SPOILER WARNING: This article contains spoilers for the entirety of His Dark Materials , and not just the contents of the BBC/HBO series. If you were an avid reader in the late nineties/early aughts, you were fairly blessed by way of fantasy. During those two decades a second renaissance for the genre was born, one that carried the torch originally lit by the likes of Lewis Carroll, JRR Tolkien, and CS Lewis. The rebirth began with Robert Jordan’s first novel in The Wheel of Time series: The Eye of the World , being published in 1990, and the hits just kept on coming. Robin Hobb’s Assassin’s Apprentice, was published in ‘95, and George RR Martin’s A Game of Thrones in ‘96, all three authors began building worlds that would evolve to live rent-free in the minds of multiple generations, all thirsting for the Rain Wilds and the Iron Islands. But while those series were intended for adult audiences, the bibliophilic children who were pre-teens at the end of the 90’s (such as myself) were also rewarded for their curiosity. Lois Lowry’s The Giver was published in ‘93, Garth Nix’s Sabriel kicked off his Old Kingdom series in ‘95, Tamora Pierce published Sandry’s Book in ‘97, which marked the beginning of her Circle of Magic series...and then a little series about a boy wizard and his magical friends was published in ‘97. (Sadly, the importance of the Harry Potter series is waning by the day, but it will forever be remembered as the saga that got a generation excited about reading - that is, if reading just wasn’t your bag to begin with.) And nestled right in the middle of that epic decade, Philip Pullman published Northern Lights (launching the trilogy known as His Dark Materials ). Northern Lights , published in North America as The Golden Compass , was released in 1995, and it was quickly followed by ‘97’s The Subtle Knife , and 2000’s The Amber Spyglass . What truly marked this specific renaissance of fiction, however, was the parental reaction to this sudden treasure-trove of witchy fantasy. Harry Potter seemed to take the brunt of the heretical criticism due to its overwhelming popularity. Sure, there are witches, wizards, and spells in the Harry Potter franchise, but it rose to such success because you can dismiss the magic to see the true story lies in good vs. evil, and how that battle functions in that world. His Dark Materials , on the other hand, uses folklore and physics to question beyond good vs. evil and goes straight to the source from which good and evil come. In Harry Potter , the end goal is killing Voldemort: in His Dark Materials , they kill God. Many organizations, mostly religious, challenged Pullman’s work upon its release, but if you weren’t invested in the publishing world, it was easy to miss the criticism under the Harry Potter cloud. Even though Compass was released a few years prior to Sorcerer's Stone , it managed to pierce the global review stratosphere as a challenging and insightful piece of fiction for both adults and children alike. Pullman didn’t intend the novels to be for children, rather he wrote a theological piece of fiction with no audience in mind that just so happened to feature children, and his work benefited from it. It also helped that, comparatively, His Dark Materials was nowhere near as prevalent in the States as Harry Potter . By the time The Amber Spyglass was published in 2000, the first Harry Potter film hadn’t even premiered yet. His Dark Materials managed to get in and get out without much ado, despite William A. Donohue of the Catholic League describing it as “atheism for kids.” But that all changed with the advent of fantasy adaptations in the early aughts. In 2001, both The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring AND Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone saw cinematic releases, and it became clear that the general public was finally ready for fantasy. New Line Cinema wasted no time in announcing in February of 2002 that they were adding to their LOTR collection by adapting Pullman’s The Golden Compass . It took four years of pre-production hell before filming would begin in 2006 for that film’s 2007 release. New Line struggled for years with scripts and directors (three in total if you count Chris Weitz twice - the first and third director - who initially left and made way for a second director and then agreed to return when the film seemed more manageable). The bulk of the conversation in the making of this film was the one concerning good vs. evil (or in most purists’ eyes, true adaptation vs. marketable adaptation). New Line feared, despite choosing to adapt the film, that the work’s subject matter was too controversial for a commercial audience, and constantly fought to diminish the novels’ intensely theological conversations. So why adapt it at all? That’s a very good question. At this point, if you’re unfamiliar with His Dark Materials , you must be wondering just what the controversy is all about. The story follows two children, Lyra Belacqua and Will Parry, who are prophesied to be the second incarnation of Eve and Adam. The prophecy calls for them to participate in, essentially, the second fall from grace. Pullman wrote it as a spiritual successor to John Milton’s Paradise Lost , but while the first Eve’s fall in PL is seen as a tragedy, Pullman’s intended prophecy is to free the human race from the fate intended by "The Authority" (the series’ version of God) and return free will to the public. The series is set in the present day, but that’s not properly revealed until the second novel, The Subtle Knife , because the story takes place in multiple parallel worlds. The entirety of The Golden Compass takes place in Lyra’s world, which appears to be a retro-futuristic version of Oxford that is intentionally time-ambiguous. In The Subtle Knife , we realize Will Parry is from our world’s Oxford, and this revelation ties the fantastic elements of Lyra’s world much more closely to the very real theological arguments of ours. In all the parallel worlds, of which there are infinitely many, the characters are studying what Lyra calls "Dust," what Dr. Mary Malone of The Subtle Knife calls "Shadow Particles of Dark Matter," and what the Mulefa in The Amber Spyglass call "Sraf." Regardless of name, these sentient particles are attracted to intelligent and sentient beings, and the concentration of a group of particles constitute angels. One more integral piece of information in His Dark Materials is that in Lyra’s world, each human is accompanied by an outward animal manifestation of their soul called a " dæmon" (pronounced demon). The dæmon and their human must always remain in close proximity to one another, and their animal can change into any form as the child ages, but once the child reaches puberty, the dæmon settles into its final form. In Lyra’s world, the ruling government ("The Magisterium") has deemed Dust to be the presence of "Original Sin," as it is only attracted to those whose dæmons have settled. Now, The Magisterium is where the controversy comes in (aside from all that Authority and angels mumbo jumbo). The Magisterium are an unnamed religious sect that govern the rules of Lyra’s world, but it is difficult to distinguish The Magisterium from the Catholic Church. As The Magisterium are trying to eliminate Original Sin, they postulate that, perhaps, separating the unsettled dæmon from the human before the Dust can settle will eradicate the presence of Dust entirely. So, they begin to kidnap children to run experiments on them in a remote facility, all with the intent of becoming heroes for vanquishing Original Sin. But cutting the