Comic-Con 2016: Preview Night

Posted on July 21, 2016 at 1:32 am

Wednesday is always preview night at Comic-Con, a chance to explore the Exhibition Hall, where you can get glimpses of new television shows, movies, and games, and buy just about any household item or article of clothing with your favorite superhero or animated character on it. You can also get a sneak peek at full episodes of some upcoming television shows. I watched “Riverdale,” with the Archie Comics characters in a story that is more like “Twin Peaks” or “Pretty Little Liars.” “90210’s” Luke Perry even appears as Archie’s dad.

In this story, Veronica has just moved to town after her wealthy father has lost his money following a Madoff-like fraud scandal. Archie had a sexual encounter with a teacher. Betty’s sister has had a mental breakdown. And Moose is bi-curious.

It is disconcerting at first to see the characters we know from silly jokes in the malt shop and school dances dealing with anguish and possibly even murder. And the actors do not look like teenagers. But it might work.

Then there’s a comedy called “Powerless,” with a very different take on superheroes. Vanessa Hudgens plays an insurance claims officer who is responsible for paying for damages caused by superheroes. And Conan O’Brien is one of the producers of “People of Earth,” with Wyatt Cenac, Oscar Nunez, and Ana Gasteyer as “experiencers” who have had alien encounters. Both were pretty funny and I look forward to more.

Tribute: Garry Marshall

Posted on July 20, 2016 at 8:08 am

We mourn the loss of writer/director/actor Garry Marshall, who died this week at age 81. Marshall gave “Happy Days,” “Mork and Mindy,” “Laverne and Shirley,” “Pretty Woman,” “The Princess Diaries,” and, as an actor, unforgettable performances in films like “Soapdish,” “A League of Our Own” (directed by his sister, Penny Marshall), and “Lost in America.” He began as a writer for my all-time favorite television series, “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” No one was better at discovering and supporting new talent. He gave the first important roles to actors from Henry Winkler and Robin Williams to Julia Roberts and Anne Hathaway.

The New York Times wrote:

If one were to count up the number of times any American — or maybe anyone anywhere — laughed in the last half-century, the person responsible for more of those laughs than anyone else might well be Garry Marshall.

Two of my favorite Garry Marshall films are smaller, more personal stories: “The Flamingo Kid,” with Matt Dillon and Richard Crenna, and “Nothing in Common,” with Tom Hanks.

And I always loved his performances in films, especially in “Soapdish” as a television executive who liked things to be “peppy.” Here he is in “Lost in America,” with Albert Brooks.

May his memory be a blessing.

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Actors

San Diego Comic-Con 2016!

Posted on July 20, 2016 at 8:00 am

It’s time for San Diego Comic-Con! Thousands of fans, many in costume, with gather to pay tribute to and get updates on the greatest of lively arts, from movies to games, television, and of course comic books.

Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick will be there to promote their new animated musical “Trolls” and master of political paranoia Oliver Stone will be there with the cast of “Snowden.” “Fifth Element’s” Luc Besson will be there to talk about his trippy new space story ‘Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets,” starring Cara Delevingne and Dane DeHaan. I’m looking forward to an update on “Guardians of the Galaxy 2,” “Wonder Woman,” and next month’s “Suicide Squad.” Sigourney Weaver will be there for the 30th anniversary of “Aliens.”

There will be full-length previews of new television series including “Riverdale” with Archie and his friends and Conan O’Brien’s “People of Earth.”

There are as always great panels, including two hosted by my friend Leslie Combemale, one on women in animation and one on diversity in animation. As always, one of the highlights will be MAD artist SergioAragonés showing us his lightning-fast drawing skills and wicked sense of humor in the “Quick Draw.”

Stay tuned for updates!

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Understanding Media and Pop Culture

Contest: Win a DVD of Underdogs

Posted on July 19, 2016 at 8:00 am

You can win a copy of today’s new DVD, Underdogs, an animated story about soccer and magic featuring the voices of Ariana Grande, “Glee’s” Matthew Morrison, Nicolas Hoult, and Bella Thorne. Morrison plays a soccer player who loves Laura (Grande). Hoult is Ace, the town bully. Jake beats Ace in a foosball game, but seven years later Ace returns as a soccer champ and Jake must beat him in a real soccer match with the help of some very small but very talented players.

I have a copy to give away! Send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with Underdogs in the subject line and tell me your favorite athlete. Don’t forget your address! (US addresses only.) I’ll pick a winner at random on July 26, 2016.

Redford and Fonda Reunite on Netflix

Posted on July 18, 2016 at 3:00 pm

Jane Fonda and Robert Redford have great on-screen chemistry, as we’ve seen in two films, and can now look forward to in a third.

In Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park they play newlyweds living in a five story walk-up. Corey (Fonda), based on Simon’s first wife, is free-spirited and spontaneous and Paul (Redford) is straightlaced and responsible.

Then they appeared in “The Electric Horseman,” the story of a rodeo star turned corporate spokesman who runs away with his championship horse and is followed by an ambitious newswoman.

And now they are reuniting for “Our Souls at Night,” based on the novel by Kent Haruf about a widow and a widower who reach out to one another for compansionship. It will be wonderful to see them together again.

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Understanding Media and Pop Culture