Joseph Baneth Allen's Blog, page 102
July 2, 2019
Malibu Express
Just finished watching "Malibu Express" released by Mill Creek Entertainment.
Starring the ever lovely Sybil Danning and Darby Hinton, "Malibu Express" is one of writer/producer/director Andy Sidaris' classic mid-80s classic exploitation B-movies - that is perhaps considered Sidaris' top five movies
"Malibu Express" deftly lampoons the tough-guy detective movies of the 1970s and early 1980s. I suspect Darby Hinton took on the role of private investigator Cody Abilene in an attempt to cast against type - since he was popular in the role of Daniel Boone in the self titled television series.
Sybil Danning always portrays strong women who are more than what they appear to be, and her role as the Contessa Luciana is an intriguing one because - without giving too much away - the Contessa wears many hats.
Abilene, who couldn't hit the side of a barn if he was up close and personal with it, is a horrible shot. He is a good detective though and is popular with the ladies - remember this is an exploitation movie so female chest nudity is aplenty - you have been warned - and he gets hired to figure out who is stealing high valued computer secrets and selling them to enemy agents.
Soon he's investigating a murder of a chauffeur who was sleeping with everyone except Abilene and attempting to blackmail them because he owed money to a mob boss.
Now, what made "Malibu Express" intriguing, and perhaps ahead of it's time is not only does a muscle bound goon says that he wants to f_ck Abilene because he's a pretty boy, Abilene does state that he was raped and is walking with a limp when he makes this statement, saying being raped was the end to his lousy day.
While "Malibu Express" did portray gay men in a stereotypical fashion, it did show them comfortable with themselves.
I remember seeing a heavily edited version of "Malibu Express" when it was first shown on cable. Remember, while full frontal male and female nudity is ho-hum these days, it wasn't allowed even on cable channels to a great extent back when cable was in it's infancy.
Sybil Danning is what make's "Malibu Express" an enjoyable popcorn movie - and while her role is too brief, she is key to the whole movie, because without her vibrant portrayal of the Contessa Luciana, the whole movie would fall apart for lack of coherency.
A Fun Summertime Movie!
Recommended!
Five Stars with TEN STARS for Sybil Danning!*
Disclaimer - while Sybil Danning and I are "friends" here on Facebook, I have never meet Ms. Sybil Danning, but I always enjoyed her performances in the various movies she played in.
https://www.amazon.com/Malibu-Express...
Starring the ever lovely Sybil Danning and Darby Hinton, "Malibu Express" is one of writer/producer/director Andy Sidaris' classic mid-80s classic exploitation B-movies - that is perhaps considered Sidaris' top five movies
"Malibu Express" deftly lampoons the tough-guy detective movies of the 1970s and early 1980s. I suspect Darby Hinton took on the role of private investigator Cody Abilene in an attempt to cast against type - since he was popular in the role of Daniel Boone in the self titled television series.
Sybil Danning always portrays strong women who are more than what they appear to be, and her role as the Contessa Luciana is an intriguing one because - without giving too much away - the Contessa wears many hats.
Abilene, who couldn't hit the side of a barn if he was up close and personal with it, is a horrible shot. He is a good detective though and is popular with the ladies - remember this is an exploitation movie so female chest nudity is aplenty - you have been warned - and he gets hired to figure out who is stealing high valued computer secrets and selling them to enemy agents.
Soon he's investigating a murder of a chauffeur who was sleeping with everyone except Abilene and attempting to blackmail them because he owed money to a mob boss.
Now, what made "Malibu Express" intriguing, and perhaps ahead of it's time is not only does a muscle bound goon says that he wants to f_ck Abilene because he's a pretty boy, Abilene does state that he was raped and is walking with a limp when he makes this statement, saying being raped was the end to his lousy day.
While "Malibu Express" did portray gay men in a stereotypical fashion, it did show them comfortable with themselves.
I remember seeing a heavily edited version of "Malibu Express" when it was first shown on cable. Remember, while full frontal male and female nudity is ho-hum these days, it wasn't allowed even on cable channels to a great extent back when cable was in it's infancy.