children off from their souls only silences them and leaves them as zombies. Yeah, not a great look for the Catholic Church. The beauty of adapting The Golden Compass, is that the first novel in His Dark Materials can function as a standalone story. With that knowledge, New Line’s 2007 film starring Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman, and newcomer Dakota Blue Richards as Lyra, didn’t have a whole lot to lose. If the film did well, they could continue further into the trilogy; if the film did well enough as a story, but not well enough financially, they could at least pat themselves on the pack for making a good movie; and if the film bombed, well, they weren’t really leaving anyone hanging because if you wanted to know more, you have the original source material to guide you the rest of the way. But New Line Cinema didn’t know what to do with that original source material. This bed is too soft. Chris Weitz originally left the project when New Line let him accompany fellow filmmaker, Peter Jackson, as he was helming King Kong . Jackson wanted to give Weitz insight into the production of a big-budget blockbuster and pointers on how to work with New Line, after having started his Lord of the Rings franchise. Weitz became intimidated by the enormity of the project, and he was already beginning to feel the tug-of-war between Pullman purists and New Line execs who both had different expectations for the film. Anand Tucker stepped in when Weitz left the project, but Tucker also decided the conflict facing the script was too much work for his liking and he left. At that point, a lot of the technical aspects of production had begun to fall into place, allowing the overall project to appear more manageable. So when New Line asked Weitz to come back to direct, Weitz felt much more equipped to handle the pressure. During pre-production he maintained a positive attitude in the press, but after the film’s release, Weitz stated that by “being faithful to the book I was working at odds with the studio.” The film adaptation lacks in depth due to its willful ignorance of the subject matter. By trying to appeal to a larger audience, and appease those who threatened a boycott, they shied away from the deeper context and consequence of religious transparency in the text. And they lost both ways because of it. It was still far too heretical for the religious groups concerned with the film’s subject matter, and that religious backlash consumed the marketing for its early December release in 2007. Every news story featuring the film focused on yet another picketing party calling for its cancellation. But while the religious zealots were up in arms, the Pullman purists were also displeased for the film’s lack of conviction. Losing the urgency from what The Magisterium stands for, those looking for a proper adaptation argued that the soul of the story was missing. Nobody was held accountable, and nobody was pleased. The Golden Compass was a commercial flop in the US market, and while it performed well overseas, it didn’t do well enough for New Line to back the second in the series. The film did walk away with an Oscar for Best Visual Effects, and was mostly well-received by top critics, but as a consequence for its disappointing domestic ROI, and the continued conflict with the Catholic Church, a feature adaptation for The Subtle Knife, just wasn’t in the cards. (One of my favorite memories from 2007 is witnessing my devout, Catholic mother react to the controversy surrounding the film. Appalled by the subject matter, she asked me if I was aware of the story. To her dismay, I had to inform her that “Santa” had brought me the boxed set back in 2001, the year after Shaggy’s 2000 album, “Hot Shot” found its way under the tree...so it seems that Santa didn’t do a lot of research in the early aughts. My mother has softened since rearing her children to adulthood...but, ah, memories.) So when news surfaced in 2015 of a new adaptation for the beloved series, I was skeptical; doubly so because the now-legally named New Line Productions, Inc. was involved yet again. The overseas rights to the film adaptation had been sold to fund its $180 million dollar production budget, and this course of action directly influenced Time Warner’s decision to merge New Line Cinema into Warner Bros. Pictures to recoup the loss. (New Line Cinema’s last independently produced film was 2008’s basketball/Will Ferrell comedy, Semi-Pro .) But while New Line Cinema had botched the film, the series, however, was to be co-produced by Bad Wolf, a successful British production company based out of Cardiff, Wales. It was then announced the series was going to be distributed primarily through BBC, and was receiving international distribution through HBO. And thus, His Dark Materials was reborn. This bed is too hard. Where the film adaptation shied away from confronting the religious material head on, the first series of His Dark Materials leaned into the theological conversation pretty much from the get-go, which was greatly appreciated and applauded. Impeccably cast (with Logan ’s breakout Dafne Keen at the helm as Lyra), the first series covered the contents of The Golden Compass and then some, no doubt in order to secure a renewal as to continue the trilogy. In doing so, they introduce Will Parry (a character reserved for The Subtle Knife ) midway through the first series, instead of introducing him in what should have been the start of their coverage of the second novel in the second series. With only eight episodes in that first series run, that’s a LOT of content to squeeze in. I worried, while watching those first eight episodes, over what was keeping me from enjoying the show. I was enjoying the cast (although it took me a while to warm to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Lee Scoresby - I know, I KNOW) and the production value, but I slowly realized that the pacing was really keeping me from becoming fully immersed in the story. Those first eight episodes move at the speed of light, and the traveling between Lyra and Will’s different Oxfords (using a character named Carlo Boreal aka Sir Charles Latrom as our voyager), really diminished the intrigue and tension that comes from wondering what, when, and where Lyra’s world is. And although I do think series one of the show suffers from it (sooooo many characters with such little time), I can ultimately understand their choices because it led us to - This bed is just right. Sometimes you can’t see the forest for the trees, and I’ll be the first to admit, this was the case with me in the beginning of His Dark Materials . I can’t be certain if there was an intentional story and character overload in series one in order to set up an evolved and established series two, but I can definitely appreciate the results regardless. At the beginning of The Subtle Knife , when we are initially introduced to Will Parry and his mother and troubles, we spend a lot of time getting to know them and their world (our world). This is when the other half of the puzzle starts to come together, and it’s an exhilarating journey when you begin to realize the significance of Will as a character, and it makes you long to return to Lyra’s story in a way that the film and the first series of the show doesn’t allow you to feel. Distance makes the heart grow...well, you know the rest. The pacing of the novels also tricks you into believing that The Golden Compass is a moral dilemma for another world and allows you to question your own moral and religious standing without really applying it in reality...until you get to The Subtle