Streaming Standard: Justice League- Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part One

 It's the end of their world(s) as we know it...and I feel fine.

After many years, some good cartoons and many others, the DCAU ended with a bang...or three.  I figured that it would make sense to see how this Series ended before DC's new Film Series (properly) begins.

Crisis on Infinite Earths was a huge event in the mid-80s, designed to streamline the continuity.  That was needed when it was made up of multiple timelines and Planets.

There was literally a Planet where WWII never ended.  Yikes.

This is The Flash.
He's the Fastest Man Alive.

He's just run so fast that he's broken out of time.

What does that mean exactly?

Well, simply put, he jumps around the entire Movie between a number of places and times.

One moment, he's on Earth-3 with evil Justice League Members.
The next, he's meeting up to form his own Justice League.

Is this confusing?  Yes.
Is this clever?  Eh...I'll let you decide that.

The team is formed when a robot is released that is far too powerful and dangerous for one (or two or three) of them to take down alone.

During all of this, Flash meets, falls in love with and marries Iris West.

She's pretty chill with all of this.

The whole thing builds up to a wave of matter that seems to be striking all of the different worlds in the DC Multiverse.

Heroes from all over are united by a being known as The Monitor.

This all leads up to a very old Flash (alongside Iris and Amazo's head) building a device that can stop the wave.

He dies peacefully...but there's still two more of these...so guess how well this all works out.

To be continued...

A very experimental attempt to adapt a classic tale...that only sort of works.

Look- Christopher Nolan has done a confusing Film about time travel.

It was Tenet.
It wasn't The Dark Knight.

This whole thing is just needlessly complicated and just kind of confusing.

Does a time-hopping Barry work to flesh out the Story better?  No.
Could you have told this in order?  Yes.

This one has some good action in it- the Amazo fight, for instance- but is just too annoying for me.

Despite how things might look, I'm not a Marvel Fanboy who hates or generally dislikes DC.
I want something like this to be fun, epic and amazing.

It...wasn't.
It had moments, but is otherwise just a build up for two more Animated Films that will hopefully make me feel better than this.

A needless complication for, let's be honest, an already complicated Story.  I wanted to love this so much more.

Impossibly-Cool Cover Art: The Thaw (2009)

 I doubt I'll make an excuse to talk about this one again anytime soon, so why not highlight 2 Posters I found it?

Why not?!?

This first one is very cool, but also highly misleading! 

Neat.

That said, 'From the Makers of The Evil Dead'

That means the 1981 Film, since the Remake came out later.
So, which 'Makers' worked on this one?  Raimi?  Campbell?

NOBODY!
NOT ONE!

You know that I spent way too long checking this, figuring that it would be a Best Boy or a Gaffer.
NOTHING!

*

The next one is pretty cool too, featuring a similar visual...

I like the bleak contrast with the black and white...and then the reddish body in front.

It reminds me of The Thing, which that font choice might be aping a little bit.

That said, great stuff and not really a sell for THIS Movie.
Good Movie though.

Animondo: Suicide Squad Isekai (2024)

 Anime has been in short supply on this site in recent memory.

Let me fix that, with a Review of a very, very weird Show I saw on Hulu...

Amanda Waller has a new assignment for her 'team.'

A Portal to a strange new world has opened.

So, naturally, she sends the worst of the worst criminals in there.

I guess it is more about them being disposable and less about diplomacy.

It turns out that the Kingdom is under conflict.

The Elves are the ruling class, thanks to their magic.

The Monsters- Orcs, Lizardmen and the like- are rebelling...thanks to the help of some outside forces.

What is Ratcatcher I (II is the daughter) doing here?

It turns out that a previous trip into the Portal ended in Colonel Flagg being stuck there and his Squad- which included Ratcatcher and others- messed things up by their presence.

Time for our 'heroes' to take out some bad guys...even if the Elves don't respect them.

Can they stop the magical people in this land?

The presence of other villains- like The Thinker, Killer Croc and Enchantress- is not helping matters!

Of course, it wouldn't be an Anime without a crazy villain.

They've got one.

Crazy power-up sequence?  Check as well.

To find out how things work out (and set up a Season 2), stream it now!

A Show that I grew to like the more it went on.  By the finale, I was hooked...and now I'm out of Episodes.

Dang!

The Show is certainly odd, especially for someone who doesn't watch nearly as much Anime as some people I know.  I've always liked it, but never as much as more traditional American Cartoons.

That said, this one is really fun.

It plays with the Meta aspects here, as Clayface is aware that he's 'acting' in an Isekai Story.  
If you don't know, it means 'Other World' and they all involve a guy (usually) being sent to a strange land...and being super-powerful.

Somehow a normal person is nearly a God, so it is a bit of a power fantasy.

This one works by giving you a very diverse Cast of crazy Characters, making the world even crazier and watching them react.

If you're more of an Anime fan, you may be more numb/used to the silly stuff.  That said, you might also get more of the jokes about Anime Tropes, so...win-win?

A nice win for DC when it comes to this group, because, well, they needed one!