Sybil Danning is what make's "Malibu Express" an enjoyable popcorn movie - and while her role is too brief, she is key to the whole movie, because without her vibrant portrayal of the Contessa Luciana, the whole movie would fall apart for lack of coherency.
A Fun Summertime Movie!
Recommended!
Five Stars with TEN STARS for Sybil Danning!*
Disclaimer - while Sybil Danning and I are "friends" here on Facebook, I have never meet Ms. Sybil Danning, but I always enjoyed her performances in the various movies she played in.
https://www.amazon.com/Malibu-Express...
July 1, 2019
"The Avengers - Steed and Tara King - The Comic Strip Adaptations - Volume Three"
Just finished listening to "The Avengers - Steed and Tara King - The Comic Strip Adaptations - Volume Three" released by Big Finish Productions.
Back during the heyday of "The Avengers," Diana Magazine - a magazine for girls in the United Kingdom, commissioned and ran a series of comic strips based on "The Avengers" as content for the magazine. First up and adapted by Big Finish Productions were the eight comic strips that featured Steed and Mrs. Peel. They were excellent audio adventures and proved to be highly popular. So much so that Big Finish Productions adapted the nest four Diana Avengers comics that featured Steed and Tara King - featuring Julian Wadham and Emily Woodward in the respective roles.
This volume of the Diana comic strip adaptations features the following stories:"It's A Wild, Wild, Wild, Wild West," "Under The Weather," "Spycraft," and "...Now You Don't."
Each full-cast audio adaption captures the good old fashioned, thrill-a-minute fun of the original television shows and show why Tara King was a worthy successor to follow the one-and-only Mrs. Peel.
Great Fun - especially when Steed has to don a cowboy suit when circumstances force him too.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
FIVE STARS!
Back during the heyday of "The Avengers," Diana Magazine - a magazine for girls in the United Kingdom, commissioned and ran a series of comic strips based on "The Avengers" as content for the magazine. First up and adapted by Big Finish Productions were the eight comic strips that featured Steed and Mrs. Peel. They were excellent audio adventures and proved to be highly popular. So much so that Big Finish Productions adapted the nest four Diana Avengers comics that featured Steed and Tara King - featuring Julian Wadham and Emily Woodward in the respective roles.
This volume of the Diana comic strip adaptations features the following stories:"It's A Wild, Wild, Wild, Wild West," "Under The Weather," "Spycraft," and "...Now You Don't."
Each full-cast audio adaption captures the good old fashioned, thrill-a-minute fun of the original television shows and show why Tara King was a worthy successor to follow the one-and-only Mrs. Peel.
Great Fun - especially when Steed has to don a cowboy suit when circumstances force him too.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
FIVE STARS!
June 17, 2019
Say Yes
Just finished watching "Say Yes" released by Text Engine Productions.
I found myself intrigued by the premise of "Say Yes" - a dying woman asks her husband to begin a relationship with her twin brother and ultimately marry him because she is dying of cancer and doesn't want him to be left alone - because my best friend's wife made a similar request to her husband and wanted him to marry me. In fact Pam was present when Rick proposed and I responded by saying "OH HELL NO!" Rick thought this was extremely funny - I didn't. Pam's reasoning, like the dying Lily's, was simple. Pam had thought at the time that she was dying and didn't want Rick to be alone and wanted him to be with someone he loved. A noble sentiment, but Pam thankfully didn't die, and while I said that Rick could live with me as my best friend if Pam passes before him, I certainly don't want to be married to him - much less sleep with him - YUCK.
I do think "Say Yes" does explore the issues of what is love and how people move on to find love anew when a loved one passes on in the most unexpected of ways.
Highly Recommended.
Four Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Say-Yes-Leah-M...
I found myself intrigued by the premise of "Say Yes" - a dying woman asks her husband to begin a relationship with her twin brother and ultimately marry him because she is dying of cancer and doesn't want him to be left alone - because my best friend's wife made a similar request to her husband and wanted him to marry me. In fact Pam was present when Rick proposed and I responded by saying "OH HELL NO!" Rick thought this was extremely funny - I didn't. Pam's reasoning, like the dying Lily's, was simple. Pam had thought at the time that she was dying and didn't want Rick to be alone and wanted him to be with someone he loved. A noble sentiment, but Pam thankfully didn't die, and while I said that Rick could live with me as my best friend if Pam passes before him, I certainly don't want to be married to him - much less sleep with him - YUCK.