Knife, and realize you should have been taking this “fantasy” more seriously than you thought. His Dark Materials is an incredibly intelligent meditation of the self more than anything, and I’d find it nearly impossible to replicate that meditation in any medium other than the written word...but I’m starting to trust the series can come darn close. My faith in the series is also growing due to its representation of my favorite character from the series (who’s introduced in The Subtle Knife ): Dr. Mary Malone. Where series two thrives is the introduction of new characters and locations, while allowing their previously introduced characters more breathing room to become even stronger representations of their written counterparts. By nature of the stories (and the nature of storytelling) you’d expect characters to learn and grow, but I cannot stress the difference between series one and two any more. The near-deserted city of Cittàgazze (a very important location introduced in the second series) doubles as a metaphor for the space in which the now much smaller cast are allowed to roam. If only Ma Costa could have been granted the grace to breathe in such manor. Ah well; at least Lee Scoresby and Hot Priest (I mean, Stanislaus Grumman) got a chance to really flex this series. (I’m serious, the casting is very, VERY good.) For the first time, in a long time, I’m really allowing myself to trust in the power of adaptation. I am somewhat of a purist (who am I kidding? A Song of Ice and Fire ‘till I die - I couldn’t even make it through season two of Game of Thrones ), who rarely enjoys adaptations on the whole, especially when they deviate from the subject material ( The Shining and the film, High Fidelity, are a few of the rare exceptions). But I’m glad the second series of His Dark Materials has rewarded me for sticking through the whiplash of series one. I’m also continuously impressed by the set, costume, and music design, and gosh darn it, I think I’m starting to like this show. So, this winter season, if you’re feeling like something’s missing in your heart or you’re questioning, “What does it all mean?” I’d recommend turning to His Dark Materials . Question, meditate, and conjure yourself up a dæmon. We have, what’s turning out to be, a very exciting series three to look forward to. I’d love for you to tune in with me to see if they can stick the landing. Coach McGuirk: Bernadette's Dæmon and Writing Buddy. Bernadette Gorman-White Managing Editor Bernadette graduated from DePauw University in 2011 with a Film Studies degree she’s not currently using. She constantly consumes television, film, and all things pop culture and will never be full. She doesn’t tweet much, but give her a follow @BeaGorman and see if that changes.

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“What’s your favorite film?” It is a question that can be easily answered or one that can put a person into an unsettled state. I struggle with this question because my opinion tends to change with the wind. This summer I thought it was Akira Kurowsawa’s 7 Samurai . But then in the fall, I was gobsmacked by Charlie Kauffman’s I’m Thinking of Ending Things . My latest favorite is the incredible 1994 film Once Were Warriors , by another New Zealand native, Lee Tamahori. I feel like a hopeless romantic who falls in love with every girl who smiles in my direction. In reality, that’s problematic; in regards to film, it's been a beautiful soul-searching journey that I can actually take in a post-COVID world. I bet if you asked Peter Jackson what his favorite movie is he would say the 1933 monster movie classic, King Kong . He has said that it was the film that got him “interested in filmmaking.” But Jackson’s love can be seen even more plainly in his 2005 remake of King Kong . The 2005 King Kong is a near faithful adaptation of the 1933 film. The 2005 King Kong was a prelude to the CGI blockbusters that Hollywood demands in modern cinema today. That being said, his remake is a rollercoaster ride that spends way too much time climbing, but once you get to the top, hold onto your butts! The 1933 film King Kong , directed by Merican C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, was and still remains a groundbreaking film. Its use of stop-motion animation, matte painting, rear projection, and miniatures, was all new to movie goers at the time. These technologies helped immerse the audience into the world of Kong. It is safe to say that we all generally know the story of King Kong but here is a basic recap: filmmaker Carl Denham, known for wildlife films in remote locations, charters a ship to an unknown location for his next film. He finds a down-on-her luck “blondie” named Ann Darrow to play his leading role, and they set off on his voyage. They arrive on Skull Island, a place lost to time, full of prehistoric creatures, and home to a less than friendly native tribe and one very large angry Gorilla. The natives sacrifice their women to Kong to try and appease him, but once Denham and his film crew arrive the tribe becomes interested in Ann as their next tribute. The natives kidnap Ann and sacrifice her to Kong. Kong accepts Ann as his prize and guards her fiercely from the island’s other top tier predators, a Tyrannosaurus Rex and a giant snake. Denham and his crew use Kong’s blinding attachment to Ann as a way to ensnare him and it works. They capture Kong and bring him to New York City to be put in chains and on display for all to see. Kong is able to break free from his chains, kidnaps Ann, and heads to the Empire State building for his iconic last stand. He is shot multiple times by airplanes and falls to his death. Reporters and bystanders look in awe at the dead king. Carl Denham pushes his way to the front, staring at the remnants of the calamity that he has caused. A policeman remarks the planes got Kong. Carl Denham corrects him, “It was beauty killed the beast.” Peter Jackson began his film career making horror comedies with films like Meet the Feebies and Braindead . He proved he could tell a compelling story with Heavenly Creatures, and he introduced us to the wonderful Kate Winslet. But without a doubt, his most impressive work that will stand the test of time is his epic adaptation of the Lord of the Rings books. The Lord of the Rings film trilogy changed the way that Hollywood made movies. Those films created a Hollywood where CGI was the name of the game, and stories had to be told across multiple films. It was done shamelessly with the final Harry Potter films: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 . King Kong was the first movie that Peter Jackson made after the LOTR trilogy, and he was ready to tell another epic tale. Peter Jackson’s King Kong is like the original film but on steroids. His Carl Denham, played surprisingly well by Jack Black, is the same seedy filmmaker from the original, but even more so. This time around, we see Carl Denham trying desperately to win over the movie executives who have been financing his wildlife films but he fails. Knowing that they will not agree with his voyage to Skull Island, he charts the boat anyways and sails off before they can tell him no. Ann Darrow, played by Naomi Watts, is the same down and out actress from the original, but she has a bit more spunk. She almost walks out on Denham when she thinks that he is trying to seduce her into some type of nefarious dealing, which ultimately, he is. She ends up agreeing after the promise of adventure. This film is set in New York City during the Great Depression. Peter Jackson’s Depression era New York is done with historical accuracy. We see