Film & TV Hype: Slow Start, Godzilla Minus One B&W, The Gentlemen, Scooby-Doo 2 Japanese Dub & Abigail

Just some horrible things to go over

-Production in LA has not being going well after the WGA strike and SAG-AFTRA strike as reported by Variety. Numbers show a lack of productions going on in the city of angels and er, SAG-AFTRA members as shows and films are slow to go back into production.

This is overall bad as the city's economy has a big chunk coming from making movies and shows and affects and great deal of businesses around LA.

-An apparent black & white version of Godzilla Minus One might be coming to local theaters. It comes out in Japan this month. Haven't seen the original, but won't be seeing it in black and white as it was never intended by the director to be shown in that way. You can also think of them as skimping out and should make the price of the film cheaper as it's missing color.  Gotta love the rename though Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color.

-Black and white releases are nothing new, it's just a strange trend where a popular film is shown again as a sort of way of honoring it as though it's a classic from before we had color films. I haven't heard of any director having a problem with it, as it allows their films to be shown again in theaters which makes them more money.

-Any person saying you can really marvel at the sound or acting is full of it. As the director already intended for you to get the most out of the film with their first release, unless there's a director's cut.

 

-Other recent un-colorized films are Oppenheimer, Maestro & Poor Things.

 

-Guy Ritchie is back from whatever films his been working on with a new series headed to Netflix via /Film. Based on The Gentlemen, apparently a movie Ritchie released in 2020, it shares the same name. It's about a son being dragged into his family's posh crime lifestyle and getting a taste for it. Now, I love the crazy and over-the-top style of Ritchie from Snatch, but he hasn't made something Snatch like since possibly 2020. We'll have to wait and see if the show can live up to my standards or is just another season of The Brothers Sun or other shows on Netflix you remember once I name the title.

HOLY SHIIIIIIITTTTTTT https://t.co/7lEoUEL7wz pic.twitter.com/PTSwbrdgF1

— Retro Choco Mk. II (@MgaDthInfinity) January 6, 2024

-Stumbled upon online, the Japanese dub of Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed is a much more fun watch of what is a terrible movie. The Japanese voice actor for Fred/Freddy Prince (who does a horror podcast now) is the same voice actor for JoJo Bizarre Adventure's Dio. Dio is the main antagonist of a few of the JoJo series and also a evil vampire with time stopping powers. Getting back to what matters, a movie for children based on a very old cartoon property made live action, you should definitely watch this one if you can find it. The Japanese voice actors make it watchable as it's a perfect dub for an anime fan who has watched something subbed. Watching it without the J-dub is not worth your time.

- Abigail, the latest from the director's group Radio Silence had me since the concept of some would-be-kidnappers being tricked into taking a vampire ballerina hostage. It looks like the best horror comedy of the year.

And, luckily the Amazon Original cartoon Fairfax still remains dead. Somehow getting two eight episode seasons when there seemed to be no interest and no love from residents.

Fairfax is dead!’: A cartoon TV show sparks an argument over an L.A. hotspot

 From the above LA Times article:

 “We watched it,” says Nico Mejia, standing with his brother, Lucas, outside Dave’s Hot Chicken. The Mejia brothers have a rolling clothing rack on the sidewalk and are selling items from their own brand — Ibis, which stands for “I believe in success.” They’ve been working for years to get it going. “The parody part of [‘Fairfax’] is a negative part that we deal with on the daily,” says Nico, “and that’s what makes it kind of hard to relate to, like, the jokes of it. Because it’s pretty accurate how it is. It really is that way.”

Nico brings up the Supreme/Latrine joke: “That’s why I’m confused on what direction they’re trying to do with the show,” he says. “Are they trying to make fun of Supreme?”

“Or are they trying to make fun of Fairfax?” Lucas jumps in.

“Or are they both the same thing?” Nico replies.