Fire and Ice - Ralph Bakshi and Frank Frazetta [Movie Poster]

 

OK. Its not a book cover, exactly but I would say it is pulpish. The Italian poster for Ralph Bakshi, and Frank Frazetta's movie Fire & Ice!

Bonus Princess Teegra gallery!

Conan the Barbarian [L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter]

 

Nothing much to add. I think this will be a new feature, posting Pulp/Science Fiction covers.

The less politically correct, the better.

In the case of Conan the Barbarian, of course this was also the movie poster.

Joker [And Our Unhinged Media Elite]

Let me begin by saying. I think those who worked on this movie's first purpose was to create a breakdown of what makes Batman's greatest villain, who and what he is.


I don't think the purpose was any sort of agenda, beyond taking a microscope to the Joker himself. However by accident much more outside the realm of the film itself has been revealed.

What?

Our Media is unhinged and cannot handle ANYTHING no matter how docile or even within the bounds of normalcy that even hints running against the grain of their approved narrative.

Its not so much that I like the Joker. But I do enjoy what its done to our Elite Media.

The fallout (mostly among the Twitter Elite Entertainment Media) at Joker's Oscar nominations is almost more fun than the movie that they are overreacting to. It proves none of these people should be taken seriously about much of anything, yet specifically in the case of what should and should not be included in our entertainment.

Me. I usually ignore movie reviewers. This only confirms that I have been correct to do so, and shall carry on doing so.

Doomcock has a video about Joker and the Oscar nominations. Go watch!

When JJ Abrams Gets his Mitts on Superman [It Won't be Pretty]

If you hate Zack Snyder's Man of Steel, and the present state of the DCEU now, just wait until JJ Abrams gets his mitts on Superman. It won't be a pretty picture. However I bet it will be highly praised by establishment media. If the state of Star Wars and Star Trek can help us gauge the result.


I should state upfront.

Man of Steel is my favorite movie. This is as much a surprise to me, as anyone else. But its true. I really like it. Also I don't have a hate for the DCEU Movies and in fat respect them as pieces of film making far more than Disney's Marvel Universe. I don't think they need "Fixing" as I believe they are actually genuine cinematic events which are allowed to be more or less their own things, even if they are somewhat connected to a larger whole and not cookie-cutter products such as Marvel "Event Films".

But my point is. JJ Abrams Superman, whatever form that might end up taking, is likely to be highly praised by Media, but will turn out to be hollow and use nostalgia to try to appeal, but fail even at that as it railroads what on the surface it pretends to honor.

That is JJ Abrams career thus far. Banking on nostalgia to hide the hollowness of his product.

On the bright side. In retrospect people will begin to finally appreciate the genius of Zack Snyder.

A Revitalized Republic and Jedi Order

The Star Wars Prequels were about the Republic and Jedi Order's downfall, The Original Trilogy, the middle part of the story was about reclaiming what had been lost...

The Sequel Trilogy should have been about a revitalized Republic, and Jedi Order facing a new threat, or even the vestiges of Palpatine's Empire, but in that case the Empire should have been the insurgents, not "Resistance" as there would be no such thing since the Republic would be functional and not destroyed in one fell swoop... Instead we got Sequels Showing us, our original heroes, actions were all in vain. They were depicted as failures, and cowards.

Here's how I would have broadly done the Sequels.



Opening Scroll:

The Force Awakens...
LUKE SKYWALKER, JEDI Master is missing! His sister, Chancellor of the New Republic Leia Organa Solo, has taken up the mantle of their mother Padmé Amidala, and united a once war torn galaxy in peace.
Yet darkness rises. Snoke, a darkside force-wielder has unified fragments of Palpatine's old empire and they've begun to wage war upon the New Republic with his warlord, the mysterious Kylo Ren leading Snoke's armies in an extremely effective assault...
Desperate, hoping her brother will have means to combat these two new Dark Lords, Chancellor Solo, sends her niece - Kira Skywalker, a fully trained Jedi, with Han, and Chewbacca in the Millennium  Falcon to locate Luke Skywalker, lost while seeking out a long forgotten Jedi Temple...


OK this is only a quick rough draft of the scroll, intended to give the general notion of what these three movies should have been about.

Here's what we would learn along the course of the trilogy.

Snoke is a Whills, entombed as punishment for practicing dark force use, and he has been influencing events for some time now. Including manipulating both Darth Plagueis, and Palpatine. We also learn before his entombment, Snoke was known as - Skywalker - And the Skywalker family took their name from the myths surrounding this dark Whills. It will come as little shock that Snoke, created Anakin Skywalker from afar...

We learn that Kylo Ren is really Ben Solo who was thought dead while on a Jedi Quest - But what really happened was he came across Snoke's tomb and awakened the dark entity, which seduced him to the darkside.

By the end of the first film, Luke, Han, and Leia are altogether and ready to face Snoke. Kira Skywalker has made a new friend in a Stormtrooper she helped defect from Snoke's insurgent Empire.

In this version of events, there is a fully functional, yet reformed Jedi Order, and of course the Republic is almost fine.

By the second film, Kylo Ren would be turned back to the light thanks to his cousin Kira, and uncle Luke.

And in the third film, it would be Luke, Kira, and Ben all facing off against Snoke.

We would learn Luke discovered the full history of the Whills, including the one known as The Skywalker - Snoke.

Keep in mind this is all broad strokes, but the idea here is not to reset what the Old Trilogy did, and show that our old heroes made lasting achievements.
    

Kissing Cousins [Rey and Kylo Ren: The Rise of Skywalker]

Did no one at Disney think to tell JJ Abrams, that Sheev Palpatine is Anakin Skywalker's father?

I'm totally OK with Disney making Sheev Palpatine Anakin's father - This is one of those little tidbits which actually enhanced the overall Star Wars story for me, and is far more satisfying than having an off screen, never revealed Darth Plagueis mess about with the Force to get here.

Its also the simpler explanation.

But it makes this...

All sorts of icky...
....
...

That... Looks kinda fever pitched and romantic to me. WAY more tongue than anything Anakin ever gave to Padme in the Prequels.

When you are looking at that image.

Sheev Palpatine is grandfather to both Rey, and Ben Solo.

They could have had Rey be a Palpatine without almost no problem - But they would have meant she can't be the hero of the Skywalker Saga, and oh, Reylo could not also still be a thing.

Yet clearly Disney wanted despite their OWN CANON wanted to appeal to the rabid Reylos out there.

Just wait until this fully sinks in once the movie is widely released. Trust me. It will.

And if I am to understand things. Both Luke and Leia KNEW who Rey was all along - One guesses so did Han, and by implication Ben knew as well.

"What girl?!!!!!!!!"

That line now takes on bigger implications.

EMO Kylo lusting after his cousin. On purpose.

The innocent kiss by Leia to Luke in a A New Hope is NOT the same as this.

Star Wars: The Original Trilogy [Harmy Despecialized Edition]

I used to have no problem with the Star Wars: Special Editions. After all, Star Wars was Lucas's baby, he could do with it what he pleased.

And than, Disney happened...

Given the current wreckage that is Star Wars, outside of The Mandalorian, I've lately been reconsidering "The Special Editions" and have come to regard them as no less cultural vandalism than the recontextualization that Disney itself has been attempting, and will probably complete by the end of The Rise of Skywalker.



Enter: Star Wars: The Original Trilogy [Harmy Despecialized Edition], a fan restoration of  the movies to a state close to their original theatrical presentation.

You know why I support this?

Because George Lucas, refused to provide an original unaltered print of Star Wars (A New Hope) to the Library of Congress as part of their film preservation project when asked. Sure he'd let them have a Special Edition - But not the movie as it first appeared.

Killing the past is bad when Disney does it. Its also bad when Lucas tries to paper-over it.

I'd now go as far as to say, these restored versions of the Original Trilogy are probably the best manner to experience these films.

They are easy enough to come by and can even by found at the Internet Archive. If you are a Star Wars fan do yourself a favor and find them. Keep', viral!

https://originaltrilogy.com/topic/Harmys-STAR-WARS-Despecialized-Edition-HD-V27-MKV-IS-OUT-NOW/id/12713

The Mandalorian and General Thoughts About Star Wars

I like the The Mandalorian, its not a perfect show, but so far its the best Star Wars we've gotten from Disney. I fear though, that might not last.

I also like Rogue One. It took great pains to not stomp on A New Hope, or the Original Trilogy, even going as far as to kill off its new characters to preserve canon. I can only assume at the time, Disney's Star Wars Social Justice Writers Room had not yet become brave enough to jump off that cliff when this movie was made.

The Mandalorian, would do itself a BIG favor if it avoids referencing anything from the Sequel Trilogy, AT ALL.

The problem is. This is still Disney Star Wars, and there remains a certain sort of politically charged mindset in Hollywood in general and at Lucasfilms in particular. Its only a matter of time before this all comes crashing down around us.

That is sad a prospect given the looming implosion that is going to be the The Rise of Skywalker. JJ Abrams might not have liked what Rian Johnson did in The Last Jedi, how it stomped all over The Force Awakens. Stomping on the Original Trilogy and making Luke Skywalker and Anakin;s sacrifices meaningless, does not help even it hinders. Even if you think you are doing a course correction.