long lines of people at soup kitchens. There are large slums right outside of the city. This is also the time of Prohibition; barrels of booze are poured onto the sidewalk. Ann and her fellow creatives are instantly unemployed once the theater where they work shuts down due to the economic downturn. The production and costume design in this film are amazingly detailed. It's winter, so we see buildings with smoke stacks, and busy streets full of people in fabulous fur coats and three piece suits. As the SS Venture, the ship hired by Denham sets sail, Peter Jackson really wants to explore the boat's crew and happenings more than the original film did. This is where he does make stark changes from the original story. Ann’s love interest in the film is Jack Driscol, (played by the reliable Adrien Brody) who, in this film, is a playwright hired by Denham to write his film. In the original movie, Jack Driscoll is the first mate of the SS Venture, and nothing more than a strong man who at first finds Ann to be a nuisance, but then quickly falls in love with her. Peter Jackson’s Ann and Jack have a bit more of a dynamic relationship. Ann knows of Jack’s work and is a fan. They both realize that they have some kind of unspoken connection and their romance begins to bloom. In the original film, the crew of the SS Venture was mostly in the background; in Peter Jackson’s film, they are part of the story. The Captain of the ship, Captain Englehorn, ( Thomas Kretschmann ) is suspicious of Denham and his plans. He makes his money trapping and selling wild animals. In the original, Denham has intentions of capturing Kong and brings “gas bombs” with him on the trip. In Peter’s film, the crew keep bottles of Chloroform around and it’s something Denham does not think about using until later on in the film. We are introduced to the father-like relationship between the captain’s first mate and a stowaway, played by a young Jamie Bell. Bruce Baxter, a new character not from the original, is played by Kyle Chandler. He portrays Denham’s male lead opposite Ann, and he really does a great job coming across as a shallow prick for most of the film. This character is sort of a rehash of the misogynistic arrogance found in the original Jack Driscoll. By the time Peter Jackson gets these characters to Skull Island, the viewer may feel a little exhausted. The ship’s arrival to Skull Island is much more dramatic than the original as well. Captain Engelhorn begins to turn his ship around after getting a telegram from New York stating that Carl Denham has a warrant out for his arrest. It seems that the movie executives caught up with him. As soon as Denham is about to face this reality, a thick fog rolls in. The ship's compass begins to spin out of control. The ship gets stuck on some massive rocks. They are now in the clutches of Skull Island. Denham wastes zero time and whisks his film crew and actors onto a small boat heading for the shore. Their first meeting with the natives is much more violent than the original. The natives kill two of Denham’s crew, try to capture Ann, and are ready to kill the rest of them, until a last minute rescue from Captain Engelhorn. The island’s natives are as mindless as they are in the original film, and in this first meeting, we can unfortunately see some actors in blackface. There was blackface in the original as well, and Peter Jackson's decision to continue this particular tradition is unfortunate, but even 2005 was a different time. Captain Engelhorn orders everyone back to the ship. They get rid of everything that is not bolted down in order to get the boat unstuck. It works. But just like in the original, the natives board the boat and capture Ann. Captain Engelhorn gathers his crews and weapons for a rescue mission while Denham gathers his camera in order to not miss this opportunity for footage. As they race back to the island, the natives have already offered up Ann to Kong. By the time Engelhorn and his crew make it to the natives, Kong and Ann are gone. Carl Denham is the only one who gets the opportunity to see Kong leave with Ann. Jack Black’s performance as Carl Denham is accurate to the original in that he always sees everything as an opportunity to help him make his film. He is worried less about Ann and more about using this situation to his advantage. Peter Jackson’s Kong is a much more fleshed-out character than his 1933 predecessor. When we first see Kong, he appears to be the same mindless monster of the original film. He runs into the forest with Ann, shakes her violently, and screams into the air. Ann looks down at the remains of past offerings. Skeletons of the dead are everywhere. She tries to make an attempt at escape but fails. Kong takes her to a quiet place in the forest where she tries to escape again. This time he’s angry. Not wanting Kong to rip her to shreds Ann starts using some of her vaudeville routines to keep him entertained. She juggles rocks, dances like an Egyptian and does backflips. This amuses Kong for a little bit, but he begins to get bored. He finds another way to stay amused by repeatedly pushing her to the ground. He does so, harder and harder, until Ann has had enough and swats his hand away. She yells at him “NO!” This enrages Kong. This might be the first time someone has told him no. He throws a fit. Stomping his hands on the ground and smashing the walls around him. In his rage, he topples over some boulders that hit him right over the head. He looks like he feels a little stupid and he wanders away. This scene is important because it highlights the technology that Peter Jackson uses that is just as revolutionary as the tech used in the original. Kong is portrayed by Andy Serkis in motion capture. Andy Serkis worked with this same technology in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films portraying Gollum, the ill-fated hobbit whose obsession with the ring of power causes a lot of conflict. Andy Serkis’ work in the Lord of the Rings made him the perfect candidate to perform as Kong. Peter Jackson wanted to improve on the technology for King Kong and it shows. Andy Serkis’ performance as Kong is some of the best acting in the film. It is a preview of the incredible work he would do as the ape revolutionary Caesar in the Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy years later. In King Kong, Serkis also plays the role of Lumpy, the ship's cook who provides light comedic moments. Peter Jackson’s Kong is really a tragic hero in this film. I think of Leon from Luc Besson’s The Professional . Leon is a hitman who has taken life but decides to protect this little girl to the death. Or Creon from greek mythology, whose excessive pride caused the death of his entire family. There is a scene in King Kong where we see the skeletons of other giant apes. This means that Kong is the last of his kind, maybe the only one of his kind, that was able to survive this long on the island. He is lonely. He brings Ann to his place after he fights an epic battle with other top predators on the island to keep her safe. Kong’s design is worth noting too. He looks like an actual silver-back gorilla and he has scars on his back and face. He looks war torn, as if he has spent years fighting his way to the top of the food chain. This is a character with depth, which the original Kong had none of, other than a real sense of obsession with Ann. Peter Jackson’s Kong has that sense as well, but it turns into something much warmer by the end of the film. Every creature on Skull Island is massive. This island has been isolated from the rest of the world for so long that everything has