miracle as to this set is how MCE can keep the cost reasonable while remastering in top-quality Blu-ray and having each disc cradled in its own slot on its own "page." 

This mother of all sexploitation series more than a decade before "Baywatch" aptly is from '70s lowest-common-denominator producer Aaron Spelling. As the opening narration explains, the titular owner of the Townsend Agency "rescues" the original police academy graduates from demeaning sexist duties. Their salvation has them go undercover as every fantasy known to man.

A bonus element of this pure escapist fun that is tailor-made for our winters of discontent is that these employees never meet their boss, who only communicates via the high-tech. means of a '70s-era telephone with an auxiliary speaker. The free-wheeling sexual innuendo as to the exploits of the boss are a highlight of those scenes and the similar epilogues after the women get their man. 

Related fun comes via the numerous times that the angels come very close to seeing their employer. 

The broadest (no pun intended) cultural impact of "Angels" is that it arguably is the first fully liberated series on network television, The plots constantly call for Team Charlie to dress in skimpy and tight clothing, such as bathing suits and tennis outfits. A prime early example of this is a case that has them go (barely) undercover at the Playboy Club like Feline Club. 

Prominent enduring pop culture contributions begin with the poster of Farrah Fawcett, who leaves early on in search of greater fame and fortune, in a red bathing suit. We also get the classic pose with guns that is a silhouette that serves as a bumper. This is not to mention MASSIVE product placement in the form of Ford Mustangs that extends to promotional material at car showrooms.

The TV-movie that starts it all is a classic Lifetime plot that has Kelly Garrett (Jaclyn Smith) portraying the long-lost daughter of a missing vineyard owner. The mission, which the agency has chosen to accept, is to uncover the truth in time to prevent a gold-digging trophy wife and her partners-in-crime from inheriting the wine before their time. 

Smith is notable for being the only original angel to stick it out for all five seasons of a series with regular cast changes. The "new girls" include Cheryl Ladd (who plays the sister of Fawcett's Jill Munroe) and one-season wonders Shelley Hack and Bond girl Tanya Roberts. Fawcett returning in S3 for three episodes is one of many series highlights.

The classic S1 episode "Angels in Chains" is a highlight of that season, Investigating the fate of a young woman who uncharacteristically is convicted of a crime and sentenced to a small-town jail leads to our heroines following her path. A tough and cruel matron in the mold of Hope Emerson of the classic babes-behind-bars movie "Caged" greets the fresh fish with an order to strip before hosing them down. This adventure going from the big house to the cat house is part of what makes it stand out. 

Spelling stays very true both to the style of '70s television and to his desire to amass great wealth by creating a cross-over episode between "Angels" and the Spelling classic "The Love Boat." That one has our gumshoes in stilettos board the titular cruise ship to catch a thief. This S4 premiere is the first adventure for Hack. 

This wonderful campy fun gets an edgy 21st-century update in the 2011 "Angels" series that MCE includes as an awesome bonus. The action moves from Los Angeles to Miami, and the highly stylized look of every aspect of this incarnation further give the still beautiful OS a world-class makeover.

The behind-the-scenes pedigree of this series includes Drew Barrymore of the "Angels" film franchise as a producer. Her colleagues include OS producer Leonard Goldberg, OS creator Ivan Goff, This is not to mention Alfred Gough and Miles Millar of "Smallville" fame.

Charlie remains unseen, but middle-aged middle-manager uptight handler John Bosley now is a 30-something stud who sees as much action as his girls. An early episode provides the first reveal as to the personal history between this former embezzler/hacker and his current boss.

The theme of redemption extends to the heiress-turned-expert-cat-burglar-turned-angel, the former dirty cop who turns out to be less filthy than generally believed, "and the rest" whom Charlie gives a second chance. The episodes that allow each character to put his or her past to rest shows that the motivations for their career changes include a desire to put right what once went wrong. (Yes, the MCE catalog includes  a very strong (reviewed) CS BD set of the Scott Bakula sci-fi series "Quantum Leap.") 

Aside from keeping Charlie as a voice on the telephone, the new kids on the block most honor the original by making their own "Angels in Chains" episode. This version has the adventure begin with the angels having cocaine (sadly, not angel dust) planted in their suitcase on arriving at a Havana estate.

We also get a high-seas adventure in the form of a cruise to the Bahamas that becomes more of an "Island of Dr. Moreau" exploit. 

The movies and the new series support the theory that the appeal of the OS is timeless; expertly helping keep this important part of television history in the public consciousness shows that MCE understands (and values) these classics.

The Film Movement November 19, 2019 DVD release of the 2018 coming-of-age drama "Geneses" (aka "Genesis") proves that adolescent growing pains are both timeless and universal. Movement pairing this release with that of a DVD of (reviewed) "The Demons" (2015) by "Geneses" filmmaker Philippe Lesage further shows that Movement does right by lovers of art-house cinema.

"Demons" focuses on the preadolescence of filmmaker Philippe Lesage in the form of adventures of quirky Felix, who shows moderate gay tendencies. This leads to the "Genese" all-boys private school life of quirky teen Guillaume during a time that he  and his half-sister Charlotte are learning the facts of life. 

The numerous festival wins for "Genese" include "Best Film" honors at the 2018 Montreal Festival of New Cinema and Locarno International Film Festival. 

The following Movement trailer for "Genese" expertly conveys the agony and the ecstasy of adolescence behind the aforementioned impact of this highly notable film. The audio commentary by Lesage most likely shares the extent to which this is live and is Memorex.

As Movement observes in DVD liner notes, "Genese" starts strong with Guillaume on top of his desk leading his classmates in a rousing sing-a-long., His ensuing interactions with classmates, including a stereotypical jock, are equally relatable to anyone who has attended high school around the globe. 

Guillaume seems overall average in that he mostly is well-liked and can work and play well with others; he further clearly is the class clown. The only real animosity that he inspires is as to a teacher. 

All is going reasonably well with close friend Nicolas until Guillaume acts on a love that dares not speak its name. Most adolescents can relate to having romantic feelings toward a friend and struggling with repressing it, The hope that expressing love will be well received is a major aspect of this.

Nicolas is more sensitive than the average teen boy in rejecting the unwanted advance, Not knowing better than to quit when he is ahead, Guillaume expresses his love for Nicolas in a witty and charming class presentation. The aforementioned reputation for being a joker is a factor regarding the response of the peers of Guillaume. 

The auto-biographical relationship between Felix and his older brother plays a role as to a deepening friendship between Guillaume and a younger student/dormmate.

Particularly guys who attend a boarding school can relate to being on both sides of a younger brother/older brother style relationship, The younger guy largely is on his own likely for the first time in his life and is surrounded by bigger and more physically mature male classmates. The older guy can remember his early days and also feels protective toward the sweet and sensitive kid who is not quite in his element.

The sad truth that Lesage shares (and likely has lived) is that ignorant societal attitudes that include homophobia often lead to hasty incorrect judgments that can punish folks for kindness and PROPER love. Suffice it to say that things do not end well for Guillaume.

Lasage repeatedly shifts the narrative between the growing pains of Guillaume with the angst of Charlotte. Her relationship with Maxime is derailed when he suggests out of the blue that they start seeing other people. The confusion as to that includes the assertion of Maxime that he is not presently interested in anyone else.

A highly memorable scene involves Charlotte, who has started dating someone else, rejecting the lustful advances of Maxime. This leads to one of them weeping on the floor only wearing briefs and the other trying to console that person.

Part of the rest of this story is that Charlotte gets her first lesson regarding the universal truth that most men are alike.

The voice of experience for all the Charlottes (and Charles) out reflects the wisdom of the comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes." The "from the mouths of babes and tigers" wisdom is that you are lucky if you can find someone whom you can tolerate and they can stand you in return. The bonus advice is to ask yourself if you would be happier without the other person than you are with him or her. 

Similar to "Demons," Lesage ends "Genese" with a vignette that centers around love and a big brother-little brother relationship at a summer camp. This inarguably is the most endearing tale that Lesage tells. 

