Tombstone aimed true, past genre and categorical limitations. It had crossover appeal, offering something most Westerns couldn’t give ’90s audiences. To this day, it comes up in any conversation when discussing the best cowboy movies. Thirty years later, the film still holds its spot tightly and has a small air of mystique surrounding the production.

The film isn’t the epitome of historical accuracy in any way, but involves many of the actual events leading up to that famous shootout at the O.K. Corral and Wyatt Earp’s Vendetta Ride. Some events are simplified or condensed, while a few gaps had to be filled in with fictional outcomes that help bring the characters back together. The original script was also much longer and many scenes had to be cut or trimmed down. Still, the narrative we received was amazing, with fleshed-out characters, emotional arcs, and some incredible dialog.

“Evidently Mr. Ringo’s an educated man. Now I really hate him.”

What may be the film’s ultimate asset is the impressive ensemble cast. Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp and Val Kilmer playing Doc Holliday are the two roles everyone remembers the most from this film, which is deserved after all of the prep both men did for the parts, but there isn’t a weak performance in the entire film. Those two acted against Powers Boothe, who portrayed Curly Bill, and Michael Biehn as Johnny Ringo, with equally magnificent showings. All these characters are human, their motivations realized and made manifest. No one is perfect, with even Wyatt being shown to make mistakes, be selfish, and cheat.

The list of notable people in Tombstone is massive. There aren’t many other movies with a laundry list of talent like this. Sam Elliott and Bill Paxton play the other Earp brothers, Stephen Lang, Thomas Haden Church, and Jason Priestley ride with the outlaw gang, while other performers like Billy Bob Thornton, Charlton Heston, Michael Rooker, Billy Zane, and Terry O’Quinn all help round out important figures in the story. It’s a stellar pool of actors all turning in great work, and even those with only a couple of scenes stand out.

There were problems behind the camera, however. The film was written by Kevin Jarre, who was also originally going to direct, but he was fired after only a month on set. George P. Cosmatos (Cobra, Rambo: First Blood Part II) was brought in to take up the reigns, but how good of a fit he was for the production is up for some debate.

According to most accounts, Russell actually took on many of the directing responsibilities so that the film stayed on schedule and didn’t go over budget. He even continued to help once Cosmatos was there, to ensure the project kept the feel and tone they wanted. This has been mentioned by others, but Russell himself doesn’t discuss it, apparently due to a promise he made. What does seem certain is that if he hadn’t been there, Tombstone wouldn’t have made it to the screen, or at least not in the state we saw it

“Go ahead, skin it! Skin that smokewagon and see what happens!”

Several other actors almost starred in the picture, some of which were studio decisions or initial conditions for the financing before everything was worked out. After his performance in Pretty Woman, Richard Gere was considered for the role of Wyatt, while Mickey Rourke turned down the chance to play Johnny Ringo. Willem Dafoe was originally set to take on the character of Doc Holliday, but the studio wanted a bigger name. Jennifer Connelly tried out for the part of Josephine Marcus; Lisa Zane was also considered for that role and Kate as well. A personal favorite rumor from the film is that legendary director John Carpenter was approached to helm it. 

The movie is also gorgeous, just wonderful cinematography and costuming. The shoot wasn’t an easy one, as the cast and crew had to deal with extreme heat and scorpions while filming out in Arizona, but a few of those shots are just superb. The art department did their best to use historically accurate clothes, saddles, guns, and even the wallpaper, while they had one of Wyatt Earp’s actual descendants in the movie as well as Old West actors. There was also more filmed than what we’ve seen. There are about six minutes worth of scenes included in various releases of the movie, but there were more filmed, a few shots of which can be seen in certain trailers. 

“Nonsense, I have not yet begun to defile myself.”

Tombstone has a solid gold legacy. It broke the mold of Western movies at that time, and resonated with harsher ’90s audiences. That’s true for the actors, too, as many who worked on the film still speak of the movie as a great experience; Kilmer even titled his memoir, “I’m Your Huckleberry.” Just like the story it’s based on, this epic stands the test of time and proves there’s still some fight left in it.

The post Tombstone Still Calls Down the Thunder, 30 Years Later appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.

Saying that a piece of media is incredibly “of its time” can feel passe, but some shows just scream the period they came out in. That’s Automan — almost to the letter. This program was an attempt at doing something close to superhero comedy with solid action in a police story, something that felt new, sleek, and sexy, capitalizing on the computer trend.

Automan was the perfect creation. But does that translate into good television?

The story follows Walter Nebicher (Desi Arnaz Jr.), a young police officer who specializes in computer sciences and does some game programming on the side. His creation starts as a video game, but after plugging in information on all of the great heroes of television and film, Walter creates a hard-light hologram with artificial intelligence named Automan (Chuck Wagner) and a small digital polyhedron helper named Cursor (as himself). This new construct is capable of learning almost anything, and Cursor can create everything from clothes and instruments to cash and vehicles to help out with cases.

Viewers also meet Roxanne Caldwell (Heather McNair), a fellow officer and Walter’s love interest. She’s the only other person who knows what Automan truly is and often must run interference for him. There’s Lt. Jack Curtis (Robert Lansing), one of the best cops in L.A., and the guy usually taking point on most of these adventures, but he tends to find trouble and needs Walter and Agent Mann’s (Automan’s alternate identity within law enforcement) assistance. To round out the cast, we have Captain E.G. Boyd (Gerald S. O’Loughlin), boss of the station who doesn’t like computers, has trouble giving credit where it’s due, and refuses to get Nebicher’s name right. That said, he seems like a secret softie and gets in on the jokes sometimes.   

Part of the show’s charm is the actors and the chemistry they share. Each of these characters interacts well with the others, having some solid moments, and according to Wagner, the three main actors are still close. The show also had a handful of notable guest stars for the time, some familiar faces for those who love ‘70s and ‘80s television. The soundtrack for the show was full of popular music, and a couple of episodes featured notable performers. The best example was Laura Branigan, who sang “Gloria.”

Songs like “Maniac,” “Sweet Dreams,” and “Beat It” pop up while keen-eyed observers may even spot someone from the “Thriller” music video in one episode. The Bee Gees get quite the mention, and John Travolta is highly regarded for his dancing, so much that Automan steals it from the movies. The score is enjoyable, jumping around in tone from pulp adventure to whimsical fancy and computer games. Since Automan started as a video game in the story, there are other quirky references, like the characters walking past a Joust cabinet, him appearing as an overlay to a game of Burger Time, and claiming to know Pac-Man and Donkey Kong quite well.

Automan is the main star here, and Wagner did an excellent job with him. The specialized hologram body made for an impressive look (even if it reflected on his face oddly at times) and the already tall actor wore additional four-inch heels to secure his imposing size. His singing, dancing, and other talents were mostly natural, as Wagner was trained in musical comedy and was quite familiar with theater work, though sometimes he was forced to use a double. The expressions and subtle acting he does with his eyes and facial features are well done, making him feel like someone who is still fresh and new to the world, but even though this character is supposed to be a bit inhuman, I can’t help but think he’s a bit creepy at times as well. A lot of Automan’s sub-plots involve romance, constantly being hit on by beautiful women, and it doesn’t help that Cursor is a bit of a pervert as well, analyzing women near their breasts.

The perfect man also needs the best wheels. Cursor ensures Automan has whatever he requires in any situation, whether that be a motorcycle, helicopter, tank, or that slick-looking jet. But the real attraction was the Autocar. It was a real car outfitted with reflective tape, a Lamborghini Countach owned by Executive Producer Glen A. Larson, so the actors had to be very careful, barely getting to drive it. A fake interior was made for shots inside the vehicle. The Countach has that classic wedge shape that would become chic, hugging the pavement so much it appeared to glide along the road, cutting through the air with its sharp lines and low-profile chassis. What made it exceptionally cool were those mounted hidden headlights and scissor doors, sealing it as a status symbol of money and style.

It isn’t all flash, though, as there is some substance to these episodes. Most are classic police stories dealing with high-level criminals. They aren’t hard to figure out, but a few episodes have some extra twists and turns, putting the characters in interesting situations. People die, main characters get roughed up, but the tone never gets too dark and there is usually a corny moment or two to laugh at. It’s dated in several ways, and won’t attract many new fans, but I found revisiting it to be quite entertaining.

Why did such an ambitious show with an amazing spectacle fizzle out after only thirteen episodes (the last one of which wasn’t aired)? It was expensive, of course. Automan apparently costs around a million dollars per episode, which had to be a hard sell for a show coming out in 1983. They were also put in an incredibly competitive Monday time slot up against other popular shows like Magnum P.I., Scarecrow and Mrs. King, and several sports events, at a time when networks were looking for cheaper shows to produce like TV’s Bloopers & Practical Jokes. The L.A.-based production didn’t have horrible ratings, especially by today’s standards, but its budget and lack of dominance doomed the perfect man to an early retirement.     

Larson admits to wanting to bring TRON’s visual stylings to the television and one of the film’s producers (Donald Kushner) was even involved with the show. The similarities were so thick at the time that some referred to the show as a kind of spiritual successor, but Automan was different enough to be its own thing. “Ours was a CGI concept before CGI effects, and a lot of the magic was done with old-school film tricks,” according to Wagner. The cast does an excellent job of explaining how the magic worked, but it sounds like at the time it took an outlandish number of hours for shooting and post-production to make it happen. This is another reason why the show was such a stand-out pre-green screen.

Automan made an impression. There was some merchandising; even if all of the toys weren’t released, we received some odd accessories. A 1985 game for the Commodore 64 by Bug-Byte Software was also made, which seems appropriate considering the character’s background, bringing everything full circle. Wagner says that Brent Spiner of Star Trek: The Next Generation fame based some of Data off of Automan, which is quite the honor.

There are still fans who remember these adventures and I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing what a modern version of something resembling this would look like (or did we already get that with Almost Human?). Automan was an advanced supercop protecting the streets in style, but sometimes the brightest programs crash prematurely — and that’s a shame.

The post Automan: Computerized Perfection That Never Stood A Chance appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.

Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion seems like an odd duck for remaster. Like something released because we took to its siblings well — or maybe something that needed a second chance to finally show what it could do. Turok 3 has spent most of its life stuck on the N64, confined to that era of gaming. Was it worth the rescue?

This is usually where I would give a quick recap of a game’s story. But after the first cutscene, Turok 3 doesn’t make a ton of sense. The basic prompt is that the protagonist from the previous game, Joshua Fireseed, has been killed. It’s up to his siblings, Danielle and Joseph, to carry on the Turok line and stop Oblivion.

As much as I love my N64, one of the best things about playing remasters of games from that console is not having to use the original controller. Handling Turok 3 feels excellent. The characters move a bit slower it seems, forcing players to be deliberate, but the gunplay is enjoyable — even if the auto-aim caused some small issues at first. After I got used to L2 being the jump button and how to switch between some of my items, it was just an issue of figuring out where to go.  

Turok 3 is a short play if someone just wants to see the credits. But that first run can take a bit, simply due to not knowing where the game wants players to go. There is no real guidance, outside of some broad objective titles. There are, however, a handful of life force icons that act as breadcrumbs for the weary warrior. But even with those general indicators, it’s easy to get lost or miss a simple opening, stranding a player in an area with numerous enemies to take out.

Level design isn’t necessarily impressive, especially with the constant zoning into new sections. The developers did use some of the vertical space well, especially considering that most levels have at least two paths and encourage a bit of exploration while hunting for keys, levers, and secrets. It was also cool to revisit a classic Turok arena and shoot a few dinosaurs after killing so many mutated creatures and aliens. The modern setting was a welcome change, but they were smart to mix it up.

Like many of the FPS games Turok took inspiration from, there are often relentless waves of enemies running at the player. But in this third installment, fewer nameless foes rush toward the slaughter. They’re more spread out, some strategically hidden up high or in bushes. The hordes still happen, but usually due to an event or special location. Nothing ever felt too punishing until the last level, but I also found myself using more strategy, rather than my usual methods of rampaging in guns blazing; spray, pray, rinse, repeat.

A few of the foes can be annoying with their pop-shots or awkward hitboxes, while a couple of the bosses require an extra mechanic to kill. Several of the main enemies are enjoyable to fight, but a couple of them can easily glitch. This includes the last encounter, where I just escaped to safety upstairs and realized he wasn’t going to follow me, doing repeated circles below as I lobbed rockets or pistol ammo to give him a slow, merciless death. This is the final boss, mind you! I was able to recreate this four times and never died in the process. 

The game offers some decent weapons, but several are just upgraded or slightly varied versions of previous toys. They can be enticing, but the game doesn’t like to give players much time to experiment with them, such as how the Vampire Gun feels like an afterthought at first. Most people won’t use it unless it is absolutely necessary or they don’t mind some juggling to stay alive. There is an ultimate weapon that players can collect parts for – or just unlock the All Weapons code – that is quite amusing. I truly enjoyed the Cerebral Bore until I realized how slow it was in an actual frantic firefight.  

I beat the game twice and then hopped through some levels to look for secrets and play around. There are two characters to choose from initially, Danielle and Joseph, who both have different weapons and items. The siblings also have alternate means of traversing the stages, but this only truly changes the paths in a few parts. For me, Joseph will be my chosen warrior going forward due to his night vision goggles, which are excellent for spotting enemies. I was leaving that enhanced sight on in so many areas. Not only can players unlock two amusing extra characters to play, but they can try their hand at Oblivion difficulty as well.