grown bigger and stronger. This is similar to the original film, but Peter Jackson is able to use modern CGI technology to create very impressive dinosaurs, giant insects, giant bats, and giant iguana-like creatures. Like the original film, there is danger at every turn. Ann makes a third attempt to escape from Kong and she quickly realizes that he is the safest thing to be with on this island. She runs into, not one but two, Tyrannosaurus Rexes. It looks like Ann is done for until our hero, Kong, swoops in at the last moment to take them on. Peter Jackson had a lot of fun with the battle between Kong and the Rexes. A third T-Rex shows up for the ultimate triple team. Kong fights them off, one by one, with Ann in tow. He takes on the last T-Rex and easily defeats him. He crushes his jaw and then playfully opens and shuts it, almost to mock his dead opponent. He then stands on top of him beating his chest. This is why he is King. This scene is also in the 1933 original and feels like such a fanboy moment for Peter Jackson. In the original, Kong only takes on one T-Rex, in Peter Jackson’s there are three. It’s like Jackson is a kid playing with all of his toys in a sandbox, creating these epic battles. The rescue team looking for Ann also faces many threats. They are all nearly trampled to death by a herd of brachiosaurus in a stunning scene that really highlights the CGI technology used in the film. Bruce Baxter thinks it's a good idea to shoot at this oncoming herd, and in the process, causes the brachiosaurus to topple over each other. As the crew gets closer to reaching Kong and Ann, Kong stops them in their tracks and throws them all down a dark ridge similar to the original film. Some die, but Denham, the stowaway Jimmy, and Jack survive, but are then faced with giant insects all around them. Giant roaches, crabs and spiders attack them, and they seem doomed until Captain Engelhorn comes to their rescue once again. All of the time we spend on Skull Island is so much fun. It really feels like a rollercoaster ride with action happening from scene to scene never stopping. When Jack is finally able to rescue Ann from Kong, it is then where the story becomes a lot more tragic than the original film. As Ann and Jack run to the shore with Kong in tow, Denham is ready. He lost all of his footage running from the monsters on Skull island, and capturing Kong is his last chance at redeeming something from this trip. He convinces Captain Engelhorn to help him capture Kong, since it is his speciality. As Ann and Jack make it back to the shoreline, Peter Jackson slows down the action. We watch Ann walk by these men who are waiting for Kong. She notices all of the trapping equipment and chloroform. She looks at Denham and Captain Engelhorn, who are expressionless, focused on their prize. As Kong finally approaches, Ann begs them to stop but it is of no use. After some struggle, our tragic hero is taken down. Here again we see the amazing work done by Andy Serkis in his performance as Kong. There is so much pain in his eyes, he looks at Ann and reaches out to her but she can do nothing. The film then jumps ahead. We are immediately taken back to New York City. It is premiere night for Denham. Kong will be put on display for the price of an admission ticket. We see a busy theater filled with people. The movie executives who wanted Denham’s head, now hug and congratulate him. Denham starts his show and begins to tell the tale. Peter Jackson does some fine editing here by showing scenes of Ann in a dressing room preparing for what seems like her part in Denham’s exploitive show. But the sacrifice we see offered to Kong is not Ann, but just another actress who looks like her. The real Ann is down the street in another theater, working as a backup dancer; she refuses to be a part of Denham’s show. Kong is angered by this imposter, and like the original, he becomes agitated with the flashing cameras of the reporters gathered. He breaks his chains; the king is free! Kong sees Jack Driscoll in the audience and remembers that he was the person who took Ann from him. He chases him outside. We see Kong rampaging through the city, hitting cars and seeming to be very confused. He starts grabbing every blonde-haired girl he can find in the hopes that it is Ann. The look of desperation on his face is tragic. Ann hears the commotion and she realizes that Denham’s show has gone terribly wrong. She knows that she is the only one who can stop Kong. Jack tries to get Kong away from the busy streets and is nearly killed in the process. Ann finally shows up and Kong calms all the way down. He picks her up and they spend a few quiet moments together. They make their way to Central Park where Kong experiences a frozen lake for the first time. He spins around with Ann, almost like they are dancing. She has an unspoken connection with Kong, just as she does with Jack. This moment does not last long before the military shows up ready to kill Kong. They pull no stops with artillery vehicles firing at Kong. There is nowhere else to go but up. Kong heads to the Empire State Building. Kong and Ann make their way to the top of the Empire State Building and they get the chance to share another brief moment together. Earlier on Skull Island, Ann tried to teach Kong a sign for “beautiful” as they watched the sunset. Kong does not seem to pick this up on Skull Island, but as they sit on top of the Empire State Building and look out at the rising sun, he is able to do the sign of “beautiful” for Ann. It is a touching moment showing how much the relationship between these two characters has grown. This is completely different from the relationship that Kong had with Ann in the original 1933 film. In that film, Kong's obsession for Ann was just that. Ann was completely afraid of Kong and wanted nothing to do with him. I think that Peter Jackson has a lot more respect for Kong and wanted to make him the hero of this film. He wanted to show us that there was more to this character than just being a monster, and he succeeds. Kong and Ann’s touching moment ends quickly as fighter planes start to circle them. Kong begins to take them on as they shoot him continuously. He swats at them as they circle closer and closer and manages to grab one by the wing, swinging it around into another one of the planes - another scene taken right from the original film. Ann tries to signal to the pilots not to shoot as they get even closer but it is no use. They continue to light Kong up. Kong begins to lose strength. He picks up Ann and they gaze at each other one last time. We see Kong’s eyes go dead as he slips to his death. Once again, Andy Serkis’s performance as Kong is tragic. Just like the original, a crowd gathers and wonders why Kong would corner himself like that. They say that the planes got him. Denham makes his way to the front of the crowd to offer his assessment, “It was beauty killed the beast.” Peter Jackson ends his film the same way the 1933 film ended. I don’t know of another remake where the filmmakers' love for the source material is more present than in this film. Universal decided to reboot the Kong franchise with the 2017 film, Kong: Skull Island. There is an upcoming Godzilla vs. Kong film coming out in May of 2021. We will continue to see Kong on the big screen, but I do not think it will ever be done with more care and love than Peter Jackson did with his 2005 version. Sahil Sharma Sahil is a full-time student at Dutchess Community College and a part-time cinephile. He has been known to quote the film Step Brothers word for word, and he likes water to be at room temperature.

