Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword Of Destiny By Justin Hill, Wang Dulu. Paperback, 320 pages. Published January 26th by Weinstein Books (6 of 10)
This is a novelization based on a screenplay based on a Chinese novel. Which is a sequel to the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. So, in short, this book should be doomed. Despite it being a translated work, the book hasn’t lost its essence. I loved the previous ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ movie and I am looking forward to Netflix’s sequel, for a variety of reasons, all of which are mirrored, in some way, in Sword of Destiny.
“The Sword of Destiny” transports the reader back to the landscape of ancient China when it was revered to be a warrior who followed The Iron Way. The story picks up seventeen years after the death of one of the greatest warriors, Mubai, as he defended the legendary sword, The Green Destiny. Shulien, who loved Mubai, must now come out of her self-imposed exile when The Green Destiny is once again vulnerable to falling into the hands of the evil warlord, Hades Dai. Two young warriors, Snow Vase and Wei-fang, also find their destiny intertwined with Shulien and the famed sword.
Mr. Hill’s words come alive on the pages as the story unfolds – the landscape, the inner thoughts of the characters and of course the agility of the battles. The warriors fight with such elegance and grace and you feel like you’re watching a beautiful and intricate dance play across the stage. Sulien’s character is the most complex—her feelings when she held Mubai as he took his final breaths, her need for reflection and solitude as she mourns a life that can never be, and finally her responsibility to the sword’s safe-keeping. No warrior is safe and evil is conquering the land. Can four warriors keep the sword safe or will it fall into the hands of one of the most evil warriors ever born? This is the journey Mr. Hill takes the reader on and he does it with such skill that before you know it, you’ve finished the story and are begging for more. Highly recommended.
The film version of the high flying sequel hits Netflix and select IMAX screens on February 26th, 2016 (tomorrow)…
Directed by the renowned martial arts choreographer (The Matrix Trilogy and Kill Bill 1& 2) and director (Tai Chi Master) Yuen Wo-Ping, ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny’ stars Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Lady) as Yu Shu-Lien and Donnie Yen (Ip Man 1&2, Monkey King 3D) as Silent Wolf. ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny’ also stars Harry Shum Jr. (Glee), Jason Scott Lee (Seventh Son), Roger Yuan (Bulletproof Monk), Eugenia Yuan (Revenge of the Green Dragons) and newcomer Natasha Liu Bordizzo.
Tennant is Extra Creepy in New ‘Jessica Jones’ Trailer
First, go listen to this song to get amped up for this trailer. Add it to your workout playlist. Live like you’re a drunk former super heroine with nothing to lose.
Now, watch the trailer released by Netflix today. Less than 10 days until the premiere!
Grabs copy of “Alias” omnibus from bookshelf Seriously, if you aren’t excited for “Jessica Jones” by now then you are living your life incorrectly. Shoves book in your face It’s in less than a month! Reports from people who saw the pilot at New York Comic Con say it’s darker than “Daredevil” and, dare I say, sexier? Slams book on table I’m praying Netflix releases it early. I think this is the excited feeling people have when they camp out at Best Buy for Black Friday. I’ll go sit in a dimly lit room alternating “Thousand Eyes” by of Monsters and Men and “Hello” by Adele while I read my copy of “Alias” again. Only one of these songs has a direct relation to this trailer, the other was also released today. It’s been a very exciting day.
“Jessica Jones” #1 (9 out of 10) Written by Brian Michael Bendis; Art by Michael Gaydos; Cover by David Mack; Published by Marvel; Digital Release Date: October 7, 2015
Marvel and Netflix are, so far, quite good at delightfullyteasing the anticipatory viewers of the upcoming “Jessica Jones” show. With each release of a short but exciting teaser, I know I get more and more antsy. I have November 20 blocked out, ready to sit curled up in a blanket watching the adaptation of one of my favorite comic series, “Alias”.