Come for the DC Characters you know (and somewhat like).  Stay for the Japanese insanity and Meta jokes.

Tubi Thursday: The Thaw (2009)

The late Val Kilmer was in many great Films.

Is this 2009 Film one of them?

Let's find out...

Up in the Arctic, a group of Scientist is studying the affects of Global Warming.

They go to study a Polar Bear and make a great discovery...or is it a dangerous one?

After the Credits, they are all freaking out, the bear is dead and the Guides are gone.

What is going on?

A group of Students- and the Pilot- come up to the Site.

So why did Kilmer tell the Pilot not to bring his Daughter?

They find the dead bear and the Pilot gets bit.

Still think taking Selfies in front of dead bears is cool?!?

As tensions grow and questions mount (with the crew not back at base), things only get worse.

One of the ladies gets bitten and then the lady from the dig shows up...and dies.

Does it relate to this strange and (hopefully) miraculous discovery of a thawed out wooly mammoth in the ice?

What dangers lie inside?

Can our Heroes figure out what the danger is?
Can they stop it?

To find out, stream this bleak Film now.

A Film that sure isn't a fun watch.  That's not to say that it is bad.

The Plot is just bleak, dark and nobody is happy.

In many ways, the Film is similar in tone and setting to The Thing (the 1982 original- to be clear).

I should note that Val Kilmer isn't in this Film much.  He's definitely the face used to sell this one.
He's good in what he does, but he just has very limited screen time.

Aaron Ashmore- the older twin - is good here though.  He's mostly just reacting to stuff, but he's good.

The limited showing of the creatures is a wise one, as you never get too used to them.  Plus they are more freaky than scary, so this was the right call.

All in all, Thaw is a darn good Thriller that builds up nicely.  It's worth a look if you like these bleaker, more 'realistic' Thrillers.

It also inspired a unique form of 'Fan Art...'

A Film that isn't going to make you happy, but it will make you think.  It's not super-inventive, but very solid.

5,200nd Post Celebration: The Time That 'Smallville' Had TWO Superman Actors Together

 Another number achieved and something special to cover.

I thought long and hard about this one, considering a number of ideas.
Then I remembered my recent purchase of Smallville's 2nd Season.

Oh right- that Episodes to cover.

Clark has dreams of exploring this cave full of strange writing.

It was the main Plot this Season, setting up the answers of his past.

His dreams are a distraction.

You see, this High School Student (yeah, sure) has to put together his Family Tree.

I wonder if this Plot will parallel the other one.

Thanks for blocking my shot, Extra.

He's drawn to a 'key' (a metal piece) that will reveal the truth.

The last time someone did that, they got shot into space with Ryan Reynolds (albeit briefly).

This time- he's zapped with knowledge right though the, well, everything.

There's a B-Plot with Lana and Chloe.

Even ignoring the whole NXIUM thing with the latter Actress, do you care if I skip it?

I didn't think so.

Now why is the Restaurant made up like an Egyptian tomb?!?

After Chloe writes a story about the strange marking on their barn (burned in by a mind-influenced Clark), a mysterious man invites him to meet him.

He promises to share truth with him.

Dr. Virgil Swann (named after legendary Writer Curt Swann) is played by Christopher Reeve.

He would make one more appearance in Season 3, which I'll likely cover later.

Besides Fan Service, what does he share?

He has the message sent with Clark's pod, telling him his real name and that of Krypton itself.

Swann just wants to help and he surely does.

This inspires Clark to work with his Dad to reactivate the pod.

The automated message tells him that he'll be 'a God' on this Planet and it is his job to rule it.

Clark rejects it and Dad agrees...but both are still nervous, setting up the rest of Season 2.

The End.

A really strong Episode by a really great Cameo at the end.

It's crazy to think just how long Reeve has been gone.  I still remember when we lost him.

Seeing him here is obviously not the same as if his life hadn't turned out the way it did.  That said, he didn't feel pity for himself, so I shouldn't either.

In a way, this appearance is stronger for how well he did.  He's obviously unable to move around, so he has to emote everything with his face and voice.

The man was a good Actor and this proved it.

The rest of the Episode is honestly still pretty good as well, with the usual melodrama, angst and B-Plot.  It's a rare one without a villain or a ticking clock.

The most you get is a Scientist being 'data blasted' into a coma by a space rock.  Have I mentioned that Comics (and Comic Book Shows) can be weird sometimes?

In closing, it was really great to revisit this one.  Plus, the DVD version didn't cut out the (not cheap, for a change) plug for his Foundation.  It is still running and helping out others in 2025.

An Episode that is arguably most famous for one Scene near the end.  Even so, it is a great Scene and, honestly, a pretty good Episode of TV otherwise.

Immediate Response: Thunderbolts* (2025)

I was hyped for this.  I didn't want anything SPOILED.

I saw it.

Here are my thoughts...

The Good

* The Plot is fun and inventive, with the ragtag group brought together via strange circumstances.  Fate made them a team.

* Strong performances by everyone here, especially Florence Pugh as the Film's main Star/focus.  There are no slouches here.

* The team is made up of a fun group of characters, who bounce off of each other nicely.

