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| Ultraman (1966 - 1967) [Complete Series 02] BD box art. |
This Static Age is focusing on
Ultraman (1966 – 1967), ‘Protector of
the universe’ as per the front cover tagline of Mill Creek Entertainment’s
excellent Region A Blu-ray box-set [Complete Series 02], which contains of all 39
episodes in their original Japanese (DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0) with optional
English subtitles and a stunning 1080p High-Definition 1.33:1 transfer. The set
also comes with a gorgeous booklet that is featuring the ‘The Birth of Ultraman’
and ‘Series History’ articles, both excellent introductory pieces to the
series, and several guides (episode, monster, character, and key technology).
The show is about the titular giant alien that arrives on Earth from the
Land of Light in Nebula M78 when he was hunting a monster. However, when
Ultraman comes in contact with Science Special Search Party he comes to the
understanding that he must stay on our planet in order to assist us with the
threats of more giant monsters and the like. This is Tsuburaya Production’s
first series in color and its remarkable success both in its homeland Japan and
abroad in the U.S. spawned a franchise unlike no other, one that is churning up
good product to this day.
It’s funny how the voice-over takes Ultraman’s side, sounding a bit like
a speaker of a sports match that supports one of the competing teams. The
episodes were shot in three blocks (each shooting block responsible for turning
up with 13 episodes), and Ultraman had a slightly different costume for each
block. ‘Ultra Operation No. 1’ is the origin story in which Ultraman arrives at
Lake Ryugamori where he will also fight his first enemy, the monstrous Bemular.
In ‘Shoot the Invader’, the Baltan monsters spread terror by freezing humans but
as it is to be expected Ultraman is on the rescue. In ‘Science Patrol, Move
Out’ the monster Neronga that was buried by a samurai in a well is apparently
still alive and also has the power to make itself invisible! In ‘Five Seconds Before the Explosion’ an atomic bomb
brings to life a mutated monster called Ragon, and now Ultraman must destroy it
and also prevent the detonation of further atomic bombs. ‘The Secret of the Miroganda’ is about the titular
flower that is protected by the Greenmons monster which looks like a
combination of a plant and a green blob. Guesra, the amphibious Brazilian
monster attacks the coast of Tokyo in ‘The Coast Guard Command’. ‘The Blue
Stone of Baradhi’ is featuring an overtly ambitious plot that takes its action
from Turkey to France, only to settle in the titular ancient city where an
Ultraman statue has kept the Antlar monster buried in the sand; that is until
now, when the aforementioned monster that resembles a beetle with a mouth that
looks like a vagina and is guarded by two claws, essentially creating an
overall uncomfortable ‘vagina dentata’ situation. As its title suggests, ‘The
Monster Anarchy Zone’ is about a mash-up of many monsters, the most terrifying
of them being Red King. It is in this episode that the series, despite how
children-friendly they are, started employing the occasional gore scene and the
monsters bleed. ‘Lightning Operation’ is an unremarkable episode starring a
Gabora monster. ‘The Mysterious
Dinosaur Base’ is about a mad scientist (is there any other kind?) that
fascinated with his experiments goes as far as to create dinosaurs; it is now
up to Ultraman to put things back to order but he will also find time to detach
part of a monster and to utilize it as a provocation in the style of Spanish bullfighters.
In the comedic but thoroughly entertaining ‘The Rascal from Outer Space’ a
shooting star stone that took liquid form managed to create the Gango monster.
The first half of ‘Cry of the Mummy’ is fascinating because it is actually
about a mummy-like monster, but the second half is introducing us to the
ridiculous Dodongo creature that Ultraman gets to ride rodeo-style and the
entire thing falls apart. ‘Oil S.O.S.’ is about the titular monster Pestar that
consumes great amounts of – you guessed it – oil, and sets miniature facilities
on fire; that is until Ultra man employs his (literally) handy Ultra Water
Stream power and extinguishes the fires. ‘The Pearl Defense Directive’ is about
the Gamakugira monster that has an appetite for expensive pearls. In
‘Terrifying Cosmic Rays’ the pathetic Gavadon monster comes to life thanks to a
kid’s drawing. In the amazing ‘Science Patrol Into Space’ episode, a whole lot
of Baltans (the awesome bipedal monsters with claws) attack and it is now up to
Ultraman to save us, but he will need to employ his teleportation power,
something that drains a lot of his life level as shown in the light on his
chest. ‘Passport to Infinity’ is featuring the laughable Bullton monster. In
‘Brother from Another Planet’, the Zarab monsters transforms into an evil
Ultraman (essentially the same suit, but with modified and differently colored
eyes) who will of course fight the good Ultraman; the episode is particularly
well-lit, especially during the foggy scenes in the shadows that play like a
thriller. In ‘Demons Rise Again’ the Banila and Aboras monsters fight each
other in a spectacular battle. ‘Terror on Route 87’ is suffering by the
employment of some very awkward-looking stock footage with which the main
actors interact sans proper eye-line matching. ‘Breach the Wall of Smoke’ is
featuring some of the most spectacular scenes of (miniature) destruction in the
series, courtesy of the turtle-like creature Kemular, or as is also known the
Poison Gas Monster. ‘Overthrow the Surface’ is atmospheric and creepy,
featuring the eerie Underground people that have no eyes and that unleash the
Telesdon monster. ‘My Home is Earth’ is featuring the spectacular Jamila
monster that throws flames from its mouth! The fascinating ‘The Undersea
Science Center’ is featuring a shark-like monster (before they were cool) with
a driller-like nose that can dig a hole in the ground and cause destruction as
well; it is of course up to Ultraman to save the day again, but the episode is
mostly memorable due to its brief but breathtaking underwater sequences. Three
monsters, Guigass, Dorako, and Red King II show up in ‘The Mysterious Comet
Tsuifon’ and it is up to Ultraman to bring things back to order. ‘The Monster
Highness: (Part 1)’ and ‘The Monster Highness: (Part 2)’ feature the Gomora
creature, not to be confused with the same-titled Italian gangster series.