Fans got another neat gift today when Marvel announced the release of “Jessica Jones #1”, available for free on Comixology.com. What makes this digital comic even more special? It reunites Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos, the original writer and artist for the “Alias” series along with cover art by David Mack, who also created cover art for the original run. The issue is only 12 pages long, and half of it focuses on Daredevil, but the panels featuring Jessica are a perfect representation of the heroine/private investigator. She’s sneaky, she’s foul-mouthed, she powerful, and not very graceful. If this comic gives any insight into what we can expect from the show, I look forward to seeing tie-ins with “Daredevil” and hopefully appearances by Rosario Dawson.
Log into Comixology.com to grab your free version of “Jessica Jones #1” while you wait patiently (yet eagerly) for November 20.
While we wait patiently for the next season of ‘Daredevil’, Netflix dropped a trailer today for it’s second Marvel show ‘Jessica Jones’.
Starring Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones, the show is based on the comic series ‘Alias’ by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Michael Gaydos. The story follows Jones, a former superhero named Jewel, who opens her own private investigation firm. The Netflix series, which was announced to premiere November 20, will star Ritter, David Tennant as villain Zebediah Kilgrave, Mike Colter as Luke Cage. Ritter was interviewed recently on the ‘This Week in Marvel’ podcast and gave a great breakdown about her character, “Jessica Jones has been through a lot and she is totally traumatized and she is really just trying to make a buck to buy a whiskey and stay alive, and that is it. She isn’t really interested in participating in any social communities, she has one friend, she keeps her world very small because that’s how she can remain in control.”
The teaser features no actual scenes from the upcoming show, but moving, stylized artwork very reminiscent of Gaydos’ art in the ‘Alias’ series and Tennant’s eerie voice can be heard shouting Jessica’s name.
Check out the teaser and sound off below. Are you excited for ‘Jessica Jones’?
“Girl Meets World” Created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly; Starring Rowan Blanchard, Sabrina Carpenter, Ben Savage, Danielle Fishel, August Maturo, Corey Fogelmanis, and Peyton Meyer; Run time 22 minutes; Originally aired June 27, 2014.
My relationship with “Girl Meets World” has been like an out of date rollercoaster, up and down, a little shaky, exciting but also terrifying. You see, “Boy Meets World” has meant a lot to me, still means a lot to me; it is revered and looked upon as scripture in my house. I watch the show often, according to some people in my house, too often. Roughly once a month I meet with a good friend who shares my obsession, and we binge watch as many episodes as possible in a single day. Suffice it to say that “Boy Meets World” and the characters that inhabit that universe are very dear to me.
So when I heard they were making a sequel I was initially through the roof with excitement, then almost immediately after that I was scared. I lived with that mix of anticipation and skepticism for months. Then, finally, the day arrived. The show premiered and I watched the first episode, I was disappointed, and I didn’t go back. The series is in its second season now and I had only seen one episode, convinced it was bad and that watching it would only sully the golden nostalgic experience I have when watching its predecessor.
Then recently I had one of those binge watching sessions and we tore through about half of the first season of “Boy Meets World” in a sitting. I realized something re-watching those episodes something I probably always knew in my secret heart but had never acknowledged, that first season of “Boy Meets World” isn’t that great.
Don’t get me wrong, we laughed, we quoted, and we hugged in a manly television pair bonding ritual. We did all this because we were watching the show through nostalgia colored glasses. The first time I watched those episodes I was a kid, on par with the characters and I saw them, the writing, the acting, all of it, in the way only a kid can.
When “Girl Meets World” hit Netflix recently I knew it was time to give it another chance. I made a discovery then, it’s not as bad as I originally supposed. While that may not sound like a glowing review, it really is. Because what I realized is that it feels exactly the way the original series did in its first season. Just like before, the show is finding its feet and in fact, it has the benefit of being anchored by side characters that you already know and love.
The show centers on Riley Matthews, daughter of Cory and Topanga, along with her best friend Maya. The dynamic is identical to the original series. Riley is well behaved and goofy, but susceptible to the suggestions of her more rough around the edges best friend. Sound familiar?
While the writing and performances are sometimes heavy handed, they feel right at home in the world previously introduced to a boy. Michael Jacobs, creator of “Boy Meets World” returned to helm the ship once again and his signature style is present and accounted for.