Robby has a good ol' chat with guests, Diana DiMuro and Jeremy Kolodziejski, all about David Fincher's latest flick all about that whacky writer that's taking the country by storm, Mank ! Mank! ManK! MaNK! MANK! MANK!! MANK!! MANK!!! MANK!!! MANK!!! Listen on....

(SPOILER WARNING: This video contains spoilers for Fleabag Season 2.) Diana covers the many ways different directors use the breaking of the fourth wall in order to get various reactions from the audience, including Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Wayne's World, Fleabag and the many works of Mel Brooks. Watch on....

When I think of the 1980 film, Flash Gordon , I think of Queen. There’s no way around it. The film’s soundtrack and score, created by the band’s members: Brian May, Freddie Mercury, John Deacon, Roger Taylor, along with producer Reinhold Mack, and composer Howard Blake ( The Snowman ) - is still ingrained in my memory, intertwined with the movie’s epic costumes and sets, and actor Brian Blessed’s deep baritone voice asking, “Gordon’s alive?” I’ve watched this film literally since I was a very young child. As Flash Gordon turns 40, I am not far behind. And with this anniversary, I wanted to take a look back at how that unique experience came to be, and how a rock band, coupled with a space comic, created one truly memorable movie experience. Flash Gordon, the character, originated in the 1930s as a comic strip by Alex Raymond. Along with his love interest, Dale Arden, and scientist Hans Zarkov, Flash pilots a rocket ship into outer space where they land on the planet Mongo, ruled by the emperor, Ming the Merciless. Flash Gordon was always portrayed as the “All American” hero: wholesome, athletic...and not that bright. The comic was made into a series of films in the thirties starring Buster Crabbe - an Olympic swimmer turned actor - who also portrayed Tarzan on film. One of the things that I find the most interesting about the origins of the 1980 film adaptation is that George Lucas wanted to create a Flash Gordon film. Lucas has said he grew up watching the original Flash Gordon serials once they were rerun on television. Lucas no doubt was influenced by the original films and comics of Flash Gordon. Some of their aspects - the crawling intro titles , the epic fight scenes, and even the character’s hairstyles - are found in his Star Wars films. Lucas was said to have approached King Features for the film rights to the Flash Gordon comics during the early 1970s, but was told that there was already a film in the works by none other than famous Italian director, Federico Fellini. Fellini had also grown up a lover of the comics (which were banned by Mussolini in Italy). Fellini eventually decided against making the film, but Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis who owned the film rights also turned Lucas down when approached later, instead opting to make the movie himself. Lucas went on to create Star Wars: A New Hope . De Laurentiis hoped to capitalize on the success of Lucas’ film with his own space adventure. He approached Nicolas Roeg ( Walkabout, Don’t Look Now, The Man Who Fell to Earth ) to direct his Flash Gordon interpretation. After escalating costs and creative differences became an issue, Roeg left the project. His replacement - Mike Hodges - was originally hired to direct the theoretical sequel to the first Flash Gordon movie. Hodges was more known as a television director; he had also directed Michael Caine in the gritty films, Get Carter and Pulp. The writer for TV’s Batman , Lorenzo Semple Jr., was brought in for rewrites on the script. Both Semple and Hodges were in agreement that their film would be more comedic, while De Laurentiis stuck to his original idea of a more sincere adventure story. Legendary designer Danilo Donati is responsible for the film’s epic set design. The combination of an Italian and British crew often led to disagreements about the film’s tone, further confusing the film’s cast. In an article for Empire, Mike Hodges describes his experiences working on the film: So I had a producer who spoke mangled English and a production designer who spoke none at all. Both, like Ming, seemed to have arrived from another galaxy. Once I realised the film was in many ways out of my control, I relaxed and made it up as I went along. I loved it. Hodges found it a struggle to cast Flash, who he described as “an all-American hunk, decent, honourable, but, most importantly, naive.” Kurt Russell was originally slated for the role, but declined because it was too earnest. After De Laurentiis’ mother-in-law saw football player turned actor, Sam J. Jones on television, he was flown in and his hair was dyed blonde for the role. While many have criticized Jones’ performance over the years, his portrayal of Flash Gordon as an American football quarterback-turned-hero is pretty spot on. His naivety is also part of his character’s charm. He doesn’t get bogged down in all of the details of what could go wrong during the film, he only focuses on what he can do to help fix them. Sam J. Jones has said that despite the film being “very campy,” that: "We played it straight; we couldn't have played it any other way… I've heard from the screenings that some people couldn't hear the words because of all the applause and laughter... but we did play it seriously." Max von Sydow, a friend of De Laurentiis, was more on board for a campy performance of Emperor Ming the Merciless. Future James Bond, Timothy Dalton, played the dashing Prince Barin. The Broadway theater actor, Topol, played Zarkov, the “mad scientist” who kidnaps Flash and Dale Arden at gunpoint in an attempt to save Earth from Ming. Dale was played by Melody Anderson, a Canadian journalist-turned-actor who had previously worked in television on: Welcome Back, Kotter, Logan’s Run, and Battlestar Galactica. One of the film’s memorable scenes is the gathering of several groups bringing gifts to the Emperor Ming. Some of these gifts are really elaborate looking eggs (think Fabergé) that Flash treats like a football in an attempt to escape. According to Anderson, this scene was almost entirely improvised on the spot by Jones and herself, after seeing the props. In an article for Gizmodo, Anderson is quoted as saying: “It was very funny... that's how the whole film went, because there was no time to prepare. We would just create and throw things in as we went along.” Anderson played Dale Arden as earnestly as Jones played Flash. Their “meet cute” happens on a small airplane that falls prey to Emperor Ming’s boredom. When the film begins, Ming asks his evil stooge, Klytus (Peter Wyngarde), for something to entertain him, and he is introduced to the planet Earth. Ming then proceeds to cause several natural disasters to occur all at once: volcanoes erupt, massive storms occur, and supernatural turbulence affects the flight of our heroes’ plane. When Ming somehow “zaps” the two pilots out of existence, a still-in-flight-training Flash and