‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’ was widely released in theaters on May 23, 1984. The feature film directed by Steven Spielberg was a smash hit, even going to win the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It has come under scrutiny by some in the media for what they consider “problematic” depictions of Asian communities.
During an interview with the Guardian, actor Ke Huy Quan, who played the character of Short Round, defended the film and dismissed the notion that it is in any way “problematic.”
“We’re talking about something that was done almost 40 years ago. It was a different time. It’s so hard to judge something so many years later. I have nothing but fond memories. I really don’t have anything negative to say about it,” he said. “Spielberg was the first person to put an Asian face in a Hollywood blockbuster. Short Round is funny, he’s courageous, he saves Indy’s ass.”
Quan also noted that Short Round was a “groundbreaking” character for Asian representation adding, “That was a rarity then. For many years after that, we were back to square one.”
You can watch the iconic “night camping” scene between Indy, played by Harrison Ford, and Short Round.
Actor Amrish Puri, who portrayed Mola Ram in the film, defended the movie in his 2013 autobiography saying, “…it’s based on an ancient cult that existed in India and was recreated like a fantasy. If you recall those imaginary places like Pankot Palace, starting with Shanghai, where the plane breaks down and the passengers use a raft to jump over it, slide down a hill and reach India, can this ever happen? But fantasies are fantasies, like our Panchatantra and folklore. I know we are sensitive about our cultural identity, but we do this to ourselves in our own films. It’s only when some foreign directors do it that we start cribbing.”
Harrison Ford is set to reprise Indiana Jones for a fifth film which has faced many delays in production.
Comedian and actor Chris Rock will become the first to be featured on a solo Netflix live comedy special. This event will be the second live show presented by the streaming service.
“Netflix announced today that legendary comedian, writer, director and actor Chris Rock will be the first artist to perform live on Netflix for the company’s first-ever live, global streaming event. The comedy special is set to stream in early 2023,” they said on their website. “The live event builds on Netflix’s legacy of leadership in live comedy. Netflix is a Joke: The Festival was the biggest live, in-person event in Netflix history, taking place in Spring 2022. The unprecedented event sold more than 260,000 tickets, featuring more than 330 comedians performing 295 shows across more than 35 venues in Los Angeles. The festival also featured the first-ever stand-up show at Dodger Stadium.”
The streaming service previously collaborated with the ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’ star previously hosted the Netflix special “Tamborine” in 2018.
Netflix Vice President of Stand-up and Comedy Formats Robbie Praw celebrated the announcement, saying in a press release, “Chris Rock is one of the most iconic and important comedic voices of our generation.”
“We’re thrilled the entire world will be able to experience a live Chris Rock comedy event and be a part of Netflix history. This will be an unforgettable moment and we’re so honored that Chris is carrying this torch,” he added.
Chris Rock previously wrote and directed the 2014 comedy film ‘Top Five’ which he also starred in with Rosario Dawson.
Netflix Is A Joke featured many comedians included Kevin Hart, Wanda Sykes, John Mulaney, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Bill Burr, Natalie Palamides, Marlon Wayans, Pete Davidson, Patton Oswalt, Gabriel Iglesias, Amy Schumer, Margaret Cho, Iliza Shlesinger, Taylor Tomlinson, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Ms. Pat, and several others.
Before the Transformers, there was Takara Tomy’s Diaclone toy line. Launched in 1980, the sci-fi toys included transforming vehicles. Some morphed into sentient robots, while others changed from one vehicle into another. Eventually, the figures got a makeover to become what we in the States now know as the G1 Transformers.
Takara Tomy has decided to reboot the Diaclone line with updated versions of the more well-known vehicles. First up is the Dia Fighter. In the early 1980s, the Dia Fighter was the most common Diaclone found among my friends. This blue and red spaceship could transform into the DiaTrain by smooshing it together.
When you’d press down on the silver air intake vents on the top of the craft, the spring-loaded mechanics inside would cause the wings to unfold and the craft’s body to extend. The downside? The figures that came with this toy were so small that they were effortless to lose. This updated version appears slightly smaller than the original, coming in at 4.7″x3.9″x1.5″. Also, unlike the ’80s toy, this one can only hold one figure in the cockpit. It is priced at $24.99 and listed for an April 2023 release via the Big Bad Toy Store.