As I continued to watch the season currently streaming I saw the show tightening up, figuring what it was, and getting stronger. I’m confident that if I watched the first few episodes, even the first couple of seasons, of “Boy Meets World” for the first time today I would have the same reservations I had when first watching this. But those characters were allowed to mature and develop relationships and a mythology that made me care about them and this show deserves the same chance.
I realized that I was comparing the first episode of a new series to the highlight reel in my head from a seven season long legacy that I grew up alongside. It wasn’t the show that disappointed me, it was my unrealistically high expectations and at the end of the day it’s a teen show on the Disney channel, I’m not exactly their demographic.
My favorite moments from “Boy Meets World,” and what makes the show so special, is when it hits you in the heart, and it does. In the fourth episode of “Girl Meets World” they proved that this show is capable of the same type of content. When Cory takes Maya to task for failing a test she decides to drop out of school and Riley and Cory step in to stop her. The episode culminates with at a school dance and there is a moment that I’m not ashamed to say had me cutting onions. Say what you will about the world Jacob’s created but it has heart and that makes a show memorable.
If you’re not a fan of the original series, or you’re not currently going through puberty, this show might not have anything to offer you, though if you have a heart I think it might be worth checking out, in the privacy of your own home, with the lights off and the doors locked so no one can judge you when you feel things at the hands of family programming. But if you are a fan of the original series, you’d be doing yourself a disservice to pass it by. On top it being a reincarnation of the show you loved growing up, soul deftly cut out and transplanted, there are cameos enough to give your face rigor mortis with glee. Oh, the cameos.
As always, you don’t have to take my word for it, I’m just a humble messenger. It’s streaming right now so stop watching “Cupcake Wars” and give it a shot. And if I haven’t yet convinced you, here’s a list of what was recently added, what’s coming soon, and what’s going away.
Happy watching.
Available September 1
“Arthur: Season Seventeen”
“Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher”
“Lawrence of Arabia: Restored Version”
“Mister Roger’s Neighborhood: Volume One”
“Zathura”
Available September 12
“Portlandia: Season Five”
Available September 21
“The Following: Season Three”
“Gotham: Season One”
Available September 27
“The Walking Dead: Season Five”
Leaving September 13
“High Fidelity”
Leaving September 27
“LEGO Nijago: Masters of Spinjitzu: Seasons One and Two”
Every week we’re bringing you recommendations for great movies or TV shows streaming on Netflix. This week’s selection is…
“Sense8” Created and written by Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski, and J. Michael Straczynski; Directed by Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer, James McTeigue and Dan Glass; Starring Aml Ameen, Doona Bae, Jamie Clayton, Tina Desai, Tuppence Middleton, Max Riemelt, Miguel Angel Silvestre, Brian J. Smith, Freema Agyeman, Daryl Hannah, and Naveen Andrews; Run time 60 minutes; Originally aired June 5, 2015.
I remember a time with Netflix original programming was a mere legend still residing in the nebulous land of may-happen. Those days are long gone and the streaming giant is now cranking out original content almost faster than I can watch it. What began with safe bets like continuing existing franchises with strong fan bases has gone through a metamorphosis and out of that proverbial chrysalis has arisen a beautiful, if variable, butterfly. One of that butterfly’s more colorful and interesting appendages is the Wachowski/Straczynski team up, “Sense8.”
The series follows eight individuals spaced in varying locations around the world, California, Korea, Russia, and Kenya to name a few. Each of these characters has seemingly nothing in common. Nomi (Clayton) is a transgender woman living in California, Lito (Silvestre) is a closeted actor in Mexico City, Capheus (Ameen) drives a Jean-Claude Van Damme themed bus in Nairobi and struggles to earn the money to afford the AIDS medication his mother desperately needs. These characters, essentially from different worlds, all cross paths within each other’s minds as they learn that some force connects them all.
The connection runs deep and gets deeper as the season progresses. The sensates, as they come to be known, are seemingly individuals that make up a larger collective. In essence they are each parts of one larger organism and as their connection gets stronger they find that not only can they visit one another in shared headspace, they can experience the physical space of those they visit, share memories, and share skills.
Watching “Sense8” was initially slow going. The first couple of episodes drag a little as the series sets up the characters and builds the world they inhabit. I almost didn’t go back to it after those first two episodes but I’m glad I did. Episode three is where it starts to pay off, particularly in a scene involving Sun (Doona) the daughter of a Korean business man who moonlights as a kick boxer, and Capheus.