Movement supplements all this with the aptly titled short film "The Lesson." That one has a young woman become enamored with an outwardly desirable male motorcyclist only to learn the awful truth. A hilarious scene has the guy mansplaining only to get massively showed up. The man literally ending up in the bitch seat at the end is highly symbolic. 

Mill Creek Entertainment awesomely makes November 19, 2019 a date that will live in infinity as to releasing well-produced home-video sets of "TV Land" shows. Our subject du jour is the 1998-2007 Kevin James/Leah Remini/Jerry Stiller sitcom "The King of Queens."

An upcoming post is on the November 19, 2019 Mill Creek Blu-ray CS (including the 2011 series) of the '70stastic Aaron Spelling classic sexploitation series "Charles Angels" that makes Farrah Fawcett a household name and her pinup poster a staple of bedroom walls of adolescent and post-adolescent males. One spoiler is that both "Queens" and "Angels" OS more than pass the test of times. 

One note on both sets is that MCE does a solid by packing them well to the extent of separating each disc in its own slot and making them accessible in a manner that prevents scratching. 

Like this site, the underlying  concept of "Queens" performs the public service of helping to keep Ralph Kramden of the classic '50scom "The Honeymooner" in the public consciousness. "Queens" does this by basing much of the "com" around "sits" that develop due to dim-witted titular monarch Doug Heffernan (James) being an overweight driver for UPS-clone IPS.

Prettier, thinner, more intelligent and ambitious spouse Carrie (Remini) is the practical brains of the operation. But for the '90s being much more PC than the '50s, it is highly probable that Doug (ala Ralph) would regularly threaten to send Carrie "to the moon." Doug also has his "Norton" in the form of not-so-bright friends with whom he spends much of his free time. Carrie has her "Trixie" in the form of Kelly, who is the spouse of Doug pal/co-worker Deacon. 

The "sit" in the pilot episode rounds out the concept that drives much of the "com" in all nine seasons. Arthur Spooner (Jerry Stiller of "Seinfeld") is the very recently widowed father of Carrie. Arthur is destined to move into a nursing home when his first of many comically reckless acts leads to a reversal of fortune that lands him the basement/former man cave of Chez Heffernan. This, in turn, leads to hilarity as to neither him nor Doug being the adult in their relationship.

The quality of this series stems from keeping things relatable and largely realistic. The "snob" often ends up with the "slob," most actual marriages are more like Dan and Roseanne Conner than Ward and June Cleaver, and we all face regular challenges in our work and personal lives. 

The nearly impossible task of watching all 207 "Queen" episodes and still posting a timely review is behind only watching the entire first and ninth seasons. The first good news as to this is that the quality remains strong. The second good news is that the series has not resorted to a major retooling (such as the Hefferans winning the lottery and effectively being Beverly Hillbillies living in a wealthy community) or resorting to stunt casting either by bringing in a "Cousin Oliver" or adding Heather Locklear or another household name to the ensemble. It is fair to say the "Queens" NEVER jumps the shark. 

An especially strong S1 outing has good-guy Doug emotionally trapped with Veronica (real-life Stiller spouse/comedy partner Anne Meara), the mother of comically extreme failure-to-launch buddy Spence (Patton Oswalt) on Valentine's Day. This follows a highly amusing Thanksgiving Day episode in which the Heffernans and Arthur have separate adventures while grocery shopping on the night before that holiday and a Christmas episode that has Doug and Carrie valuing the thought but not the gift as to Arthur buying them a clunker that makes a Mini Cooper look like an SUV.

We also get a couple of classic cross-overs in the form of sportswriter Ray Barone (Ray Romano) of fellow CBS Monday night sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond" having a chance meeting with Doug in the first appearance of Barone and taking him golfing in his second outing. Both "sits" provide plenty of classic "com." 

An interesting aspect of watching the beginning and the end of "Queens" is how the writers "recycle" a few plots while keeping things fresh. A twofer regarding this one is an S1 episode having a "before he was a star" Bryan Cranston guesting as a new neighbor. The typical spousal conflict as to one person wanting to accept an actionable nuisance and the other insisting on acting leads to the Heffernans adopting the dog of the new couple next door.

Fast forwarding nine years, the Heffernans (ala the Wilkerson clan of Cranston sitcom "Malcolm in the Middle") return home to discover a block party to which they are not invited. The effort of Doug to prove that he is a good person leads to a dog joining the family. The ensuing "com" relates to the "sit" in the form of covert efforts to ditch the hound. 

A first-season episode in which Doug and Carrie sign up for a class on Victorian literature has Doug shamefully exploiting Spence. In the ninth season, Carrie tries the same tactic after an off-hand remark to her boss commits her to reading a slow-paced 1,100-page novel. 

Both seasons also have episodes in which a desire to please Carrie prompts happy wage-slave Doug to accept offers to become the shift supervisor. The predictable outcome relates to sacrifices almost never ending well.

An amusing ninth-season outing has Adam Sandler playing the former delinquent classmate of Doug., The two reconnect for the first time at a class reunion, and Doug encouraging his buddy to drift back to the darkside leads to the opening of floodgates. 

The final episodes of "Queens" follow the '80s-'90s sitcom pattern of leading up to a momentous event that involves life-changing developments in the lives of several major characters. 

Like "Raymond," "Queens" works because it largely tells believable stories about real people. No one is a caricature of a stereotype, and most stories are within the ream of possibility. A classic "Raymond"{ example of this is both Ray and his wife stubbornly refusing to bring a suitcase from their stairway land to their bedroom after a trip.

Cartoon Network provides another reason for which to give thanks as to the November 12, 2019 DVD release of "Steven Universe: The Movie" (2019). Series creator Rebecca Sugar brings the band back together after the end of S5 of this bright and bold series to do it once more with feeling as to the life of our half-alien half all-American boy in the future. One warning is that the theme of this all-singing all-dancing musical extravaganza WILL get stuck in your head. 

Folks who either are unfamiliar with this creative series that appeals to kids of all ages or who simply would like a refresher on the lore are invited to read the post on the extras-laden S2 DVD giftset of the show, Team Sugar does include enough of the backstory in "Movie" to enjoy the film even for folks who have not had the joy of discovering this gem.

Our fable begins with our little prince on Homeworld, where he chooses to defend Earth, rather than ascend to the throne that is his birthright. His rookie mistake is having his speech that explains his reasoning broadcast throughout the universe. On returning to his home turf of Beach City, Steven has a gleeful (pun intended) reunion with his terrestrial and extra-terrestrial friends. 

The sense of being excited and feeling so good because they are reunited is short-lived for our avenging holograms. Sister from another planet Spinel soon arrives to prove that Hell hath no fury like a gem scorned. The basis for her resentment is very relatable to all of us who have had a friend ghost us.

A very apt description is that Spinel is the close childhood friend of the pink diamond who is the mother of Steven. Spinel, who is a combination of a Powerpuff Girl and annoying big sister DeeDee on "Dexter's Laboratory," thinks that she is joining her friend on her trip to Earth only to be ditched long, long ago in a galaxy far far away.

The havoc that Spinel wreaks by messing with the mojo of Steven and resetting his gem friends to their defaults is nothing compared to her end-game that puts Thanos to shame. She is using a massive drill to literally poison the earth with a substance that kills all organic life on our planet. This is akin to the awesome documentary series "Life After People."

The Herculean tasks that Steven faces are curing the effective amnesia of his friends and also reaching Spinel so that she will abandon her evil ways. The former mission commences with staging Looney Tunes style threats to trigger a merging that is key to "Universe" lore. Stage Two involves using the power of music to jog the memories of  the good gems to soothe the savage beast that threatens all. This includes having the show go on despite our heroes facing the end of the world as they know it.

The appeal of "Movie" is that, like Thanos, Spinel is looking to do the wrong thing arguably for the right reason. Although those of us who massively have been ditched in the worst possible way reasonably feel resentful, inflicting any (let alone global) collateral damage simply is not cool. 

This being a cartoon by a major Hollywood studio for a basic-cable network ensures a happy ending for our Scooby gang and the planet. Seeing where our heroes go from here requires watching S6 when it premieres on Cartoon Network.

The best feature among the DVD bonus extras is the 27-minute "Behind the Curtain" documentary that starts with Sugar discussing how a "don't try this at home" mishap inspires the "Movie" plot. Thus leads to assembling her team, who go on a retreat to hash out that idea and take things from there. The feature "Rebecca Pitches Act 3" discusses the fruits of those labors of love. The fable here is that collaboration and respecting the input of all leads to very good things. 

Olive Signature, which is the exceptional collector's edition division of Olive Films, does the 1945 Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman classic "The Bells of St. Mary's" more than proud as to the November 26, 2019 pristine Blu-ray release of that Oscar-winning classic. The typical sturdy artful sleeve, the comprehensive written essay, and the equally educational and entertaining BD bonus features are pure Signature in a manner that shows that Olive ain't just whistlin' Dixie as to its motto "cinema lives here."

Crosby reunites (and it feels so good) with legendary veteran writer/director/producer Leo McCarey to continue the story of Crosby's Oscar-winning Father Chuck O'Malley from "Going My Way." The Crosby-style charm and wit of that man of the cloth likely provides the Catholic Church with its best propaganda of the '40s. (A BD bonus feature provides copious enlightenment as to the biopic-worthy career of McCarey.) 

Our story begins with O'Malley arriving at the titular House of God in his capacity as the new pastor. The circumstances regarding this change-of-command reflect the not-uncommon real-life situation in which a priest well past his prime is a figurehead, and the penguins run the aquarium. This plays a role as to the ready-for-primetime O'Malley sometimes leaving stern but loving Sister Benedict (Bergman) with egg on her face. 

The aforementioned Crosby style particularly shines in early scenes in which he inadvertently rings the school bell an hour before the beginning of classes and later shows the students that there is a new Sheriff Taylor in town. Benedict particularly is not amused as to the largess of the new boss but holds her tongue, as she amazingly does throughout the film. 

An early highlight is O'Malley being unaware of why the nuns validly are laughing during his introduction of himself to them; one can say that the cat has got the tongues of his audience, 

An even more adorable scene come roughly halfway through the film; we see the first-graders rehearsing their version of the Nativity story. Much of this involves a very young Joseph knocking on doors only to be told to take a powder because he does not have any money.

The central conflict between O'Malley and Benedict is highly relatable in this modern era of church closings, The necessity of funds for repairs already has required selling the former playground of the property. Developer Horace P. Bogadus (Henry "Clarence" Travers) is making solid progress with his building on that site and has his eyes on the school as the location of a parking lot. 

Laid-back O'Malley is accepting the strong probability that the St. Mary's students will need to be bused to St. Vincent's across town. Benedict has a perish the thought attitude regarding the closure of her home. A "God will get you for that" attitude of O'Malley plays a role. 

The response of every viewer with a soul to a shock soon after an apparent resolution to this challenge is a prime example of the impact of this perfect film. You WILL respond as intended to every character and feel his or her pain.

Our leads also clash as to new girl in class Patsy. This girl entering adolescence prompts her single mother to convince O'Malley to give Patsy an education and a "proper" home. Of course, O'Malley responds with exceptional kindness and compassion. 

As a BD bonus in the form of an engaging interview with a nun who is a film reviewer states, it is almost certain that the mother either practices the oldest profession in the world or relies on the kindness of strangers. This bride of Christ also shares how her own experience allows her to relate to Patsy. The rest of us will think of a "Facts of Life" episode in which Eve Plumb of "The Brady Bunch" fame plays a young nun who has a profound impact on one of the Eastland girls. 

The other primary source of conflict between O'Malley and Benedict is the former making a sacrifice for the good of the latter, who incorrectly thinks that she is being punished for adhering to her principles (rather than to her principal). Once again, the real-life nun speaks for the rest of this as to her response to this. 

Every thread of the "St. Mary's" story aptly comes together at the commencement ceremony, which is one of the final times that Benedict shows O'Malley who's the boss, at the end of the film. Everyone ends up where he or she belongs in true Golden Age fashion. 

Hopefully as shown above, the blessing and the curse of "St Mary's" is that it reminds us of what movies can be. Neither O'Malley nor Benedict outwardly lose their tempers (or end up in bed together), and there is no violence or shock-and-awe humor.

One must believe that there still are filmmaker like McCarey out there. It is less likely that there are enough Americans who still have a soul to allow another "St. Marys" to return a reasonable profit. 

Awesomely independent The Film Detective continues to live up to its name and strong reputation by (almost literally) unearthing and expertly restoring the "lost and forgotten" 1959-61 syndicated anthology series "Deadline." This cousin of hit series from that era "Dragnet," which depicts "true crime" stories, uses real news stories and the men (no women at least in the first 9 episodes) as the basis for compelling tales of murder and corruption. 

An overall theme is the dedication of the real-life reporters in this period in which these heroes support truth, justice, and the American way. This dedication to "art over commerce" is refreshing in the "if it bleeds, it leads" mentality of the 21st-century and in which most cities have one reputable newspaper and a tabloid-style rag. 

The "Dragnet" (and later "The F.B.I.") similarity extends to an epilogue in which the viewer learns "the rest of the story" as to the fates of the principal players and the newshound who always gets his man or woman. 

Wonderful context comes via an included booklet that shares series trivia, episode synopses and the fascinating and intriguing real backstory of each episode, and the Society of Professional Journalist Code of Ethics. 

Veteran character actor Paul Stewart, whose 114 credits include a guest-role on the newspaper-centric drama "Lou Grant," hosts and occasionally plays a role in these 39 episodes. A melange of his narrator and a depiction of the incidents that lead up the front-page events set the stage for the investigative journalism that follows. One spoiler is that each story has a Code-era Hollywood ending in which the "innocent" obtains the best possible outcome and the malfeasor literally or figuratively ends up in the ground or as a guest of the state.

Copious pre-viewing jokes (complete with mob slang) about gangsters are prophetic as to the pilot episode "The Victor Riesel Story." Riesel is a good union man who loses his livelihood due to standing up to a corrupt takeover of his organization. Riesel continuing to speak out earns him a beatdown and threats of worse directed at both him and his nuclear family. Inadvertent humor relates to the reporter covering the story being emboldened as to a code that protects a journalist against physical harm in doing his or her job.

The aptly titled "State Scandal" further proves that the "Deadline" stories remain highly relevant in 2019. This one involves a whistleblower claim that an attractive and charming Illinois state auditor is embezzling funds via padding the state payroll. The highlights of this one include the discovered facts and the conflicted loyalties of the investigative reporter who wants to provide inquiring minds the truth. 

Two other still-timely early episodes, "Mass Murder" and "Charm Boy," have awesome shade of both "Dragnet" and fellow anthology series of the era "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." The common theme here is of an outwardly upstanding citizen committing a heinous crime for a motive as old as time.

"Murder" centers around a family man whose mother is on a flight on which the explosion of a planted bomb kills everyone. The rest of this story is that this man seemingly has a loving relationship with his mother, whose generosity includes providing seed money and sweat equity as to his drive-in restaurant. Like his "Deadline" colleagues, the reporter follows the Sherlock Holmes principle of going where the evidence leads him.

"Charm Boy" is as engaging as the titular newlywed around whom this story is centered. The undisputed facts are that this man, who lives with his mother-law and runs the butcher shop of his deceased father-in-law, and his wife are followed from a movie theater to their home. It also is known that the transient (a.k.a. bum) who follows the wife onto the front porch while the husband tends to the trash cans is armed (but not necessarily dangerous).

Increasing doubt remains to the subsequent events that lead to both the bum and the pretty young spouse ending up dead. Meanwhile, the new widower is the subject of copious sympathy and admiration. 

