W♥M

Sci-Fi-A-I

Read More The Expanse Possibly the best Science Fiction television show on air right now is The Expanse (no, it’s not Star Trek: Discovery). As I previously mentioned, I love this show. In the world of the Expanse, there are three major …

Beacon 23
amazon.com

There is a new Sci-Fi show on Amazon Prime called Beacon 23. The show is based on the short story series of the same name by Hugh Howey. Originally it was meant to air on Spectrum Originals and AMC Networks… but it’s currently on MGM+ (which is own by Amazon).

The show stars Lena Headey, from Game of Thrones. She is a survivor from a spaceship crash and finds herself woken up on a space lighthouse called Beacon 23. The sole occupant named Halan Kai Nelson, but there’s more to his story than he lets on.

It’s a bit of mystery, and I’m not going to give away too much details… but let’s just say that it’s not what you think it is. Halan is locked out of control because of the A.I. malfunction. The Artificial Intelligence is written in a way where it has “emotions”, which is quite odd. Why would anyone program anger and sadness in a computer program?

Update: I’ve just watched Episode 4 of Beacon 23 and have concluded that this show is absolutely no good. The problem with this series is about the AI. Let me tell you, computers should not have feelings or are they children. It’s just dumb. In this episode, the computer is written like it is a three-year-old and it decides to murder someone. This is just bad writing.

Also, while we’re at it, for a space station, why is there only one person living there? Don’t you need a crew to keep maintenance on the space light house? Or how come the computer didn’t know someone was in the airlock? My home camera and sense motion, don’t you think an advance space craft would have basic sensors? It doesn’t make any sense.

If you’re looking for smart Sci-Fi, I suggest checking out The Expanse.

Read More Star Wars It seems like no one is watching Andor… or at least you rarely hear people talking about this Star Wars new television show on Disney Plus. Maybe it’s because fans are tired of Star Wars or maybe they’re just not interested in this weird prequel to Star Wars: Rogue One? …

The Creator
20thcenturystudios.com

Gareth Edwards’ latest film The Creator has gotten positive reviews. The film grossed $103.5 million with a “low” budget of $80 million.

Edwards is no stranger to Science Fiction, having debut with Monsters (a film I own on Bluray) and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (easily the best “new” Star Wars film).

Since Edwards was a visual effects guy, he shot the whole film and used visual effects sparingly, which probably kept the budget low.

The story is about how the artificial intelligence (AI) detonated a nuclear warhead over Los Angeles, California, which started a war of humanity vs the robots.

There is a new threat and so the humans brought in an ex-undercover human to navigate the AI’s base.

I won’t give away too much, but the robot’s weapon is not what you think… and their goals are not what you expected.

It’s a simple story, maybe it might have worked better as a television series, where it can explore more on what it is to be human. Are AI really the enemy … or are the humans the true villains.

Read more Television and Sci-Fi.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Photos: Twin Cities Con (04 Nov 2023)

11/04 Twin Cities Con: Clerks Read More Twin Cities Con 2023 is shaping up to be Twin Cities Con’ biggest show yet! Looking over their guest list, you can see the big draw is the Kevin Smith universe: Jason Mewes, Jason Lee, Brian O'Halloran (Clerks), Marilyn Ghigliotti (Clerks) …

Traditionally speaking, Saturday is always the biggest turnout for comic convention, and, boy did the fans turned up for the second night of the third annual Twin Cities Con, in Minneapolis.

We previously mentioned that Friday’s turnout was also strong, but Saturday’s attendance was more than double… and as they say, the more the merrier.

Unfortunately, the large turn out resulted in lining up to get to the registration area… only to find out there is another line once you got in. “There’s a line, inside the line!” can be overheard.

Of course, VIP holders can skip the lines, but at the cost of almost double the price of general admission.

Since headliner Kevin Smith cancelled his special Q&A (this is not the first time Smith cancelled his appearance… he previously cancelled his Q&A in May 2015 at Wizard World Minneapolis). While it may not be Smiths’ fault, it just sounds like he overbooks or does not understand logistics.

Since his 6pm appearance was cancelled, the Clerks 29th Anniversary Cast Reunion panel was moved to be the headliner for the convention. Unfortunately, Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson already made plans to see a hockey game and only appeared for half an hour… leaving Marilyn Ghigliotti and moderator Ming Chen on their own.

Otherwise, the Twin Cities Con was well run, and had a lot to offer. There were six panel rooms (two big ballrooms and four smaller rooms), a big game room, and a massive merchandise area. If you were bored with one room, you can always sit in another panel, or just walk around and see all the wonderful costumes.

Wyatt Earp (Tombstone) with Batman ‘66 and Superman Convention Floor Pillow Pascal (Pedro Pascal)

Prince

Omni-Man

Little Nightmares

One Punch Man Ghostface (Scream) Daft Punk

Spider-Punk (Spider-Man)

Ghost Rider and Domino (Marvel Comics)

Jedi (Star Wars)

Fandom & Mental Health: Why A New Hope is More Important Now Than Ever Harley Quinn, Raven, and Joker (DC Comics) Jason Mewes

Cobra Commander (GI Joe)

Death

Raven

Game Room Mandalorians (Star Wars) Futurama

Skeletor

Chainsaw Man

Ash (Evil Dead)

Clerks with Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, and Marilyn Ghigliotti, and Ming Chen

Mad Max: Fury Road Matt Lanter Ghostbusters

Costume Contest at Twin Cities Con, Minneapolis (04 Nov 2023)

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Photos: Twin Cities Con (03 Nov 2023)

11/03 Twin Cities Con: VOICEAPALOOZA Read More Twin Cities Con 2023 is shaping up to be Twin Cities Con’ biggest show yet! Looking over their guest list, you can see the big draw is the Kevin Smith universe: Jason Mewes, Jason Lee, Brian O'Halloran (Clerks), Marilyn Ghigliotti (Clerks) …

It’s the first night of the Twin Cities Con, and wow, what a great turn out! Stay tuned for a full recap, in the meantime, enjoy photos from Friday night.