No one I knew ever had the larger Diaclone robot or base. Thankfully, Takara Tomy is relaunching this giant playset, too! However, prepare to lay down $479.99 if you want to pre-order it from the Big Bad Toy Store. The Grand Dion is 20.47″ tall and comes with the following:
Vehicle mecha A
2 Vehicle mecha B
2 Vehicle mecha C
Vehicle mecha D
4 Diaclone Ver. 2.0 members
Diaclone female member
Takara Tomy
Takara Tomy
Takara Tomy
Takara Tomy
Takara Tomy
Takara Tomy
Takara Tomy
Takara Tomy
Did you have any Diaclone vehicles or robots before the Transformers rebranding? Let us know in the comments section below.
On September 21st, GKids first announced a special theatrical dates for Evangelion:3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon A Time. As of November 2nd, tickets are officially available to buy. In partnership with Fathom Events, showings are available in Japanese with English subtitles in IMAX only on November 30th and then in theaters on December 6th, 8th, and the 11th in select theaters. This will be the very first time Thrice Upon A Time will be shown in theaters in the U.S.
Trailer for the final movie of Evangelion:
Date of when the movie will be released on home video has not yet been announced, but it is expected to at some point after the theatrical dates.
The movie first came out in theaters in Japan on March 8th, 2021 and opened that weekend at #1 in Japanese box office, going on to become the highest-grossing film of the year with ¥10.28 billion (about $85 million) in the local box office. It arrived on Amazon Prime worldwide later that year in August.
The summary of the movie: From legendary director Hideaki Anno, Evangelion:3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon A Time is the fourth and final installment of the Rebuild Of Evangelion films, bringing an epic conclusion to the story of Shinji and his fellow Eva pilots, with the stunning visuals and thought-provoking storytelling that has made Evangelion a global pop culture phenomenon.
Misato and her anti-NERV group Wille arrive at Paris, a city now red from core-ization. Crew from the flagship Wunder land on a containment tower. They only have 720 seconds to restore the city. When a horde of NERV Evas appear, Mari’s improved Eva Unit 8 must intercept. Meanwhile, Shinji, Asuka, and Rei (Provisional Name) wander about Japan.
To find Showings available in your area, click here.
Are you going to see this movie in theaters? If so, are you excited?
The Sledge-O-Matic will no longer pound watermelons into pulp. The rollerskates have been hung up. The bowler cap with the attached wig has no head to rest upon. The melon-crazed madman of comedy known as Gallagher has passed on to the great unknown at age 76.
Leo Gallagher, a comedian who had an amazingly successful run with numerous HBO and Showtime specials throughout the 1970s and 1980s, died in hospice care on November 11th. According to TMZ, his health, which had declined for years, led to massive organ failure. He is survived by his two children, Barnaby and Aimee.
When checking his official website, there’s no mention of his death, and the page’s copyright appears not to have been updated since 2020. However, Aimee is listed as the contact, so I believe she was acting as his manager or booking agent in these later years. I was hoping to find more info about Gallagher’s recent life, but there’s not much to go on.
Typically I would not cover a comedian’s death here since he isn’t strictly connected to the topics we usually cover. However, Gallagher was a pop culture icon, and his importance to the evolution of standup cannot be understated. Moreover, he was willing to go large regarding his comedy specials. Whether it meant rollerskating around the stage or trampolining on a giant couch, Leo wanted to ensure that you got your money’s worth when seeing him.
Sadly, Leo Gallagher couldn’t continue to pull in the audiences he once did in the 1980s and even in the mid-’90s. His brand of prop comedy mixed with observational humor regarding politics, economics, and celebrities was becoming stale as the 2000s approached.
Other comedians were becoming edgier, and on-stage props were no longer making audiences laugh. I can say this from a first-hand perspective. I saw one of Gallagher’s last big shows in 1996 at the USF Sun Dome. The crowd’s reaction was lessened than when I saw him in 1992 at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. However, his energy had changed; four years later, he was rehashing many of the same gags and jokes over a couple of years past their sell-by date.
After that, the legendary comedian and his Sledge-O-Matic faded from memory. I’d only happened to notice he was still touring in the 2000s by pure accident. I was dating someone who booked venues, and she told me that one of her clients was Gallagher. I seriously thought he had retired. Then, again, he drifted out of memory until last year when I came across this video:
That was 11 years ago. Things did not get much better for Gallagher, unfortunately. However, we still have his various comedy specials, which can be found on multiple streaming platforms. For “lost media” enthusiasts, there is a special Gallagher did for VH1 in 1992 that has not made its way to a modern video format. It was called I Can Make a Video Too? which also starred his daughter Aimee. I recorded it on VHS, but all of my tapes went in the garbage decades ago.