motion-sick Dale take control, and crashland the plane into the facility of the scientist, Hans Zarkov. There’s plenty of suspension of disbelief in the next sequence of events: Hans has a working rocket ship, he somehow overpowers the quarterback and knocks him out, then their ship enters some kind of wormhole before they finally land on the planet Mongo. The most memorable performance from the 1980 film to me (to this day) is still Brian Blessed’s as Prince Vultan, the leader of the Hawkmen. His golden wings, bushy beard and booming jovial voice and laugh are straight out of a Greek myth. Blessed no doubt had a great time filming; he has said in interviews that he has been called upon, again and again, over the years to repeat the line: “ Gordon’s alive? ” after learning that Flash has escaped death. He even claims the Queen of England told him that she watches the film every Christmas with her grandchildren. In an interview for The Guardian with director, Mike Hodges, Blessed says: I was invited to Elstree to meet the producer Dino De Laurentiis and the director Mike Hodges. There were all these paintings of me on the walls. I thought: “The sods are having me on – they’ve already cast me.” So I said: “That’s me.” They said: “No.” I just happened to be the spitting image of the character from the comic. Dino said: “We can’t think of anyone else for the part.” I said: “If you offer it to anyone else, I’ll strangle the bastard.” During the final weeks of shooting, Sam J. Jones had a falling out with producer De Laurentiis. He went on a personal strike, requiring Mike Hodges to redub some of Jones’ dialogue to finish the film. This led to some bad blood between Jones and Hollywood upon the release of the film, and a decline of publicity around its release. In a 2012 interview with Mike Hodges, the director revealed that a sequel was originally planned, until the aforementioned dispute between Jones and the producer. Hodges said in that interview that initial filming ended closely before Christmas, and a second stretch of filming began for stunts or “what passed as special effects back then,” where he chose to use a double for Jones. This upset Jones who then took it up with De Laurentiis. On the contrary, De Laurentiis has said (in his memoir: Dino: The Life and Film of Dino De Laurentiis ) that Jones was often getting into fights (on and off set) and at one point ended up in the hospital during filming with a cut on his face. After the film’s release, Jones sued De Laurentiis for breach of contract for not making any sequels. Sadly, Sam J. Jones lost the suit and the sequels were never made. Released in 2019, Life After Flash , is a documentary by Lisa Downs that examines the film, its massive following, and the life of Sam J. Jones - his successes and the storied backlash of his clash with the producer of Flash Gordon. Even though it attempted to capitalize on the success of Star Wars: A New Hope, Flash Gordon did not do anywhere as well at the box office. Released in 1980, shortly after The Empire Strikes Back, some audiences expected a straightforward adventure story, and disliked the campiness and humor of the film. The film grossed $27 million worldwide compared to Empire ’s $400+ million worldwide gross earlier that same year. Flash did, however, do better in the U.K., where audiences were less familiar with the original comics and enjoyed the film as an unpretentious tongue-in-cheek parody. So, despite my intense enjoyment of the 1980 film, there are still a few things that haven’t aged well. Ming’s daughter, Princess Aura (along with pretty much every other female character) is super sexualized, to the point where it becomes obscenely erotic. When we first meet her, Aura enters with actor Malcolm Dixon ( Labyrinth, Return of the Jedi, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory ) on a leash, as essentially her elaborate pet/slave named “Fellini” (ahem). Despite the eroticism, Italian actress Ornella Muti (as Aura) is pretty delightful in the role. Aura’s overt sexuality coupled with Flash’s “himbo” naivety creates a lot of opportunity for comedy. Throw in a dash of swashbuckling Timothy Dalton as her jealous fiancé, Prince Barin, and Blessed as the mischievous Prince Vultan, and you really have a party. And then there’s Queen. Rumors have been heard that De Laurentiis originally hoped to get Pink Floyd to do the score for his film; he apparently had never even heard of Queen. According to Lisa Downs, "Dino's first reaction was, 'OK, I'll meet the Queens.' He had no idea who they were." After watching a lengthy clip of the film, they began working on the soundtrack and score while simultaneously working on their album, “The Game.” With Brian May at the helm, Queen used plenty of synthesizers to combine rock with electronica, creating an extremely catchy theme and plenty more songs for the rest of the film. In interviews, Brian May has said: We wanted to do something that was a real soundtrack. It’s a first in many ways because a rock group has not done this type of thing before, or else it’s been toned down and they’ve been asked to write mushy background music. Whereas we were given the licence to do what we liked, as long as it complimented the picture. Queen decided to incorporate clips of audio dialogue into their songs for the soundtrack. Freddie Mercury is credited with designing the Flash Gordon logo for their album. The soundtrack managed to break the Top 40 in the U.S., with ‘ Flash's Theme ’ making it onto the top 10 on the U.K. singles charts. Both composer Howard Blake and Queen were nominated for a BAFTA Award for their work on the film. ‘Flash’s Theme,’ was released as a single, and is one of two songs on the entire album to feature any vocals; the other, ‘ The Hero ,’ was not released as a single, but is still an awesomely epic song that strikes at the climax of the film. It’s a song that could easily fit into Queen’s repertoire at a concert or on another of their albums. While several critics panned the 1980 film, the soundtrack by Queen was widely praised. After 40 years I have to say, Flash Gordon still holds up. It’s a lot of fun and a lot of laughs. If you are able to take it for what it is - without comparing it to the likes of Star Wars - and just go along for the ride, you will really enjoy it. Make sure you can crank up the volume while you watch it because that opening theme is where it’s at. And if all else fails, just enjoy Brian Blessed and his team of Hawkmen: Diana DiMuro Associate Editor Besides watching TV and movies, Diana likes the great outdoors, drawing and reading comics, and just generally rocking out. She has a BA in English Literature and is an art school drop out. You can follow her on Instagram @dldimuro and Twitter @DianaDiMuro

Bernadette chats with guest, Reeya Banerjee, about the story so far in Netflix's historical drama, The Crown , which has garnered soaring praise in almost every aspect of filmmaking over the past 4 years. Listen on....