The broadest appeal of this series relates to the human-nature aspects of the stories and the concept that truth often is stranger than fiction. This set also reflects the Unreal TV principle that the best series to own are those that are not heavily syndicated. 

Detective supplements all this with a 25-minute DVD special-feature in which broadcast journalism professor Joe Alicastro discusses how the news business has changed in the decades between the airing of "Deadline" and 2019. We also get a series trailer.

Lionsgate timely released "Ancient Aliens" S12 V1 on November 19, 2019 less than a week after the November 15, 2019 broadcast of the final episode of that season of that still-going-strong History Channel documentary series. This release also is the latest "Aliens" one (including a reviewed epic 10th anniversary set) from Lionsgate. 

As prior posts on these releases note, the best broad perspective with which to view these episodes is that no one has proven that aliens capable of visiting Earth do not exist. Narrowing in, an inquiring mind that wants to know should consider that the odds are not in our favor as to our blue marble being the only planet in the universe (or even our galaxy) regarding factors converging in a way that an "advanced" civilization develops.

The final perspective is the importance of remembering that there is your side, the side of the other guy, and the truth. 

This set starts out very strong with the season-premiere "Return to Antarctica" episode. The experts and the witnesses who discuss theories as to what lies beneath the thick ice layer that encases the ground of that continent evoke strong thoughts of both the equally intriguing sci-fi television franchise "Stargate" and the cult-classic John Carpenter film "The Thing." 

Much of theme of this one is that the brothers from another planet use concealed artificial caverns for ingress and egress to secret bases. A Navy veteran shares his accounts of seeing UFOs and of rescuing a petrified research team ala the chum in "Thing."

One of the more entertaining recounts in "Antarctica" is of a three-way dogfight between Allied, Axis, and alien flying machines. This is part of a segment on Hitler looking to the stars for an edge.

"The Badlands Guardian" centers around the titular Canadian geoglyph and has a similar theme of exploring below the surface as "Antarctica." The idea is that this huge image of a what may be an indigenous person, an alien, or a love child of the two is intended for use by spacecraft. This ties into the regular "Aliens" theme that all humans may be descendants of  beings from other planets.

"Element 115" is another strong entry; this one largely focuses on the Roswell crashes. The main expert this time is a scientist who asserts that the titular element is of alien origin and allows for space travel. The rest of the story is that the US is working to adapt that technology. Engaging analysis of footage from the US military supports the theory that such a craft exists. 

"The Star Gods of Sirius" focuses on beings from the "B" star making contact in ancient times to help us advance. Once again, artifacts are shared for the purpose of supporting that theory.

Further entertainment comes in the form of exploring under the sea, asserting that there is more to the Mayans than meets the eye, and showing similarities between Druids and Mormons as to the origins of their beliefs. This evolves to episodes that assert that aliens are skilled geneticists. 

The good news for believers regarding all this is that it supports their beliefs; the good news for agnostics is that it is acknowledged that somethings are tough to explain; the good news for everyone else is that "Aliens" is highly entertaining and is well-produced.

Film Movement provides perfect double-feature fodder by separately releasing DVDs of teen-angst movie "Genese" (2018) and coming-of-age topic du jour "The Demons" (2015) on November 19, 2019, Both movies are semi-auto-biographical as to writer/director Philippe Lesage.

The accolades for "Demons" include a well-deserved "New Director" award for Lesage at the 2016 San Francisco International Film Festival. 

The figurative titular malevolent entities plague 10 year-old suburban boy Felix. The experiences of this pre-adolescent provide the perfect context for the quirky teen boy around whom "Genese" revolves. Other numerous parallels as to this film include both opening with classroom scenes of shiny happy students. Additionally, both boys have close friends whose mothers have serious embarrassing issues. 

Much of the angst in the life of Felix revolves around his parents having violent fights only to calm down and hug it out with him and his older brother and older sister. This is a factor as to the older brother being loving and protective of Felix. This relationship symbolically plays itself out in "Genese."

Felix having a sensitive nature that manifests itself in aggressive behavior makes his school days challenging. The aforementioned opening moments include a teacher outwardly being cruel by strictly enforcing a rule against lending Felix a pencil; a similar bias plays out in "Genese."

Felix spending much of his time hanging out with his older brother and the teen friends of that sibling puts a boy in the world of a man. This includes playing on his fears as to a rash of local kidnappings and killings of boys of his age. The older guys also speaking critically about one of their peers being gay also causes Felix, who is displaying blatant homosexual tendencies, equally intense angst. 

Some gay men and their childhood friends will relate to a play date in which Felix literally has his buddy play the female role. Scenes that revolve around the snatching and the killing of boys will strike a stronger chord with every viewer.

The skill of Lesage as to portraying a boy nearing the cusp of adolescence and another approaching the end of that awkward period is what makes his films Movement worthy and SCREAM for watching them as a double feature. Lesage expertly straddles the line between sensitive and saccharine.

​You will feel the agony and the ecstasy of the subjects but never will feel that you are watching either an "After-School Special" or a Greg Berlanti or Ryan Murphy tale of the adolescence of those Millennial gay men idols. 

The Mill Creek Entertainment separate November 19, 2019 DVD and Blu-ray releases of (reviewed) "Ultraman Orb: Series and Movie" and topic du jour "Ultraman GEED: Series and Movie" continues the "be true to your school" MCE principle of faithfully continuing to make entries in a franchise available, Today's releases follow October 2019 MCE DVD and BD sets (including AWESOME steelbook BDs) of (reviewed) "Ultra Q" and (reviewed) "Ultraman." This is not to mention an MCE steelbook of sci-fi classic "Mothra" from the good folks who produce the "Ultra" titles. 

Watching all four "Ultra" series in Blu-ray removes any doubt that the pristine (often vivid) images and crystal-clear sound of that format is worth the upgrade from DVD. However, consistent experience with MCE allows confidently stating that those "Ultra" versions also are well remastered. 

Like all good sci-fi and offerings that keep franchises alive, "GEED" does not break what does not need fixing. It also borrows elements from the genre to which it remains completely faithful. 

The highly flawed but most relatable "GEED" perspective for American fanboys is that "GEED" is a mash-up between the "Power Rangers" and the current "The Flash" series. Not that there is anything wrong with that. 

The strong "Rangers" elements begin with the action sequences that almost universally pit comically odd and large monsters against one or more (often equally large) hero in "Rangers" style armor. The similarities extend to heavy doses of Japanese style juvenile comic relief. There are prat falls, excessive demonstrations of fear, and live-action anime antics galore.

"Flash" elements begin with our adorkable 20-something hero Riku Asakura initially having moderate meta abilities that he does not understand. He, ala Luke Skywalker, soon learns that his parentage blesses him with special powers that destine him for greatness.

The first member of Team GEED is cowardly snail-like alien Pega. Pilot episode developments lead to these friends/roommates discovering an advanced underground command center ala the headquarters of the titular "Torchwood" in that Doctor Who spin-off. This soon becomes their home with the help of their Gideon-style AI friend REM. 

The "Rangers" aspect of "GEED" is especially strong in early episodes in which a possessor of a "little star" attracts the monster of the week by publicly displaying the power that that celestial object bestows on that chosen one. This leads to Riku transforming into the titular hero to come to the aid of the threatened innocent. This, in turn, culminates in the star transforming into a "super capsule" that Ultraman GEED adds to his utility belt as a tool against current and future evil.

These early episodes also have Riku assemble his avenging team of close friends that mostly are close to his own age. A strong "Flash" aspect of this is the group is his essential foster sister, who  works for a covert "Men in Black" organization that eliminates alien threats with extreme prejudice. That woman reminding her potential rival of childhood shared baths with Riku shows the depth of her feelings for the group leader. 