Update: The 1PM Clerks 29th Anniversary Cast Reunion panel will be moving to 6PM in the Ballroom! This will be done to accommodate Kevin Smith’s autographs and photo ops.

>>>
11/03/2023 Friday
11/04/2023 Saturday
11/05/2023 Sunday

Twin Cities Con
at Minneapolis Convention Center
twincitiescon.com

2023 is shaping up to be Twin Cities Con’ biggest show yet! Looking over their guest list, you can see the big draw is the Kevin Smith universe: Jason Mewes, Jason Lee, Brian O'Halloran (Clerks), Marilyn Ghigliotti (Clerks), Ethan Suplee (Mallrats), Ming Chen (Comic Book Men).

Jason Mewes (02 May 2015)

We saw Mewes in and said, “The Refuge in the Mall: A Mallrats Reunion with Jason Mewes and Michael Rooker was a lot of fun. It's been more than 20 years since the Kevin Smith film Mallrats, in some ways, was ahead of its time. The two joked about meeting in a hot tub (a recurring joke throughout the panel) and reflect back on that film. Apparently Rooker broke Jason Lee's beloved skateboard off set.”

For the full listing, head over to twincitiescon.com:

Jason Lee Danny Trejo Kevin Smith Jason Mewes David McCormack Melanie Zanetti Steve Burns Rachael Leigh Cook Ross Marquand Ashley Eckstein Matt Lanter James Arnold Taylor Janet Varney Dante Basco Zach Tyler Eisen Jack De Sena Grey DeLisle-Griffin Greg Baldwin

Brian O'Halloran Jeremy London Trish Stratus Jeff Anderson Ethan Suplee Amy Dumas fka Lita Marilyn Ghigliotti Eddie Steeples Ming Chen Jonah Scott Yuri Lowenthal Tony Todd Nadji Jeter Neil Kaplan Tom Gibis Brian Donovan Doug Erholtz Michael Yurchak

Monica Rial Justin Cook Emily Neves Kyle Phillips Emi Lo Ryan Bartley Reba Buhr Brent Mukai Charlet Chung Maki Roll Milo Beasley Lucie Pohl Tom Ruegger Mikal Mosley David Yost Paul Rugg Bobbi Miller Steve Cardenas Wes Johnson

Kid Cadet Michael Kingston Jamal Igle Joe Hunter Jordan Gunderson Steve Conley Phil Hester Chris Anderson Lan Pitts Ant Lucia Bryan Tillman Tracie Ching Jarrett Melendez Dave Wheeler Andy Price Chad Corrie Timothy Zahn Andrew Aydin

Ben Templesmith Bryan Turner Amy Chu Fabrice Sapolsky Adrean Clark Destiny Davison Peter Wartman Armand Clark A.L. Peterson Ted Anderson Ashleigh Popplewell Jenny Fine J.N. Monk Zander Cannon Alé Garze John Bivens Lupi McGinty Eliot Rahal

Furries

Call of Duty Guts (Berserk) Luna Shadow

EthanSuplee, Jeremy London, and Ming Chen

Ellie (The Last of Us)

Mandalorians (Star Wars)

Side Quest Here

VOICEAPALOOZA, feat. Paul Rugg, Tom Ruegger, Wes Johnson, Monica Rial, Kyle Phillips, Emily Neves, at Twin Cities Con, Minneapolis (03 Nov 2023)

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Minneapolis: May 4 to May 6

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

05/04 Dougie Poole at 7th St Entry Read More Dougie Poole Dougie Poole and Sedona to open. Tour dates: 02-28 El Paso, TX - Lowbrow Palace % 03-02 San Antonio, TX - Paper Tiger % 03-03 Austin, TX - Empire Control Room and …

05/04/2023 Thursday

Dougie Poole
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

Brooklyn’s indie country musician Dougie Poole is touring in support of his third solo album The Rainbow Wheel of Death (Wharf Cat Records). He’ll stop by the 7th Street Entry, in Minneapolis, on May 4th, Stars Wars Day.

Tour dates:

Apr 6 - NYC @ Baby's All Right
Apr 7 - Philadelphia @ Dolphin
Apr 8 - Washington @ Comet
Apr 9 - Charlotte @ Petra's
Apr 10 - Atlanta @ The Earl
Apr 11 - Nashville @ Third Man
Apr 13 - Jackson @ Hal and Mals
Apr 14 - New Orleans @ Gasa Gasa
Apr 15 - Houston @ Axelrad
Apr 16 - Dallas @ Club Dada
Apr 17 - Austin @ Antone's
Apr 18 - San Antonio @ Paper Tiger
Apr 20 - Tucson @ Club Congress - 420 fest
Apr 21 - San Diego @ Soda Bar
Apr 22 - Costa Mesa @ The Wayfarer
Apr 23 - Los Angeles @ Lodge Room
Apr 24 - Oakland @ Cafe Du Nord
Apr 25 - Sacramento @ Starlet Room
Apr 27 - Portland @ Polaris Hall
Apr 28 - Vancouver @ Cobalt
Apr 29 - Seattle @ Clock Out
May 1 - Denver @ Hi Dive
May 2 - Lawrence @ The Bottleneck
May 4 - Minneapolis @ 7th Street Entry
May 5 - Chicago @ The Empty Bottle
May 6 - Grand Rapids @ Pyramid Scheme
May 7 - Fort Wayne @ Brass Rail
May 8 - Bloomington @ Blockhouse
May 9 - Columbus @ Ace of Cups
May 10 - Cleveland @ Mahall's
May 11 - Pittsburgh @ Club Cafe
May 13 - Burlington @ Showcase Lounge
May 14 - East Haven @ The Beeracks
May 16 - Boston @ Crystal Ballroom
May 17 - Amherst @ The Drake

05/05 The Lemon Twigs with Josephine Network at Fine Line Read More The Lemon Twigs I’m not going to lie, but the biggest buzz band I’ve seen in a long time, has got to be The Lemon Twigs. Almost immediately, the dancefloor was filled to the walls of curious . ..