Capheus finds himself facing off with Kenyan gangsters and vastly outgunned when Sun visits him. What results is a beautiful scene intercutting the events of an underground kickboxing match with Capheus’ fight.
In that moment, without any exposition, it becomes clear just what this connection the eight protagonists share is. While each of them is still a distinct individual, they are in essence the sum of their parts able to draw on one another in times of need or even just to see a friendly face.
Seeing the Wachowski name alongside Straczynski, who is perhaps most well known for “Babylon 5” made it a safe bet that we would be delivered at least a moderately good science fiction thriller series and “Sense8” delivers on that front.
“Sense8” is the show that the socially conscious among us have been clamoring for and I think it’s pretty important that we support it.
What I didn’t quite expect, and was pleasantly surprised to find, was a show that is thought provoking both in the expected metaphysical sense as well the unexpected real world sense. “Sense8” explores topics like acceptance both from family and from the world at large. It explores income inequality the world over. It explores the concepts of right and wrong both from the perspective of the criminal and the police. It explores all of these things successfully because in each case you are first provided with a character you can care about, one whose motives are understood as well as understandable.
What is perhaps the most exciting aspect of the series, at least for me, are the characters themselves. While “Sense8” is, on the surface, a high thinking science fiction show what makes it utterly watchable is the diverse cast of characters and how easy it is to care about them despite how different their lives may be from your own.
In a world that is increasingly clamoring for more diverse character representation it saddens me that “Sense8” has for the most part gone under the radar. The creators obviously took pains to represent as many different types of humanity as they could with only eight characters. You have an even split of male and female characters, you have straight characters, gay characters, transgender characters, white characters, black characters, Hispanic, Indian, and Korean characters. Some of the strongest and most badass characters are women; some of the weakest are men and every one of them feels real, not a caricature in sight.
By the end of the season, what began as nonsensical and confusing becomes a beautiful tale of equal parts shared human experience and kickassery. It’s the show that the socially conscious among us have been clamoring for and I think it’s pretty important that we support it. It is well deserved.
Every week we’re bringing you recommendations for great movies or TV shows streaming on Netflix. This week’s selection is…
“BoJack Horseman” Created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Starring Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Paul F. Tompkins, and Aaron Paul; Run time: 25 minutes; Originally aired August 22, 2014; Rated TV-MA.
Netflix has had a pretty successful run so far with their original programming, from “Arrested Development” to “Daredevil,” it’s been more hits than misses. While I’ve enjoyed their contributions to popular culture, most of what they’ve offered has been on the safe side of entertainment. “Arrested Development” was a known entity with a built in fan base, “Daredevil” is a known entity with a superhero pedigree and the backing of the increasingly successful Marvel Studios. Even lesser known Netflicks originals like “Hemlock Grove” are safely inside the vampire/werewolf/monster camp that will always bring a certain number of views. “BoJack Horseman,” to me, feels like their first real step into experimental territory, the first real gamble they’ve taken, and it’s paid off.
“BoJack Horseman” takes place in a fictionalized version of Hollywood (later called Hollywoo after BoJack steals the D from the Hollywood sign in a grand romantic gesture and everyone just sort of goes along with it) where human beings live along side anthropomorphized animals. There’s no real explanation as to why these creatures exist, there was no strange experiment, no nuclear disaster, in this world they simply exist and that’s okay.
Unlike many animated series, the story doesn’t reset after each episode, instead it follows the titular character, an almost forgotten star of a 1987 sitcom. At the series’ outset it has been almost twenty years since the cancellation of “Horsin’ Around” a family comedy about a horse-man bachelor who adopts three orphans and forms an unconventional family. BoJack now has to learn how to deal with his waning popularity while trying to find meaning and happiness. Essentially it’s about a man who’s past his prime and not quite sure if he has any purpose. While it seems silly on the surface, it actually deals with some pretty heavy concepts such as addiction, depression, and questionable sexual activity. Unlike shows like “Family Guy” or “The Simpsons” what makes “BoJack Horseman” unique is the way that it deals with these topics and makes you genuinely care about the characters, despite how ridiculous they are.