Let us know your favorite Gallagher memories in the comments section below.
The original protagonist of the Assassin’s Creed series finally gets the attention he deserves. A Desmond Miles action figure is coming next year from PureArts. The 1:6 scale premium action figure includes an expected collection of weapons and accessories and an Animus 2.0 Chair with LED lights. PureArts even worked in a secret hidden message that can be revealed with a UV light.
The figure’s clothing is made from soft goods, and his messenger bag and hoodie also have functional zippers. This 11.8″ tall Desmond is priced at $369 and is expected to ship during the 4th quarter of 2023. Unfortunately, desmond is limited to only 1,500 pieces.
PureArts
PureArts
PureArts
PureArts
PureArts
PureArts
PureArts
Dressed in his final outfit from Assassin’s Creed III, we’ve included premium details such as his backpack, watch and a light-powered Apple of Eden. We’ve also crafted a replica of the Animus 2.0 chair from Assassin’s Creed® II and Assassin’s Creed® Brotherhood with LED light detail on the arm scanner and outerline. Use the included UV lamp to reveal the Eagle Vision secret message on the base!
Hyper-realistic removable clothing
LED lit Animus 2.0 Chair from Assassin’s Creed® II and Assassin’s Creed® Brotherhood
LED-lit arm scanner
UV Lamp Eagle Vision secret message reveal on base
Handgun with suppressor
Knife
Earpiece
Watch
LED-lit Apple of Eden
Hidden Blade weapon
Backpack
Base and stand
Premium art box
For the first few games published by Ubisoft, Desmond Miles was our point man in the war between the Assassins and Templars. His adventures started with him being imprisoned by Abstergo Industries, where he was forced to dive into his genetic memories via the Animus device. During these forced adventures, Desmond discovers a powerful artifact that the Templars seek, the Apple of Eden.
Even though Desmond is no longer the franchise’s main character, he deserves an action figure, even if it’s in the form of a pricey high-end collectible. So what do you think of Ubisoft’s AC games? Was Desmond killed off too quickly? Let us know below.
Kotobukiya has announced three new ArtFX statues, one from DC Comics and two from Disney’s Star Wars shows.
When DC wanted to ditch Batman’s campy upbeat look of the ’50s and ’60s, he got a bit of a makeover in the 1970s. The Bronze Age Batman was a step in the right direction. Bats was now less smiley, and the blue/gray/yellow batsuit became the standard for decades. Kotobukiya captured the look perfectly in this new ArtFX 1:6 scale statue. The figure is made of PVC and is expected to be released in May 2023. Batman can be pre-ordered now through the Big Bad Toy Store for $159.99.
Kotobukiya
Kotobukiya
This original scene captures Batman inside the Batcave before going into action; a pose worthy of a commemorative statue to celebrate his legacy. The base features a metal plate decorated with Batman’s chest logo that the statue attaches to with embedded magnets. It is a simple feature that allows for a high level of freedom.
We have new Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka Tano statues on the Lucasfilm front. Both are based on the characters’ appearance in the Disney+ series. Unlike the Batman statue, these two Jedis are on different scales. Ahsoka is 1:10 scale, while Old Ben is 1:7 scale. Both are made from PVC.
Kotobukiya
Kotobukiya
Masterfully rendered in 1/7 scale, the ARTFX Obi-Wan Kenobi perfectly captures the renewed resolve of the Jedi™ master as he prepares to face his past. With lightsaber ignited and the tails of his robe and tunic flowing with the Force, every exacting detail of this sculpt has been referenced directly from the Lucasfilm production archives.
Kotobukiya
Kotobukiya
Kotobukiya
Striking a dynamic pose with her two lightsabers, this 1/10 scale figure remains faithful to the series. She can be displayed flexibly due to the magnets in her feet that stick to the steel plate in the square base.
Obi-Wan can be pre-ordered at the BBTS for $199.99. Ahsoka is available for $129.99. Both look to be shipping out by next July.
In the ’80s, toy companies were literally throwing everything at the wall to see what stuck. This included food. Turning food into soldiers ready for battle? Sure, why not? While the gimmick may not have been successful around three decades ago, today’s market of grownup collectors may be down for such an oddity.
