Rest in Peace, Mr. Spock...

Like many of you, growing up, I felt like a bit of an outsider - an alien. Leonard Nimoy's iconic portrayal of Star Trek's Science Officer Spock was one of the first fictional characters I was exposed to as a lad who showed me that there were other outsiders facing challenges, but that as different as they were, they could find a place for themselves - and acceptance - thanks to the compassion of friends who values differences rather than fearing them. 

Because he was in perpetual conflict with emotion, struggling to maintain logic and rationality, he came to represent the nature of humanity better than any other character in science fiction and television and cemented an enduring appeal to fans across the globe for nearly half a century.

Leonard Nimoy passed away today at the age of 83. May his legacy live long. We have all prospered from it.

Aloft with Birdman

I didn’t get a chance to screen Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) until the night before the Oscars, by which time the movie already seemed firmly locked down as the Best Picture recipient. So I was a little leery of being able to view the film detached from all of the impending ceremony and recognition. 

I needn’t have worried. Birdman is an unhinged and euphoric show business satire that careens into the audience’s perceptions with complete abandon.  Echoing Times Square’s transformation from grindhouse to galleria, modern Broadway theater drives box office by positioning movie actors as the audience draw. Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) is the former star of a comic book superhero “Birdman” movie franchise. Like Keaton’s own reign as Batman for Tim Burton, that success is way back in the rearview mirror. With his name recognition as one of his last remaining assets, Riggan’s dumped the last of his savings – along with his soul – into mounting a serious, “meaningful” adaptation of Raymond Carver’s “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love,” a last gasp effort to leave his mark and regain both notoriety and respect – both from the world and for himself. To feel relevant – to matter.

When circumstances require finding a new cast member just before preview night, a famous but equally narcissistic method actor (Edward Norton) joins the ensemble, and Birdman ratchets into a hilarious farce of actors, ego and the theater itself. Norton is phenomenal, and gives new meaning to the notion of an actor who only comes alive in the presence of an audience, who fuels himself by turning every interaction into a confrontation: “Do you have any idea who walked these boards before you? Geraldine Page, Marlon Brando, Helen Hayes, Jason Robards... And now you.” As Riggan’s daughter/de facto assistant, Emma Stone redefines herself in a terrific performance as a Lohanesque rehab grad, frayed and frustrated at finding herself in service to her detached and unravelling father.

As preview performances stagger towards opening night, egos – and realities – collide and swerve with unpredictable, escalating delight.

Director (and co-writer) Alejandro González Iñárritu (Babel, Biutiful) sets the entire film in the crumbling confines of the St. James Theater and nearby environs, partnering with Children of Men and Gravity cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki to make the entire film seem like one long, surreal, delirious dream-take. Lubezki is a miracle worker and spins his penchant for long, uninterrupted takes to dizzying new heights here, in a way that never feels overtly conscious to the viewer. 

Birdman is a triumphant, farcical lit fuse of ego and desperation. A playful love letter to actors everywhere. As the voice in Riggan’s head begins to fracture reality and the surreal lines between the imaginary and the theatrical begin to blur, Iñárritu lets both the characters and the audience share a sense of liberation and take flight.

Oscar Eve: Of horse races and ho-hums

It's time once again to make some pre-combat predictions and remind ourselves (cough) that it's just an honor to be nominated! Makeup will be blasting out of every available airbrush and body tape will be stretched to the breaking point. No limo will go home unscathed.

We did pretty darn well with weather forecasting last year, and this one doesn't feel like it's too likely to present much upheaval, with only one real horse race.

Picture and Director - It's Birdman this year. There was an awful lot of support for Boyhood, but Birdman has surged and should walk away with both Picture and Director. The only way this could fall apart is if those two picture's supporters split the vote and something unsuspected like The Grand Budapest Hotel (heavily favored in many non-actor categories) or American Sniper benefits from divided faction loyalties. But I think those are really slim odds, so don't expect it.