*WARNING: Light spoilers for “Tenet” ahead.* The pandemic has hit moviegoing as hard as anything else, and no matter how much I missed going, nothing that was scheduled for release seemed worth the risk. Many cinemas spent the summer prepping for audiences’ safe return, but it wasn’t until Tenet’s multi-delayed release that I felt like it was time I needed to go back. Christopher Nolan movies almost always call for a trip to the theater and this is no exception. It’s also not very often that you get a chance to see Nick Fury and James Bond go back to the future to save the world... That’s probably an oversimplification, because the only other movies I feel it really makes sense to compare Tenet to are Nolan’s own Memento and Inception , but hopefully, it does capture the excitement I felt while watching this. Those Nolan movies are only similar in general ways. It’s not like you’ll be able to pause this movie at the end credits and watch the scenes in reverse order. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a movie this exciting with a completely original storyline and cast of characters. Tenet may be similar to Nolan’s other films in conceptual ways, along with his patented sci-fi realism, but also in that you will want to sit and think over the end for quite some time. The first thing I usually notice with a movie is the score, but it’s really impossible to ignore it during Tenet. The movie begins with people filing into an opera house while an orchestra holds a tuning note. It lulls you into typical movie beginning sensibility, thinking maybe some opening credits might slowly pop up then fade. However, the tuning note abruptly but seamlessly becomes the score as a new note booms - jolting you from the lull - as an attack on the opera house begins. Huge synth sounds and warped strings subtly blur the line between what’s music and what’s explosion. The sound of a soldier smashing a cello under his boot might make for a strange fit with the harmony, while a bomb going off might be used in place of a bass tone. This of course, is not an accident; it happens frequently during the most intense sequences of the film. I expected that I might miss Hans Zimmer’s collaboration on a Nolan movie of this kind, but despite the departure being clear, it is a welcome one. Ludwig Göransson composed the score; you can hear his work on the show The Mandalorian as well. If you are aware of the scorework in that show, you will know that Göransson is no stranger to creating music from foreign sounds. In Tenet , the noise of the movie itself becomes part of the score intentionally in a way I’ve never heard before. This makes the opening scene of the orchestra slowly tuning seem symbolic of Nolan’s own orchestral arrangement of events interacting in forward and reverse time. Christopher Nolan has described this movie as a “Time Heist,” and although it involves some time-based science fiction like its sound design, it feels new and unique to Tenet . People and various objects are sent through time in reverse at the same speed at which they would be going forward in time. They call this “inversion.” It is a more literal take on time travel than you will probably find anywhere else. To travel 25 years into the past, you’d have to invert for 25 years. No instantaneous time shifts. Not to mention, that while you are traveling in reverse you’re visibly reversed to everyone around you, while they move forward through time. Instead of the typical beginning-to-end-closed-loop that most time travel movies create, the atypical nature of time inversion leaves us with something slightly different. Seeing it as a circle is possible, but with multiple main characters inverting around major plot events - either on screen or off screen - it becomes less of a time loop, and more of a time split. You can envision the circle of time being split in two by the plot, while one half of the circle goes forward in time and the other goes in reverse. Technically, there are multiple circles happening at once. Sound confusing? It may be a little bit. I benefited by not letting myself ask too many questions until I left the movie theater. I definitely did not have a full grasp of the plot until the very end, but I enjoyed the movie 100% of the time. If you avoid the desire to have every answer as every event unfolds, I think it is more likely you will enjoy the experience. You just have to be willing to let the time warp go without all of the established rules. With time inversion being so different from time travel, the story ends up being less of a sci-fi adventure, and more of a variation on a buddy cop movie which was a pleasant surprise. John David Washington and Robert Pattinson play off of each other so genuinely, it really feels like they know and care about each other despite Neil (Pattinson) being a “recent” acquaintance of our Protagonist (JDW). They’re both highly gifted agents (aka badasses) and it’s rare to see such effortlessly cool characters make me feel that I’m not looking at something one dimensional. They show their skills and knowledge sparingly, because the less people around them know about their intentions, the more likely it will be that their mission is a success. The more they know, the more likely it will be they will try to change the plan or alter the course of time. Secrecy is reinforced, even between each other, so they have no choice but to trust each other deeply. “Ignorance is [their] ammunition.” When they do get into situations where they have to fight their way out, it’s absolutely thrilling to see them handle themselves. There is a fight scene in a restaurant kitchen that reminded me instantly of the hallway hammer fight in Oldboy : intense, brutal, the odds stacked against them. Honestly, it’s one of the best I’ve seen. When a director goes for that action movie moment or a buddy cop one liner and nails it completely without making the audience immediately feel it’s lame, I’m always impressed. It’s hard enough to create inverted plot lines, but keeping the action going so that I was on the edge of my seat the whole time while trying to suss out the puzzle, takes a different level of movie writing and directing. Normally, being confused while events are going wrong and tension is ramping up in the plot makes me want to give up on watching a movie. Tenet isn’t like a lot of other movies I’ve seen. I definitely elected to let the waves of confusion wash over me as I enjoyed the story unfolding. I also deeply enjoy any chance to reinterpret the “true” timeline of a story, once all of the events have been presented; you will absolutely get that chance here. I have no problem admitting that I had tears in my eyes during one of the final character interactions, despite not fully knowing what it meant. Just remember: “what’s happened, happened,” and don’t let yourself get too bogged down by questioning the rules. It all comes together exquisitely with a little trust! Pierce Allen Pierce Allen is a local musician and movie enthusiast living in Beacon, NY. His favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate and vanilla mixed together.

Jack is joined by walking by Jeremy Kolodziejski to talk about Brandon Cronenberg's latest flick, Possessor , and all the juicy body horror goodness this special, little flick has to offer. Listen on....

Jack is joined by Jeremy Kolodziejski to talk all things spooky and give a fresh-opinion-filled review of Jim Cummings' The Wolf of Snow Hollow , the director's eagerly awaited follow-up to his phenomenal 2018 debut, Thunder Road . Listen on....