I do think "Say Yes" does explore the issues of what is love and how people move on to find love anew when a loved one passes on in the most unexpected of ways.
Highly Recommended.
Four Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Say-Yes-Leah-M...
May 31, 2019
Anti-Judaism - The Western Tradition
Just finished reading "Anti-Judaism - The Western Tradition" by David Nirenberg, released by Norton.
I found "Anti-Judaism - The Western Tradition" on the shelves of the Judaic section of the Barnes & Noble here in the Town Center in Jacksonville, Florida back in 2013.
Sometimes it does take me a while to get around to reading a book.
I began studying other religions when I was in my early teenage years because I wanted to try to understand why Christianity - the so-called religion of love - and its followers hated me, my family, and other Jews because we believed in G_D alone. Mom and Dad were less than thrilled with me studying other faiths and made their displeasure vocally known, but they didn't stop me.
"Anti-Judaism - The Western Tradition" spans nearly 4,000 years of how anti-Semitism has impacted Jews across time and geographical cultures and is very enlightening has to how hate of Jews has evolved over the centuries.
Highly Recommended!
Five Stars!
https://www.amazon.com/Anti-Judaism-W...
I found "Anti-Judaism - The Western Tradition" on the shelves of the Judaic section of the Barnes & Noble here in the Town Center in Jacksonville, Florida back in 2013.
Sometimes it does take me a while to get around to reading a book.
I began studying other religions when I was in my early teenage years because I wanted to try to understand why Christianity - the so-called religion of love - and its followers hated me, my family, and other Jews because we believed in G_D alone. Mom and Dad were less than thrilled with me studying other faiths and made their displeasure vocally known, but they didn't stop me.
"Anti-Judaism - The Western Tradition" spans nearly 4,000 years of how anti-Semitism has impacted Jews across time and geographical cultures and is very enlightening has to how hate of Jews has evolved over the centuries.
Highly Recommended!
Five Stars!
https://www.amazon.com/Anti-Judaism-W...
Octavia Gone
Just finished reading "Octavia Gone - An Alex Benedict Novel" by Jack McDevitt, released by SAGA Press.
I have long been a fan of Jack McDevitt since I bought "The Engines Of God" - the first of what would become Jack McDevitt's The Academy/Priscilla Hutchins novels when I saw the book on the shelves in the Science Fiction/Fantasy section of the Barnes & Noble here in Mandarin, Jacksonville, Florida back in 1994 - around 25 years ago.
[For those who came in late, I always believe in mentioning where I obtained my favorite books - and in the case of "Octavia Gone" I ordered a physical copy online at Amazon because of the online retailer's low prices and because I'm really not a fan of e-books. I like reading and the feel of actually turning the page.]
"Octavia Gone" opens with the discovery of the disappearance of a research station - Octavia - that had been orbiting a black hole seeking evidence for the existence of worm holes and where they might lead to.
Flash forward eleven years when Alex and Chase are in the process of welcoming Gabe home after he and his fellow passengers on a time-phased trapped interstellar Capella that was believed to have been lost more than a decade ago.
In between welcome home celebrations, Gabe notices that a vase that may have been an authentic unknown alien artifact is missing from one of his rooms.
Learning that it belonged to the pilot of the lost Octavia Station, Gabe, Alex, and Chase embark on a hunt that will lead them not only to the black hole where the station vanished from, but up against dead end after dead end until a misinterpreted clue provides them with the long sought answer as to what really happened to Octavia Station.
I always enjoy reading Jack McDevitt's novels - yet I would be remiss if I didn't point out that a few sentences deal with the President of Rimway being investigated for corruption and a few sentences point out how humanity is destroying the Earth. Fictional politics can make for intriguing reading, Swipes at discredited real world politics and unproven science in the real world may establish a writer's SJW credentials, but they can also annoy a reader as well.
So under the system that I established long ago on Amazon, I have to automatically deduct one star for the SJW snipping.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
FOUR STARS.