05/05/2023 Friday

The Lemon Twigs
with Josephine Network
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

New York’s The Lemon Twigs are on tour in support of Everything Harmony (Captured Tracks). The band stops in at the Fine Line, in Minneapolis, on May 5th, 2023.

Lemon Twigs (28 Jan 2017)

We caught the band in Jan 2017 and said, “Brian Oake and Jill Riley introduced their new favorites The Lemon Twigs, who are currently touring with Nashville’s Savoy Motel (playing next door with Hollerado). We’ve seen the band before, and noted that they drew in a huge crowd, thanks to the buzz that the Current generated for this young band.”

Josephine Network to open.

Tour Dates:

Mar 26 Postponed New Orleans, LA, US Toulouse Theatre
Mar 27 Birmingham, AL, US The Nick - Al
Apr 16 Postponed Charlotte, NC, US Visulite Theatre
Apr 17 Postponed Durham, NC, US Motorco Music Hall
Apr 18 Atlanta, GA, US Terminal West
Apr 19 Nashville, TN, US The Basement East
Apr 21 Dallas, TX, US Deep Ellum Art Co.
Apr 22 Austin, TX, US 3ten ACL Live
Apr 25 Tucson, AZ, US Club Congress
Apr 27 San Diego, CA, US Music Box
Apr 28 West Hollywood, CA, US Troubadour
Apr 29 San Francisco, CA, US The Chapel
May 1 Portland, OR, US Holocene
May 2 Seattle, WA, US Madame Lou's
May 5 Minneapolis, MN, US Fine Line
May 6 Chicago, IL, US Sleeping Village
May 7 Chicago, IL, US Sleeping Village
May 9 Toronto, ON, Canada The Great Hall
May 9 Hamilton, ON, Canada The Great Hall
May 10 Montreal, QC, Canada Bar le Ritz PDB
May 12 Cambridge, MA, US The Sinclair
May 13 New York (NYC), NY, US Irving Plaza
May 19 Amsterdam, Netherlands London Calling Festival
May 21 Tourcoing, France Le Grand Mix
May 23 Berlin, Germany FRANNZ Club
May 24 Nancy, France L'Autre Canal
May 25 Paris, France Le Trianon
May 27 Brighton, UK Chalk
May 28 Bristol, UK SWX
May 29 Glasgow, UK SWG3 TV Studio
May 31 Manchester, UK New Century Hall
Jun 1 London, UK Electric Ballroom

05/05 Sarah Morris with Emily Haavik at Icehouse Read More Emily Haavik Show up early to check out local musician Emily Haavik (billed as Emily Haavik & the 35s). Tour dates: 12/08/2019 Schubas Tavern, Chicago, IL, US . ..

05/05/2023 Friday

Sarah Morris
with Emily Haavik
at Icehouse
icehousempls.com

Minneapolis-based Sarah Morris will have an album release party for her fifth album, Here's To You! on May 5th, 2023, at the Icehouse.

Sarah Morris with Veruca Salt (22 Jul 2014)

I know it’s not the same Sarah Morris… but we saw a “Sarah Morris” at a Veruca Salt show in Philadelphia in 2014 and noted, “Sarah Morris, the six year old girl who wrote “Stacey Please” and appeared on the back of American Thighs, is now a grown woman and she made a special appearance on stage at the Pennsylvania show.”

Anyway, this Minneapolis Sarah Morris’ upcoming Icehouse show will start at a decent time with Emily Haavik to open. We previously have avoided Icehouse shows because they start so late (after 10:30pm), but it seems this Friday show will take place at 8pm.

Live dates:

April 7th, 2023 at Wussow’s Concert Cafe Duluth, MN
Time: 7:00pm. As part of a Songwriter Showcase w/ Dan Rumsey and Quiet Ike!

Minneapolis Album Release Show - Friday, May 5th @ ICEHOUSE MPLS
6pm Door/8pm Show / $18 adv. / $22 door 21+
8pm - Emily Haavik (opens) and 8:50pm - Sarah Morris set starts

05/06 Bankrol Hayden at 7th St Entry Read More Blueface Cash Money West Recording artist Blueface is heading out on tour in support of his EP Buss Down. Tour Dates ...

05/06/2023 Saturday

Bankrol Hayden
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

Rising hip-hop star Bankrol Hayden just dropped his new mixtape 29, available now on DSPs and streaming services via Atlantic Records. The star-filled mixtape features many artists, such as Lil Skies, charlieonnafriday, Zzz, Blueface, OHGEESY, Maxo Kream, etc.

Hayden explains the album title, “29 is my divine number, it’s a number that brings the worst and best memories. And a number that follows me, guides me. I had the opportunity to work with some of my close friends on my second mixtape and I’m proud of the different layers fans will get to experience of me. It represents the peaks and pits of my life the last three years and I was fortunate to work with producers, writers who helped me display my duality on this project.”