Actor - Michael Keaton.  Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) has won a lot of awards this season, including the SAG, which makes this the only real horse race of the night. The last time the SAG winner didn't go on to nail Best Actor was in 2003, when SAG winner Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean) saw Sean Penn take Best Actor for Mystic River. While Redmayne is an engaging newcomer, Birdman's story about the struggles of an actor late in his career not only fits veteran Keaton like a glove, but will resonate throughout the voting population.
I think Keaton's got it.

Actress - Julianne Moore. Though not a lot of people have actually seen Still Alice, Moore is beloved and this is her fifth nomination, I think she's got it in the bag, but ya never know. Reese Witherspoon?

Supporting Actor - J.K. Simmons. Ba-dum-dum. Rimshot. Done. Schillinger.

Supporting Actress - Patricia Arquette. This one is so wildly considered a done deal, the one for-sure trophy that's going to Boyhood. Still, Laura Dern? Emma Stone? It ain't impossible. But I think Arquette will win.

Screenplay - The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Imitation Game. These feel like what the Academy will acknowledge as more literary "on the page" stories, but it's possible that Birdman could take Original and Sniper Adapted, though I hope not.

There you have it. This year, there's not a single person of color up for an acting award, so the Academy has tried to best Benetton in a bid to show how really ethnic and diverse they are.
Uh, yeah.

Not the most exciting year, but we have some good films in the mix and Neil Patrick Harris hosting, so we should be in for a lively, better-rehearsed outing than in years past.

The 87th Annual Academy Awards gets rolling on ABC at 7:00 Eastern, 4:00 Pacific.
Grab some popcorn, pour a glass of wine and make way for the train wreck.

This time, it's Blomkamp

Funny how things work out.

A few weeks ago, director Neill Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium) shared some concept art via Instagram of a film he was developing for the Alien franchise. Striking images of Ripley, the derelict ship, of a scarred Hicks, somehow having miraculously avoided the unjust demise he suffered in Alien³. Of Weyland-Yutani still up to their nefarious shenanigans.

His tone was wistful, as it seemed the development ship had already sailed and that Fox didn't care to journey where the visionary filmmaker had wanted to go.

But reaction to that concept art (below) was palpable, as it seemed that Blomkamp shared a vision with many fans of the core icons that they loved and that this was the sequel they'd been pining for, rather than Alien³ and Resurrection, generally considered lesser entries. The enthusiasm for Blomkamp's ideas became almost a visual Kickstarter across social media to the point that Fox had to wonder, "Maybe we've got something here..."

Now today comes word from Blomkamp that it's actually happening, presumably with Sigourney Weaver's involvement. It's worth noting that Weaver has a prominent role in Blomkamp's Chappie, which opens next month. Word suggests that she and the filmmaker had some very tangible conversations together that shaped the evolution of an Alien chapter that would satisfy them both, as well as the droves of fans who felt Ripley's story never got the proper resolution.

Pretty exciting and fascinating news. 

Stay tuned as more details...burst forth.

Toy Fair 2015: A few loose ends

Nothing Earth-shattering today, but a few new items of interest, starting out with a couple of Walking Dead figures that look to be exclusive to Walgreens and Target:

NECA announced they will in fact be handling Terminators: Genisys this summer - no photos yet, but should be cool even if the movie fails to satisfy:

Lastly, here's new 7" figures that Diamond Select revealed for Ghostbusters that actually look pretty good! 

We'll see what else reaes its head in Toy Fair's twilight hours. In the meantime, if you have Monday off, enjoy yourself!

Check back for more fun tomorrow!

Toy Fair 2015: Aliens, Apes and FIREFLY!

Plenty of excitement at day one of Toy Fair. Let's start with NECA! New Planet of the Apes figures, with the line expanding to include General Aldo:

Here's Veska from the Apes TV series:

And without further ado, Aliens...

Bishop, torn in half version...

RIpley and Powerloader!