You find yourself rooting for BoJack even though he’s objectively a despicable person. In an interview with Cartoon Brew the show’s creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg was asked how he created the character and the show.
“I was very isolated and lonely and didn’t know anybody, but I was living in this gorgeous house up in the Hollywood Hills. I had a friend of a friend of a friend who let me stay in their closet, basically, in this magnificent house. I remember standing out on this deck and looking out over Hollywood and feeling like, “Oh my god, I am on top of the world. But I’ve never been more lonely and isolated.” And from that sort of sprung the idea for this character who had gotten every opportunity but still can’t find a way to be happy. And that was BoJack.”
That idea is the essential nugget upon which the rest of the series is built. It’s about how depression isn’t reserved for the poor and ill, it is a demon we all must face at one time or another and even those who seemingly have it all can be buried by it.
Season one centers on BoJack’s relationship with a ghost writer working on a memoir which BoJack believes to be his last shot at regaining the spotlight and changing the public perception of him as a nefarious has been. It also introduces his admiration of Secretariat as a role model and inspiration. Season two centers on BoJack getting his dream role as Secretariat in a biopic and whether or not public admiration is really enough for him to be happy.
Despite its admittedly heavy material “BoJack Horseman” manages to stay funny in a gallows humor sort of way by putting a magnifying glass on these issues and exaggerating them to the point of hilarity. Season one had initially mixed reviews but the second half of the season was more positively regarded. Season two hit Netflix last week and thus far has received almost unanimously positive reviews. It will make you ask hard questions, it will make you laugh, but mostly it will just entertain you.
Every week we’re bringing you recommendations for great movies or TV shows streaming on Netflix. This week’s selection is…
“Black Mirror” Created by Charlie Brooker; Written by Charlie Brooker, Jesse Armstrong, Konnie Huq, and Christopher Morris; Starring Rory Kinnear, Daniel Kaluuya, Toby Kebbell, Hayley Atwell, Domhnall Gleeson, Lenora Crichlow, Daniel Rigby, and Jon Hamm; Run time: 60 minutes; Originally aired December 4, 2011.
“Black Mirror” is an anthology series originally aired on Channel 4 in the UK. The series has been described as a darker and more modern “Twilight Zone” exploring the fringes of technological consequence.
The show’s creator, Charlie Brooker, explained the series stating, “If technology is a drug – and it does feel like a drug – then what, precisely, are the side-effects? This area – between delight and discomfort – is where Black Mirror, my new drama series, is set. The ‘black mirror’ of the title is the one you’ll find on every wall, on every desk, in the palm of every hand: the cold, shiny screen of a TV, a monitor, a smartphone.”
Each episode of “Black Mirror” has a completely different cast, in a different situation, living in a completely different time or world, but each carries with it the implications of unfettered technology. Upon watching the first episode “The National Anthem” I wasn’t immediately hooked and almost didn’t watch any more, but I’m really glad I did. The series gets stronger and stronger as it goes along, the final episode of season one “The Entire History of You” was particularly apt at capturing the imagination. It explores a world wherein a person’s entire life is captured via an implant in the neck, your memories can be recalled and even displayed for friends and family with sometimes awful consequences.
That episode also captured the attention of Robert Downey Jr. who has optioned the rights to the episode for a film adaptation by Warner Bros. and his own production company.
RDJ isn’t the only Hollywood alum who’s taken notice, Stephen King also had a kind if brief review of the series.
With recommendations like that what the hell do you need me for?
Season two of the series picked up just as strongly with “Be Right Back” a story of love, grief, and the terrifying power of the internet to catalogue our lives. This episode stars Hayley Atwell and Domhnall Gleeson (“Captain America”/”Agent Carter” and “Ex Machina”/”Frank” respectively).
Brooker announced on January 9, 2014 that a third season would be produced but it has yet to surface, a 90 minute Christmas special entitled “White Christmas” was released December 16, 2014 starring Jon Hamm. “White Christmas” is the only episode not currently streaming on Netflix, so I’ve included it for you below.