* The Film has great action, coming to you in fun bursts.  The Scene are given room to breathe and the Plot doesn't suffer from having to fight for screentime.

* A good focus is given to Mental Health in this one.  It is not treated as a joke and is given proper care.

* Lots of build-up for future Films to boot.  I won't SPOIL what, of course.

The Bad

* The Film does a decent job of giving all of the characters' backstories, but it helps plenty to have seen the other Films and Shows (like Ant-Man and the Wasp or Black Widow).  
Do you really get Ghost, for instance, without seeing that 2017 Film?

* There is a pretty muted color palette here.  I don't hate it, but I prefer the brighter stuff as a whole.

* A Trailers note.  Do we really need a THIRD Now You See Me?

* After the setup and teases, I have to wait a few months for FF and longer for the next Avengers.

What the f**k is this AI Trailer Image?!?

A very different-feeling, but quite good Marvel Film.  

Hopefully more of this will silence the haters.

Santo de Mayo: El Santo in 'Fury of the Karate Experts' (1982)

 Happy Whatever This Day Means to You, everyone!

For me, it is another reason to watch an El Santo Film.  Viva El Santo!

For those who don't know, El Santo was a world famous Luchador for Decades and parlayed that into a Film Career that lasted from the 1960s to the early 1980s.  The catch- he was always El Santo.

For all of the (rightful) lambasting that Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson gets for 'always being Dwayne' in his Movies, at least he's actually playing someone else!

This is 1982's Fury of the Karate Experts, which would be his final Film.  He retired from the ring that same year and died in 1984.

As a fun bonus, this Movie was shot in large parts in Florida- specifically down WAY South in and around Coral Castle.  It's still there too...and was featured in Nude on the Moon.

The Plot is all kinds of silly, involving a magic rock, a jungle girl, so-called Karate Experts/Masters, two twins with massive twins (wink) and El Santo parachuting in to join a Wedding.

Get out your sombreros as we face...

An evil space lady has shown up in Florida and finds out that her good twin is planning to marry, consolidating her powers.

She's very upset...so she, of course, immediately 'decides to celebrate' with a dance.

Santo and his buddy arrive for the Wedding (via parachutes, as noted above).

He knows them, I guess.

There's a Film with a similar Title listed with the same release year- The Fist of Death- which seems to also be this Movie (based on the Screenshots).

So is this a Sequel?  Maybe?
Does it matter?  Nah.

The evil lady has this masked Wrestler on her side and he takes out one of the titular Heroes.

It's clearly a Mexican guy in a pantyhose mask with a glued on ponytail.

On the plus side, he takes out the guy with a looo-oong bearhug.
This one's for you, Bob!

The evil Twin keeps doing stuff to stop the wedding, like burning down part of the house and attacking with the Wrestler...to cover up stealing the wedding gifts.

She also summons a Werewolf that, well, would give the most recent Wolfman a run for his money for the Award of Most Disappointing Werewolf Make-Up.  

Another fight between Santo and the Wrestler ends in the former going down after some outside assistance.

The evil Twin is able to mind control him.

He's sent to kidnap 'the blonde' at the hosue.

In a B-Plot, we get a Scientist (played by Rene Cardona Sr) and his Daughter nearby.

He mistakes her for 'the blond' and socks her in the face.
Damn!

The Plot becomes really convoluted as it goes on.

We have a Prince (to be married to the actual Blonde) who is kidnapped and replaced with a double.

Then the evil Twin knocks out the good one to replace here in this...less than great split screen effect.

Oh, and said Blonde (aka The Jungle Girl) was apparently sent from the stars.

That sure is something, eh?

The Film's climax has Santo and the man battling some...I think Werewolves (now in ape masks) and the evil Wrestler.

All but Santo die and he has to stop the sacrifice of the Girl.

On cue, the double explodes and the villain just leaves, ducking out behind a fire effect.

And so, Santo's final film appearance (save a cameo in his Son's first Film) involves him listening to a glowing space rock.

It says that the Girl must leave...and she does.  The (abrupt) End.

A truly bizarre Film and I mean that in the nicest way possible.

The Plot involves space twins, a talking rock, karate fighters, two masked wrestlers and a blond lady just getting punched in the face!

Santo is clearly a bit too old for this, with his weight belt yanked up high, mere inches from his nipples.  The real Best Supporting Actor, folks!

I kid, I kid.

The Plot is gosh darn goofy, features random dance numbers and El Santo doing the same few wrestling moves in every fight.

After the third time you walked up and he kicked you away with both legs, would you try something else?

I didn't even talk about the Werewolves in this wrap-up.  So strange.  So silly.  So good.

This is the only one of these I've watched where they don't shoehorn a Wrestling Match (or 3) into the Plot though, so kudos.  Trying out new stuff at the end, Mr. Santo- I applaud you!

In closing, Santo fans might find some new things here, but all of the usual queso.  Oh, and that Coral Castle was also in, wait for it, The Wild Women of Wongo!

A fun Film that sure is preposterous in all of the best ways.  Does it make sense?  Nah!