Tour Dates

04/15 – San Diego, CA – Voodoo Room
04/16 – Phoenix, AZ – The Rebel Lounge
04/19 – Houston, TX – Bronze Peacock
04/20 – Dallas, TX – Cambridge Room
04/23 – Atlanta, GA – Vinyl
04/25 – Brooklyn, NY – Baby’s All Right
04/26 – Washington, DC – Songbyrd
04/27 – Philadelphia, PA – Warehouse on Watts
04/29 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair
04/30 – Montreal, QC – Newspeak
05/2 – Toronto, ON – Velvet Underground
05/3 – Ann Arbor, MI – Blind Pig
05/4 – Chicago, IL – Subterranean
05/6 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry
05/9 – Denver, CO – Globe Hall
05/10 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
05/12 – Seattle, WA – Barboza
05/14 – Portland, OR – Holocene
05/16 – Oakland, CA – The New Parish
05/17 – Santa Cruz, CA – Catalyst (Atrium)
05/18 – Los Angeles, CA – The Echo

05/06 City and Colour with Courtney Marie Andrews at First Avenue Read More City and Colour Singer, songwriter and performer Dallas Green is returning to the road under his stagename/band City and Colour. ...

05/06/2023 Saturday

City and Colour
with Courtney Marie Andrews
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Acclaimed singer, songwriter and performer Dallas Green, aka City and Colour will be headlining First Avenue, in Minneapolis on May 6th, 2023. He is touring in support of his new album The Love Still Held Me Near (Still Records, an imprint of Dine Alone Records).

Courtney Marie Andrews will open the show. The last time we heard from her, she teamed up with Caitlin Rose to produce an album called Cazimi.

2023 City and Colour U.S. Tour Dates

May 3 – Grand Rapids, MI – GLC Live
May 5 – Madison, WI – The Sylvee
May 6 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
May 7 – Chesterfield, MO – The Factory
May 9 – Chicago, IL – Riviera Theatre
May 10 – Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue
May 12 – Columbus, OH – KEMBA Live!
May 13 – Richmond, VA – The National
May 15 – Philadelphia, PA – Franklin Music Hall
May 16 – Washington, DC – Warner Theatre
May 17 – Boston, MA – Roadrunner
May 19 – New York, NY – The Beacon Theatre
May 20 – Portland, ME – State Theatre
May 21 – Ithaca, NY – State Theatre

If your band is coming to the Minneapolis/St Paul area, please email details to [email protected] with a good lead time. Thank you.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Sci-Fi 2022: Andor, The Peripheral, and Quantum Leap

Read More Star Wars No one likes The Book of Boba Fett. The story is slow, and more than half of it is told in flashback. No one seems to know what the point of the new Boba Fett show is all about. ....

Andor (2022)
disney.com

It seems like no one is watching Andor… or at least you rarely hear people talking about this Star Wars new television show on Disney Plus. Maybe it’s because fans are tired of Star Wars or maybe they’re just not interested in this weird prequel to Star Wars: Rogue One?

For what’s it worth, I think Andor is possibly the best Star Wars television show since The Mandorian.

Andor is about Cassian Andor, five years prior to Rogue One. He starts off with an accidental murder, and follows his story of a grand heist. It’s weird but by episode 6 or 7, the show turned into a prison story. Personally speaking, I didn’t care for the prison story, but the overall story of building a rebellion against the empire is interesting. You can see how the empire started off as bringing order to the galaxy, but slowly turns dark and evil…

The cast is amazing, obviously some were from the film, including Forest Whitaker, reprising his role as a younger Saw Gerrera.

I really love the puppet master, Luthen Rael, who is trying to build this organized rebellion. That amazing starship fight at the end of Andor shows us that he is a real bad-ass! All this time the character is in the shadows and working behind the scene… but when it he’s forced to make a move - he can really throwdown!

Coming off the very disappointing (and boring) Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi television show, Andor was a true delight. It gives me hope that Disney is heading in the right direction, when it comes to quality writing… and I’m very excited to see what Andor Season 2 will bring to Star Wars canon.

Description:

The “Andor” series will explore a new perspective from the Star Wars galaxy, focusing on Cassian Andor’s journey to discover the difference he can make. The series brings forward the tale of the burgeoning rebellion against the Empire and how people and planets became involved. It’s an era filled with danger, deception and intrigue where Cassian will embark on the path that is destined to turn him into a rebel hero.

Read More Westworld HBO has been struggling to find its new hit show since Game of Thrones ended (and it ended badly). Westworld potentially could have been the next-Game of Thrones, but unfortunately Season 2 of Westworld was not good. …

The Peripheral (2022)
amazon.com

There is a great new Sci-Fi television show called The Peripheral that airs on Friday on Amazon Prime. The premier was October 21st, and currently we can only view up to episode 5. So far, I’m loving it.

The series takes place in the future, and centers around Flynne Fisher (played by Chloë Grace Moretz). She thinks she’s trying out some new VR game… but in reality, she’s remote controlling something. I don’t want to give away too much, but I’m sure if you look online, you can find out more.

The show was based on a 2014 book of the same name written by William Gibson and has a Westworld vibe… maybe because Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy serve as executive producers.

Although I am enjoying the show, there are some things that I don’t really think is realistic. For example, there are some some technology from the future that made its way to people in the past. Stuff like invisible cars or sonic blasters… yet no one in the show is surprised or calling in the government. There is also the issue of a hit squad trying to kill Fisher, but they were taken out by Fisher’s brothers and his squad. It was like, huh?

Fisher’s brother is ex-military, and his buddies are all former military… including a triple amputee character, so maybe they can take out a hit squad, but I didn’t really believe it.