Visually, Turok 3 had a comfortable feeling, reminding me of my time back on the N64, but it probably won’t impress most people, even though a lot of work went into rebuilding these assets. There’s some great texture work, considering, and some elements had to be re-created by hand. Cutscenes are smooth, but some of the faces definitely cracked me up a bit. The sound effects are sweet, like that satisfying thud of a headshot with the bow. Picking up the life force tokens also me think AOL Instant Messenger was going off — a lingering note of nostalgia from the game’s own vintage.

Finally tackling Turok 3 was somewhat cathartic, and definitely enjoyable. That said, it doesn’t quite match up with what came before it. I’m glad Shadow of Oblivion is here to complete the trilogy, because a lot of people missed it. I’m not sure how many new fans Turok 3 will make, but it felt worth it.

SCORE: 7.5/10

As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 7.5 equates to “Good.” A successful piece of entertainment that is worth checking out, but it may not appeal to everyone.

The post Turok 3 Remastered Review: Where Shadows Fall Short of Oblivion appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.

Family Matters wasn’t just a hit sitcom — it was a show that touched a generation. With the breakout success of the Steve Urkel character — and the extremely wacky nature of some episodes — it’s still baffling that fans never received a spinoff or cartoon when it seemed like the perfect fit.

Thankfully, the dream persisted. The show may have started on ABC back in 1989, but in 2023 the annoying neighbor returns in Urkel Saves Santa: The Movie!

The truth is, it almost didn’t happen. Originally titled Did I Do That to the Holidays? A Steve Urkel Story and set to air on Cartoon Network in 2022, it was nearly a victim of the Warner Bros. Discovery merger and lost its more unique title during the time it spent on the shelf. Urkel can’t save anyone if we can’t see him and it’s a Christmas miracle he made it.  

Sadly, although there is a ton of nostalgia here and some excellent references back to the show, anyone hoping to see other characters from Family Matters is going to be disappointed. This is Steve’s adventure and the rest of the cast is filled up entirely with new neighbors and friends. Jaleel White returns to voice the character, but it won’t be the same for some. The actor is simply older and doesn’t quite have that same pitch, but his comedic timing and numerous inflections are still spot on. Some segments were supposedly altered digitally to help with this, but that may just add to the range of varied results we receive in the performance.

The plot is almost exactly what’s expected if viewers are familiar with the more eccentric elements in the show. That said, the new title is a bit misleading on who’s saving who, and the film itself has some interesting takes on the Santa lore. Steve Urkel loves the holidays, all of them that fall around this time of year, whether that is Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, or Festivus (who knew he liked Seinfeld?). 

Like with almost everything Steve enjoys, he overdoes the celebrating and bothers everyone around him. Those caught in the wake of his existence still fear and loathe him, even if they may hide some slight compassion for the little geek just as the Winslow family did. After establishing his new relationships and love of going to the mall (relatable), his antics quickly get him in trouble. His attempts to make up for his mistakes? They only make things worse.

It’s a setup that brings him down but then gives inspiration from an expected, but still highly unusual source. These events also see Urkel matching wits with an Elon Musk-esque villain named Dudley which culminates in a battle of wits via a climactic chess sequence. The story is wild and the humor is on point in a lot of ways, featuring some mild social commentary and harmless political parody. I especially appreciated the use of timing and small bits that might have otherwise been cut if they didn’t fit the character so well. These include Urkel walking down the wrong escalator at first without even bringing attention to it. 

The first half is unfortunately paced better and although the singing isn’t horrible, it doesn’t add much either other than giving us extra insight into Urkel’s head. The movie brings things back around in the end by shining more light onto Steve’s relationships with others, an element the show also did well when it was at its best. His interactions with Robin are wonderful and we want to see good things happen for her. A small attachment, but it is there.

The voice acting is solid and there is quite a range here with a handful of familiar names helping bring this community to life. Names like Wayne Knight, Thomas Lennon, Kym Whitley, Jay Pharoah, and Master Shake himself, Dana Snyder, are all present. Each cast member complements each other and match White’s dedication to his character.

I enjoyed the animation, even if I was skeptical of the direction. Pastels are bright and fluid, with the characters seemingly more alive. They appear enlarged, featuring a plethora of round lines that pop off the screen almost like exaggerated memories flooding back in. The art changes several times, but it is almost always vibrant and the expressions we see from Steve are superb. If I have one complaint in this area it’s that some of the song and dream sequences appear more muted and monochrome than his everyday life, but maybe that’s how Urkel would see it too.

We have to talk about the opening and how it got someone like myself – a superfan – excited for this. When the Warner Bros. Animation name comes up it looks like an old VHS tape in the VCR, straight out of Urkel’s own home movies collection or like we rented this from Blockbuster, complete with PLAY and the button at the top. The opening credits are brief but are also an obvious nod to the show down to the fonts and establishing shots. Little touches like these helped this new feature feel even more special and as if it were made for people who remember these characters fondly. It isn’t long before we see Urkelbot (who provides a laugh track at one point) and eventually, there’s a Stefan Urquelle cameo and an animated version of the Winslow house that inspired a slight swell of nostalgic glee.

I hate to just describe something as ‘fun,’ but that’s what this was; a good time. It goes a bit further than the show ever could have, perhaps too far, but in a lot of ways this just proves that there was a market for more material like this to play around with back in the show’s heyday. Urkel Saves Santa isn’t going to work for a lot of people, probably not even for all of the fans, but it works as an Urkel fever dream to laugh at and enjoy. The Family Matters cartoon I always wanted took its time getting here, but I’m not mad at it and maybe we can get more. Personally, I can’t wait to see what Steve messes up next. 

SCORE: 7.5/10

As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 7.5 equates to “Good.” A successful piece of entertainment that is worth checking out, but it may not appeal to everyone.

The post Urkel Saves Santa Review: Steve Unleashed appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.

Mortal Kombat has been around for over thirty years as a franchise. With that sort of longevity there are bound to be a few duds. However, some forget that the franchise is built off of the triumphs and mistakes they had along the way, learning from everything. Even the worst outings have helped lead future games to success, but it’s the titles in the middle ground that seem to be forgotten about. Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe is often remembered in passing, but few players recall what it did.

The concept was wild. Sure, we had Marvel vs Capcom, but this felt newer and perhaps a bit more special considering the properties. Seeing that cover for the first time, with Scorpion and Batman sizing each other up in a pre-Death Battle world… breathtaking. The premise was simple enough: take an established fighting game series like Mortal Kombat, smash them into each other, and the money will flow. The problem is that the mere idea of pitting these two forces against each other — and making both sides happy — may have promised more than the game could have feasibly delivered at that time.

To confuse most people, this game is often considered to be Mortal Kombat 8, even if that was something that was just meant to be counted internally, it stuck. MK8 started its life differently, somewhat inspired by Gears of War in look and tone, but that work was scrapped when that DC Comics deal popped up. When opportunity like that comes knocking, it is certainly hard to say no. Maybe it should have been a spin-off, sure, but even that wouldn’t have stopped much of the fanbase from trying to take the game too seriously.

That brings us to the question on many minds: is it canon? Yeah, kind of. 

MK vs. DC Universe wasn’t a simple cash-in. The game pushed the ideas of presentation in the genre, and attempted to add new features to take a mostly polished fighting system to the next level. New mini-game scenarios were added with Klose Kombat, Free Fall Kombat, and Test Your Might. Each triggered moments outside of the normal fighting structure, where players would have to press specific buttons or outdo their opponents in an attempt to gain the upper hand. They weren’t the most creative thing, but I still prefer them over the Wager/Clash system we’d see later in the Injustice series. There was also Rage Mode, which some see as the precursor to X-Ray and Fatal Blow maneuvers. The early elements of the meter system and enhanced moves are present as well.  

The story for this game isn’t usually remembered favorably, but it certainly has some excellent moments past having to make convoluted reasons for the characters to be able to meet and be on an even playing field. The story was mostly penned by DC Comics writers Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray so that the characters on the other side were sure to live up to their counterparts from the pages. This Story Mode was incredibly ambitious for the time, as it was completely voiced and motion-captured. Co-creator Ed Boon had to fight for going to these lengths and it was a good thing he did, as we are still seeing the fruits of that labor today. These factors made MK vs DC feel new and experimental, like risking it all on the company’s dime and having something to show for it, even if everyone didn’t see it.

Some MK fans just cannot see past what is missing here. The deal with DC Comics decreed that their characters had to be treated a certain way, which meant no ripping their spines out or beating them to death with their own appendages. I’d say that they tried, but the team was shackled here, and it looks like they knew the rest of the game would have to make up for what was missing.

The alternative for several characters was Heroic Brutality finishers, which sounds like something I’d expect Homelander to call his form of justice. These are stunningly weak, and looking at them years later, it’s quite sad. Some fans of the comics were legitimately glad to see that they didn’t have their favorites go completely savage and do things that were too far out of character. What softens this blow a little is that this game showed off some excellent battle damage with bruising and costume tearing to make the fights feel more ruthless.

With all of the good things that could be pointed out, there are of course some more questionable elements. There’s that hint of favoritism, especially with DC getting an extra chapter in the Story Mode, and for some reason, the big skirmish at the end wasn’t fully rendered, but that was probably a budget issue. Some of the controls are a bit janky, and there were some balancing tweaks needed, which made this game a less optimal choice for competitive play. There are also very few unlockables other than the split boss characters, but that would have been helped by DLC, had Midway Games not been in financial turmoil. Quan Chi and Harley Quinn were expected to make their way into battle with Kung Lao and Doomsday hinted at for the future.

This game is always going to be piled on somewhat, and that is hard to argue against, but that doesn’t mean MK vs. DC doesn’t deserve a little more recognition. If anything, people should know what it accomplished and how this attempt led to an incredibly successful revival of Mortal Kombat and spawned the Injustice series. That’ll be its legacy: how it helped guide the way to much better games and how we almost got an animated movie of the idea.

There will always be a few people who have seen what Netherrealm has accomplished since then and beg, “Give us Mortal Kombat vs. Injustice.”

The post Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe: Shackled, Abused, and Ahead of Its Time appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.

I want the action to be fast-paced, our futures bleak, and my bits, low-res and bloody. That’s why I was attracted to Beyond Sunset from the moment I saw the first trailer, but I was sorely unprepared for this chaotic cyberpunk world.

Developer Metacorp/Vaporware has put a lot of time and energy into their retro first-person shooter, Beyond Sunset, and it paid off. It was a concept inspired by DOOM, DOOM Eternal, and some key elements from Deus Ex that — a bit oddly — started as a board game. What it has become, however, is a testimony to aesthetics, determination, and skills.

There is a story here behind the super-charged retro shooter, involving a street samurai named Lucy who is suffering from some memory problems. But this takes a backseat to the action when the unskippable cutscenes aren’t playing. As is trademark to the genre, there’s an ominous mega-corp pulling strings from the shadows. Other events led to mob turf wars, the undead, mechanical menaces, and people hurling fireballs at one another. These are just the threats before we enter cyberspace, mind you.

Built with the GZDoom engine, Beyond Sunset has environment and combat as the two main pillars pushing it to the top. Before the bullets begin flying, there’s some exploration to consider and NPCS to speak with. Sunset City is impressive, large, and bleak, but with a ton of character past the blindingly bright neon. Even with the blocky aesthetic many of the visuals remain eye-catching, to the point that even back alleyways and random street corners make for solid moody environments.

The areas of this semi-open world are quite large, many with loading points, but there are very few sections that feel like they’re missing something. There are more stages than just this concrete metropolis, but it was the most interesting part for me. Various zones bring a certain feeling with them, mixing up the somewhat serious futuristic tone. But it all comes together as a dangerous rat trap where hope is suffocated.

As nice as those backgrounds are, sometimes enemies can be hard to spot against them, and cyberspace takes a bit for the eyes to adjust to. In a couple of cases, I felt my eyes cross or my vision fade for a moment. From the perspective of someone with a visual disability – and I imagine others as well – there is a ton of rotating color, flashing lights, environmental debris, clutter, and pop-up effects from the action. This can be overwhelming and hard to discern. As awesome as these vibrant “Synthpunk” aesthetics are, they can also hinder. 

Combat in Beyond Sunset is incredibly pleasing. The player is attacked in multiple ways, not just by the enemies themselves, but visually with the sheer number of foes and the various barrages of damage as wave after wave ports in and the onslaught escalates. Fighting in the future requires the player to rise to the challenge and master the sword – my favorite weapon in the game – as well as multiple firearms and other abilities that may be purchased later, so that we never have to bother with the pistol again. This gets into the RPG-style elements the game utilizes and helps with strategy.

Many missions end in an arena-like structure, usually well-designed and perfect for brawls that are meant to make the player feel a little claustrophobic, as scores of what almost feels like endless enemies appear. The bad guy variation grows and becomes solid, but it is easy to get swamped and stuck in the wrong place, taking damage from all angles, unable to survive. Beyond Sunset is somewhat tough and its difficulty cannot be changed at the player’s whim. I was often beating my head against a couple of brick walls until I found the perfect pattern or a better weapon. Thankfully, the swordplay is incredibly satisfying, and figuring out when best to use your abilities is a huge help. Plus, those gory death animations kept me thirsty for victory.

Pushing the environment and shootouts along is an impressive vaporwave soundtrack by Karl Vincent. The beats are perfect for zoning out and dealing up a large amount of death, hacking, and slashing away as the sounds of gunshots and bass-filled grunts from our victims echo in the tracks. The only issue with the audio is that sometimes things are overpowering, tunes will restart at awkward times, and a few areas only have one track so it can drone on a bit.