I'm eagerly looking forward to Jack McDevitt's next novel
https://www.amazon.com/Octavia-Gone-A...
I have long been a fan of Jack McDevitt since I bought "The Engines Of God" - the first of what would become Jack McDevitt's The Academy/Priscilla Hutchins novels when I saw the book on the shelves in the Science Fiction/Fantasy section of the Barnes & Noble here in Mandarin, Jacksonville, Florida back in 1994 - around 25 years ago.
[For those who came in late, I always believe in mentioning where I obtained my favorite books - and in the case of "Octavia Gone" I ordered a physical copy online at Amazon because of the online retailer's low prices and because I'm really not a fan of e-books. I like reading and the feel of actually turning the page.]
"Octavia Gone" opens with the discovery of the disappearance of a research station - Octavia - that had been orbiting a black hole seeking evidence for the existence of worm holes and where they might lead to.
Flash forward eleven years when Alex and Chase are in the process of welcoming Gabe home after he and his fellow passengers on a time-phased trapped interstellar Capella that was believed to have been lost more than a decade ago.
In between welcome home celebrations, Gabe notices that a vase that may have been an authentic unknown alien artifact is missing from one of his rooms.
Learning that it belonged to the pilot of the lost Octavia Station, Gabe, Alex, and Chase embark on a hunt that will lead them not only to the black hole where the station vanished from, but up against dead end after dead end until a misinterpreted clue provides them with the long sought answer as to what really happened to Octavia Station.
I always enjoy reading Jack McDevitt's novels - yet I would be remiss if I didn't point out that a few sentences deal with the President of Rimway being investigated for corruption and a few sentences point out how humanity is destroying the Earth. Fictional politics can make for intriguing reading, Swipes at discredited real world politics and unproven science in the real world may establish a writer's SJW credentials, but they can also annoy a reader as well.
So under the system that I established long ago on Amazon, I have to automatically deduct one star for the SJW snipping.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
FOUR STARS.
I'm eagerly looking forward to Jack McDevitt's next novel
https://www.amazon.com/Octavia-Gone-A...
May 28, 2019
"The Justice League vs The Fatal Five"
Just finished watching "The Justice League vs The Fatal Five" released by Warner Brothers.
I was thinking about my best friend Rick when I watched "Justice League - The Fatal Five" because Star Boy - a super hero from the future - has a mental illness that he keeps under control with an regular injection of anti-psychotic medication. Rick keeps his manic depression under control with daily medication.
When Jamp, Persunder, and Tharok break into Legion Headquarters, they successfully steal one of the Legion's Time Machines, but are temporarily waylaid by Star Boy who manages to trap them inside the time sphere just outside of 21st Century's Earth's atmosphere.
The Justice League manages to prevent the sealed time sphere from crash landing and doing considerable damage. Meanwhile Star Boy crashes into Earth and eventually is taken to Arkham by Batman.
Meanwhile Jessica Cruz, Earth's newest Green Lantern is suffering agoraphobia and panic attacks because she became a Green Lantern in the process of surviving a deadly attack in the woods where she witnessed the death of two of her friends.
Star Boy - whose name is Thomas - eventually tells Jessica that she is Lime Light, the greatest of the Green Lanterns; which is confirmed when she, Batman, and Miss Martian mind link with Star Boy to determine his identity and where they get a glimpse of the future and what the Legion of Superheroes, as well as who The Fatal Five are, along with why the Emerald Empress was imprisoned in the past.
The portrayal of Thomas' mental illness and how it impacts the choices made by the characters in this animated movie is thoughtful and impactful.
Highly Recommended.
Five Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Justice-League...
I was thinking about my best friend Rick when I watched "Justice League - The Fatal Five" because Star Boy - a super hero from the future - has a mental illness that he keeps under control with an regular injection of anti-psychotic medication. Rick keeps his manic depression under control with daily medication.
When Jamp, Persunder, and Tharok break into Legion Headquarters, they successfully steal one of the Legion's Time Machines, but are temporarily waylaid by Star Boy who manages to trap them inside the time sphere just outside of 21st Century's Earth's atmosphere.
The Justice League manages to prevent the sealed time sphere from crash landing and doing considerable damage. Meanwhile Star Boy crashes into Earth and eventually is taken to Arkham by Batman.