Anyway, it’s a good show, I would try and tune in on Friday to see how the story unfolds. Sometime the show is super violent, but if you can stomach it, you’ll like the show.

Description:

The Peripheral centers on Flynne Fisher, a woman trying to hold together the pieces of her broken family in a forgotten corner of tomorrow's America. Flynne is smart, ambitious, and doomed. She has no future. Until the future comes calling for her. The Peripheral is master storyteller William Gibson’s dazzling, hallucinatory glimpse into the fate of mankind — and what lies beyond.

Read More Quantum Leap Dean Stockwell (American actor and recording artist), 85 Former Quantum Leap star Dean Stockwell, an Oscar- and Emmy-nominated actor whose stage, film and TV career spanned more than 70 years and 200 credits, has died ... via deadline.com …

Quantum Leap (2022)
nbc.com

You guys know I love the original Quantum Leap, so I was excited to see that NBC has brought the show back for 2022.

In the original series, Sam Beckett is trying to get home by leaping into random bodies. Each episode is a mystery, and with the help of Al, the hologram from the future, and the computer Ziggy, they work out the mystery and Dr Beckett leaps.

Unfortunately, they’ve decided to go in a different direction in the new show. In the new Asian Quantum Leap, Dr. Ben Song deliberately jumps into the past to save someone. The show is half in the past and half of it is in the future. I absolutely hated whenever you see the future. Who cares about the future characters?

The cast now is diverse, an Asian lead, a white woman hologram, they/them programmer, a black director, an Asian security person… it’s a whole rainbow roster. I hate it that they try and please everybody. I suppose none of that matters, but if only the stories and acting are good. The writing is predictable, and everyone gets so emotional. Think The CW, only on NBC.

The best episode so far is the latest, Episode 8. It’s about four runaway students from some sort of school and they get lost in the woods. In the original history, the kids are never seen again… so it’s up to Ben to save them all with the help of his girlfriend hologram.

Description:

Physicist Ben Song and a newly revamped team embark on a journey through time.

Read more Movies and Television.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Disapointment Television

Read more Television.

Read More Dexter Do you remember how I absolutely hated the final season to Dexter? I guess everybody hated the final season, so the show producers is going to do a do-over. The fresh start will be called Dexter: New Blood …

DEXTER: NEW BLOOD
sho.com

How do mess up Dexter twice?!!??? Universally, everybody hated the final Dexter Season 8. No one was satisified with the last season, especially the “Lumberjack” ending. After ten years, Showtime said they were going to go to fix all that by introducing a brand new series: Dexter: New Blood. Guess what? They blew it again. This new ending sucked.

Overall, New Blood was a good, solid season. I had some problems with it, but it would have been forgiven, if they stick to the landing. Unfortunately, the ending wasn’t satisfying and it ultimately made Dexter an idiot.

I personally believe that the show writers did not understand Dexter.

There were so many problems with Dexter, the reason why Dexter kills is that he has a Dark Passenger. He is compell to kill… so when his foster father, Harry, saw this darkness in him, he gave Dexter a code. There’s are a few rules, but the main ones you should take away from this is, “Don’t Get Caught” and “Never Kill an Innocent”. The thing is, Dexter has to kill, so I don’t buy it that Dexter, hiding in a small town in New York, for ten years, has never killed anyone in all that time. It doesn’t make any sense at all.

The writers of Dexter: New Blood didn’t get Dexter’s character. Dexter is now killing out of revenge, and he’ll kill an innocent cop to break out of jail. That doesn’t make sense at all.

Then the ending is absolute garbage.

I thought I read somewhere that Showtime wants to give Harrison (Dexter’s son) his own TV show. I’m certainly not going to watch it. Horrible.

Read More Expanse Possibly the best Science Fiction television show on air right now is The Expanse (no, it’s not Star Trek: Discovery). As I previously mentioned, I love this show. ....

THE EXPANSE
amazon.com

It is the six (and final) season for the Sci-Fi epic The Expanse. If you have Amazon Prime, which I have through a family account, you can watch the show for free.

Our team seemed weary, spending a lot of time in space hunting down Marcos’ men. Plus, morale is bad, because they lost pilot Alex Kamal last season. What’s strange is that his death had nothing to do with the story, it’s because the writers had to take him out due to some real-life sexual misconduct from the actor.

So this season, we have one-less core member, now Captain James Holden, engineer Naomi Nagata, and mechanic (and badass brute) Amos Burton. The crew is joined by Clarissa “Peaches” Mao, apprentice mechanic and, as of, episode two, Martian Marine Bobbie Draper . I still feel that the crew is missing a pilot for the Rocinante, especially during that space chase where they had Holden manning the ship and then joining the boarding crew.

Unfortunately, for the final season, it didn’t quite feel like a conclusion. The final defeat of Maros felt unsatisfying. I mean, they just made him vanish in the ring? I don’t think he’s actually dead… but we’ll never know, since we aren’t get any more Expanse.

The other big problem with the final season, is the stupid girl and space dogs that opens each episode. First of all, the last season only had six episodes, because Amazon refused to pay for any more. Instead of telling the story in those six episodes, they devoted like 20 minutes to this space dog story that went nowhere. Book readers were delighted, but for the show viewers, I felt like it was a giant waste of time.

I also wished that they would’ve just killed off characters, knowing it’s the final season. I know book readers probably won’t like it, but it would make sense to end Clarissa Mao (she found out she was going to die anyway), or have Bobbie Draper die as she takes out the giant cannon.

Read More Star Wars Beginning with a new interview with Joker’s voice actor Mark Hammill (Star Wars) and ending with a music feature, featuring composers Kristopher Carter, Michael McCuistion, and Lolita Ritmanis. ....

THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT
disney.com

No one likes The Book of Boba Fett. The story is slow, and more than half of it is told in flashback. No one seems to know what the point of the new Boba Fett show is all about.

The worst part is when he employed a local cyborg street gang (on Vespas), the show suddenly felt like it was made for children.

Then when the all-Mandalorian episode showed up, it really demonstrated how awful Boba Fett has been. Mando shows up, he cuts this guy in half, it’s all-action! Meanwhile, Boba Fett, in four episodes, had not moved an inch in story.

To recap: Boba Fett takes control of Jabba's criminal empire on Tatooine. This causes the Jabba's cousins, "The Twins", trying to assassinate Boba. Boba then hired a gang of cyborg street gang, and then we find out that the Pykes are the real enemy.

The other storyline is told in flashback, which tells the story about how Boba Fett escaped the sarlacc and his long journey. Personally speaking, I didn’t need this backstory, to me, it’s always better to keep his backstory a mystery. The more you find out about Boba, the less cool he seems to be.

I guess the biggest disappointment for me is that Boba Fett just sucks in this show. Clearly, The Mandalorian is the much cooler character… and seeing him in Episode 5, made me really wish I was watching the new season of Mandalorian.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Disney Plus and Minuses

Read More Marvel Critics and audiences both loved Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which recently landed on streaming (after it debut in theaters in early September). I can see why normal people would like Shang-Chi, it really introduces ....

Read more Television.

THE ETERNALS
disney.com

After an exclusive run in theaters, Marvel’s The Eternals will be heading to Disney Plus on January 12, 2022. Unlike Disney’s previous experiment of making subscriber pay extra to watch some premium movies, they’ve decided The Eternals will be available for free (you still have course need to pay a subscription fee to access D+).

In addition, Eternals will be one of the Marvel movies presented on Disney+ in an “IMAX Enhanced” version, which will give subscribers an expanded aspect ratio.

I haven’t seen it yet, but according to Rotten Tomatoes, The Eternals ranked the worst Marvel films of all time… even lower than Black Widow (which I thought was so-so) and Shang Chi (which I absolutely hated). Just based on how everyone say that The Enternals is not a Marvel-esque film, I feel like I’m already hating it. I guess I can’t make that judgement yet until I finally see it on Disney Plus this January 12th.

Hopefully, Spider-Man: No Way Home will save Marvel from a series of terrible films.

Read More Television The new Marvel Studio/Disney Plus series Loki is pretty good so far. I say that, but as history would have it, these Disney Plus shows do … …

HAWKEYE
marvel.com

Admittedly, the latest Disney Plus’ show, Hawkeye started off extremely slow… even with a double episode release for the pilot. What they should have done was released the first three episodes at once… because, man, episode three sure made up for all the setup in the first two episodes.

The show took inspiration from the Hawkeye comic book by Matt Fraction & David Aja, and clearly the art direction was stolen from Aja’s art style.

Taking place after the Avengers: Endgame, Hawkeye finds himself saving a Kate Bishop in his old Ronin costume. One thing leads to another, and now all Hawkeye wants to do is find his way home for Christmas.

What I like about the series is that you hear Christmas songs everywhere! There’s lots of Easter Eggs for comic book fans, and I think it does a good job in balancing humor and seriousness. The funny stuff, like Larping, may actually be too silly… but as far as I’m concern, the fight sequences and action makes up for the unbelievable comedy.

Like all previous Marvel television shows, like WandaVision, Loki, and Falcon and t he Winter Soldier, none of these Disney shows ends very well. They sure have a strong start, but it just always fails to stick the landing.

I’m hoping, since the Hawkeye show is based on the comic book, that it should have a good ending. If anything, at least it would set up the Echo show or, perhaps, a new Black Widow series… although there’s a lot of buzz that this show will re-introduce Daredevil and the Kingpin.

Read More Star Wars Beginning with a new interview with Joker’s voice actor Mark Hammill (Star Wars) and ending with a music feature, featuring composers Kristopher Carter, Michael McCuistion, and Lolita Ritmanis. ....

BILL BURR
billburr.com

Comedian, Bill Burr is wrapping up his 2021, this December.

For television, especially Star Wars fans, they might actually know Burr as Mayfeld on Disney Plus’ The Mandalorian. Say what you will, but I felt that Mando saved Star Wars. Disney really destroyed the brand with their movies… but thankfully, at least th TV shows didn’t suck. Everyone is really looking forward the new third season to The Mandalorian (entitled The Book of Boba Fett) in 2022.

Anyway, Burr has made a name for himself with his Monday Morning Podcast (it’s one of the most downloaded comedy podcasts), as well as appearing on Saturday Night Live last October, as well as appearing on movies and television shows.

Tour dates:

Dec 16 – Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre
Dec 16 – Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre
Dec 17 – Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre
Dec 18 – Indianapolis, IN – Clowes Memorial Hall
Dec 30 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Federal Theater

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

MN Toy Posse Halloween Bash IV at Everett McClay VFW Post 1296, Bloomington (25 Oct 2020)

Read More MN Toy Posse The November Minnesota Toy Posse show (named Swapsaturday) just took place at the Everett McClay VFW Post 1296 in Bloomington, Minnesota. These local shows are organized and hosted by organized ...

For the first time since the pandemic, the October’s Minnesota Toy Posse show, dubbed MN Toy Posse Halloween Bash IV, took place at a different location… the VFW in Bloomington, Minnesota (which we hadn’t been to since November 2019).

This October show may be the last one until April 2021, since I’m not really interested in traveling in the winter. In fact, driving to Bloomington was a nervous effort, because the light snow was making the roads wet & slippery (saw a few car crashes).