Today we learned of a retro-styled action figure line that takes an old idea from Mattel and updates it for those kids who grew up to have monotonous desk jobs. So get ready for the 9 To 5 Warriors! These plastic anthropomorphic everyday office supplies and foods are fully articulated and willing to do battle as you tap away on your keyboard. The initial wave includes the following:
The 9 To 5 Warriors are available for pre-order exclusively through the Big Bad Toy Store. Each figure, except the $29.99 Corporal Can, is priced at $24.99. The expected ship date for these throwback toys is in the third quarter of 2023. In addition, two non-action figure items are also available for pre-order. These include a 9 To 5 Warriors comic book and a box of (5) wax pack trading cards. The comic is $9.99, while the trading card box set is $34.99.
9 To 5 Warriors
9 To 5 Warriors
9 To 5 Warriors
The figures are similar to Mattel’s late 1980s line of Food Fighter toys. Like the 9 To 5 Warriors, the Food Fighters were anthropomorphic action figures based on unhealthy edibles like burgers, hot dogs, donuts, fries, and so on. This idea was short-lived, but Mattel produced ten commandos and three vehicles in the first wave.
Turning very day things into war machines was the flavor of the ’80s. Not only did food enlist to battle, but so did pigs and rams, thanks to American Greetings Corporations Banyard Commandos. So naturally, everyone wanted to get in on the G.I. Joe gravy train fueled by all the great Arnold Schwarzenegger movies of the time.
Will you be pre-ordering any of these figures? Let us know below.
The Marvel cinematic universe has come a long way over the years, with multiple films exploring the triumph and hardships of superheroes and the world they reside in. One of the harshest things the MCU has needed to deal with is grieving the loss of loved ones and everything that comes afterward, which has been an ongoing theme of Phase 4. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is forced to tackle this on two fronts, while simultaneously closing a chapter of the MCU in preparation for the next phase. Though there are some missteps and stumbles along the way, Wakanda Forever handles that near-impossible task with class and good taste. There are things that not everyone will like, but real loss and grief seldom come with anything that we really want.
The giant elephant in the room is the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman in real life, which is echoed and felt in a very tangible way throughout the whole film. T’Challa passes away at the start, which is followed by a heartfelt tribute and homage to the late and great actor. Characters we’ve come to know from the first Black Panther film, and throughout the MCU, are shown as emotionally vulnerable and hurting. It’s a feeling that the cast and crew of the movie put on full display. It’s a level of emotion that the audience feels in a way that makes for great films, mirroring both real life and the cinematic universe we watch on screen.
What about the rest of Wakanda Forever? The bulk of the story is focused on Shuri and how she deals with the loss of T’Challa, as well as how everyone around her processes their grief. Letitia Wright does an excellent job showing multiple emotions with each of the other side characters, especially alongside Danai Gurira as Okoye.
The two of them have some fun banter and interesting moments early on in the film. Many of the women from the first Black Panther take a central focus for a lot of what happens, which pulls back Winston Duke as M’Baku to a much more secondary role. He’s good when on screen with Shuri and other Wakanda royalty but definitely doesn’t do as much here as in the first film.
The heavyweight of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is most definitely Angela Bassett as Queen Ramonda. The range of emotions and reactions she has for many of the big events in the film is what we love to see within the MCU. It’s a powerful performance that will have you empathizing with the hardship and tragedy the Queen faces, both for her family and her nation. There are some moments where her actions are questionable and may not make sense at first, but when you realize she is a mother dealing with the loss of her son, everything falls better into place. You don’t need to be a parent to relate to the pain that Queen Ramonda feels during her time on screen.
Looming above everything is the rising threat of other nations looking to take Wakanda’s precious resource, vibranium. This political aspect of the plot is present throughout, and is the catalyst for certain events, but is not the central problem. The underwater nation of Talocan and its ruler King Namor is a big threat here, with a motivation that makes sense even though it’s not entirely fleshed out fully. Tenoch Huerta plays Namor with a Latin American nobility and underlying viciousness that is fitting for the character.
However, comic fans may or may not be happy with the heavy changes to the character’s origin that better suit the movie here, as well as it’s similar symbolism to the first Black Panther. It makes you wish we had the chance to see T’Challa interact with Namor, and what he would have done in response to Namor’s actions. But alas, we may never know.
Talocan and Wakanda are similar in that they are unique cultures that utilize vibranium for different means. Underwater scenes show Talocan look beautiful and offer a look at a new group that can influence the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward. Unfortunately, many of the people and side characters that come from Talocan aren’t given the same depth or attention as who we’ve come to know from Wakanda. Attuma, played by Alex Livinalli, has some great action sequences with both Okoye and Shuri in the film but we aren’t given much for who he is and his complicated relationship with Namor. In the comics, this character is more significant than how he’s presented in the film. With so little time to tell the story, there doesn’t leave much room for characters like Attuma to be fleshed out better.