Making Emperor Palpatine's granddaughter the Apex hero of the Skywalker Saga undercuts any of those supposed corrections to Rian Johnson's mess of a film.

Sure JJ Abrams, Rian Johnson stomped on your plot points and you just undid everything Lucas built in one fell swoop by crowning Rey Best Jedi EVER!

"I am all the Jedi!"

Its hard to even describe what a narrative mess this is, given it rips apart a great deal of "settled", supposedly according to Disney, untouchable Star Wars lore.

To reiterate, The Mandalorian needs to stay FAR away from this mess at all costs, or Star Wars is truly DONE as long as Disney owns it.

Ishtar In Space [The Rise of Skywalker]

Its quoted, by Doomcock that someone in the Disney Star Wars writers room congratulated the writers on making "Ishtar in Space". This happened in regard to retconning Rey, to be the Chosen One and the Last Hope of the Galaxy. The figure Yoda alluded to Obi-Wan to, in The Empire Strikes Back.


Think about that.

Yoda clearly meant Princess Leia, but Disney couldn't even let that stand and needed to supplement even Leia's place in the canon, for Rey. A PALPATINE as the Last Hope of the Galaxy.

Never mind making a Palpatine the Apex hero of the Skywalker Saga a huge narrative, and storytelling blunder. But its not really a blunder on their part as its all part of the agenda. Disney has for whatever reason, always loathed the Skywalker family.   

If you don't know, Ishtar, is a notoriously bad movie.

So how bad is The Rise of Skywalker?

Seemingly so bad, that usually reliable Disney shills have already come out and begun to pan the movie. Even they can see the train wreck that this film is.

Rats fleeing a sinking ship...

The Leaks Are Real [Rise of Skywalker]

Doomcock was correct, his sources are real and The Rise of Skywalker is a dumpster fire that destroys the Original Trilogy.

Rey Palpatine, steals the Skywalker name and becomes the Chosen One.

Someone by the name of ProfessorHov, posted the Opening Crawl, which is a clear clue to exactly what sort of disaster this film is and how it stomps on the Skywalker Legacy and over all of Star Wars.

Opening Crawl

EPISODE IX THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

The dead speak! The galaxy has heard a mysterious broadcast, a threat of REVENGE in the sinister voice of the late EMPEROR PALPATINE.

GENERAL LEIA ORGANA dispatches secret agents to gather intelligence, while REY, the last hope

of the Jedi, trains for battle against the diabolical FIRST ORDER.

Meanwhile, Supreme Leader KYLO REN rages in search of the phantom Emperor, determined to destroy any threat to his power....

*The original Reddit leaks look to have been more or less on target, and of course Doomcock reported how those leaks and the film kept being reshot, and edited differently following really awful test-screenings.

Books I Like: The Romulan Way by Diane Duane and Peter Morwood

Blurb:

They are a race of warriors, a noble people to whom honor is all. They are cousin to the Vulcan, ally to the Klingon, and Starfleet's most feared and cunning adversary. They are the Romulans – and for eight years, Federation Agent Terise LoBrutto has hidden in their midst. 
Now the presence of a captured Starfleet officer forces her to make a fateful choice between exposure and escape. Between maintaining her cover – and saving the life of Dr. Leonard McCoy. 
Here, in a startlingly different adventure, is the truth behind one of the most fascinating alien races ever created in Star Trek – the Romulans.

Not only is this a good Star Trek book, from a time when Trek novels were allowed to go off on their own threads, and be their own thing - Its a highly enjoyable Sci-fi read.



The Romulan Way is unusual, in that all its major action does not take place on the Enterprise, and in fact only one Enterprise 1701 crew member figures into the plot. Dr. Leonard McCoy.

The major action takes place on Romulus, and in flashbacks, which recount The Sundering from Vulcan. And the story mainly focuses on its protagonist Arrhae ir-Mnaeha t'Khellian aka Terise Haleakala-LoBrutto, a servant in House Khellian.

This was my first experience of Diane Duane's "Rihannsu", and it, more so than any depiction of Romulans on screen, cemented my notion of those brethren to the Vulcans. In truth, on screen depictions of Romulans in The Next Generation era failed to live up to what I got out of Diane Duane's writing - Someways, this also would later apply to the Vulcan's in the Enterprise era, which attempted to tactile some of the same historical material related to both species.

It was not however the story alone, which impacted me. The writing style, and presentation of information was unusual for a Star Trek book. That is to say, it felt more like an original Sci-Fi novel, rather than mere media tie-in. A book that could stand on its own, beyond the property it was part of.

As a writer I can say, this book certainly had an impact on me, and my own work in a positive manner.

You would do yourself a favor by reading this book. When you do, you are better off putting aside almost everything on screen, post-TOS out of your mind regarding Romulans. It helps.