Mezco teased some non-hazmat versions of Walter and Jesse (what, no prototypes?!), plus Mike!

I've been nonplussed by Mezco's ReAction figure line, but figures from Jaws?!?!?! Give me an Orca playset and you've got a deal, fellas!

No new Funko Legacy Game of Thrones figures yet, but I'm willing to forgive as we're getting 7" LEGACY FIREFLY!!! 

How awesome are these?!? I guess I may not have to finish my long gestating custom figures after all! 

There you have it, day one revealed!

I'm sure we'll have plenty of other choice surprises to chat about tomorrow! 

Get some sleep, Valentines!

2015 Toy Fair: Ripley says, "Prepare Yourselves!!!"

Tomorrow, it all begins in earnest, as New York City hosts Toy Fair, easily one of the most anticipated weekends of the year, as the toy industry sends its annual Valentine to retailers and collectors alike. Tonight's the preview evening, so a few early reveals are bound to sneak out, like this one from our pals at NECA:

It's the third version of Ripley,this time from 1986's Aliens, as NECA gives us a preview series 5 in the popular 7" action figure line, which will depict her from the film's climactic hunt for Newt in the Queen's nest. The wave will also include a new "Torn in Half" Bishop, packed with an open egg and facehugger, as well as a pair of repurposed Alien warriors from the Aliens: Genocide Dark Horse Comics.

Here's hoping we get a full reveals of both prototype Ripley and Bishop this weekend as well as plenty of other surprises!

Check back often throughout the weekend and enjoy all the fun of Valentine's Day!

Extra Helpings of Heart in Chef

When you first see Jon Favreau in Chef, it's alarming. You think, "What happened to this guy?" The actor/director looks like a man who's dangerously overweight. But it's not long before it becomes clear that Favreau is all too aware of his situation. In fact, Chef seems very much the work of someone using his art to reflect on and maybe even influence his life, passionately aware that things need to change.
Favreau (who also wrote and directed) plays L.A. chef Carl Casper, a man with a ferocious talent (and appetite) who's the star draw at owner Dustin Hoffman's swank eatery, so long as he sticks to the paint-by-numbers menu his boss thinks is filling the seats. When a food critic drops a scathing review bomb on his by-rote recipes, Carl loses it in positively meteoric fashion. To say too much more would be to spoil the many charms Chef has to offer, and they're plentiful indeed. Carl needs to follow his bliss and reinvent himself - to stop pleasing his boss and please himself. He also desperately needs to connect with his young son, phenomenally well played by Emjay Anthony.

Carl's self-discovery through a more humble yet satisfying culinary vehicle seems to pretty clearly echo Favreau's own Hollywood directorial odyssey - from his indie Swingers breakthrough, to the colossal commercial heights of two Iron Man movies and the drubbing of Cowboys & Aliens - his return to smaller, more personal storytelling seems likewise the decision of a man turning his back on corporate box office (and film critics) so he can reconnect with what it is about film that inspires him. He's crafted a personal, funny, insightful movie that's full of heart and charm. There are times you may think Chef was produced by Twitter, but somehow it doesn't annoy or distract.

The supporting cast includes Sofía Vegara, Scarlett Johannson, the amazing John Leguizamo, the fantastic Bobby Cannavale, Robert Downey Jr., and Oliver Platt.

Two important things to note: The soundtrack is unbelievable, flavored with dozens of amazing Latin and Cubano tracks that fuel Chef with energy and help make it feel so unique.

Also, don't even go near this movie if you are even remotely hungry. Chef attains heights of Pavlovian food porn that make Big Night seem tame. This is a very dangerous movie for someone trying to lose weight.

Chef is about being true to yourself and doing what you love and coming to terms with who you are. Important lessons for a character trying to reconnect with family and chart a fresh course in life. Jon Favreau has made a film that's full of joy and passion, and I only hope his own reinvention is as gratifying as Carl Casper's is. Yeah, he may be a big guy, but I'm thinking it's all heart.