The series has been roundly acclaimed by critics and anecdotal reviews I’ve personally received have ranged from “Holy crap, it’s the best thing I’ve ever seen.” to “Holy crap, I can’t watch it, it makes me feel creepy.” Both reviews are, to my mind, equally complimentary.
According to an announcement in January of this year there are plans to adapt the series for the United States, to which I say, why bother? While a series like “The Office” didn’t quite find its feet in the UK and benefited from a US adaptation, “Black Mirror” has found an audience, streaming services like Netflix have brought it to the global community and there’s no reason to rehash old territory. I’d rather see the money that would go into an adaptation be given to Brooker, let him handle his creation, let him carry it as long as he can, he’s given no cause for us to believe he can’t handle it.
Every week we’re bringing you recommendations for great movies or TV shows streaming on Netflix. This week’s selection is…
“NIghtcrawler” (7 out of 10) – Written and directed by Dan Gilroy, Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Bill Paxton, Riz Ahmed, and Rene Russo; Run time: 117 minutes; Rated R.
Lou Bloom (Gyllenhaal) is down on his luck and living in Los Angeles, resorting to stealing from construction sites in order to stay afloat. After a scuffle with a security guard Lou negotiates the price of his stolen goods at a scrap yard and attempts to leverage the sale into a legitimate job but is turned down because of his obvious and immediate criminal history.
Later Lou witnesses the aftermath of a car crash and discovers that there is an industry in filming breaking news and selling it to local news stations so he steals a high end bicycle and trades it at a pawn shop for a video camera and police scanner, thus begins his career as a “stringer,” a freelance cameraman and ambulance chaser. Stingers follow emerging crimes, disasters, and bloody travesties of all kinds in order to obtain firsthand footage that can be sold to local news stations.
Bloom’s first break is an apparent carjacking wherein the victim is gravely injured. He arrives on the scene and pushes in close in order to get a good angle, this gets him ejected from the crime scene but not before getting footage that he sells for $250.
As the story progresses Lou enlists the help of an assistant, Rick (Ahmed), who acts as navigator and backup cameraman for $30 a night. Despite an early hit, Bloom struggles to get another, competition among stingers is heavy and Bloom’s tactics consistently escalate in order to attain the footage he needs. What begins as mere reckless driving (in the context of the storey) en route to a scene, quickly becomes moving bodies to get better lighting, entering crime scenes, and in one case, being the direct cause of an accident.
What’s scary about the character, or rather, Gyllenhaal’s performance which is spectacular, is not only that you see his behavior and realize that there are people in your life like that, but that you can also sympathize with his position and by proxy, his actions.
Bloom is a man backed into a corner who sees an opportunity to get out and takes it, there’s something romantic about that, even if he leaves a few wrecked lives and a couple of bodies in his wake, that’s the American dream damn it.
There’s no question about it though, Louis Bloom’s moral compass points true north only on occasion that there is a stack of money along the way. Yet somehow you find yourself rooting for him, mumbling thinks like ‘Get out of the house before you get caught!’ instead of ‘I sure hope the police catch this twisted sonofabitch.’
Bloom’s actions and speech patterns aren’t the only ingredients in the crazy stew, Gyllenhaal looks cracked. He reportedly lost some weight in order to play the role, presumably in an attempt to amp up his creep factor, and it works. Throughout the movie I kept thinking to myself ‘He looks like he got hit with a bag of hammers or a baseball bat with a dozen hypodermic needles filled with high grade street smack nailed through it.’ Now I’m not exactly sure what street smack is, but it looks like someone stuck a whole bunch of it in Gyllenhaal’s eye sockets.
What results is a character so familiar, yet so shutter inducing that you’ll leave the movie feeling slimy, the curtain of reality is rolled back a little bit and you see the societal sausage being made. It makes you never want to watch the news again. If you already don’t watch the news, it will make you want to start watching just so you can stop watching it again out of spite.
“Nightcrawler” shows you a view of the world probably not too far removed from reality where even the “honest” stingers are exploiting human tragedy, making a direct profit off of the suffering of someone else. The more horrific the better, there’s gold in them there kills, and we gobble it up like it’s the last supper, give me more of your body, give me more of your blood, please and thank you.