And now, let’s switch our focus towards some recent shows…
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| Freud - Season 1 poster art. |
Set in 1880 in Vienna, the 1st season of Netflix’s Freud (2020 – ongoing), a
German/Austrian co-production, is about the titular psychoanalyst (played par
excellence by Robert Finster) and his input in the investigation of a series of
gruesome murders, among the ridicule of his profession by fellow doctors. In the meanwhile, a mysterious and beautiful woman
Fleur Salome (the immensely gorgeous Ella Rumpf) as well as her personal demon
Taltos (from the Hungarian mythology) will become Freud’s first real patient
and by working in this case he will be shaped into the professional and human
being that he was. These series don’t really know what they want to be, as
sometimes they bear the sensibilities of a gothic melodrama and others opt for
gross-out gore, and what’s more sometimes they go for a supernatural and dreamy
approach, while others they opt for violent realism, but whatever they do, they
do it great.
Based upon a graphic novel, Netflix’s Locke & Key (2020 – ongoing) is about the Locke siblings that
after the mysterious murder of their father, they move with their mother to a
secluded house, in which they discover a number of magical keys that help them
enhance the dimensions of their lost one’s world. This modern gothic melodrama
is never tiresome at only 10 episodes long, and it is also good proof that
comic books are nowadays much more intelligent than the basic super-heroic and
comedic stuff that my generation was reading back when we were kids. The series’
cutest aspect is the Savini Squad which is basically a group of nerdy
filmmakers that try to make a splatter/monster movie and while doing so they
also offer tons of geeky horror movie references; what’s more, Tom Savini
himself also provides a cameo. The season finale is genuinely creepy.
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| Unorthodox (2020) art featuring Shira Haas as Esty. |
Based upon a real story, Netflix’s limited series Unorthodox (2020), consists of four episodes (about an hour long
each), and it is about the story of young bride Esty (Shira Haas, delivering
what has to be the most powerful performance in a television series of the last
decade – I simply can’t imagine how she copped with its demands) who flees from
an arranged marriage (I consider those to be forced marriages in one way or another)
and her strict and orthodox Jewish community in New York, in order to find a
new life in Berlin (the city and its culture are portrayed very realistically
here) as a pianist where her lesbian mother also lives. Stressful and
stomach-churning, this is important story-telling and these excellent series
should be seen by all, if only in order for such dreadful cultures to be
exposed. If you thought only Christians and Muslims are bananas, wait until you
see this.
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| The Mandalorian - Season 1 |
The 1st season of Disney Plus’ The Mandalorian (2019 – ongoing), created by Jon Favreau and
consisting of 8 episodes, is about the titular helmet-wearing and cape-boasting
pistolero (Pedro Pascal) who comes to the rescue of baby Yoda, and as a result
the internet breaks down, overwhelmed in cuteness. Owing more to spaghetti
westerns of the 1960s and 1970s, rather than anything George Lucas ever
directed, this is featuring a version of the New Republic that resembles the
old west, rather than the space opera aesthetics that the franchise had us used
to. It is only occasionally exciting and visually pleasing, but most of the
times it is tedious and boring.
The 6th season of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013 – ongoing) finds the titular heroes
where the last season left them, namely all around the galaxy looking for Phil
Coulson (Clark Cregg) who this time returns as the mysterious Sarge and along
with his team of aliens they have evil plans. The real villain of the season
though is Izel (Karolina Wydra), who has already destroyed many planets and
won’t hesitate to perform the dirty deeds again. The concept is tired at this
stage, but the special effects keep getting better and better, and they do
include anything imaginable, from spaceships to mummy-like baddies and from
bat-like creatures to zombie-like abominations. The plot is all over the place,
but strangely it works.
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