Bumbling corporate drone family man Leito "Cisco" Igaguri provides wonderful old-school elements and much of the aforementioned hilarity. Ala the "Ultraman" origin story, Leito severely injuring himself in a selfless heroic act is the start of a beautiful (and highly symbiotic) relationship with Ultraman Zero, who less selflessly needs a meat suit, 

Leito is a classic Clark Kent down to the dorky horn-rimmed glasses. He stumbles and stutters through his daily routine until looming danger requires that this lovable humble shoeshine boy transforms into champion of justice Underdog.

The "GEED" film for the ones-season series follows the sci-fi spirit of seven seasons and a movie. This well-produced film provides copious "GEED" and Ultraverse lore. We see how it all began, witness one character have a change-of-heart, and have the treat of all of our heroes getting their chances to shine. This is not to mention Riku essentially hanging up his cape after an existential crisis that includes self-doubt after failing a "chosen one" test.

All of this tying into a literal earth-shattering threat and the Ultraverse version of The Green Lantern Corps helping out is a nice bonus. Of course, an epic final battle ensues.

The moral to this tale as old as time is to respect the voice of experience. The real-life Team Ultra has been doing their thing for 50 years when they produce this latest (but hopefully not last) entry in the franchise. They always do it right and are experts at respecting the past at the same time that they keep things fresh.

Mill Creek Entertainment once again proves itself to be a fanboy god by separately releasing DVD and Blu-ray sets of "Ultraman GEED" and our current topic "Ultraman Orb" (2016) on November 19, 2019. These come on the heels of MCE October 2019 "Ultra" releases that are the topics of prior posts that can be found in the MCE section of this site.

Part of the genius of these "Ultra" series, which relates to the genius of their American cousins "Power Rangers" series, is that that they purposefully target actual 12 year-old boys and the inner 12 year-old boy in all of us. This consists of bright-and-bold action, truly hilarious broad comedy, and always bringing something new to the table while incorporating fresh elements. This is why this 50 year-old franchise (ala "Scooby-Doo") still is growing strong. 

Speaking of "Scooby," our central group of "meddling kids" investigate and report on X Files under the name "Something Search People." The game of three is easy as to this group in that one definitely would want to marry level-headed tomboy/den mother Cap, "mate" with adorable excitable boy Jetta, and snuff the brains/mad scientist of the operation Shin. 

Unbeknownst to the gang to varying degrees for varying periods, their buddy Gai is the titular main man this time; his old-school elements include relying on a power surge that last for three minutes to rise to the occasion and vanquish the evil alien monster that is the threat of the week. Suffice to to say that the source of his needed boosts are elemental.

Gleefully evil arch-nemesis Juggler contributes ample amounts of campy fun. Not having watched every "Orb" episode precludes stating whether Juggler ever actually steals candy from a baby.

"Orb" evokes thoughts of the Ted Turner ecotoon "Captain Planet and the Planeteers." The comparison begins with the elements of wind, fire, earth, and water separately being key aspects of the first several episodes. These begins with a variation of the films "Twister" and "The Wizard of Oz" as to the SSP crew getting caught up in a tornado in which they witness a battle between the monster behind that destructive force and a robot-like man whom they come to know as their superfriend. 

The "fire" episode is one of the most clever and dramatic. Ultraman temporarily saves the day as to a "second sun" that is massively speeding up climate change. This leads to his crashing to earth and convalescing with more than a little help from his friends. A cute and funny epilogue has Jetta getting worked up over a universal sin of a roommate only to quickly find that the culprit is honorable.

The "water" episode is a pure delight. The foul brother from another planet in this one is making water supplies incredibly malodorous. Jetta finds this out the hard way while taking a shower. Very family-friendly hi-jinks in a Japanese bath house provide additional charm.

The lore-establishing episodes lead to a delightful tale in which an alien lures a clueless Cap into a trap that is designed to capture her friend Kai. 

All of this culminates with the "Orb" movie that fulfills its duties to be even bigger and bolder than the series and to include an epic battle that results in an equally spectacular finale. An especially Scooby aspect this time is that much of the action centers around a mysterious mansion that provides the setting for a classic Scooby style chase through rooms and hallways.

That home plays a key role in an Earth-threatening plot by an evil alien sorceress, who essentially wants her precious. Juggler also plays a key and somewhat ambiguous role in the form of often doing the right thing while asserting that he is doing so for the wrong reason. 

Our other key player is an Ultraman who has a "Tron" like existence in that he is living in the most advanced Gameboy ever. He sets much of the above in motion by seeking out the SSP team because of their association with Gai. 

One of the most exciting scenes involves a revelation to which the boys have an infectious reaction.

The enthusiasm and skill with which the cast and crew produce these adventures make what could be cheesy effect and wooden acting a true delight that does the "Ultraverse" proud.​

A 'del'athon of posts on home-video releases of the films and performances of genuine wit Del Shores continues with the Mama of all his films; "Sordid Lives" (2000) is the one that makes Shores a household name in WeHo, SoHo, and many other Hos. The franchise includes the (reviewed) "A Very Sordid Wedding" and "Sordid Lives: The Series." 

An amazing surprise as to the blu-ray version of "Lives" is that the pristine video and audio and the depth of the images when watched in 4K greatly enhance the "live-stage" vibe of watching this film based on the play of the same name. 

This tale of a working-class family in a fly-over county aptly has 10 festival wins under its enormous silver belt buckle. These include the Best Feature honor at the 2000 Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival, "best in show" honors for both Shores and the film at the 2000 Memphis International Film Festival, and "Best Feature" and Best Actor (Leslie Jordan) wins at the 2000 New York International Independent Film and Video Festival.

The following SPOILER-LADEN aptly titled trailer for "Lives" shows how this film is a wonderfully raunchier and darker version of the southern-fried '80scom "Mama's Family (nee "The Family" on "The Carol Burnett Show.")

This sordid tale centers around Sissy Hickey (Beth Grant), who is forced into the overlapping roles of therapist and far-from-teenage diplomat in the wake (no pun intended) of the recent death of her sister Peggy under highly scandalous circumstances. Suffice it to say that the man who plays a role in that demise lacks a leg on which to stand as to escaping culpability.

Shores deftly orchestrates the inter-related (pun intended) action between four arenas of action before gathering at least most of the usual suspects for the climatic main event that is relatable to people of every socioeconomic group.

The abode of Sissy literally provides the "meanwhile" at the ranch element of this two days in the valley of the dolts. Even more epic hilarity ensues as her sibling Earl "Brother Boy" Ingram (Jordan) is enduring a decades' long unfortunate incarceration in a mental hospital. He is being treated for the twin "diseases" of being a homosexual and for a strong urge to go Full Minnie in impersonating Tammy Wynette and other first ladies of country music. 

The conversion therapy session between Brother Boy and "Mommie Dearest" style psychiatrist Dr. Eve Bollinger proves that Shores is the lover child of Tennessee Williams and John Waters. The battle of wills between doctor and patient is classic for reasons that extend well beyond an argument as to a failed masturbation experiment. 

Delta Burke of the classic southcom "Designing Women" steals the show as woman scorned Noleta Nethercott, who tracks down husband GW (Beau Bridges) at the local dive bar. Burke fully channels loose cannon Suzanne Sugarbaker in finding felonious inspiration from "Thelma and Louise." Although Bridges is well cast as a good ole boy forced to humiliating pay a litany of sins, armchair casting suggests that real-life Burke spouse Gerald "Major Dad" McRaney would have been a better choice. The appearances of McRaney on "Designing Women" show that he has wonderful on-screen chemistry with his equal half.

The final piece of the puzzle is the most autobiographical part for Shores. The death of his grandmother forces successful and dreamy gay  actor Ty Williamson (Kirk Geiger) to confront several conflicting emotions. He is happy and well-adjusted as to his life in Los Angeles but closeted and unhappy as to his relationship with the folks back home.

Most of the scenes with Ty occur during a session with a therapist who is much more compassionate and skilled than Dr. Eve (of destruction). Even many gay men who are coming-of-age in our overall more enlightened era of marriage equality and of being able to both ask and tell (not to mention show and tell) can relate to his family not fully embracing this adorable boy whom anyone would love to have live next door. 