Meanwhile Jessica Cruz, Earth's newest Green Lantern is suffering agoraphobia and panic attacks because she became a Green Lantern in the process of surviving a deadly attack in the woods where she witnessed the death of two of her friends.
Star Boy - whose name is Thomas - eventually tells Jessica that she is Lime Light, the greatest of the Green Lanterns; which is confirmed when she, Batman, and Miss Martian mind link with Star Boy to determine his identity and where they get a glimpse of the future and what the Legion of Superheroes, as well as who The Fatal Five are, along with why the Emerald Empress was imprisoned in the past.
The portrayal of Thomas' mental illness and how it impacts the choices made by the characters in this animated movie is thoughtful and impactful.
Highly Recommended.
Five Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Justice-League...
May 27, 2019
"Reign Of The Supermen"
Just finished watching "Reign Of The Supermen" released by Warner Brothers.
Picking up the story threads weeks after "The Death of Superman" movie. Lois is struggling trying to move on with her life knowing that not only loss the love of her life, but the world has lost Superman after he died during his epic battle with Doomsday.
Now four mysterious Men of Steel have arrived on the scene in Metropolis - each claiming to be Superman, each with their own secret on how they came to be and Lois must unravel who is really who and what each Superman may mean.
Like the previous "Death of Superman," "Reign Of The Supermen" puts the Death of Superman story line in the 52 reboot DC Universe. It's not a particularly bad take, but there is something to be said for keeping to the original universe it was set in.
Recommended.
Four Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Reign-Supermen...
Picking up the story threads weeks after "The Death of Superman" movie. Lois is struggling trying to move on with her life knowing that not only loss the love of her life, but the world has lost Superman after he died during his epic battle with Doomsday.
Now four mysterious Men of Steel have arrived on the scene in Metropolis - each claiming to be Superman, each with their own secret on how they came to be and Lois must unravel who is really who and what each Superman may mean.
Like the previous "Death of Superman," "Reign Of The Supermen" puts the Death of Superman story line in the 52 reboot DC Universe. It's not a particularly bad take, but there is something to be said for keeping to the original universe it was set in.
Recommended.
Four Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Reign-Supermen...
Fireworks
Just finished watching "Fireworks" released by Shout! Factory.
How far would you be willing to go in order to defy the set motion of the plans the universe has for you?
That is the question "Fireworks" explores between the unusual teenage romance between Norimichi and Nozuna when a weird mysterious multi-colored tiny orb that they constantly find gives them the ability to reset time and change how events previously played out in the lives leading up to each moment that they reset time. "Fireworks" also dares to raise and answer the question of will you ever be happy resetting reality.
A very thoughtful and lushly animated movie
Highly Recommended!
Five Stars!
https://www.amazon.com/Fireworks-Blur...
How far would you be willing to go in order to defy the set motion of the plans the universe has for you?
That is the question "Fireworks" explores between the unusual teenage romance between Norimichi and Nozuna when a weird mysterious multi-colored tiny orb that they constantly find gives them the ability to reset time and change how events previously played out in the lives leading up to each moment that they reset time. "Fireworks" also dares to raise and answer the question of will you ever be happy resetting reality.
A very thoughtful and lushly animated movie
Highly Recommended!
Five Stars!
https://www.amazon.com/Fireworks-Blur...
Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar - Expense Account Submitted
Just finished listening to "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar - Expense Account Submitted" released by Radio Spirits.
One of the curious things about this collection of Johnny Dollar adventures, which was first released by Radio Spirits back in 2014 - yes, sometimes I don't get around to listening to something for years - even a decade isn't too surprising for me - is that not only is it a heady mixture of the week long adventures that were stretched out into 15-minute segments on weekday nights when the first aired before going back to the original and traditional 30-minute format - is that in some of the 30-minute episodes Johnny Dollar breaks through the Fourth Wall and actually address the listening audience to let them know that they are listening to his adventures on the radio, which he appreciates, and that he is actually a real person.