Many of the tables at this show featured Star Wars, showing how popular the brand really is with collectors. Unfortunately, I don’t collect Star Wars, so it was a miss for me. There were also plenty of modern Transformers… which is also unfortunate, since I hate the new stuff. Plenty of Marvel Legends, but, again, I’m not looking for anything in this line in particular.

What I was looking for were G.I. Joe: Classified and maybe the new G.I. Joe Retro Collection, but they’re rarely seen in stores, let alone at a toy show. I guess I didn’t have high hopes that I would find any Cobra Island, but I was hoping to see at least one or two … even if it’s marked at a really high price. So, yeah, no Red Ninjas, no Beachhead, no Cobra Troopers...

There was a guy selling a Deluxe Snake Eyes figure, but he wanted $100 for it. The figure, long sold out, was originally sold for $40, so I couldn’t justify paying a Benjamin for it.

I usually spend hundreds of dollars at these shows, but this Sunday show I couldn’t find anything that I wanted, or that the toys that I really wanted were just priced too high.

MN Toy Posse Halloween Bash IV at Everett McClay VFW Post 1296, Bloomington (25 Oct 2020)

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Solo: A Star Wars Story (film review)

Solo: A Star Wars Story Poster Solo: A Star Wars Story In Theatres May 25th, 2018 |© 2018 Lucasfilm Details Board the Millennium Falcon and journey to a galaxy far, far away in Solo: A Star Wars Story, an all-new adventure with the most beloved scoundrel in the galaxy. Through a series of daring escapades deep within a dark and dangerous criminal underworld, Han Solo befriends his mighty future copilot Chewbacca and meets the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian, in a journey that will set the course of one of the Star Wars sagas most unlikely heroes. Director: Ron Howard Actors: Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Paul Bettany Run Time: 2 hours 15 minutes Read More Star Wars Beginning with a new interview with Joker’s voice actor Mark Hammill (Star Wars) and ending with a music feature, featuring composers Kristopher Carter, Michael McCuistion, and Lolita Ritmanis. ....

“It`s a losing proposition but one you can`t refuse, It`s the politics of contraband, It`s the smuggler's blues” – Smuggler’s Blues (Glenn Frey)

Solo: A Star Wars Story is the latest effort in Disney’s master plan to schedule a new Star Wars film in theaters every year, with character-focused back story tales, supplementing the opposite-year’s main storyline. 

Set prior to the events of 1977’s Episode IV (A New Hope), a younger Han Solo (you find out a little history about his name along the way) finds adventure when he joins a team of galactic smugglers, including a 190+-year-old Wookie named Chewbacca. Indebted to the gangster Dryden Vos, the crew devises a plan to travel to the mining planet Kessel to steal a batch of valuable coaxium. In need of a ship that can make the journey, Solo meets Lando Calrissian (smartly played by Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino) the suave owner of the perfect vessel for the dangerous mission -- the Millennium Falcon.

The film stars Alden Ehrenreich as Han, alongside Glover, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge (the voice of Lando’s co-pilot droid) , Joonas Suotamo (as Chewie), and Paul Bettany (as the villainous Vos).

After originally being helmed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Lego Movie, Jump Street franchise), the studios removed the duo, in favor of director Ron Howard, with a screenplay by series veteran Lawrence Kasdan and his son, Jonathan. 

The end result is a mostly enjoyable, though seemingly over-safe chapter in the mythos,- one that never completely disappoints, but one that never completely thrills either.  Howard is adept in delivering the action and pacing, but is not visually unique in his execution, though a few sign posts pop up along the way (Ron’s brother Clint in a cameo role, as well as Warwick [Willow] Davis) to remind you it is under his direction. 

Ehrenreich takes some getting used to in the lead role, he not as gruff as Harrison Ford, but still displays a lot of the characteristics that define the iconic character.  Glover, however, fits immediately into the Lando role like a…err, glove, perfectly channeling the bravado, swagger, and eminent cool that Billy Dee Williams originally brought to the role. 

Harrelson seems to be enjoying himself as Solo’s mentor and fellow bandit Tobias Beckett and Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke plays Qi’ra, -part damsel in distress, part survivor who even works in a little GOT-style sword play in, towards the end of the movie. 

The problem (not an issue in Rogue One) is convincing the audience to embrace some of these new faces as the characters they know, and provide a story that leans somewhat on the past chapters but also stands on its own merits. 

More diehard fans of the series will revel in the backstory of how Solo made his fabled Kessel Run in record time, the deeper meaning behind the trinket given to Leia in The Last Jedi, and how Solo and Chewie meet for the first time, but it’s a given that all make it out of the adventure unscathed, as we know where their futures will take them. 

The female roles in particular, seem a little underused, as Clarke’s characters motivations are never clearly defined, Waller-Bridge’s L3-37 is mostly there for comic relief, and Newton’s Val doesn’t get enough overall screen time. 

Fans of the series will still have a fun time, and casual moviegoers will happily go along for the ride as well, though it seems like it could have been something much more.

With the studio turmoil surrounding the film, it’s maybe a surprise it turned out as well as it did, though you can probably walk (instead of run)  to see it on the big screen, or casual fans can easily wait until home video. 

Solo: A Star Wars Story opens in theatres Friday.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ (WHM rating – 7 out of 10 hearts)

john ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

R.I.P. Debbie Reynolds

Read More Star Wars Beginning with a new interview with Joker’s voice actor Mark Hammill (Star Wars) and ending with a music feature, featuring composers Kristopher Carter, Michael McCuistion, and Lolita Ritmanis. ....

It seems that all we do is write about the musicians and singers that passed away in 2016. What made the death of Debbie Reynolds so tragic, is that her daughter, Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia from Star Wars), died just days before Reynolds’ passing.