All of this amounts to a film that, in addition to the similarities with "Family," can be thought of as a toned-down David Lynch movie about Mayberry. Shores provides needed warmth as to this nostalgia regarding a small town in which everyone knows each other, and whose own "quirks" allow finding amusement in the eccentricities of his or her fellow man and woman. 

The bigger picture is that Shores shows that excellent writing and a strong cast that fully embraces his or her role are important elements for a film that remains funny and does not look dated nearly 20 years after its release. 

CBS Home Entertainment gives folks who do not subscribe to CBS All Access a chance to watch the subject of the massive recent buzz from the Trekverse by releasing "Star Trek: Discovery" on DVD, Blu-ray, AND Blu-ray steelbook on November 12, 2019.

The excitement relates to the Discovery crew encountering the Enterprise and Captain Christopher Pike assuming command of the former. This plays a role in a search for Spock (who may have acted out of concluding that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few).

One spoiler is that "Trek" deity Bryan Fuller exceeds all high expectations as to all the above and so much more; seeing the tech. of this show set 10 years before the OS period being so much more advanced, brighter, and bolder than that as to the exploits of Team Kirk remains mind bobbling. 

The following trailer for "Discovery" S2 highlights the feature-film production values, the aforementioned OS elements, and the underlying mission that drives much of the action. This is not to mention a taste of the charm and broad appeal of everyone's favorite "Rent" boy Anthony Rapp as Lt. Commander Paul Stamets.

S2 begins with things being relatively back to normal after the S1 parallel universe adventures, conflict with the Klingons, and copious ship-board drama. Things change on receiving a distress signal from the Starfleet flagship Enterprise. Although the ensuing rendez-vous alters the execution of Pike taking charge, this ties into prior unfortunate circumstances leading to Pike being the new boss. Subsequent unfortunate circumstances lead to Pike staying in charge longer than initially anticipated.

These events set the stage for Discovery to take the lead in investigating the phenomenon of seven signals briefly appearing and heralding (pun intended) the arrival of a mysterious entity dubbed The Red Angel. Early indications, including separately finding a crashed Starfleet ship in dire need of aid and a group of humans being rescued and relocated far, far, far from home in the distant past of 2053, are that the angels provides what is needed ala the sapceship Destiny in the "Stargate: SGU" television series. 

This presumed guardian also leads the crew to the especially alien homeworld of Commander Saru, who is fresh off a identity-changing incident. This trek involves both a family reunion and unvcovering a hidden historical truth.

Team Fuller expertly builds on this solid foundation by expanding on the themes of the series and the larger "Trek" lore. Much of this revolves around the relationship between Spock (who actively affirms that he likes science) and his adopted sister Discovery First Officer Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green).  S2 provides Burnham massive closure and related inconvenient truths. The lifting of childhood guilt that has haunted her to her present provides little solace.

Arguably the best treat revolves around the Pike lore; a sort of a homecoming awesomely ties into OS even more spectacularly than the "Trials and Tribble-ations" episode of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." The "previously on" episode-opening segment on this "Discovery" outing is must-see. 

We also get heavy shades of "Terminator" as to Team Pike undertaking numerous "Trek" style life-threatening missions so that the universe can avoid a dark fate. These heroics involving copious amounts of time-travel and physics for dummies further elates the hearts of trekkies and trekkers alike. 

The plethora of special features include two separate "Short Treks" that separately feature Saru annoyingly cheerful and flaky Ensign Sylvia "Neelix" Tilly. We also get "Star Trek: Discovery: The Voyage of Season Two," "Enter the Enterprise," and "The Red Angel." 

The insufferable Tilly warrants special notice in that she reflects an element of "Star Trek: The Next Generation." That series has the almost as loathsome teen genius/Class-A dork Wesley Crusher, who provides real-life adolescent misfits of science  a role model. Tilly serves the important role of inspiring awkward science geek girls to pursue their dreams despite the social cost of doing so. Like Crusher, Tilly is a valued (and surprisingly liked) member of the Discovery crew. 

Deity to lovers of classic and/or obscure movies, The Film Detective fully puts the turkey back into Turkey Day with a pristine 4K restoration (complete with "Mystery Science Theater 3000" version) of the 1962 scifi cult classic "Eegah" on November 26, 2019. The Turkey Day tie-in dates back to '90s-era MST3K Thanksgiving marathons of the best episodes of this series that hilariously and relentlessly riffs on movies that are "the worst we can find."

An unintentionally amusing element of "Eegah" is that its 1955 Mexican release date is April 1. 

The true MST3K gems are the ones such as "Eegah" in which the roasted fowl itself is highly entertaining and creator/head writer/host Joel Hodgson (later Mike Nelson, no relation) and the "bots" that join him in watching B-movies are fully on their game both in their riffing and the bumper skits. The voice of experience advises to not eat cereal while watching these frequent trifecta offerings; Apple Jacks will become airborne. 

The ONLY complaints about "Eegah" are that the MST3K gang NEVER mentions the '70s cartoon "Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels" or the 1992 Pauly Shore teencom "Encino Man" and misses a chance for a  PERFECT reference as to wannabe teen idol Arch Hall, Jr. commenting in "Eegah" that he is taking his beloved dune buggy off road. Even moderate MST3K fans are sure to yell out "Roads?! Where we're going, we don't need roads." Lesser sins of omission are not referencing Kristin Shepard or Joe Gillis in a climatic scene, 

The MANY ways in which the almost non-stop clever quips more than compensates for the omissions include a clever reference to the 1963 star-laden comedy "Its a Mad Mad Mad Mad World."

The "True Palm Springs Story" behind "Eegah" is just as entertaining as the action in this film about the titular caveman (Richard "Jaws" Kiel) looking for love in all the wrong places. As blonde surfer dude star Arch Hall, Jr. tells it in an interview for the blu-ray, he and his father simply decide to run a low-budget scifi film up the flagpole and see if any teens salute.

As Hodgson states in a separate DVD extra, the pandering to the target audience includes giving the kids all they love in the form of numerous elements that include rock-and-roll and a character who wants to be a Flintstone (a little baby Flintstone). Hearing about when Joel meets Arch years after brutally verbally bashing the latter is another interview highlight.

Our story fully begins after roughly 10 minutes of (sometimes comically obvious) exposition. Love interest Roxy is driving her two-seater convertible down a desert road when she runs into Eegah (name written in blood). She lives at least another day to tell her tale to father Mr. Miller (Arch, Sr.) and boyfriend Tom (Arch Jr.).

This soon leads to the "watch out for snakes" reference that is an all-time Misties favorite. Mr. Miller then makes a desert crossing that initially gives Tom glee in the form of getting to show off his speed buggy. Subsequent events show that a father and daughter reunion is only a booty call away. 

Their unfortunate incarceration in the land of the lost allows the Millers to meet the parents and to ponce on the origin story of their host. (The missed opportunity here is the Sherwood Schwartz failedcom "It's About Time" that has two astronauts time travel to prehistoric times.)  

It is equally predictable that a successful escape is not the end of the story; Our brother from another era fully finds himself in the modern world on coming in search of his bride. Needless to say that this blast from the past with a variation of a shotgun wedding does not lead to happily ever after. 

The broadest appeal of this pleasure that does not provide any cause to feel guilty is that it is a strong example of the Saturday afternoon matinee fare that delights and amuses in a manner that keeps MST3K initially on the air for 11 years and has it find new life on Netflix. The next layer is that Arch Jr. has infectious youthful exuberance for his role. He literally is born to play an an OC everydude. 

On  a related note, this "lost episode" release comes two years after the final DVD release of every MST3K episode for which licensing is not a fatal obstacle. (Owning the quickly recalled due to licensing issues Volume 10 is a point of personal pride.) This makes "Eegah" comparable to fans of the classic '50scom "The Honeymooners" getting to own rare episodes of that series that are not part of "the original 39."

