Quick Reviews: Freedom Fighters- The Ray

As we're now in limbo waiting for the second half of Crisis on Infinite Earths, let's go back to the Earth X Crossover.  They cut together a web show about The Ray into a Film, so here we go...

On Earth X, the Nazis are in charge and a group of titular fighters try to save, well, freedom.

Things don't go well in their last battle.  Speaking of which...

Our Hero- the Ray (non-hero name) of Earth 1 is a Civil Servant without a job.  He also can't come out to his parents.

FYI the User Reviews for this Show on IMDB are like 70% complaining about this being 'gay propaganda.'  Skip it.

Earth X's The Ray ends up on Earth 1 and his energy dissipates into Earth 1 Ray, giving him his powers at the cost of his life.  He also tells him to destroy a MacGuffin before the Earth X Nazis find it.

Said Nazis are evil versions of Supergirl (aka Overgirl), The Flash (aka Blitzkrieg) and Green Arrow (aka Black Arrow).

Weird bit- only Melissa Benoist is voicing her own Character.  She's also the only one NOT playing the good version (since hers is on Earth 38).

The Ray tries to deal with his personal issues and new powers.  He ends up meeting the Earth 1 gang, which means that we get more of modern-day Vixen (who's absent from the Live-Action Shows).

I feel like this is a Plot Hole (since they don't seem to know him in the Crossover), but I could be wrong.

Can Earth 1's The Ray save Earth X as their new hero?  Will this properly set up the big event?

To find out, watch the condensed version here or stream the Show on CW's App.

A solid, by-the-numbers affair.  This isn't going to make or break you on these things.  DC Animation is always good, even when they are just rehashing recent Stories/Events.  They never *not* deliver.  In this case, the Action is nice, the Show/Film has style and it has a good arc to it.  The big payoffs don't always have to be over-the-top.  Sometimes, just like life, the resolution can be simple and effective.  Ray going from a heroic man on a mission (not Mabel) to one who has the powers to actually be a real hero is nice.  The bit with him and the other CW Heroes is a bit shoehorned in, but I have no real complaints about it.  They got some nice character bits in and the set piece is something that they can't really do on TV.  It is an otherwise context-less Scene, but I'll take it.  Again- remember that this was a Web Show, so this was probably just the big Episode to sell it.  Is this Film full of 'gay propaganda' like the User Reviews say?  I mean, the lead character is gay and it is part of his story.  Other than that, I'd just say that people really need to look up what the word 'propaganda' is before they use it next time.  The 'Film' delivers on what it promises.  If you see it with the Crossover, it works.  If you see it alone, it also works.  Speaking of work, I love how nobody ever actually writes in the Articles here (since they figure nobody but me will pause to check).  I mean, it's all gibberish...

A good 'Film' that doesn't break the mold, but still delivers.  They get to do stuff the CW couldn't afford in Live-Action, so enjoy it for that if nothing else.

Interweb Cinema: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

Let's take a break from the sequels and possessed girls, shall we?

Last time on Interweb, I talked about how public-domain is our friend. This is yet another example of this. The film is a classic, albeit a freaky one. It is the story of a man, a sleeping man and a city of insanity. It is...

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

Simply put, I love this movie. The whole thing challenges the mind, body and soul to accept what you see or risk going insane. Insanity is a strong theme in the movie, from beginning to end. Said ending is actually controversial, since it added a noticeable tweak to the story's original ending.

The movie is a bit a man who goes to visit the fair with his girlfriend. There they meet Dr. Caligari and his somnambulist friend. For the layman, a 'somnambulist' is a sleepwalker, albeit in an extreme form. The show involves the Doc having the slumbering man answer his questions. Entertainment was a bit different back then, huh?

Right after this, people are being killed in town. Our hero suspects the sleeping man, but the cops don't buy it. He is hard-pressed to find evidence, although he is very vigilant in it. If you think this is a mystery tale, you will be sorely mistaken. It is more a tale of proving facts that we, the audience, already know.

The thing about "Caligari" is the set-design. It is so bizarre and expressive. Imagine people walking around in a monochrome German painting. Doors are upside down, while others are intentionally painted over. My favorite part is the chase down a street that looks more like an asylum's slip-and-slide. You really have to watch this to believe it.

Many people are hesitant to watch silent movies. To them I say: get over it. You can't hate an entire time span of a film-making because nobody actually talks. Yes, the wait for people to read the dialog cards is longer than we need. With "Caligari," the title cards are written in a font that looks like the craziest one you can find in Word. Get over your set concerns and enjoy this great film.

You like witches and re-enactments? You will love the next film then. Stay tuned...

Interweb Cinema: Starcrash

Do you like movies but hate getting off of your ass to go get them? Well, you are in luck, my morbidly obese friend. The internet is a great place to watch movies without the hassle of inputting discs or spending money.

The key thing to understand about this series is a simple phrase: Public Domain. What that boils down to is the idea that nobody owns this movie anymore and you don't have to pay to see it. The Supreme Court ruled that once something enters the P.D., it cannot be removed. This is good for us.

We are starting off strong with a classic film: Starcrash

This movie is just wall-to-wall craziness. Where to begin? The movie stars a young pastor-turned-actor, an Italian starlet, 'Mr. Clean' and David "Knight Rider" Hasselhoff. That should really be enough for most people.

The film involves two space criminals being sent out to rescue the Emperor's son from an alien planet, while an evil Count tries to catch him and use him as leverage. They traverse alien worlds, meet amazons and battle stop-motion dolls. Anyone who has read past posts will recognize it as the movie where the Emperor stops the flow of time to save the day. That is only the tip of the iceberg.

More coming down the pike, including sleepwalkers, witch documentaries and midget spies. Stay tuned...

Note (11/1): I'm pretty sure that this link is dead now. If another is discovered, I will edit this.