To the best of my knowledge, radio historians such as Elizabeth McLeod, have never addressed as to why this subtle wink and nod to bending the listener's reality and why show producers wanted people to think that there was a real life Johnny Dollar has never been addressed.z
And since Radio Spirits have blocked me from posting on their Facebook page to due reviews where I have been critical of the inferior packaging of some of their collections that was probably done to cut costs in the foolish belief that low quality is better for their bottom line, I can't post the question directly to their radio historians.
Still, promoting the belief that Johnny Dollar was a real-life person led to the episode "The Wholly Unexpected Matter" - in where the real life Johnny Dollar is stalked by a determined fan who is determined to uncover one of his oft-mentioned and best kept secrets in the series.
Actor Bob Bailey returns as the sesquicentennial Johnny Dollar, and my favorite episodes in this collection are:
"The Funny Matter," "The Silent Queen Matter," "The Silver Belle Matter," and "The Shankar Diamond Matter."
http://radiospirits.com/detailsv2.asp...
One of the curious things about this collection of Johnny Dollar adventures, which was first released by Radio Spirits back in 2014 - yes, sometimes I don't get around to listening to something for years - even a decade isn't too surprising for me - is that not only is it a heady mixture of the week long adventures that were stretched out into 15-minute segments on weekday nights when the first aired before going back to the original and traditional 30-minute format - is that in some of the 30-minute episodes Johnny Dollar breaks through the Fourth Wall and actually address the listening audience to let them know that they are listening to his adventures on the radio, which he appreciates, and that he is actually a real person.
To the best of my knowledge, radio historians such as Elizabeth McLeod, have never addressed as to why this subtle wink and nod to bending the listener's reality and why show producers wanted people to think that there was a real life Johnny Dollar has never been addressed.z
And since Radio Spirits have blocked me from posting on their Facebook page to due reviews where I have been critical of the inferior packaging of some of their collections that was probably done to cut costs in the foolish belief that low quality is better for their bottom line, I can't post the question directly to their radio historians.
Still, promoting the belief that Johnny Dollar was a real-life person led to the episode "The Wholly Unexpected Matter" - in where the real life Johnny Dollar is stalked by a determined fan who is determined to uncover one of his oft-mentioned and best kept secrets in the series.
Actor Bob Bailey returns as the sesquicentennial Johnny Dollar, and my favorite episodes in this collection are:
"The Funny Matter," "The Silent Queen Matter," "The Silver Belle Matter," and "The Shankar Diamond Matter."
http://radiospirits.com/detailsv2.asp...
May 26, 2019
The Avengers - too Many Targers
Just finished listening to "The Avengers - Too Many Targets" released by Big Finish Productions.
Based on the same titled novel by John Peel and Dave Rogers, this audio adaption takes place during Tara Kings tenure with Steed. Steed is approached by his old boss that Mother is a murderous double agent and Tara is approached by Mother that Steed is a murderous double agent, and both are ordered to take down the double agent through sanctioned assignation.
Fortunately Steed and Tara are highly copious and conduct their own separate investigations that lead them to a grave yard meeting. Meanwhile Dr. Keel is investigating a kidnapping of a fellow doctor that occurred in his practice and Mrs. Gale is on the trail of a murderous gorilla in Surrey. The pieces soon come together and current and former Avengers come together where an old enemy and a new one have set in a motion for their ultimate demise.
A great stroll down memory lane, but not a particularly compelling trip with this particular Avengers tale.
Recommended with reservations.
Three Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/The-Avengers-T...
Based on the same titled novel by John Peel and Dave Rogers, this audio adaption takes place during Tara Kings tenure with Steed. Steed is approached by his old boss that Mother is a murderous double agent and Tara is approached by Mother that Steed is a murderous double agent, and both are ordered to take down the double agent through sanctioned assignation.
Fortunately Steed and Tara are highly copious and conduct their own separate investigations that lead them to a grave yard meeting. Meanwhile Dr. Keel is investigating a kidnapping of a fellow doctor that occurred in his practice and Mrs. Gale is on the trail of a murderous gorilla in Surrey. The pieces soon come together and current and former Avengers come together where an old enemy and a new one have set in a motion for their ultimate demise.
A great stroll down memory lane, but not a particularly compelling trip with this particular Avengers tale.
Recommended with reservations.
Three Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/The-Avengers-T...