It is highly advised to pre-order two copies of the 1,500 copies of this limited-edition release. This allows keeping one for yourself and watching it on Turkey Day and giving the fanboy in your life the second one for a holiday gift.

The only proper way to end these musings is to say "push the button, Frank." 

Mill Creek Entertainment provides a chance to see a prequel done right as to the October 29, 2019 Blu-ray release of "The Thing" (2011), which is an awesome homage to the 1982 John Carpenter cult classic of the same name. As the "must-see" bonus feature "'The Thing' Evolves" clearly shows, the filmmakers meticulously follow the principle of the devil being in the details to the extent of recruiting actors in Norway to play the crew of the Norwegian research station around which this origin story is centered.

MCE deserves an even more hearty slap on the back for the expert job producing the BD. The panoramic opening shots of snow and ice are almost blinding, and the sound is so crisp that you will hear and feel every crack of ice. This is not to mention the depth of these and all other shots. 

Our story begins with our modern-day Vikings searching for the source of a mysterious signal; discovering in one of the worst possible ways that a long-buried alien spaceship is the culprit figuratively (and almost literally) is the tip of the iceberg. These scientists learn that the last visitor from a distant planet to exit the craft left the door open.

Finding that careless individual encased in ice leads to paleontologist Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) coming to the great white north because she thinks that it is a beauty way to go. Her companions include boyfriend Adam Finch (Eric Christian Olsen) and his boss, 

Jubilation soon turns to horror as our international group of friends soon become chum for the titular monster. Ala "The Invasion of the Body Snatchers," the ability of the brother from another planet to replicate and possess any living organism both creates reasonable paranoia and complicates the task of putting the genie back in the bottle,

Much of the rest of "Thing" takes on a perverse "Tom and Jerry" theme as the roles of hunter and hunter frequently shift. Inarguably the best scene in this film with award-worthy effects involves showing the extent to which the big bad is a karma chameleon. A still functional detached limb doing its thing at PRECISELY the right moment alone is worth "the price of admission." 

This mayhem and increasingly frayed nerves related to it becoming increasingly clear that no one may be whom he or she seems to be leads to an inevitable "Alien" style showdown. The epilogue that plays out during the closing credits provides the missing link between the prequel and the main event.

The epilogue to this post is that the prequel provides valued closure more than 35 years after the release of the original. It also shows that classic scifi is timeless in style and substance.

The Film Movement DVD release of the 2013 Italian Gothic psychological thriller "Ritual: A Psychomagic Story" awesomely takes the concept of "50 Shades of Gray" to an exceptional level and celebrates the true spirit of feminism.

Vulnerable Lia is catnip to controlling manipulative Viktor from the moment that they meet; one spoiler is that both display their crazy long before there are any thoughts of putting a ring on it.

Viktor supplementing his compliment of the self-designed dress that Lia is wearing by suggesting that she complement it with the shackle-like bling that he apparently carries around for such chance meetings is the first of many warning signs. 

Things "progress" to insanely jealous Viktor exerting increasing control over Lia to the point that she literally drops her panties as his command. Further kink comes courtesy of Viktor blindfolding his willing victim. 

Lia finding herself with bastard introduces further drama in the relationship. Viktor insisting that Lia terminate the pregnancy does not help matters.

The audience being a fly on the wall during therapy sessions that earn Lia portrayor Desiree Giorgetti at least a festival award provides further context for the dynamics of her relationship with Viktor. This relates to her premature introduction to womanhood being horrific for her. 

A rude awakening convinces Viktor to reverse his denial of a request by Lia for a therapeutic visit with her aunt Agata, who lovingly raised Lia after the death of her mother. The icing on the cake is that Agata lives in the beautiful old family villa, The fly in the ointment is Viktor crashing the family reunion.

The rest of this portion of the story is that Agata is either a new-age healer or a witch depending on the mindset of the beholder, No one can dispute that she gets wonderful results for those who consult her.

The Shakespearean magic of this idyllic locale includes the nicest kids in town taking Lia under their wings. This offsets an highly psychological haunting.

All of this culminates in a titular rite that reinforces the girl power theme of the film.

The appeal of this character study is that Lia is a character well worth studying. 

The Icarus Films DVD of the 2017 Chinese drama "The Widowed Witch" helps bring one of the most stylized and bizarre (not to mention honestly cynical) films in the past few years to North American audiences. Whether "Witch" casts its spell on you partially depends on whether you believe in magic (i.e., whether you believe that you believe that you do.) A related note is that if your mission is magic,your love will shine through. 

The accolades for this bizarre comically tragic mash-up of the '60scoms "Bewitched" and "The Andy Griffith Show" include director/writer Cai Chengjie winning the coveted Tiger Award at the 2018 Rotterdam International Film Festival. Star Tian Tian equally deserves the Best New Actress trophy that she brings home from the 2018 Chinese Young Generation Film Forum. 

The visually artistic elements of "Witch" extend beyond the very sharp cinematography to the shifts between color and black-and-white with some scenes having elements of both. The symbolical use of this technique expands on the use of it in the 1998 Tobey Maguire film "Pleasantville," which also has a strong connection with "TV Land" series. 

The real action begins after a prologue. The camera is from the POV of the titular sorceress Er Hao, who newly is a three-time loser regarding husbands. She is paralyzed and initially silently witnesses the conclusion of the ritual that is credited with saving her life. 

Er Hao soon learns of Husband Number Three dying in an explosion at his fireworks factory that also is the home of the couple. The ensuing violation is almost as sickening to the viewer as it is to Er Hao. 

The rest of the story is that young Er Hao having buried three husbands is a major factor regarding the superstitious rubes in her rural village both believing that she is a witch and shunning her based on that conclusion.

A homeless Er Hao soon discovers that her only options for shelter involve requiring that she allow men who hold the keys to have their way with her, This is the first of many instances in "Witch" in which someone with something to gain does not mind consorting with a bride of Satan if that association involves a benefit.

These desperate times drive (pun intended) Er Hao and her deaf 10 year-old brother-in-law to take up residence in a panel van. It soon becomes clear that that downfall does not satisfy some angry villagers. An early confrontation indicates that Cai Chenjie is a fan of "Back to the Future III."

The interpretation of the results of a hilarious oversight by Er Hao in this portion of the film further establishes her cred, as a magical being; other humor relates to the aforementioned shifting sentiments regarding whether our lead is a good witch or a bad witch.

Er Hao fully plays the survival game when charged with ridding a home of a spirit; the rubes readily accept her statement that that ghost busting requires an extended stay in the house, 

The best flip-flopping is saved for last; we really see that an irate mob has no shame when the locals come looking for help after inflicting a humiliating punishment on Er Hao related to the same manner in which they essentially asking that she twitch her nose and put right what once went wrong at the hands of the supplicants. 

The nature of this film that is made far from California makes it just as likely that it lacks a Hollywood ending as it is that Er Hao marries a loving advertising executive and raises a family with him in the suburbs. 

As indicated early in this post and as shown throughout, the primary appeal of "Witch" beyond the exceptional surface elements is the mirror that reflects every society. "Respectable" people are very quick to spit on outcasts until they almost inevitable require assistance from that undesirable. 

Olive Films truly earns the superlative awesome regarding following up the Olive BD release of the previously suppressed 1946 John Huston documentary on WWII PTSD "Let There Be Light" with the BD release of the 1955 Oscar-nominated semi-docupic "Strategic Air Command." "Light" includes a real-life Army fly boy Jimmy Stewart hosted WWII-era recruiting film for pilots. "Strategic" stars Stewart as fictional retired Army WWII pilot/current baseball phenom Robert "Dutch" Holland, who gets called back into service.


The blu-ray enhancements to the then-state-of-the-art VistaVision that is used to film "Strategic" greatly adds to watching the epic scenes in this film that centers around aviation.


The following YouTube clip of the "Strategic" theatrical trailer nicely illustrates (pun intended) the aforementioned good cinematography and the apt dramatic style of the film.

Dutch is living the American dream at the beginning of "Strategic;" he is a star with the St. Louis Cardinals, is married to the lovely and loving Sally (June Allyson), and even has a wonderful relationship with his in-laws. All this changes when his former commander/Army buddy shows up with the bad news that Holland is being called into active duty. 


The rationale is that maintaining the Cold War era peace requires that the titular branch of the Air Force constantly patrols the skies for the unstated (but clearly implied) red menace that threatens the American way of life. This logic includes that this program requires the skills of Stewart and others who flew during "The Big One."


The awesomeness of "Strategic" extends beyond building on the earlier Stewart film. Holland accepts his fate and does not make run for the Canadian border but also does not start waving the flag or otherwise exhibit an ounce of enthusiasm for his new career. The realism continues with Holland getting a less-than-warm-welcome at the front gate of his new base and soon learning that rank does not always have its privileges when it comes to military housing,


For her part, Sally is a dedicated military wife to a point. She contentedly uproots herself to live in the aforementioned fixer-upper accommodation and is supportive regarding the demands of the new job of her husband. However, she has her limits and reaches them.


Great behind-the-scenes insight in "Strategic," which is made with the cooperation of the actual SAC, include a scene surrounding a security drill and a separate segment that provides a detailed tour of the then-state-of-the-art  B-36 bomber.


The B-36 additionally has a prominent role in the climatic final scene. Stewart suffers a disabling (and mission-threatening) relapse of a physical problem while commanding a rigorous mission on a B-36, and Sally is not a content spouse.


The effectiveness of "Strategic" extends well beyond the aforementioned realistic tone of the film; the filmmakers pull off a Hollywood ending that does not make your teeth ache.

The Icarus Films DVD release of the 2015 documentary within a documentary "A Quest for Meaning" aptly is off a nature that makes writing about it a challenge for unenlightened souls. Fully appreciating the film that is the latest in a strong Icarus collaboration with Bullfrog Films requires abandoning a cynical view of the world that results from the "stinking thinking" that largely is responsible for most of us not being at peace with the real real world. 

​The following YouTube clip of the Icarus trailer for "Meaning" creates a strong hunger for more of the abundant food for thought in the film.

The aforementioned cynicism quickly enters the picture on learning about the tellers of the tale; the intent of 20-something narrator Nathanael Coste in sharing that he and his partner-in-filmmaking Marc de la Menardiere are wealthy Manhattan party monsters who are seeking deeper knowledge likely resonates with other Millennials. Gen Xers likely will be as turned off regarding this self-indulgent exercise in the same manner that this demographic responds to the college kid who works at Starbucks providing a greeting of Namaste. 

Cynicism remaining regarding the messengers soon takes a backseat to the copious insightful messages that the film contains. The inconvenient truth is that many of us will not take those messages to heart. 

These hardy boys begin our journey in India before going off to pick the best brains in France and other countries and then literally and figuratively bringing things home. A highly satisfying aspect of this is that the aforementioned more highly evolved individuals shame the "namaste" poseurs for not practicing what they preach.

A personal highlight is a talking head calling out people who meditate or practice yoga every day only to be nasty to his or her fellow man or woman the rest of the day. We also hear from someone who states that shelling out big bucks for yoga and meditation classes is a huge waste of money. 

The valid but incredibly challenging concepts that seek to put right what once went wrong center around a few guiding principles. Achieving the ideal of only using what we need (rather than acquiring wants as well) is very tough in this highly consumer-oriented society.

A truth bomb regarding what we consider happiness and other emotions is especially eye-opening. This makes the strongest case for striving to live a life of peace,  love, and understanding. At the same time, some people should avoid peeling back layers of the onion. 

We additionally learn that true enlightenment requires a strong connection with both the earth and everything else in our macro and micro universe. Hearing a theory about the actual origin of man brings this home. Another aspect of this is taking recycling to the nth degree.

One of the most thought-provoking aspects of "Meaning" relates to an urban farmer who has incredibly cute and friendly goats. This man notes that his farm is now the envy of the neighborhood. There also are many stories of urbanites (ala attorney Oliver Wendell Douglas) growing vegetables in pots. All of these folks put those of us who do not plant gardens in our large yards to shame. 

The big picture shows how we got to our present place. Most Americans grew up in households in which we wanted to show up the Joneses and in which we were not even encouraged to literally or figuratively get our hands dirty. It is hard to persuade us to strain our muscles growing our food when we can go online and get it delivered either for free or for a relatively low price.

The DVD extras include "Ego Not Bad," which is an extension of "Meaning." The narrowed focus this time is enhancing self-awareness. 

The bottom line regarding all this is "Meaning" shows that fully embracing the concept of namaste when you say it and the other person being receptive to that message are good first steps toward being truly shiny happy people, 

The coincidentally timely aspects of these musings on the 2014 DVD of the live-stage performance "Del Shores: Naked. Sordid. Reality." make it an especially good place to start a "del"athon of posts on Shores films and performances. This begins with watching "Naked" overlapping with belatedly beginning to read the May 2018 David Sedaris collection of memoirs Calypso.

The film and the auto-biography make it clear that these brilliant minor gay celebrities storytellers do not hesitate to rip the band-aids from scabbed over and fresh emotional wounds for the enjoyment of their fellow friends of Dorothy as well as the general populace. The overlap extends to Shores discussing his painful divorce and Sedaris writing about his highly significant other telling Sedaris out of the blue that he has not loved him since 2002, 

The other coincidence is that particularly personal kindness and compassion by Shores comes at a time of announcing plans to shut down this site in late 2020 after more than 10 years trying to promote independent film and to prevent Millennials and Gen Zers from not knowing about Lucy Ricardo and Raph Kramden. This scheme to cease this genuine labor of love would not occur if not but for a Hall of Shame that includes arrogant young punks who should be grateful that they do not have to stand half-naked outside an Abercrombie and Fitch and a major studio that ironically knows Jack about not biting the hand that feeds its rapidly dying home-video businesses that should follow the Gospel According to Del.

The rest of this story is that much can change in a year and that the credible rumors as the upcoming death of Matt Nelson may be premature. 

As indicated above, Shores gets much more personal in "Naked" than he does in his similar even more hilarious (reviewed) performance DVD "My Sordid Life." That one focuses more on tales from the set as to "Queer as Folk" and the Debra Messing Foxcom "Ned and Stacey." Further, a hazy memory is that Shores does not engage the "Life" audience nearly to the degree to which he makes the more intimate "Naked" fans part of the conversation, His very recent (reviewed) performance film "Six Characters in Search of a Play" falls in the middle of this Kinsey Scale, 

An early stop in this journey into the mind of Shores is the typical reminiscing about his "sordid" chldhood as the son of a Southern Baptist preacherman.  In this case, we hear about eccentric elderly members of the congregation that include an otherwise loyal widow woman who is dragged kicking and screaming to her final service. The lesson in Southern justice is the perfect climax to this segment. 

We also get a story about the real aunt who inspires the HILARIOUS chain-smoking Sissy of the "Sordid" franchise. This one, which involves our favorite friend of Dorothy and his little dog too, is highly relatable to anyone with an elderly relative. 

Dishing about a Hollywood lunch with a successful producer/friend of Shores and two Silver Age (female) movie queens fills the quota for the gossip portion of this performance. In true Shores style, the climax is a sordid detail that is close to a page out of "Lives." 

Shores follows up with tales of two cities that perfectly illustrate the sordid scope of reality TV. Our host literally takes center stage to perform a one righteous dude show of an intervention of a hoarder who is a Mama June type; Shores particularly shines in his portrayals of the adult sons (and most likely nephews) of this woman whose riches are embarrassment.

Shores wraps all of this with the aforementioned baring of his soul; this logically leads to a noteworthy (pun intended) musical performance that reasonably can be considered a song by A"del"e. 

The bittersweet conclusion to this that Shores leaves us wanting more; prior posts on his work and the remainder of this "Del"athon shows that he partially meets the bottomless demand for his wit and wisdom. Baby, you'r e the best.