There are no traditional objectives. the player must find their own way with a bit of direction from the story and conversations. Sure, there’s a map, but it feels practically useless and it is easy to get lost and wander around aimlessly. The city is lovely, but if all of the assailants aren’t disposed of, a casual stroll is a good way to stay constantly under fire.

Controls are a bit awkward — I was constantly dashing without meaning to. Sound also cut out at random intervals. I only experienced one full crash, and most of the bugs just made the old-school feeling the game was going for seem more authentic. I did kill a couple of enemies with shields that dropped 20 of them upon death, like a robotic piñata. I wasn’t sure if this was a gag or a glitch until I found my answer online. 

The developers are active, listening, and seemingly willing to put even more work into Beyond Sunset so that it becomes a better experience for everyone. Also, they are supposedly adding a quest tracker, making some areas and challenges optional, as well as re-tooling portions of the game that have been deemed too punishing. All of that makes Beyond Sunset a game I plan on revisiting after much of this is implemented, and all of the episodes are released. Grievances aside, it’s exciting to think what developers like this will do next.

SCORE: 7.5/10

As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 7.5 equates to “Good.” A successful piece of entertainment that is worth checking out, but it may not appeal to everyone.

Disclaimer: This Beyond Sunset review is based on a copy provided by the publisher.

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With Grand Theft Auto, Rockstar Games takes their love of movies and storytelling to heightened levels inside a hyper-exaggerated version of America. Whether it’s their reimagining of New York as Liberty City, Miami standing in for Vice City, or Los Angeles inspiring Los Santos, each of these places grew and took on traits from other similar areas as they expanded into the open-world playgrounds we love. The series seems rooted here in the States, and other than that brief trip to London back on the original PlayStation, it doesn’t look like things are going to change. However, now could be the time to move out of familiar territories.  

Liberty City has made for some dramatic adventures and exhilarating police chases in its concrete labyrinth, among a bustling criminal underworld, Vice City gave fans long beautiful beaches with bright neon along the strips for a sense of style that can’t be beaten, while San Andreas offered West Coast flavor with the player living a life from the slums to the hills, occupied by the rich and famous. These places have been well-explored, mapped out and expanded upon, and though it feels good to go home again, there’s some pressure on recreating cherished memories of these locations, while still doing something new. The setting doesn’t normally limit these types of stories, but there’s nothing like a fresh canvas, and with so many prominent names having left Rockstar since GTAV’s release a decade ago, a hard change in location can only benefit. But where could we go that has these same attributes and potential, as well as new elements to play with?

Let us travel to the Empire State of the South, Georgia. Its capital city holds a wealth of history, a true mixing pot of people as well as culture, and it is a place that makes waves in many different ways – welcome to Atlanta, where the players play. 

Why Atlanta makes sense for Grand Theft Auto

Before we go any further, rule #1 is that almost no one who lives here calls it “Hotlanta,” so no need for anyone else to either. That doesn’t matter much anyway, as we know that Rockstar would slightly change the name of the city, major landmarks, and businesses, mostly to fit their style and dry sense of humor but also to avoid lawsuits. I want to talk about what is actually in The A that could be used creatively for the game.

Traversing the city is easy if someone has a car, and that type of environment lends itself to GTA for obvious reasons. Many of the important neighborhoods here are close to each other, which a network of buses and trains, known as MARTA (Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority), will help with as long as the passenger wants to visit certain main focal points. Buildings are easy to identify, and it isn’t hard to learn the area, but getting used to the traffic on major roads could take a little time. There is a running theme with many of the streets, as there are over 70 with the name Peachtree in them in some form, so it can be a tad confusing at times, which can make for a perfect joke or random lines from NPCs.

The city also contains the busiest airport in the U.S., Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, which offers more than enough action to make it a hub for missions and the perfect spot for players to pick up any size plane to fly around the city. The city also has the headquarters for Delta Air Lines, so the industry is thriving here. The other classic transportation tool would be boats, but there isn’t a ton of that here in the real world. Rockstar could easily alter the map, or expand the area enough to encompass somewhere like Savannah, similar to how San Andreas sometimes includes San Fierro and Las Venturas, so this wouldn’t be a stretch. 

There are numerous famous landmarks to help the city stand out and give players plenty to play with in Grand Theft Auto. Not only do the headquarters of UPS and Home Depot call Atlanta their home with many other Fortune 500 companies, but there has to be a chance to explore the Coca-Cola Co. – probably renamed to something like Muff Cola in that world – as well, and at least one soft drink-based weapon for the online shenanigans. There’s also Underground Atlanta to explore, which isn’t technically underground, but if that isn’t enough shopping, Buckhead is the place to go, and both of these areas are ripe for an in-game rampage.

A-Town is also full of foodies, with everything from fine dining and celebrity chefs to fried chicken (Cluckin’ Bell anyone?) and the gem of the Southeast, Waffle House, which can be found everywhere for hashbrowns and late-night brawls. The food is plentiful and diverse, but everyone has to try the sweet tea. There is also a plethora of hip coffeehouses, swanky bars, and energetic clubs for after-dinner. It also wouldn’t be a Grand Theft Auto game without some spacious and detailed strip clubs, which Atlanta has plenty to choose from. We recommend Pink Pony and the superb Clermont Lounge.

Local Atliens appreciate a good festival as well, from small street events to seasonal gathers, whether it’s art, film, music, or beer, there’s always a celebration going on. Even if Dogwood or Music Midtown doesn’t draw everyone’s attention, something here will. If it’s full large conventions someone is after, Dragon Con is a real beast of a party for all fandoms and would be great to see recreated in a virtual world with a wild cosplay mission.

If something more nature-based is on the menu, there’s always the Georgia Aquarium to see tons of marine and saltwater animals, but if going outside is preferable, Atlanta has several large parks, from Piedmont to the Beltline, a system of trails converted from an old railway corridor, perfect for stunt jumps. That isn’t all, though, with spots like Stone Mountain – featuring a laser show on a carving in the formation, which is the largest Confederate monument in the world, begging for a story arc where someone tries to blow it up – and the spectacular Botanical Gardens. There’s no lack of green here.

Another thing that there are plenty of is churches, with some pretty massive ones in the city, and it’s quite common to be asked, “Where do you worship,” as an icebreaker. These would be megachurches in the game and home to some interesting characters, especially depending on the characters’ backgrounds. Atlanta is also home to one of the largest Hindu temples in the states, as many religions and people of different cultures congregate here.

The various neighborhoods are all different with their own distinct personalities because of the mix of people who live there, with a multicultural flavor in the businesses, or a place like Little Five Points that offers a spot for those who don’t seem to fit in. There are plenty of signs that aren’t in English, tastes and traditions from all around the world, and a flourishing gay community as well (some even call it Yaas-lanta). It’s a great chance to bring Tony Prince back into play.

The only thing bigger than religion in this area is the sports culture, and almost everyone is rooting for someone here, even if it has been hard to be an Atlanta team supporter in the past. It doesn’t matter if it is college (American) football, the Falcons, Hawks, Atlanta United, or our underdog champions, the Atlanta Braves, there are plenty of hometown heroes. If sports aren’t the thing for entertainment though, we have celebrities walking around, since Atlanta has become such a hub for television and film production. There have to be a few tasks that can be completed out at Trilith Studios (formally Pinewood), especially if the player stumbles onto the sets of a Walking Dead parody or new Marvel movie. If not big blockbuster films, there’s some porn, like in Vice City.

If it’s more about the historical figures, Atlanta was the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr., so make sure to visit his church and the King Center, or any of the places that offer a deep look into the city’s history with civil rights and race relations. It’s an important thing to consider in this part of the South, as Atlanta has often been referred to as the “Black Mecca.” 

There are many different languages spoken here, but being so deep in the south (Vice City was in Florida, not the same thing), it’s more about the colloquialisms, but it isn’t just all “y’alls” and calling every soda Coke. Be ready to retort or throw fists if anyone walking around says, “Bless your heart,” or refers to someone as “little darling.” Depending on how far out Rockstar wants the map to go, how deep into the swamps or out past the trailer parks that missions take us, there are a lot of different cultures and types of people to explore, and the potential for a vibrant open world is limitless.

Atlanta is its own shining star, unlike the rest of the state, and a city that has used the phoenix as a symbol, ever since being burned down by General Sherman in 1864. It’s a tough place, with a crime rate that just won’t fall, and though the people can be quite welcoming, the city as a whole doesn’t care who it swallows. It’s the perfect setting for a new game or spin-off. This is something that has zero chance of happening in Grand Theft Auto 6, but in whatever form we eventually get a new setting, it would be a great time to burn Atlanta to the ground again.

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At the height of his popularity, Freddy Krueger took his crusade against the citizens of Springwood to the small screen. But television only served to give him a few silly memes and dull his claws. Freddy’s Nightmares were about to be unleashed and no one was ready — but not for the reasons they thought.

“This time it wasn’t one of your nightmares. This one was mine.”

The full name for the program was Freddy’s Nightmares: A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Series. Not only is that entirely too much, but the double colon use is obnoxious. The show ran from 1988-90 and produced a total of 44 hour-long episodes over the two seasons, offering diehard fans a chunk of extra Nightmare. So long as quality isn’t a big sticking point, at least.

Many feel this is a worthwhile journey due to its obscurity – though it was streaming for free on Tubi for a while. It also features the return of Robert Englund as the titular slasher, who agreed to do the project after being promised he could direct some episodes. His involvement in front of the camera isn’t substantial after the pilot, only featuring as the primary antagonist for eight or so installments, but he is in each at least as a host. Freddy’s antics in this role are cheesy and pun-filled, yes, but some of his entrances are especially and memorable.

The show tries to keep some of the aesthetics from the films, but maybe a few of the wrong ones. The most important thing this series taught me was that Krueger is also musically inclined, playing electric guitar and manning the turntables. Many fans enjoy the first episode, “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” which acts as a prequel to the films released at that time, showing the events that led up to Freddy’s death as well as how he sees the world during the trial. Even if later projects would contradict these scenes (not sure anyone seriously thought this stuff was canon, especially since Freddy killed one of the series’ writers in an episode) it is entertaining to see an early interpretation. There are some genuinely well-made segments, and then some that aren’t worthy of being compared to the bad Goosebumps stories.

The show gained some recognition for its unique approach to storytelling, where most episodes consist of two stories that are loosely linked together. The first segment typically establishes several characters or a common background while the second switches focus to a minor character or changes the motivation for one of the primary players. It wasn’t just a way to show off some clever writing and cram two different plots into one episode, but often allowed exploration of similar themes or the same one from different perspectives. The connection between the two stories was stronger at some points, which made it difficult for the few networks that attempted to show Freddy’s Nightmares as a 30-minute program.

The dual story structure is a fantastic idea when it works, but in many cases, one part is much more engaging than the other. Sometimes segments would feel repetitive, fail to give asshole characters their comeuppance, or simply have lackluster resolutions. I was floored when “School Daze” ended on an uncharacteristic positive note. A big issue is the overreliance on a dream within a dream, often leaving viewers to simply not react because it’s most likely not real until the end of the segment. Dreams are an element expected in Freddy’s tales, but it can lead to some formulaic writing. It’s odd to say that a show already split into two stories may be too long, but certain plots either feel like they need much more or a little less time.

The acting is mostly all over the place, with some of it being humorously bad, or having solid performers overdo it on purpose. There are numerous recognizable faces, especially from other notable horror franchises and sci-fi shows like Star Trek. Not only are there multiple references to that franchise, but Tim Russ actually plays a character named Dr. Picard years before he would serve on Voyager as Tuvok, while Jeffrey Combs and Marc Alaimo pop up as well. Lori Petty, George Lazenby, Dick Miller, and some new guy named Brad Pitt all show up among a slew of others. These episodes also boasted renowned directors like Tobe Hooper (who directed the pilot,) so it’s hard to think talent was one of the show’s issues.

The behind-the-scenes production is more interesting than the series itself, however. The quality of each episode varies and it’s clear that after the first handful, things began to slip a bit. Sets were small, but often well-decorated and used some excellent colors to accent the dream-like states. Many of the stories take place at the local high school, and the establishing shots may look familiar from several of the Elm Street movies or Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997). In some instances, the make-up and practical effects are quite good, but in many other cases, they are almost inexcusable. Even the people who worked on the show often joked about how cheap it became. 

William Malone, who acted as a writer and director for Freddy’s Nightmares, said that the show was essentially “just a cash cow” released to milk the character’s popularity at the time. Knowing this, many of the people in charge started doing whatever they wanted to with the production. Several of the stories were intentionally rough, bucking against popular trends and political correctness of the time. Others some used these episodes as a learning tool or place to try out unconventional ideas. Several directors intentionally shot extra footage that was overly violent and full of nudity, knowing there was absolutely no way it could make the final cut due to airing in syndication. The episode “Safe Sex” reportedly had eight minutes taken out and still needed to be re-edited to make it fit for broadcast.

The sex appeal was dialed up a bit for network television standards. Several attractive ladies in bikinis and lingerie are featured, while some of the themes help push the lewdness further. Freddy’s Nightmares was supposed to air late at night where they could get away with more of this, but several channels decided to play the episodes in the afternoons. This resulted in numerous complaints and trouble with the sponsors. Some networks even stopped right out showing it to avoid any controversy, giving Freddy another boost to his reputation. But combined with budget concerns, this ensured the series couldn’t last. When it was officially canceled, most of the crew moved over to Tales from the Crypt, enriching another anthology horror series.

Freddy’s Nightmares is an interesting tale of an icon gorging on its own popularity. So much so, in this case, that his extreme excess neutered the multitude of scary stories he wanted to share. It sounds like the people who made it had a blast at least, but this is one pack of nightmares that are thankfully not chronic.

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In a pre-Lois & Clark world, long before Superman dealt with the perils of high school in Smallville, he spent some time in college and as an intern. They called the show Superboy, a seemingly odd choice since the comic book universe had essentially “erased” him a year earlier. The character would return soon and eventually become even more popular, but that didn’t help this show. Even some hardcore DCU fans don’t seem to recall these adventures.

In 1988, Clark Kent and Lana Lang attended Shuster University with the son of The Daily Planet’s editor, T.J. White. The trio usually found themselves in dangerous or strange predicaments while working for the school paper or being victims of unusual circumstances. Inevitably, Clark would find a moment to leave and miss all the action again, so he could change into the heroic Superboy and save the day.

Later, season 2 would trade out T.J. for Andy McCalister, and then the second half of the show’s 4-season run would swap Andy and the college for the Bureau for Extra-Normal Matters. There, the characters investigated paranormal and otherworldly threats before the X-Files made it cool.

There are several comic book references, most obvious, like how Shuster University is in the fictional town of Siegelville, Florida. Superboy starts off fighting regular henchmen, gangsters, and ill-defined supernatural threats, but we do have Lex Luthor, who begins the show as a classmate, as well as Kryptonite, Bizarro, Metallo, Yellow Peri, Mr. Mxyzptlk, and a Toyman wannabe named Nick Knack, played by Gilbert Gottfried. Some of this is thanks to the show bringing on actual DC Comics writers later on. Later, comics were even published in the show’s universe that were presented as lost stories.

Superboy was originally played by John Haymes Newton (Melrose Place, The Untouchables), an actor who was quoted as wanting to flesh out the Clark Kent persona and make him more of a well-rounded individual. He did well with that part, but not everyone (including the producers) was enamored with his performance while in the costume. Newton himself criticized some of his acting later on, but this wasn’t what led to his leaving the show at the end of the first season.

There were reports of some small issues with the police, like a DUI, leading to Newton being fired. But according to the actor, it was all over his request for more money; Newton was doing his own stunts and had experienced some close calls. The actor does regret not fulfilling his contract, but that gave the opportunity of donning the cape to Gerard Christopher, who would go on to play Superboy for three seasons. The new star was said to embody the Kryptonian more, but his version of Clark didn’t work for everyone.

Then there was the chemistry with Lana, played by Stacy Haiduk. She was one of the best and most consistent actors in the show. Haiduk stayed for all four seasons, and went on to act in many soap operas, as well as SeaQuest 2032 and Kindred: The Embraced. Lana was a strong character and had chemistry with both of the actors who played Superboy, but it seemed like there was a special connection between Haiduk and Newton, who dated out of character.

T.J. is certainly enjoyable and possibly the most charismatic player in season one, portrayed beautifully by James Calvert (Deadly Games), he handles the comic relief and sidekick duties like a pro. When the son of Perry White goes off to work at the Daily Planet in season 2, Andy comes in, played by Ilan Mitchell-Smith (mostly recognized from Weird Science), and immediately makes a splash. Thankfully, he isn’t just T.J. 2.0, being more about get-rich-quick schemes and always flirting with Lana. Andy is a little more annoying than the previous third-wheel on the cast, but Clark and Lana do consider him a friend.  

I hate to bury Scott Wells, but he was the worst Lex Luthor I’ve ever seen. In his fourth and final episode at the end of the first season, he appeared to get the role more, but all of his lines sound incredibly odd. He’s smarmy, creepy, and petty, but still feels like a knock-off Luthor with no inspiration. The show would replace him and use the circumstances of such to make a reason why Lex looked and sounded different, as well as being 15 years older, but all that was easier to accept because Sherman Howard (Day of the Dead, Batman Beyond) is so much better in the role. This version of the character feels dangerous, way more threatening while thinking bigger and still pulling off the comical moments. The creepiness is still present, as he immediately tries to marry Lana, and the new Lex gets instant heat from the audience for killing off one of the show’s best henchmen – Leo.

Superboy had a ton of great guest stars like Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Lex Luger, Roddy Piper, Bill Mumy, George Lazenby, and a little kid named Leaf (Joaquin) Phoenix, just to name a few. Although most of them only appeared a couple of times, many of the actors would go on to be involved in other DC projects as well, especially in the animated universe.

Good stars can only go so far. The first season of the show was the worst, almost painful in a way, and while the second made some improvements, it still felt quite rough. It wasn’t until seasons three and four that the show felt like it had found its footing, but even then, this may still be the weakest Superman television property we’ve seen overall. 

The intro in the early episodes is simply boring and mainly shows off a famous Florida bridge under construction and the fact that Superboy can fly. They’d make some improvements to it, but it wasn’t until season 3 that it felt like the opening to a real show. I don’t mind poor special effects, but many of these blue screen shots are laughable.

The wirework for the flying scenes looked excellent most of the time, as the rigging team had worked on the Superman movies, but the presentation was never quite consistent. Most of the sets were simple, but a couple stood out in later episodes, and Florida shined through, as the show was filmed at the Disney/MGM Studios for the first season and then in the nearby Universal Studios location, minus several exterior shots that were found in other places around the state.

The editing also suffered early on, making several episodes more confusing, and it didn’t help that some were shown out of production order. There are also restrictions behind doing a 30-minute program, as many stories feel rushed, and the resolutions often seem too easy. The writing wasn’t strong enough to hide these issues, and producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind were keeping the show’s cost down, which resulted in it looking cheaper than it needed to. There are also a few clip-show stories later on, but they aren’t too bad. All of these issues are more pronounced in the first season.

That said, the ratings were high, and the show — renamed The Adventures of Superboy for the last two seasons — was only getting better. It was energetic, ambitious, and charming, even if some episodes were a tad generic. As the scripts improved with new writers, many multi-part stories were greenlit. The music for the show by Kevin Kiner was also a high point, as was seeing tons of vintage ‘80s products that they apparently didn’t get licenses for. The villains are a mixed bag — most hated that they looked so cheap — but it also introduced many viewers to these iconic antagonists.

Some of the best episodes involved these recurring foes, and later seasons supposedly took tonal cues from films like 1989’s Batman and Dick Tracy. There are a few darker themes that pop up, a ton of sexual innuendo – Lana blatantly asks Clark if he’s had sex at one point – and Superboy uses some questionable methods to resolve conflicts. The writers quickly learned that people had no problem with the hero killing already dead enemies, like when he flies an old vampire up to the sun and watches him explode. Efficient.

Superboy was doing well enough that the show was in line to receive its fifth season or a series of television movies to end the story. The original season 4 cliffhanger would have seen Clark die, but when the production’s future came into question, that episode was reworked to where Supes had simply faked his death. A legal battle between Warner Brothers and the Salkinds (who had produced three Superman films and Supergirl) had been going on behind the scenes, and the end of it meant that Superboy wouldn’t be able to continue or go into reruns, even though they had created 100 episodes. 

That limited syndication is a huge reason why so many people never saw Superboy, and that we didn’t receive a home release of it until 2006. The season 1 set didn’t sell well, however (probably because it’s the worst part of the show), and the other episodes would only be available through bootlegs until around 2012-2013. Still, those DVDs would only be printed on demand, meaning this was just for the established fans or the wildly curious. WB wanted the show gone so it could put Lois & Clark into production, a show they wouldn’t have to split as many of the profits from.

Greed is something even Superboy can’t stop, but there were certainly other reasons this show didn’t stay relevant — no matter how hard it fought. We simply had better options, so only diehard fans or Superman completionists were worried about this version of the character. It was charming, and I’m glad I finally sat down and watched all of it, but I won’t be recommending it to anyone I know. Superboy makes for a better story, a unique part of Superman’s history, than it does for actual programming.

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After playing Mortal Kombat 1’s story mode I found myself wanting more — especially of what we saw in those first two acts. But beyond that, I realized what I really crave is a true prequel. Something that feels like its own fresh story while feeding into other parts of the lore.

MK1 somewhat accomplishes this, changing just enough to feel fresh. But maybe what we genuinely need is closer to a serial story, with familiar characters that have untold twists and origins. What we need now is another MK television event.

Mortal Kombat: Conquest was originally titled Krusades, but was changed due to Babylon 5’s upcoming spinoff being called Crusade. The idea for the series was born out of the success of the 1995 film, and it somehow survived that catastrophe known as Annihilation and ended up on the TNT network. That’s where I first saw it and realized my desire for a true prequel series.

At the time a third movie was still planned – though it would later be canceled  – so visiting something earlier in the timeline seemed like a good idea.

Set nearly 500 years in the past viewers follow The Great Kung Lao. He’s a Mortal Kombat champion after delivering Outworld a crushing defeat, but being Earthrealm’s greatest warrior isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Now, he must (poorly) attempt to gather new fighters to help in the realm’s defense while still coming under fire from various schemes of mainstay villains like Shang Tsung, Quan Chi, and Shao Kahn, who care little for the Elder God’s pesky rules.

He isn’t alone though, as disgraced guard Siro, and thief Taja join him in his mission. However, the trio spends most of their time bickering and having to save each other. They do receive some guidance from Raiden when he isn’t too busy being antagonistic toward his charges — or just horny at the bar.

Conquest does realize that no matter what time period they’re in, fans want to see their favorites. As such, we’re given watered-down precursor versions of Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Reptile. We also get brief appearances from other notable characters who barely speak or don’t act the way we’ve come to know them.

A few characters created for the show do connect back to the games and comics or perhaps act as early potential prototypes. Kreeya and her race of bee women resemble a small screen and less fleshed-out path to D’Vorah, while Master Cho could be connected to Bo’ Rai Cho, Tomas a distant relative of Johnny Cage, and fans get a pre-Deadly Alliance team-up of Shang Tsung and Quan Chi.

If that sounds like it could get quite messy with keeping the lore intact, it did. It seems that at one point the idea was for Conquest to be canon with the movies at least, but that looks to have gone out the window rather quickly. Even if the showrunners had done a better job making the histories match, they weren’t giving their characters enough to work with. From episode to episode it seems the main players struggle with their own continuity, they rarely learn anything from previous events.

There are also drastic swings in allegiances, as well as motivations that don’t quite line up with previous plots. It can be hard to follow some of the overarching narrative, and every other episode ends with a tease that never comes to fruition. Sometimes, a new villain is teased, only for the ball to be dropped shortly thereafter. The problem isn’t that the characters are bad concepts, but with how they’re written. Just as it seems like we are getting into their relationships and chemistry, the show ends.  

The acting in Conquest is a mixed bag. A few standout performances with some of the worst line reads imaginable and a good bit of ADR—thankfully, they kill off a lot of characters, getting rid of the worst offenders early on. Furthermore, only two of the performers in this show about fighting are actually trained martial artists: Jeffrey Meek (who pulls double duty as Raiden and Shao Khan) and Daniel Bernhardt (Siro), who ironically—because of MK’s origins—previously worked as Jean-Claude Van Damme’s stunt double. This was also one of Kristanna Loken’s (Terminator 3, BloodRayne) first big roles, as Taja, who is a bit all over the place.

Jaime Pressly (Dead or Alive, My Name is Earl) has a recurring part, as well as Eva Mendes (Hitch, Ghost Rider) in one of her earliest acting gigs. A special shout out to Adoni Maropis (Quan Chi) and Bruce Locke (Shang Tsung) who just tried so hard to get into those characters and fiercely chew that scenery. Also, since Conquest aired immediately after WCW Nitro, wrestlers Wrath and Meng made individual one-off guest appearances, which were supposedly ordered by the network.  

Conquest has a few martial artists (Chris Casamassa as Scorpion and J.J. Perry as Sub-Zero are of note) and crew who worked on the feature films lending their talents to the show. Non-MK fans were mostly tuning in for the sex appeal and fight scenes, which wasn’t bad for those who aren’t bothered by easy-to-spot stunt doubles, dubious wirework, and bad effects. The CGI used to accompany these fight scenes and enhance other shots has aged poorly, and even the bits that looked fine then had a certain television quality that hurt them. This is especially true in some of the establishing shots when they grew tired of reusing segments from the movies. 

Shooting at Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando, Florida meant that there were some excellent sets that had to be kept scaled-down. It also a few cheap ones where the ground is supposed to be a cave floor, but we can clearly see the carpet moving with the characters. Most episodes feature shirtless men and an abundance of scantily clad women, even when it doesn’t fit the settings. A majority of these ladies were portrayed by former Playboy playmates and models in questionable outfits.

Supposedly, when the budget was trimmed down, the first thing that was gutted was costuming. If there was any question that these two aspects were the highlight of the show, the credits roll over footage recapping the best fight scenes and sexy moments from that episode. The real star, however, is Jonathan Sloate’s soundtrack. He did the music for both Conquest and Defenders of the Realm, with intense tunes that ramped up the fight scenes.

For some, the best part of Conquest was its ending. The season concludes with a stunning cliffhanger, as Shao Kahn’s plans come together, and he is seen vanquishing all of his enemies, including other villains and main characters alike. A lot of evidence points to the cast at least believing there would be a follow-up (and potentially final) season to further tie the show back into the movie timelines and set up Kung Lao’s death.

According to writer James Cappe, no “full plans” had been made, but apparently, ideas were tossed around. Like many fans, he enjoyed the final episode but hated that the show ended on that note. 

The cancellation was a little surprising, as Conquest had a lot going for it and was – according to the creators – being received fairly well domestically and popular overseas. Some think the show was canceled due to Annihilation’s poor reception, others point to “industry politics” and controversy caused by the games, but it seems the real culprit was the cost of each episode and the show often exceeding their budget.      

Maybe Mortal Kombat: Conquest was too ahead of its time, or perhaps bringing the stories of Mortal Kombat to life is still too massive an undertaking for a television budget. But that opening monologue by Kevin Michael Richardson gets me every time. Knowing the team wasn’t given a solid chance makes me feel like we have to do it again — to honor the creatives’ ambition.

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From the set of Tool Time, beaches on Baywatch, and the second American Civil War happening in Barb Wire, Pamela Anderson made herself a celebrity name and sexual icon. When it came time for a new show and her real life was a bit rocky, the answer was to do something wild where she could show off her comedic chops and still be in on the joke. This program would be in the vein of a ‘70s action thriller, but with her as the main star, kicking butt, and the campiness dialed way up while playing almost everything serious so the jokes were funnier. Even the name of the show would tell everyone that the starlet was there to grab attention and knew her own value with V.I.P.

It stands for Vallery Irons Protection, and Anderson’s character, Val, is a former hot dog stand employee who bumbles her way into saving a hunky celebrity. At the same time, a team of highly skilled bodyguards loses their famous employer and needs to find a new avenue to acquire rich clients. For this union to work, people have to think that Irons is also exceptional at protecting clients, but that’s not an easy grift to pull off. Her new crew also assures their untrained boss that she won’t be in harm’s way, but we all know how that will play out. It’s a clever setup, a small twist on Charlie’s Angels that focuses on comedy, action, a little espionage, and a heavy dose of sex appeal.

The team backing Val up is composed of Tasha Dexter (Molly Culver), a former spy (just don’t ask her which agency), Quick Williams (Shaun Baker), the charismatic and suave boxer, Nikki Franco (Natalie Raitano), a demolitionist with mob ties, and Kay Simmons (Leah Lail), the group’s secretary, hacker, and all around nerd. Additionally, the cast features Maxine De La Cruz (Angelle Brooks), Val’s roommate and best friend, before also deciding to bring up the recurring character Johnny Loh (Dustin Nguyen), a stuntman and martial arts expert, to the main roster for seasons three and four. Each of these individuals is given episodes to flesh out their backgrounds and personalities, even if it feels somewhat stereotypical. The actors also have decent chemistry together, creating an interesting ensemble cast over time.  

Being that V.I.P. caters to the rich and famous, this show is overflowing with celebrity cameos. Actors, comedians, TV personalities, athletes, and musicians, everyone was getting in on the cold openings or tiny closing gags. Some of my favorites were Jay Leno, Pauly Shore, Ian Ziering, Joey Lawrence, Coolio, Gilbert Gottfried, and Stone Cold Steve Austin, but having people like Ice-T, Eva Mendes, and Cliff De Young as antagonists was great too. Erik Estrada has a few great bits, while Loni Anderson and Lee Majors pop up as Val’s parents, showing that star power was never an issue. 

The real fun is noting the random minor appearances that mostly go uncredited, like that time when John Cho appeared as a random delivery guy or Christian Oliver from Saved by the Bell: The New Class played a photographer (and people say there’s no rhyme or reason to what I review). Viewers also love to point out that both Bryan Cranston and Dean Norris were in the pilot episode of V.I.P. a decade before their time together on Breaking Bad, even if they didn’t share any scenes together.  

With a proper cast and guest stars, it was just a matter of putting the characters in danger. There are plenty of bullets and explosions to go around, as well as some fun martial arts action, but this was done on a television budget, and supposedly these episodes were produced quickly, which might answer a few questionable segments. Several scenes could have used a few more takes, especially considering some sequences look like they just forgot to get key shots of the main actors and used stand-ins or quick cuts. There are some noticeable goofs as well, like seeing a grip’s hand come from out of frame to assist Val and Jerry Springer so they can flip over a four-wheeler. The excessive use of greenscreen shots and mistreatment of slow motion doesn’t help the cheapness either. Sure, it’s the ‘90s, but some lighter touches might have been needed to make this work.

Speaking of that ‘90s touch, there are a couple of fun licensed songs used and some in-house tunes that get stuck in my head, partially because they are featured so much. I think a couple of the tracks also sound like they were inspired by popular songs of the time, just outside of a copyright claim.

Anderson was a producer on the show and wasn’t the only one who wanted to see some camp in V.I.P. There’s also J.F. Lawton, the man who wrote Pretty Woman and was the writer/director for Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death. If we think about those two projects taking place in the same world as V.I.P., everything about the tone and cheese makes way more sense. Most episodes start with a grounded idea and reasons for our heroes to spring into action, have a mid-section location change or twist, and by the third act, escalate to something a little ridiculous, ending with the status quo being restored. Every now and again, however, some scenes get extremely goofy, and there are a few stories that just start with the weirdness, like one episode opening up with a jetpack escape. Just accept that this is meant to be fun.

Some people have said the show was “so dumb, it’s smart,” and there might be something there. We do see some well-written scenes and jokes that land properly, alongside Val making Baywatch meta references, quoting her favorite movies, and using a lot of bad quips. Someone liked it, as the ratings were doing quite well for the majority of the run and it is believed that the show wasn’t as much canceled as it had just run its course. Merchandising certainly wasn’t the problem, as there were action figures, comic books, toy cars, and more, but we’ll have to talk about those video games in length later.

Many will say that the show did well because of the excessive T&A. There’s truth to this, the tension with Anderson’s character is off the charts, but they do spread it around the main cast and a ton of eye-candy extras. There’s an effort in many episodes to get them all in their bathing suits or underwear early on, but as Anderson mentioned, they just started making the street clothes skimpier. It’s distracting for the viewers and the characters, as the crew literally has to cover Val’s breasts at one point so someone will pay attention to her. With such designer outfits and swimwear, V.I.P. was, of course, considered to be very fashion-forward. The suggestiveness does hit some extremes in certain episodes, like how in the dream sequence of the pilot, a butler is attempting to force-feed Val a hot dog, and in the second adventure, all of the women are wrestling in slime. None of that will have anyone thinking anything naughty.

Few people will ever try to prop this up as a great show, but in a world where television is supposed to be escapist entertainment, it accomplished that for 88 episodes. Furthermore, it feels like one of the best programs where Anderson was allowed to spread her wings and show some more personality, so for fans of hers, this was a win. At the end of the day, viewers may not need protection from anything serious, but it’s always fun to go hang out with the hard bodies in Beverly Hills and feel like a V.I.P. 

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Saved by the Bell was a phenomenon no one was expecting, but one that didn’t catch on in its first incarnation — Good Morning Miss Bliss. Once the program was re-tweaked, the core version of the show only ran for four seasons, and it was clear there was room for more. After the kids graduated and went Hawaiian Style, fans were given two spin-off series. One of these was where the bulk of the cast was intended to spend their College Years, but that only lasted one season. The group was given their proper sendoff with a Wedding in Las Vegas and a couple of guest spots before returning to the roles years later. That secondary offspring was largely written off by many fans. However, while the original cast struggled to keep their spot, The New Class took Bayside to incredible heights.

If we’re looking at the numbers, Saved by the Bell proper ran for 86 episodes over 4 seasons. The New Class continued on much longer, lasting 143 episodes and running seven seasons. Some speculate that the show was only meant to go for two or three seasons, based on the original contracts. The sixth and seventh seasons are only 13 episodes instead of 26 (just like the first season) due to them splitting the last batch to let the program run longer.

The New Class was considered successful, generating a ton of merchandise, including a board game as well as a 10-novel book series. The ratings were rock solid, especially after the initial season. Though some fans felt slighted by these new students at their high school, the show did bring in more viewers who were just learning about SbtB via re-runs, as well as an audience that wasn’t familiar with the original cast at all but connected with the fresh faces.

Much like its predecessor struggled in the time with Miss Bliss, the first 13-episode season of The New Class was accused of being a carbon copy of its namesake. The new pupils acted as watered-down stand-ins of the previous tenants.

Scott Erikson fills the role of the new Zack, a charismatic schemer who’s a bit of a gutter human. Thomas “Tommy D” De Luca is a less likeable and dumber version of Slater, while Lindsay Warner is Kelly with an attempt at more depth. Megan Jones and Vicki Needleman have traits similar to Lisa and Jessie, but fit less into those molds. Most remember Barton “Weasel” Wyzell, who acted as the new Screech. Though some fans who hung around from the previous run appreciated the familiarity, the producers were smart enough to realize that wouldn’t work long-term and shook the cast up.

Over the years, some of the actors were fired or simply let go, others opted not to re-sign, and a few left due to personal reasons. But for any fans who thought having Tori show up in random episodes was confusing, trying to follow this group of kids could require a flow chart. The second season saw an overhaul of the sets, and began a trend of adding new re-tooled characters without making much mention of where the previous cast members went.

I won’t name all of the performers who graced the halls of Bayside, but there are several talented people who became a part of the SbtB family and went on to have extensive careers. Isaac Lidsky (Weasel) certainly has the most interesting story outside of acting. Actors like Bianca Lawson (Megan), Jonathan Angel (Tommy D), Natalia Cigliuti (Lindsay), and Sarah Lancaster (Rachel Meyers) all stand out in various ways and leave solid impressions on the show.

There are a few duds, but the only addition that felt completely off was Christian Oliver as Brian Keller, another Zack-like who happened to be a foreign exchange student and was hard to like. I suppose the showrunners noticed that too, because he was only around for the second season. He soon returned back home to Switzerland with no one remembering him.  

The two mainstays of course are Dennis Haskins as Principal Richard Belding and his new assistant as of season two, Samuel “Screech” Powers, once again played by Dustin Diamond after the end of The College Years. Haskins is incredible as always and has chemistry with the new cast while dialing his kookiness up a notch. Diamond’s return helped the show and some episodes show off his talents while others see him get a bit too weird and goofy.

These two pillars of SbtB become their own side duo, sometimes in grating ways, but they are also likely part of how it ran for so long. A few of the old teachers return for brief appearances as well as a ton of notable guest stars that have since become quite famous. We also see some recognizable names of several behind-the-scenes talents that stayed on or returned as well.

Members of the original cast including Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Zack), Lark Voorhies (Lisa), and Mario Lopez (Slater) ended up making a guest appearance or two and occasionally showing up in flashback clips. A few of their real-life and character names were also used with new characters to pay homage to the stars who paved the way. The old cast apparently did promos with the group of kids from season one, but these reportedly only aired during a re-showing of Hawaiian Style and seem to be difficult to find now.

Characters weren’t the only thing revisited in this spin-off. Before season two’s revamp the original sets were used along with a few additional outdoor shots and more pre-recorded footage. The kids are constantly doing ‘adventure’ episodes, making it seem like they were never in school. They notably visited Cal U, the site of the other spin-off, and it appears those sets were later redecorated for additional vacation segments as well. The group received several versions of their own Malibu Sands-style summer job breaks with escapades at the Palisade Hills Country Club, Gold Canyon Ranch, Sleepy Mountain Ski Lodge, France, a cruise ship, space camp, and more, but my favorite tales like these are located in the mall.

There is also some criticism lobbed at the show for revisiting so many plots similar to the original show. Even within just The New Class episodes, previously established elements were ignored, which is normal for sitcoms to have a stern status quo to return to after each storyline. But like their predecessor, this series wasn’t always aired in production order, making things even more confusing. Combine that with the rotating class and this show truly did try and give viewers the feel of being a teacher at Bayside — watching everything old become new again, just with different kids trying the same tricks.

The New Class may be a bit more risqué than the original show. Both had male stars go shirtless and their female performers appear in bathing suits and other tight outfits, but this iteration seemed to do that quite often, showing a lot more midriff, and allowing for some extra sexually suggestive jokes. Nothing ever goes too far and this new take on the school was arguably aimed at a wider age range, but the themes discussed over the larger number of episodes do seem to be a bit heavier. Yes, there were also still a couple of culturally inappropriate jokes and characters dressing up in stereotypical outfits of people from other countries. It almost feels like it wouldn’t be SbtB without those problematic elements.  

This sounds like a mountain of negatives against the show, but for those who loved the original, so much of this series works. It’s easy to root for several of the new kids, even if they don’t stick around, and though not every scene is as snappy as it could be the chemistry builds quickly and the events feel familiar in a positive way. There are a lot of episodes, but I kept finding myself wanting to watch more to see what else happened. Just because it has a lot of things to point out doesn’t mean I’m entertained any less. It’s less of a guilty pleasure and more exploration and history. 

I’m not alone in this, as the show was reportedly doing well leading into its last two seasons. Even at the end, NBC was looking at two other potential spin-offs and there was even a play in the works. None of that came to pass, but the franchise certainly lived on, even spawning the continuation series in 2020. The New Class had left showrunners and executives confident. So why is it so largely ignored now? Most fans seem to have either forgotten the follow-up series or shun it, while the network rarely mentions it and doesn’t even have it available to stream anywhere. 

It’s a shame. The New Class made the grade the studio wanted. They put in the effort and brought a lot of school spirit, surpassing their elders in some ways. Still — they just couldn’t compete after high school.

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There’s always a thrill that comes from discussing the adapted works of Stephen King. It’s especially exciting when they’re in a televised mini-series form.

Needful Things doesn’t quite have the ambitions of The Stand, and hasn’t penetrated the pop culture the way IT did. The story also doesn’t swing as broadly as Storm of the Century or sink to the same depths we see in The Tommyknockers. No, Needful Things as a novel and an adaptation sits comfortably in the middle. It isn’t the most desirable of King’s works, but it does just fine. Over the years, people may have gotten the wrong idea about what was supposed to be the town of Castle Rock’s final tale.

Needful Things is the story of a small town with a lot of unchecked tension that leaves certain people on edge. But if that were it, this drama would play out with only a few small incidents. To add gasoline and stoke the flames, a stranger enters town and opens up a shop of curiosities and goodies where the price is to die for — or at least, as long as a soul sounds cheap. This malicious force is making deals, giving customers everything they want in exchange for small favors. But these errands set people off, and violence ensues. We get to watch as the town breaks down and burns under the weight of its own avarice.

The cast is spectacular, with many of the small roles being noteworthy character actors. I won’t attempt to list them all here, but almost everyone sticks out in at least one scene. It’s impossible to miss Amanda Plummer as Nettie Cobb, J.T. Walsh’s explosive performance as Danforth “Buster” Keeton III, Bonnie Bedelia as Holly Gennaro McClane – I mean, Polly Chalmers, and of course the incredible Ed Harris takes on the role of Sheriff Alan J. Pangborn. That character was originally played by Michael Rooker in The Dark Half (1993 release, filmed in 1991), but the studio wanted to go with someone different — even against King’s wishes to bring him back.

But arguably the most important casting selection would be that of the town’s nemesis, Mr. Leland Gaunt — played to near perfection by Max von Sydow. He’s the best part of the experience, with a graceful flow between cordial gentleman and vengeful spirit; it’s like watching a tapestry be woven. He acts as both surgical instrument and shotgun, sadistically reveling in the destruction of the small hamlet. It’s hard to dislike the not-so-subtle hints about him being the devil, and he manages to turn horribly ham-fisted lines into graceful anecdotes. Gaunt is a treasure, but there’s always something happening behind the camera as well.

The duties of directing fell to Fraser C. Heston, the son of Charlton Heston, who worked with his father on most projects. Adapting a book into something feature-length is often difficult, especially one that has as much ambition and story to tell as Needful Things. Condensing all of the author’s details and moving parts into a neat box means that some elements will be lost – in this case, entire characters like Ace Merrill, who also appeared in Stand By Me. One big change was to the fate of Brian Rusk, an 11-year-old boy who felt guilty over his part in the chaos after agreeing to an exchange with Gaunt, leading to his eventual suicide. The studio apparently asked for this to be changed later on, having the movie awkwardly state that he had survived the attempt. It removes one of the more meaningful deaths from the story.

The violence is part of the thrill in this story. Scenes are creepy and foreboding, accompanied by some tonally appropriate music to drive it home. A few moments are jarring, and may make viewers want to pause. It’s a story about ‘80s excess, greed, and keeping secrets, with the classic trope of some problems being as simple as two people not speaking to each other. It all of this plays into the base themes, and as Gaunt himself says, “people kill people.”

The pacing is a little slow, but the material creates a solid buildup, only for the ending to fall a bit flat. This is the problem in both the book and film, as the fiery confrontation between Pangborn and Gaunt fizzles out. There are a few goofs that are hard to unsee – like the characters getting the title of the stolen book wrong – but it’s campy, something I feel just goes hand and hand with King. Some describe the novel as a sort of black comedy in parts, and perhaps they attempted to bring that influence over to the screen unsuccessfully. Even the author himself doesn’t think the book has held up over the years. 

We’re our own worst critics, however, and although the initial film release of Needful Things was panned, a new extended version was commissioned for television as a mini-series, using cut material from the original shoot. This added a little over an hour of deleted scenes after some new editing, bringing the total runtime for this televised event to 187 minutes. Heston claims to prefer the theatrical release, but wished he could add an additional twenty minutes to it. 

I adore the extra scenes in the extended cut, and appreciate how much clearer it makes some of the minor plots. That said, it isn’t hard to understand how most of these parts were initially discarded. Until this year, however, it was only available on places like YouTube. The lone official release of the extended cut for some time was as a bonus feature for one of the German DVDs. The new version will have even more footage, coming in at 191 minutes.

Everyone has something they need. For a select group, it was a new 4K or Blu-Ray version of this Stephen King tale. It isn’t his best, it’s far from his worst, but it’s definitely bound to be one of someone’s favorite things. 

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Why do we create games that involve pissing off evil spirits? It seems like a bad idea to invoke the dead and call upon their attention. That goes double if the person playing the game is in a small room or metal box with closing doors. Yet — for one reason or another — people keep doing it anyway.

It’s human nature to be drawn to these narratives of the unknowable. These games are something many of us could walk right out and do after watching others fail at it and have their brush with horror. Elevator Game is a movie that takes the concept and tries to expand on elements surrounding the activity, but it keeps getting stuck somewhere on the middle floors.

The story focuses on a group of influencers fresh out of high school trying to make it in the adult world (a literal office building) with a fledgling startup — a channel that focuses on scary myths debunking local lore. Along with their recently hired intern, they need a new video to appease sponsors. Foolishly, they take the new guy’s idea to play the elevator game. But these modern explorers aren’t ready for what they’ve unleashed.

It isn’t a bad concept, especially for those aware of the real-world game and the mysteries behind it. That knowledge pre-establishes a creepy factor that can draw some interest to a film like this. Personally, the director pulled me in as well. Rebekah McKendry directed 2022’s Glorious, and I was hoping that some of that energy and entertaining charm would be transferred here. Especially so since the film seemed to be aimed at a younger adult audience.

However, McKendry fails to recapture the same energy. The directing is fine, most of the shots are serviceable, and there are a couple of moments that shine through. But other than some fun with the lighting, it felt like something was missing from the behind-the-scenes work.

The characters in this movie aren’t remarkable in any way, but they each feel just a little to the side of what their normal archetypes would be. They’re almost interesting, but not quite despicable enough to root for their deaths or play to type. This may not be as much on the actors as it is an issue with the script, which could have used some extra tweaks. There are some cheesy scenes, especially in the interactions, like the characters wanting to do more than they were allowed to or weren’t sure where to stop. The movie also kills off its arguable best character, Izzy (Madison Maclsaac), way too early.

An aspect of Elevator Game that’s easy to appreciate is the antagonist in the film, a ghostly apparition we don’t see much of for most of the hour and 34-minute runtime, but are given a full backstory on that works. We just need a better name for her than ‘The 5^th Floor Woman,’ please. She’s played by Samantha Halas, an actual contortionist, which gives her movements and appearance an excellent visual fidelity that helps inspire the horror a smidge more. Her dimension, The Red World, seems intriguing, but we didn’t get to explore enough of it. I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing this vengeful spirit pop up again if we can adjust a few issues surrounding her.

The movie could have used better world-building overall, but especially with the rules of the actual game and what violating them truly means. Audiences get into horror more when they know the rules and are clued in about what to look out for. Some story beats feel tailor-made for further examination, but never return and feel perfunctory. The result is an uneven film with shaky follow-through.

The ball is also dropped a bit more at the end. The premise is solid and the first act feels like it takes its time to put the work in, but the big (incredibly obvious) reveal happens right around the change to the second half and then the last few scenes are almost sped up, leading into an unfortunately lackluster climax with a jump scare to finish us off. There is some seriously wasted potential here for a great Are You Afraid of the Dark-style twist ending. Most of the attempts at scary moments had some buildup, so I can’t say the scares were too bad. But most feel hokey and cheap, which left me hoping for a bit more ‘oomph’ by movie’s end.

Elevators truly can be scary, even without the horror elements. I thought the movie was going to focus on the fear of being locked in such a confined space with the supernatural threat, but what we got wasn’t bad. It’s hard not to compare this to Devil (2010), even if they are quite different other than their primary setting.

I definitely enjoyed this tale more, however, even if we didn’t stay stuck in there. It has problems, some scenes really show off the lack of budget, and I doubt Elevator Game will make much of an impact or impress too many people. However, it’s a great example of an attempt at creativity, something ripped straight from the creepy corners of Reddit with just enough real-world embers to get the fire going for many viewers. I just hope the next ride doesn’t get stuck halfway up trying to get to the penthouse.    

SCORE: 6.5/10

As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 6.5 equates to “Decent.” It fails to reach its full potential and is a run-of-the-mill experience.

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Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie premiered in 1995. It failed to impress critics or change cinema, sure. But it did provide over 90 minutes of kickass action for any kid lucky enough to see it on the big screen.

The film acted as an alternate origin story set between seasons two and three, but it’s a mostly forgettable outing since the show disregards these events. It’s cheesy, the CGI is bad, and the fight scenes are well below par for the franchise. Still, this first major outing is near-perfect for fans of the show, and it still may be entertaining to others who don’t get hung up on trying to figure out words like “Ninjetti.”

One of the strongest features present in the film is its soundtrack. The licensed songs selected included tracks from Red Hot Chili Peppers, They Might Be Giants, Devo, Van Halen, Buckethead, and Snap’s hit “The Power.”

That said? Most who remember the trailers know that the real standout tune was Shampoo’s epic, “Trouble.”

Released a year prior to the film, “Trouble” hit at the height of the Britpop movement. The hit song provided a rebellious and catchy summer anthem for fans. Shampoo had a ton of style, bubblegum pop crashed Riot Grrrl movement. Whether it’s the look of the two girls themselves or their outfits and attitudes, it’s easy to see how they influenced the band that would eventually overshadow them, The Spice Girls. Some may wonder why they’ve never heard of Shampoo, and that’s simply because the mega stars of girl power hit the scene at the right time with a lot more financial backing. At least Shampoo were huge in Japan for a while.

Jacqueline Blake and Caroline Askew formed the group Shampoo, a name taken from the popular excuse they used on boys they didn’t want to date, that they’d be busy doing their hair. Jacqui and Carrier were deep in the local music scene, running a zine and crafting their own hits after being inspired by acts like Beastie Boys, Sex Pistols, and Gary Numan. They adopted bold lipstick, bright colors, plastic jewelry, and power stances as a part of their transformations.

Unafraid to tell anyone off, the girls were aggressive and living the rock star lifestyle as they tried to act as a bridge between different music groups. They embraced being women and doing what they wanted. However, this also made them come across as rude and hard to work with to in a society where women have to be likable to keep a paycheck.

Their union with the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers movie was somewhat of a symbiotic relationship, as the inclusion helped boost their popularity and the song gave the film and trailers a catchy tune that everyone wanted to hear more of. The soundtrack was released on June 8th, weeks before the film, to satiate the ears of eager fans. Promotional cassettes of the single were also given away to promote Shampoo’s album in Wet Seal stores, which acted as a loose cross-promotion.

The song is about the daring duo not being able to get home after a night out and all the different methods they try to make it back. In the film, we see it mostly played over a group of Angel Grove kids being wild and rambunctious in the absence of their parents — unaware all of their loving guardians are about to commit suicide. It acts as an indication of the trouble the children are causing while not realizing the true dangers happening around them. If not for their actions, however, a large number of the adults in the city would be dead, so score one for the troublemakers. There’s a fun parallel here, too, as the song mentions the girls trying to take a train. Then some kids almost die on one. A bit of gallows humor!

Frankly, the song isn’t played enough during the movie, but it does feature a second time in the credits after an extra scene has Goldar lead into it. A second music video for the song was made to go with the Power Rangers movie. It was simple, featuring scenes from the motion picture, the girls of Shampoo dancing in front of psychedelic color swirls, and characters like Ivan Ooze (played expertly by Paul Freeman) and Alpha 5 getting down with their bad selves as well. Yes, it could have used more Goldar and looks a bit cheap, but works so well with the feel of the series and ushers in the hype.

The original soundtrack for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie isn’t remembered as the greatest blockbuster tie-in album of the 1990s – apparently that’s Batman Forever, solid pick – but it is a memorable and charming entrant on any list for the decade. Among the notable names and electric tracks, “Trouble” remains the true gem, forever securing Shampoo as part of the Power Rangers legacy.

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Having not grown up on the show, The Avengers film feels incredibly distant — a ghost of the past that had been sleeping peacefully until the memory of it was awoken, violently, only to suffer. Like a fever dream, I question my memories of that 1998 disaster and what actually happened, but moreso, I ask why it was allowed to exist. The truth is quite simple: mistakes were made.

Based on the popular ‘60s TV show of the same name, this was an attempt to update and recapture the magic of a charming spy thriller with a solid aesthetic, but it’s a throwback that completely missed. The plot sees Agent John Steed (Ralph Fiennes) and Dr. Emma Peel (Uma Thurman) pitted against Sir August de Wynter (Sean Connery) — a classic mad scientist who has used technology to control the weather and is attempting to hold the world hostage because he isn’t rich enough already. It’s a worse version of the story in The Tomorrow People’s “The Monsoon Man” episode. Watch that instead.

Some people do like this film, and I get that the music isn’t bad. The original John Steed (Patrick Macnee) makes a cameo, the visuals certainly aren’t the problem (barring a few odd cuts and in-camera effects), and there is a certain level of cheese some people might appreciate, but it struggles to work as a complete experience. Parts of the story don’t make sense or are dropped, the bad guys leave a map under a van for some reason, establishing shots of London don’t have people, and there are few extras overall, but most viewers only know this one for the boardroom meeting in different colored bear suits. It’s like the cheesiness is so well integrated that we miss the joke — if there was one to begin with.

The cast is excellent, so it’s amazing how bad the acting comes across. Fans of Game of Thrones and Harry Potter will recognize several faces, like Jim Broadbent as Mother and Fiona Shaw as Father, while Eddie Izzard, who thought her character was more intimidating being silent, asked for her lines to be removed only to have one dubbed in later. There were just odd choices here all around, like giving Connery’s character an almost sexual fetish for the weather and an unexplained obsession with Emma Peel to the point he has a painting of her in his house.

These are great actors doing the most basic level of their craft with none of the scenes giving them much to explore, show emotions about, or work with unless it’s to ham things up. The two main characters feel like they’re going through the motions on a normal day, tackling a villain of the week with no attachment or concern that they could fail. Wynter has so many opportunities to kill them and inside agents to help him, but mostly this villain just murders his own men. Worse, there’s a small spark between Steed and Peel that works (even though fans of the show didn’t like the blatant romance), but their banter was honestly painful at some spots, like nails on a rough surface, especially with the blunt trauma politeness and constant tea. Maybe this one is just too British for me to appreciate.

I can’t believe poor Uma Thurman did this a year after that tragic Poison Ivy portrayal. Fiennes has said he sees the movie as a “badge of honor,” having a tragedy like this on his resume. Connery is often said to have retired because of events surrounding The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, but The Avengers couldn’t have helped things and is sometimes cited as affecting his decision. Perhaps worst of all is Jeremiah S. Chechik, the film’s director, who took a good bit of time off after this one and then only directed television for many years afterward. I don’t want to say this movie helped ruin careers, but with the evidence at hand, I’m going to.  

The last chance Avengers had at a saving grace was good action — something the studio was pushing for — but it all feels incredibly forced. I did enjoy some parts, like the two fencing while discussing the case and the car chase scene would work if it wasn’t giant cheap-looking weaponized insects, but so many of these scenes feel pointless. Look at a scene like the final battle and Wynter’s death, it’s so close and yet so strange in execution.

Look, the studio loved the idea for this movie on paper, especially when it came to casting. Actors like Mel Gibson and Charles Dance were considered for the role of Steed, while Nicole Kidman and Sharon Stone came close to playing Peel. Several other names like Drew Barrymore, Elizabeth Hurley, and Elisabeth Shue were also thrown around, but the surprising one to me was that David Fincher briefly considered directing (Starlog 1993). Would this have been another Alien 3 for him?

Needless to say, the studio did not appreciate the rough cut of the movie when it came in. The original version was 115 minutes long (compared to the 89-minute theatrical release) and is said to have answered many of the questionable story points audiences had. Those missing pieces apparently filled in the gaps in Mrs. Peel’s background, showed that the Emma ‘clone’ was actually a robot, made it clear why she randomly says “How now brown cow” in the elevator, explained more about Wynter’s obsession with her (but also had a longer scene of him unzipping her top), and gave more connective tissue on why so much of the confusing plot points were happening. The novelization is said to be even better, as it used more elements from the original script. I’m not going to say that the extended movie would have been better, but I can’t imagine it’d be as dull. Sadly, it’s rumored that the studio doesn’t even have the original cut now, but some scenes are present in the early trailers.

After being mutilated in the editing room, The Avengers was shown to early screening audiences who hated it, causing the film to be moved back to a release date later in the summer. Another bad sign was that the studio gave a bullshit reason for not showing the movie early to critics, well before that was a common practice. The production had problems with the musical score as well, but many were more interested to know that Radiohead was attempting to record a song for the film. That never happened due to a bad recording session it seems. One final attempt at salvaging this sinking ship was to give it a PG-13 rating, in hopes to appear cool to a teenage demographic. One line with the word “fuck” was added in, said by Izzard’s character, but not believed to be performed by the actor. Needless to say, The Avengers did not do well at the box office.

If this film wasn’t a national tragedy on its own, it forced Marvel to name their 2012 epic Avengers Assemble in the UK.

The Avengers probably could have been good, instead of the British version of Wild Wild West (1999). It tried to have clever references to other movies — like the chess game matching up with Blade Runner (1982) — and the concept of someone selling weather in a time when climate change is so heavily discussed may be worth revisiting, but no matter how many cherries or nice hats I try to put on top of this thing, it genuinely sucked, and barely in a fun way. The Avengers weren’t ready for the ‘90s, or maybe we just didn’t deserve them.

The post The Avengers Remains a Bizarre Blunder 25 Years Later appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.

Sometimes, films just come way harder than they need to, and this seems especially true for R-rated comedies. Tropic Thunder comes, and then it comes again, and it, honestly, probably comes one too many times, but that’s why we remember it. This movie was relentless, took no prisoners of war, and lingers like an old wound that we want to tell stories about, even if it hurts. Every few years we recall the shared trauma Tropic Thunder caused these brave actors and are reminded of why this particular piece of cinema isn’t soon to be forgotten.

The plot doesn’t matter much. It’s the old classic, a play within a play, Shakespeare in the Jungle, as a group of filmmakers attempts to make art based on a lie and one really bad idea to try and shoot the thing for real strands the main actors in a hotbed of danger. The heart of Tropic Thunder is its characters, Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller), Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.), Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black), Kevin Sandusky (Jay Baruchel), and Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson), a group of actors and one rapper all at different points of their careers and a whole heap of baggage between them. This is the role of a lifetime for several of these men, and definitely, an adventure that will bring everything out, good or bad. Thankfully for us, most of this is handled in hilarious ways.

Tropic Thunder is layered, not just in the realms of acting and reality, but in how it attempts to deconstruct the ways some creatives perceive race, disability, and self-importance. The jabs are meant to come at Hollywood’s expense, reaching for deep satire without bordering on derision. Films like Platoon and Apocalypse Now are referenced in the beginning to give examples of the projects that historically did the things it attempts to lambaste.  

Asking most people who haven’t seen the movie in a while to recall it usually leads them to remember either: RDJ in blackface, the “Never go full retard” speech, or Tom Cruise in a fat suit dancing to Ludacris. This is a bit sad, as the more progressive parts of the film (like Chino and Lance) are overshadowed by these controversial components. Tropic Thunder uses insensitive elements to criticize, but may accidentally come across as condoning as these acts well. This is a full gag that requires the audience to think a little like the creators and those who know the industry extremely well, and thus, may be too ‘inside baseball’ for the intentions to reach everyone who watches it.  

Though RDJ’s character having surgical blackface is often one of the first problems with the film to come up, it’s actually the element that received the least pushback upon its initial release. Obviously, not everyone was happy and there were concerns, but all parties involved in making it knew the ground they were treading on and attempted to handle things as best they could. The movie was shown to the NAACP and RDJ said about the role, “I get to hold up to nature the insane, self-involved hypocrisy of artists and what they think they’re allowed to do on occasion.” 

Next to this was the criticism of the Les Grossman character, played by Tom Cruise in an abundance of makeup and prosthetics. Some saw this portrayal (which, like many characters in the movie, was inspired by real people) as a disgraceful depiction of harmful Jewish stereotypes. His despicable actions are certainly fueled by pride and greed, but it’s hard to tell if that’s more the position or the specific type of person at the top being skewered. The movie also doesn’t give much for any of its female characters to do, but the real uproar and protests came from the disabled community.

The fake film starring Speedman, called Simple Jack, about a mentally challenged boy living on a farm who can communicate with animals, caused some controversy, as well as websites promoting the fictitious project, and the repeated use of the word “retard.” DreamWorks did take down the site and arrange a screening for members of these groups that were angry about the depiction, but this did nothing to sway their feelings toward the material.

Recently, Stiller said that he continues to be proud of the work everyone did on the film. “I make no apologies for Tropic Thunder,” stating that it has always been a contentious movie, but some of his statements on the project, apologies, and the controversies surrounding it are disputed.

The film still has much to offer outside of the problematic material. Speedman watching Star Trek TOS on his iPod and then brutally killing the panda like Captain Kirk versus the Gorn makes me laugh every time. There’s a scary kid drug lord, Jack Black saying wild shit while tied to a tree, and some gnarly explosions all rock, but in the end, it’s the actors and their interactions that make this movie about the absurdity of actors great.

It’s an absolutely excellent cast with wonderful smaller characters and cameos. There are people here that viewers may have forgotten about and many actors that were just about to hit their stride (scope out who plays Peck’s secretary). Here we have performers outside of their usual environments, but enjoying it so much. It may feature my favorite performances from Matthew McConaughey and Tom Cruise. There were a ton of people who were considered for the movie, several in different roles, but the cast we received is fantastic.

The movie performed well at the box office, finally blasting The Dark Knight out of the number one spot and landing a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination, which may go against what the movie was poking fun at, but meant a lot for a raunchy comedy. There are a couple of interviews that do sound like those involved with the film may have been a little self-congratulatory, but I won’t hold that against any of them.

As far as directing goes, this may be Stiller’s best outing, and certainly, his most balanced when it comes to tone and characters. Tropic Thunder isn’t bulletproof like some fans like to think it is, not all of the jokes land, some segments needed to be trimmed, and the first half is much more solid than the second, but even the ridiculous and bloated stretches don’t hurt what remains an incredibly enjoyable laugh out loud comedy.

Someone called this movie nasty, and at times it might feel that way, but the sights of the jokes are firmly set on the people causing the problems in the industry, even if some viewers see a little friendly fire there as well. Tropic Thunder is a movie that should be viewed a couple of times at least to pick up on everything and understand how the comedy is withstanding the test of time, even if blemished. It’s still hilarious, but it’s also easy to get lost in the jungle, as some people will always miss the forest for the trees. A movie means a little more when we can enjoy it, understand its intentions, and keep in mind how it’s perceived.

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Ever since the news of new Venture Bros. material was announced – a potential conclusion to the entire shebang – I began holding my breath in anticipation. The pain helped pass the time. I feel as if I’ve been waiting most of my life on this show, since its debut in 2003, this cartoon has kept me on bated breath.

The program has been on hiatus, it has been canceled, come back, given us specials, and through it all, I kept talking to friends about Venture Bros., sharing it with new fans, and promoting it as one of the few shows with a positive albino influence, but something feels right about bringing such a long journey to its end with an epic (albeit direct to digital and Blu-Ray) film.

It’s called The Venture Bros.: Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart, and that ridiculous title is silly, appropriate for the series, and I can hear it perfectly in Dr. Venture’s (James Urbaniak) voice every time I read it. This isn’t nonsense, random words thrown together, because there is a great payoff from the title at the end, but I will probably be shortening it when I mention the movie by next week. If the title wasn’t enough to scare new viewers away, let me finish that by saying that this picks up directly from the end of season seven and simply assumes everyone has seen the entire show at least one and a half times. There is no recap or easing it in slowly, just picking up right where we left off. Even established fans may want to find a little recap of that last season, as it has been five years and there is no ‘previously on’ segment or blatant exposition reminders to fill in the memory gaps.

Radiant is the Blood is for those Venture enthusiasts (they say so in the commentary). It takes all of the previous events and follows that natural progression without skipping a beat. Sure, there is a new villain named Mantilla (Nina Arianda), a quest in the search for Hank as well as what he’s seeking, and a wild third act, but at the end of the day, most of us are here to simply hang out with these characters we love and see more of their outlandish lives in this upside-down superhero world. 

This film about someone with a baboon’s heart is about relationships, because the Venture family and their associates are all stupendously dysfunctional and beyond help, but dealing with those closest to us is something we all have to do and can relate to. The story isn’t as much about what happens in the plot, as the humanity we see from the characters and the self-discovery fans have been waiting for these idiots to finally experience. The creators have said that “Venture Bros. is one long conversation between two guys who love each other,” and this lengthy and thoughtful episode might be the best execution of that statement for those who know the history.

While the magic is building, there are some great gags along the way, like the bus bit and the giant check. There are also a ton of references to Darkman, The Fly, Dazzler, Batman Forever, as well as Punisher and his Battle Van, but amidst the usual Dr. Strange and Fantastic Four callouts, they also manage to fit in something like Zardoz for crying out loud. There are a couple of neat, more subtle things that progress the characters, such as seeing Dr. Orpheus (Steven Rattazzi) set up in a Ghostbusters-like office now, and plenty of epic moments for those who know the characters, from H.E.L.P.eR. cocking the shotgun, Hank’s (Christopher McCulloch) extensive memory sequence, Dean (Michael Sinterniklaas) thinking he’s a vampire, to people betting on the potential fight between Red Death (Clancy Brown) and Brock Sampson (Patrick Warburton) and, of course, always making Dr. Girlfriend (Doc Hammer) look awesome. For me though, it was the moment with It Takes Two by Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock playing because this show is way too get at getting songs stuck in my head.

There is a lot going on, a ton packed in the background, everything seeping with callbacks, and they even managed to fit a little more male nudity in. While the feature may come across as bloated, at 84 minutes, the movie feels like it takes its time and focuses on our old friends, even though they crammed an entire final (for now) season into one lengthy adventure. In the commentary and Q&A (plus an additional interview featurette) for the special features, the creators keep mentioning everything that had to be cut, what they wanted to do, and how much some of these elements mean to them. It’s fantastic and feels like such an appropriate ending to something with the Venture Bros. name on it.

It is nuts to me how a show that is so unplanned in many ways came together so tightly. The opening shot of the film is of the United Nations building, where most of the pilot takes place. So much about the answered questions and the ridiculous baboon part just make me feel at home, like the journey hasn’t just been worth it, but needed. I learned so much about the show from the commentaries, heard them talking about all of their numerous ideas and influences, and I realized how this cartoon has been that for me. It’s an excellent, open-ended ending, a bittersweet and meaningful goodbye from a group of ludicrous characters, and it is totally worth finishing the story. 

SCORE: 8.5/10

As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 8.5 equates to “Great.” While there are a few minor issues, this score means that the art succeeds at its goal and leaves a memorable impact.

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The new Twisted Metal series is out on Peacock and although some viewers don’t like the goofier tone and are tuning out as soon as the PS1 long box copy hits the windshield, a lot of others like me are truly enjoying it. This reimagining of the game series’ lore keeps some of the dark humor while jacking up the comedy and letting the actors chew as much scenery as they want in between gruesome deaths and references, but it does one thing incredibly well. The Twisted Metal games have often had some killer tracks and appropriate licensed music, especially for those who like artists with the name Zombie in them, but the show is stepping things up a bit.

People in the post-apocalypse aren’t getting any good new tunes, and this world ended in 2002, so it’s no surprise that this is mostly a ‘90s and very early ‘00s playlist that speaks to me. Our main character, John Doe, makes sure to inform those watching how important music is at this time, as the first line he says after the opening monologue is, “How about some tunes?” In a later episode, he’ll inform Quiet, “Good music is worth its weight in gold nowadays,” which makes a lot of sense for someone whose job is to travel long and dangerous roads by himself.

Some shows seem like they just slot music into action scenes and throw popular earworms at the audience to get that nostalgic pop, but Twisted Metal looks as if it is doing a little more than that. Certain instances genuinely appear to be carefully chosen while others are done for laughs, but each song feels comfortable in its spot and does more good than harm. If it takes away from the moment, that’s because the scene is about to change, and if someone doesn’t feel that way, remind yourself this is a video game adaptation where the main character put in the TM2 invincibility cheat to start his car. I want to give it some major credit, however, because I’m struggling to remember other media that had the balls to use a powerful overture like “The Thieving Magpie” and dared to follow it up in the same episode with Hanson’s “Mmmbop” (which was used more than once).

What all kinds of tracks grace viewers’ ears?

There are the appropriate action scene songs of course, like having car battles to Cypress Hill’s “(Rock) Superstar” or “Party Hard” by Andrew W.K., and it’s difficult not to get pumped up when the final epic showdown starts with “Going the Distance” from Cake. We are shown more touching and somber moments that make use of “Champagne Supernova” from Oasis, “Roads” by the excellent Portishead, and who doesn’t love saying goodbye to a dear friend with Evanescence’s “My Immortal”? This show is a bit horny also, which means they blasted J-Kwon’s “Tipsy” while two people have sex in a ball pit and try to use Charley Pride’s “Burgers and Fries” for the second coital encounter in the same play area.

Sometimes we have solid themes with the music, like using Len’s “Steal My Sunshine” in the flashback to show where the apocalypse began. It isn’t always subtle, as seen when they play “Better Off Alone” performed by Alice Deejay as partners are making decisions, or “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” by ODB, only for its, “Ooh, baby, I like it raw,” line, as two people are being prepared as food, but something is quite welcoming about these blatant insertions. Other times the viewer has to know a little bit about the song or its history to get why the choice is perfect.

For example, having t.A.T.u’s “All the Things She Said” playing for two female lovers reconciling, or knowing that a Faith No More song used to christen a new car is titled “Epic.”
Obviously, there are a few tunes thrown in simply for jokes, or maybe just because the producers liked them. Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” is used to torture people, while it’s just nice to hear “Set The World” from Robbie Nevil and “My Boo” by Ghost Town DJs. We also get to see a few random CDs and learn about some characters’ musical preferences. We know John Doe likes DMX, listens to The Jerky Boys when he isn’t in danger, and passes on Dave Matthews Band CDs like most sane people, but I was fascinated to find out Sweet Tooth really knows his NSYNC.

The Twisted Metal television show was enjoyable, even if a bit quirky, and almost every episode had at least one or two great tracks that I enjoyed hearing. They just probably shouldn’t have led with that scene between John Doe and Sweet Tooth both singing “The Thong Song,” even if they do think “Unleash The Dragon” is amazing and Sisqo is a silver-haired god. It was a bad first impression and those kinds of moments are often better served when they’re unexpected. Kind of a shame, because I imagine one of the show’s strongest elements also helped turned some people away early on.

Like any good video game — or at least an adaptation of one — the music was incredibly important and uplifted what I was watching. This experience has me wanting to play the games again and hoping for a second season of the program, if for no other reason than to see what makes the new tracklist.

The post Twisted Tunes: The Killer Tracks of Twisted Metal Season 1 appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.

“What you are about to witness are real stories presented to Sex Court. The litigants have all agreed to abide by The Honorable Judge Julie’s rulings and judgments as defined by the Laws of Sex Court. Only their names have been changed to protect the innocent…or the perverted.”

Court is now in session, and we are putting this show on trial. The plaintiffs are upset with how aroused they are, and the defense barely has an alibi, so we won’t need to keep the jury sequestered for too long. This sham tribunal is less about determining whether the program is guilty, and more about making citizens aware of what they missed. This is the case of a legal anomaly, a rare occurrence of softcore jurisprudence, and a mundane procedural wrapped inside a sexy interrogation. This is Playboy TV’s Sex Court.

The premise is loud and upfront: what if Judge Judy and Jerry Springer had an underdeveloped child who was embraced by the world of pornography? Sex Court would have benefitted by taking more notes from a show like Ally McBeal, but the idea is to keep things short, simple, sensual, and focused on the bare-naked drama.

“And now, here’s bailiff Silk for the swear-in.”

“Place your hands on my butt. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing BUTT the truth?”

Most episodes feature two cases introduced by the court’s Private Dick where the litigants are introduced and the issue between them is explained, just before the bailiff has them swear in on her exposed ass. Each side is heard, usually with it breaking down into arguments, stripping, and violence before the honorable magistrate retires to her chambers. During this time the audience is asked about their opinions on the proceedings until it’s time for rulings. Finally, there’s the sentencing, which usually involves one party being forced to perform a sexual act, and the performers go to the judgment box for the softcore action, with later episodes adding a lot more props to this part.

This is no daytime network show. It was a perfect fit for Playboy TV, but that fact also meant most people never saw it. The cast of recurring characters looks to be straight from a posh Hollywood brothel, other than Private Dick, who is living the perverted noir dream. Almost all of the litigants are stars from the porn industry, and there are numerous recognizable faces for those familiar, including a few welcomed superstars. There’s even a running joke in later seasons about a notable adult actor playing multiple roles. So, there is little surprise that most of them end up naked, with the full-frontal nudity of the women (and a few of the men) being one of the show’s most attractive qualities.

Obviously, Sex Court covers a lot of adult themes, and if it wasn’t for how silly the presentation is, certain cases could have been a real downer. Some of the material discussed brings up insensitive responses, with several that are simply dumb to make us disagree more with the characters and others that are rougher products of the time. In a few instances, however, I was impressed with how reasonable and level-headed reactions to these comments were, but that doesn’t make it easy to ignore the homophobic remarks. That said, the episode featuring a trans stripper still somehow feels progressive for 1999. Sex Court managed to feel daring in several episodes while coming off as dull in others. 

The simulated sex that is used for punishments or reparations in most cases is a softcore spectacle, cleverly obscured in some places. Many of the segments seem quite subdued, even for the lighter side of pornography, but a number of the scenes crudely push those limits without penetration. Sadly, other than the hot bodies rubbing against each other, these portions quickly become lackluster with few exceptions. They’d grow even worse in later seasons when the program started over-editing the action. Several episodes have video tapes submitted as evidence that are often raunchier than the courtroom climax and it’s a shame how far some of them go while managing to be uninteresting. From reading a few accounts of people on set though, it sounds like watching these scenes being set up was more enjoyable than witnessing the sexcapade itself.

Sex Court covers a range of major fetishes, from feet, sex dolls, mud wrestling, and cuckolding, to eating food off of someone or men wearing women’s clothing to feel sexy, but a few cases go a little more out there for silly entertainment. Most of the cases in the first two seasons were taken from real events, legit filings, and letters written to the magazine, but as the show progressed the stories ventured more into outlandish fiction. There was a Halloween episode featuring witches and ghosts. Later we had an alien and a little VR sex, while another trial featured a clown who wouldn’t stop doing his act in the bedroom (that’s a bad one).  

The show changed a good bit over its eight seasons, with an upgrade for the sets and outfits after the first two episodes being the biggest remodel. The studio was located in Culver City, CA, and was tweaked slightly with each new group of recordings, most of which (a season of eight or ten shows) were filmed quickly in four-day chunks. The in-studio audience was apparently comprised of locals, with a few press and studio personnel as well as planted performers for specific episodes. The live viewers are quite vocal. Sometimes they’re the funniest part, with one person usually yelling “bullshit” loudly when the litigants say something that sounds like a blatant lie. The editing formula changed slightly too, trimming some of the normal practices to allow more time for the payoff segments.

The real star of the show is Judge Julie Strain, former Penthouse Pet of the Year (1993) and B-movie goddess who sells herself extremely well: “I’m 6-foot-1 and worth the climb.” The confidence is warranted, as she truly is an interesting person with a fantastic backstory that led to movies, music videos, and pinups, as well as being used as the cover model for Heavy Metal magazine. This ravishing sex symbol used what spare time she had for professional photography, something Strain also taught classes on when she wasn’t spending time with her husband, Kevin Eastman (co-creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). 

The overly dramatic music and close-ups when she enters are amusing (at least at first, the song is overplayed), coming out with big hair (shorter in the later seasons) and sexy black lingerie, sitting atop a florid throne. She’s presented as an intimidating figure like the badasses she plays in the movies, but Strain says she is nothing like her characters — even if the actress enjoys playing it up on TV. Strain told Rock Confidential that she felt bad about working for Playboy and not getting naked on the program, save a couple of instances and a few see-through outfits. She continued, saying that Sex Court was the hardest show she had ever worked on due to the number of lines and terms that needed to be memorized, but Strain still felt that everyone else was working harder than she was. Humility is hot.

Other than our Judge we have the Bailiff Alexandra Silk, a slender porn star who can’t wait to get out of her uniform at every turn and seemingly likes worshipping at Julie’s feet (might be a couple of fetishes mixed in there) or waving dildos during the depositions. She’s incredibly entertaining and stayed for the entire run, adding a lot to the show’s humor. Private Dick is another big part of the presentation doing hosting duties and presenting evidence. The original actor, Jon St. James, performed the role excellently, but his replacement, Asher Pryce, wasn’t quite as smooth when he filled the gumshoes.

Next up is the court Stenographer Nikita, a Russian girl added in season two, who prefers body paint and stark nudity over professionalism. She was eventually replaced by Ava Vincent and Skye Ashton. There are also Sex Experts, or Sexperts, that help instruct the participants. The role was most often held by Brittany Andrews, but Devinn Lane and Taylor Hayes would fill the position in later seasons. Finally, a male and female bodyguard was always present to escort Judge Julie, help break up fights, and when they needed to do a little more than keep the peace, one or both were often stripping, dancing, or having sex with the litigants.

This extensive cast worked for the most part, but the initial iteration in those first couple of seasons felt the strongest. The humor hit sometimes and there were spots of clever writing, but most of it just felt formulaic and juvenile in the end. If phrases like, “My very well-hung jury,” “The double-D scales of justice,” and “Do you have any proof of this titty encounter” cause someone to groan, then this show may not be as entertaining as it is for others.

The credits are extensive, down to who provides the legal counsel, sex toys, and body paints for the program. There’s the typical message most shows like this have for those who want to participate, “If you would like to be a litigant on Sex Court, please call 310-246-4063 or e-mail us at sexcourt@playboy.com,” which was replaced with a video of Silk asking for volunteers in the later seasons, but it’s hard to imagine they would have let just anyone on. Still, I’d love to speak to someone who applied. Another passage at the end assures us that Judge Julie’s rulings in Sex Court aren’t intended to have any real legal effect and the show’s publicists made sure the press understood this wasn’t meant to be taken seriously as well.

The show generated some buzz, especially around seasons two and three. Most of that came from having Julie Strain involved, but there was also a non-staged legal issue that made the papers when Playboy sued a man who had the domain name for Sex Court, an adult website. The man countersued the company, but before things could go too far, the issue was settled out of real court, with an exchange of money and the site agreeing to cease using the name.

We often ask, “Who is this show for,” but the truth is somewhere in the middle here. Sure, horny people and those looking for a bit of story or just some nudity disguised as reality television, but it’s amusing in other ways to those who simply don’t mind a good bit of perversion. It’s hard to call Sex Court a good show, but it isn’t easy to reinvent the pornographic wheel and find new trends without trying new things. 

Sex Court ran longer than most shows like it and even spawned a more traditional softcore film (Sex Court: The Movie), so there was some sort of audience out there eager for more justice. Unfortunately, the series isn’t easy to find currently. The movie is available online, but I had to do a lot of looking to acquire the majority of the episodes for this review and couldn’t get all of them to work — but that’s why we’re here. Whether Sex Court does anything for the ladies and gentlemen of the jury or not, it is evidence that is worth being presented and knowing about.

I rest my case. 

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