Reynolds’ first leading role was as Kathy Selden in Singin’ in the Rain, holding her own against Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor.

Musically, Reynold’s song ‘Tammy’ reached #1 on the music charts, and by 1959, she released her first album called Debbie.

Reynolds eventually became a cabaret performer... and although retired from the stage, she still operates her Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio in North Hollywood and own a hotel in Las Vegas.

Below are more deaths for the month of December - for the full death list: Musicians who died in 2016.

December (114)

[28 Dec 2016] Debbie Reynolds (American actress, singer, entertainer), 84

[28 Dec 2016] Knut Kiesewetter (German jazz musician, singer-songwriter and producer), 75

[25 Dec 2016] Alphonse Mouzon (American jazz drummer and record label owner), 68, neuroendocrine carcinoma

[25 Dec 2016] Ben Xi (本兮) (Chinese singer), 22, suicide?

[25 Dec 2016] George Michael (Wham!), 53, heart failure

[25 Dec 2016] Red Army Choir (64 members, including Valery Khalilov, L. Kulikov, V. Ermolin, A. Kormilitsyn, VI Shtefutsa, EM Labkovsky, SV Ivanov, PD Bogachev, VP Maystruk, AA Gvozdetsky, BM Mizyuk, YA Lysenko, Y. Shtrunov, IM Pirogov, IS Sobolev, И.Ф. Volkov, OV Filimonov, AN Savitsky, VA Nagorny, VP Kokarev, AA Hristachev, JN Deynekin, VM Bolonenko, VN Antonov, AN Stritenko, AA Toschev VS Buzlov, SP Lapik, VF Orthodox, GU Razgasimov, V. Chekin, MD Mochalina, AA Mogulkin, Y. Savkin, MG Chervov, PD Shchennikov, NI Diakov, AI Egorov, VM Predelin, MI Glinka, PI Tchaikovsky, Professor KP Lisovsky, V. Brodsky, GD Pavlyuchenko, IV Konygina, P.U. Khmelnitski), various ages, plane crash

[24 Dec 2016] Rick Parfitt (Status Quo), 68, shoulder injury

[24 Dec 2016] Jiří Smetana (Czech musician and producer), 71

[23 Dec 2016] Heinrich Schiff (Austrian cellist), 65

[23 Dec 2016] Mick Zane (Malice), cancer

[22 Dec 2016] Ruud Merx (Dutch musical composer and trombonist for Johann Strauss Orchestra), 47

[22 Dec 2016] Frank Murray (British band manager for Thin Lizzy and The Pogues), 66, suspected heart attack

[21 Dec 2016] Weston Noble (American music educator and conductor), 94, complications from a fall

[21 Dec 2016] Sam Leach (British concert promoter and talent agent, worked with The Beatles), 81

[21 Dec 2016] Abdul Gafur Hali (Bangladeshi singer, composer and lyricist), 87

[21 Dec 2016] Betty Loo Taylor (American jazz pianist), 87

[19 Dec 2016] Andrew Dorff (American songwriter), 40

[18 Dec 2016] Gustavo Quintero (Colombian singer-songwriter), 76

[18 Dec 2016] Léo Marjane (French singer), 104

[18 Dec 2016] Gordie Tapp (Canadian country singer and entertainer on Hee Haw), 94

[17 Dec 2016] Bob Coburn (Rockline), 68

[15 Dec 2016] Bohdan Smoleń (Polish singer), 69

[15 Dec 2016] Ajit Varman (Indian composer), 69

[14 Dec 2016] Karel Husa (Czech-born American composer), 95

[14 Dec 2016] Arnie Norse (Norwegian singer), 91

[14 Dec 2016] Päivi Paunu (Finnish singer), 70

[14 Dec 2016] Bunny Walters (New Zealand singer), 63

[13 Dec 2016] Betsy Pecanins (American-born Mexican singer), 62,stroke

[13 Dec 2016] Ahuva Ozeri (Israeli singer), 68, cancer

[12 Dec 2016] Lucila Campos (Peruvian singer), 78

[12 Dec 2016] Jim Lowe (American singer-songwriter), 93

[12 Dec 2016] Barrelhouse Chuck (American blues musician), 58, prostate cancer

[11 Dec 2016] Bob Krasnow (Elektra Records), 81

[11 Dec 2016] Joe Ligon (Mighty Clouds of Joy), 80

[11 Dec 2016] Esma Redžepova (Eurovision), 73

[10 Dec 2016] Damião Experiença (Brazilian singer and musician), 81

[08 Dec 2016] Palani Vaughan (Hawaiian singer), 72, unknown

[07 Dec 2016] Greg Lake (Emerson, Lake & Palmer), 69, cancer

[07 Dec 2016] Elliott Schwartz (composer), 80

[07 Dec 2016] Mohamed Tahar Fergani (Algerian singer), 88

[07 Dec 2016] Junaid Jamshed (musician, television personality and preacher), 52, plane crash

[05 Dec 2016] Big Syke, 48, rapper

[05 Dec 2016] Mona Maraachli, 58, singer, heart attack

[05 Dec 2016] Adam Sagan (Circle II Circle), 35, lymphoma

[04 Dec 2016] Wayne Duncan (Daddy Cool), 72, stroke

[04 Dec 2016] Radim Hladík (Blue Effect), 69, pulmonary fibrosis

[02 Dec 2016] Allan Zavod (Frank Zappa), 71, brain cancer

[02 Dec 2016] Mark Gray, 64, country singer

[02 Dec 2016] Gisela May, 92, German actress and singer

[01 Dec 2016] Micky Fitz (The Business), 60?, cancer

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic