Italics and Footnotes

Some of you may have looked at most of the changes I made to my blog. I added footnotes in the plot descriptions of my reviews. Each of these came from other websites, like IMDb, for instance. I improved the review descriptions by downsizing the caps lock on the other movies I mentioned in my critiques. I have also added italics in the films highlighted to maintain consistency with my obituaries and "best of" features.

For further announcements, I accidentally deleted my obituary of Richard Williams. Fortunately, I brought the post back up again. I just updated it. I'm so sorry for deleting it. I assure you this will never happen again and not disrespect a dead man's legacy.

I re-uploaded Slipstream and Johnny English Reborn since I barely had time to explain that I updated these reviews. Also, my top 10 animated features post is currently under maintenance. It will be re-posted at some point.

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In Memory of Richard Williams (1933-2019)

Richard Williams (1933-2019)

For those of you who have not heard of his name, it is with deep sadness that I announce that Richard Williams died of cancer on August 16th, 2019, at age 86. Williams was a Canadian-born animator best known for animating "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and "The Pink Panther." He was also known for his unfinished animated masterpiece "The Thief and the Cobbler." Unfortunately, this piece had a turbulent history because of its independent funding. The film fell out of Williams' hands, completed production, and underwent two rounds of editing by two distributors. It was later recovered from its obscurity by a fan named Garrett Gilchrist, who produced a fan restoration of Williams' version entitled "The Recobbled Cut." It is compiled from the film's previous versions and supported by numerous people, including those who worked on the unfinished project. This fan edit played a large part in restoring "The Thief and the Cobbler" back to what the creator had intended it to be. It is available to watch on YouTube. In 2013, Williams released a rough cut of his movie "A Moment in Time," which screened in Los Angeles in Williams' presence at this event.

As a teenager, I began admiring Williams and his animation genius when I discovered "The Thief and the Cobbler" while browsing the internet. It means a lot to him, considering how many years he spent working on that film before being dismissed.

Williams began his animation career by working on television commercials and produced his self-financed short film "The Little Island" in 1958, which earned him a BAFTA award. He then started animating title sequences for various movies. Two of these animations ended up in "The Pink Panther" movies by director Blake Edwards.

In 1971, Williams directed the animated short "A Christmas Carol," which won him an Academy Award. He also made a full-length animated feature, "Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure," and the Emmy-award-winning TV animated movie "Ziggy's Gift." Williams' proudest accomplishment was the animation for "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," which earned him two Oscars. In 2002, Williams authored his how-to book "The Animator's Survival Kit." Before his death, he made two short animations, including "Circus Drawings" and "Prologue."

We lost an unsung legend, but we will never forget his legacy. Here are the clips from his films that contain his stunning and sometimes surrealistic animation.

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In Memory of Peter Fonda (1940-2019)

Peter Fonda (1940-2019)

The legendary actor Peter Fonda died on August 16, 2019. He was 79. He suffered from respiratory failure caused by lung cancer. The son of actor Henry Fonda and younger brother of actress Jane Fonda, Peter was famous for his role in "Easy Rider," which he also co-wrote with his friend Dennis Hopper.

Peter's acting career began in 1961 with his debut in the Broadway production, "Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole." His first film outing came in 1963 with "Tammy and the Doctor," when producer Ross Hunter searched for a new male actor to star alongside Sandra Dee. This movie was a minor hit, and a supporting role in "The Victors" soon followed. Peter would later graduate to a starring role in "The Young Lovers." During the mid-1960s, Fonda became entrenched in the emerging counterculture as a figure and starred in Roger Corman's B-movies, including "The Wild Angels." He would go on to co-write, co-produce, and star in the successful "Easy Rider" with Dennis Hopper, which earned them an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Fonda and Hopper would work again in "The Last Movie" with The Mamas and The Papas singer Michelle Williams. Fonda starred in movies like "The Hired Hand," "Idaho Transfer," "Two People," "Open Season," "Futureworld," "Outlaw Blues," "High-Ballin," 'Split Image," "Escape from L.A.," "The Passion of Ayn Rand," "Thomas and the Magic Railroad," "Ghost Rider," "3:10 to Yuma," etc.

In 1997, Peter gained high recognition and critical appraisal for his performance in "Ulee's Gold," for which he earned an Oscar nomination as Best Actor.

In his personal life, Peter had fathered two children. One is actress Bridget Fonda, from his first wife, Susan Brewer.

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Venom Review (Updated)

Venom

Release Date: 4th October 2018 - Australia

Production Companies

Columbia Pictures (presents)

Marvel Entertainment (in association with)

Tencent Pictures (in association with)

Avi Arad Productions

Matt Tolmach Productions

Pascal Pictures

Distribution

Sony Pictures Australia

Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 112 minutes

Budget: $116,000,000

Box Office Gross: $856,085,161 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary
Eddie Brock, a journalist,
is on a mission to expose
Carlton Drake, the
mastermind behind the
Life Foundation, but
loses everything as a

result, including his job
and fiancée. At the lowest
point in his life, he comes
into contact with an alien
entity that gives him

extraordinary superpowers
and transforms him into

Venom. Will these powers

be enough for this new,

deadly guardian to take

on the great powers,
especially against the far
more powerful and heavily

armed symbiote rival, Riot?

Cast

Tom Hardy - Eddie Brock/
Venom
Michelle Williams - Anne
Weying
Riz Ahmed - Carlton Drake/
Riot
Scott Haze - Security Chief

Roland Treece
Reid Scott - Dr. Dan Lewis
Jenny Slate - Dr. Dora Skirth
Melora Walters - Homeless
Woman Maria

Woody Harrelson - Cletus

Kasady (Cameo)

Peggy Lu - Mrs. Chen
Malcolm C. Murray - Lewis
Donate
Sope Aluko - Dr. Collins
Wayne Pere - Dr. Emerson
Michelle Lee - Malaysia EMT/
Riot Host

Kurt Yue - Mission Control Translator

Chris O'Hara - Astronaut JJ Jameson, III
Emilio Rivera - Lobby Guard Richard
Amelia Young - Allie

Ariadne Joseph - Eddie's TV Producer

Deen Brooksher - Drake Interview Guard

David Jones - Drake Interview Guard

Roger Yuan - Village Eel Shop Owner

Woon Young Park - Malaysia Village Tough

Patrick Chundah Chu - Malaysia Village Tough

Vickie Eng - Elderly Village Woman/Riot Host

Mac Brandt - Jack the Bartender

Nick Thune - Beardo at Bar

Michael Dennis Hill - Reporter on TV

Sam Medina - Shakedown Thug
Scott Deckert - Noisy Neighbor Ziggy

Lauren Richards - Ziggy's Girlfriend
Jared Bankens - Isaac/Blue Host

Lucas Fleischer - Guard at Gate

Otis Winston - Chasing Guard

Zeva Duvall - Little Girl/Riot Host

Selena Anduze - Bistro Manager

Brittany L. Smith - Bistro Hostess

Jordan Foster - Waiter

Jane McNeill - Diner

Victor McCay - Diner

Elizabeth Becka - Diner

Ron Prather - Diner

Marcia White - Diner

Javier Vazquez, Jr. - MRI Tech

Ellen Gerstein - Hospital Lady with Dog/

Mrs Manfredi

Martin Bradford - Jacob/Blue Host

Steven Teuchert - Stoner Dude

Al-Jaleel Knox - Stoner Dude

Brandon Morales - Crowd Control Officer

Michael Burgess - Flight Technician

Matthew Cornwell - Ops Director

David Fleischer - Flight Trajectory Specialist

D. James Jones - L.F. Security Guard

Angela Davis - Evacuating Scientist
Stan Lee - Dapper Dog Walker (Cameo)

Wade Williams - Prison Guard

Ron Cephas Jones - Jack (Uncredited)

Crew
Director - Ruben Fleischer
Marvel's Venom Character Creators -

Todd McFarlane and David Michelinie
Screen Story/Screenplay - Jeff Pinker
and Scott Rosenberg
Screenplay/Executive Producer - Kelly Marcel
Executive Producers - Howard Chen,
Edward Cheng, Tom Hardy and Stan Lee

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

David B. Householter

Producers - Avi Arad, Amy Pascal

and Matt Tolmach

Casting Director - John Papsidera
Production Designer - Oliver Scholl

Art Directors - Troy Sizemore,

Greg Hooper and Drew Monahan

Illustrators - Stephan Martinere,

Steve Burg and Tani Kunitake
Set Decorator - Larry Dias

Property Master - Josh Roth
Costume Designer - Kelli Jones
Director of Photography - Matthew Libatique

Aerial Director of Photography: Atlanta Unit -

David B. Nowell

Unit Production Manager - Dana Robin

Location Managers - Maria T. Bierniak

and Caleb Hinshaw

Location Managers: San Francisco -

James R. McAllister and Felix Gehm

First Assistant Director: Atlanta Unit -

Nick Satriano
Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator -
Spiro Razatos
Stunt Coordinator - Chris O'Hara

Stunt Coordinators: Second Unit - Andy &

Jack Gill  

Fight Coordinators - Tim Connolly and

Daniel Hernandez

Aerial Pilot: Atlanta Unit - Frederic North
Special Effects Supervisor - J.D. Schwalm
Special Effects Coordinator - Eric Cook

Special Effects Motion Control Operator -

Gregory Nic Nicholson
Visual Effects Supervisor: SPI - Mark Breakspear
Visual Effects Supervisors - Sheena Duggal
and Paul J. Franklin
Visual Effects Supervisor: Double Negative -
Andrew Lockley

Associate Visual Effects Supervisor:

Double Negative - Daniel Paulsson

Visual Effects Producer - Mark G. Soper

Digital Effects Supervisors: Double Negative -

Jaykar Arudra, Daniel Baldwin, Xavier Bernasconi,

Aharon Bourland and Alexander Seaman

Senior Animation Supervisor: Double Negative -

Troy Saliba

Editors - Alan Baumgarten and Maryann Brandon

Supervising Sound Editor - Kami Asgar

Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer/

Re-Recording Mixer - Will Files

Sound Designer - Robert Stambler

Re-Recording Mixer - Kevin O'Connell

Foley Artists - Sarah Monat, Robin Harlan,

Gary A. Hecker and Michael Broomberg

Music - Ludwig Goransson

Music Supervisor - Gabe Hilfer

Review

I did not prepare to review The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and VENOM simultaneously. I decided to look at the latter movie as I was supposed to see it in theatres, even though I didn't. VENOM has been in development alongside other spin-offs. All of those went on hold until Sony revived the project in 2018. VENOM was a vainglorious attempt to expand the cinematic universe of Spider-Man as part of an ongoing deal between Sony and Marvel.

Rather than being the kind of superhero horror film that should have been dark and moody, VENOM is tonally confusing. It feels more like a superhero action comedy in many ways. Due to Ruben Fleischer's woefully misguided direction, this mix of horror and comedy may appeal to some, but it doesn't work for me. Even the dialogue is clunky in scenes that aren't comedic. 

Tom Hardy was an interesting choice to portray the protagonist Eddie Brock, who becomes an unwilling host of Venom, the serpent-like anti-hero. Hardy's performance was acceptable, and he fares better than Topher Grace's awkward and weaselly interpretation of the same character in Spider-Man 3. The rest of the cast is not so great, especially Michelle Williams, who is underwhelming as Eddie's love interest.

Some visuals are intriguing, while others are subpar and don't do justice to VENOM. The movie's climactic scene is an example of this CGI failure.

VENOM is not everybody's cup of tea. It certainly wasn't mine. However, if you're someone who likes a mix of comedy and horror, then try this brew.

Star rating: (5/10) Average

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