Speaking of which, the typical Marvel movie trope of setting up future projects is here with the introduction of Riri Williams, also known as Ironheart. Riri has significance to the main plot due to her actions off-screen that provoke Namor and Talocan to take action against the surface world, which brings her into contact with Shuri and Okoye. While she does have some significant role to play in this story, she doesn’t share the same emotional weight as everyone else does, nor does she really need to be around, to begin with.
It’s great finally seeing her within an Iron Man armor she built and helping Shuri and Wakanda, but afterward feels non-important. Riri is going to get her own show on Disney Plus eventually, so we’ll probably get to learn more about her in that story. But was she important enough to need to be in Wakanda Forever? The honest truth is no. Her actions could’ve easily been done by Shuri and would’ve probably made for a more connected film between Shuri and Namor towards the end.
As far as how the movie is presented, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a great-looking film. Ryan Coogler knows how to make a great frame and showcase the colors and details of this world. The movie has some very good-looking shots of Wakanda, the people within Wakanda, Namor, and Talocan, as well as many of the big action sequences that unfold.
There are some very cool shots of underwater animals being used in battle, as well as the ships and technology of Wakanda on full display. No matter what one might say about the film, nobody can say that the film doesn’t look fantastic.
Is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever a good film you should watch? Yes, it is entertaining and offers a different emotional side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe we hardly get to experience. Despite the very sad and harsh tragedy, everyone needed to deal with, the movie is successful in working with what it has to make another good entry into the MCU. It’s a moment for everyone to grieve, process, and dust off in preparation for what is next. Wakanda Forever is not as enthusiastic or lighthearted as other movies, not by choice, but manages to close out Phase 4 definitively.
It is a sad day for comic book fans all over the world. It has been confirmed that Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy has passed away after a short battle with cancer. While details are still pouring in, fans pay tribute to the celebrity who, for many, defined the character of Batman.
When I was four years old, I was watching Fox Kids on Saturday morning when a special preview appeared. It featured a character I had never heard of, the Batman. Though the promo was less than thirty seconds, I knew right away I wanted to watch and pleaded with my parents who acquiesced.
On September 6, 1992, I tuned in to see the Batman fight Man-Bat in the episode “On Leather Wings” where I heard his voice say, “Gotham Police declare war on Batman.” I was instantly hooked. Nine days later, we would hear him utter arguably the most iconic line from the entire series while battling Scarecrow, “I am vengeance. I am the night. I am Batman!”
From that moment on, even as the show moved to Kids WB, Kevin Conroy was my Batman and his portrayal would become the masterclass on how to perform the role of the Dark Knight. His story did not begin with a cape and cowl, however.
Born November 30, 1955, Westbury, New York, Conroy would journey to New York City in 1973 to study at Julliard with Robin Williams and Kelsey Grammer, performing in numerous plays. He would move to San Diego in 1980 where he landed the role of Jerry Grove in the daytime soap opera Another World. During this time, he continued to perform for the theater, including Hamlet.
He would also get roles in a variety of popular television shows including the legal drama Matlock, thesitcom Cheers, as well as the military series Tour of Duty.
In 1992, he “hesitantly” auditioned for a role in a kid’s cartoon Batman: The Animated Series. Little did he know that when he uttered the words, “Bruce Wayne here,” he would be getting the role that would define his career.
Conroy told Esquire magazine, “The Batman voice was the voice you’ve heard. But the Bruce Wayne voice was a high, light, playboy voice with a lot of irony and humor in it.”
“As the studio finished the animation, they realized the show was so dark that Bruce Wayne’s light sound was jarring,” he added.
Conroy would go on to portray the character in television, home video releases, video games, anime, and even in the theatrical film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. He would finally play Bruce Wayne in a live-action scene, albeit a darker one, in the CW’s adaption of “Crisis on Infinite Earths.”
His last time voicing the Batman was in 2019’s Justice League vs. the Fatal Five and his final role was as Hordak on the Netflix CGI series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. He had been cast as Bruce Wayne again for the now-canceled “Batman: Caped Crusader” HBO Max original.
Co-creator of Batman: The Animated Series Paul Dini paid tribute to Kevin Conroy on Twitter:
