Green Phoenix - Let's Talk... Adapting The Jack Ryanverse

 Welcome back to another edition of Let's Talk...

I have spent the last few weeks intermittently reviewing the 1990s Tom Clancy film adaptations, with plans to conclude the series by reviewing Clear and Present Danger next week. However whilst reviewing this series, I was struck upon a particular thought. The possibilities of adapting the entire Jack Ryanverse into a film or television series, ala the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

This has been a thought that has long dominated my mind, with the current reviews only being a further impetus for my thought experiment. Could such an adaptation occur in today's cinematic climate? What alterations might have to be made in order to forward such an adaptation? What restrictions might exist that could hinder such an adaptation?

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Could Power Rangers work without Sentai Footage? - News & Rambles

 

Over the past few months, there have been reports that the current owners of Power Rangers, Habro, are cutting ties with Toei, as in they will no longer use Sentai footage. Supposedly, their contract with both Toei and Nickelodeon is expiring which would mean that Power Rangers Dino Fury, (which is set to air in 2021) would be the last traditional encarnacion. While I have no way to confirm or not if this will happen, if raised a good question about how Power Rangers could work as a stand alone. So, click "read more" and I will give my take.

Green Phoenix - Let's Talk...The West Wing

Hey everybody!

I hope that you have managed to keep yourselves in high spirits and good health given all the anxiety and stress that this last week has likely given quite a few of you. I know that I personally had some serious anxiety attacks as thoughts of the election have continued to pervade the back of my mind. Thankfully, some R&R and loved ones has ensured that I am in decent mental form for you all and enabled me to focus on providing you all with a different kind of article this time around.

Up until now, my style of articles have been of four general varieties: Reviews, Countdowns, Editorials, and Literary Recommendations. Today's article is going to be a variation of Editorials that I'm calling "Let's Talks". Whereas my editorial articles are usually me trying to discuss a specific point or debate a topic that I'm focusing on in that article, Let's Talks will be much lighter in tone and more free-form. Let's Talks have no objective or point beyond me talking about some topic on my mind, be it a review or a rant, etc.

And for my very first Let's Talk, the recent election drama has brought my mind to one of television's greatest Presidents. So we are going to talk about just how great of a show The West Wing was and what I liked and missed about it.

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Green Phoenix - Songs That Sound Like Bond Themes

I have now reviewed two James Bond films and one of the elements that I haven't quite been able to speak on, but am deeply excited to explore once we reach it in the third film in the series Goldfinger is the theme songs.

The unique theme songs have always been an iconic element of the franchise and the first and best way to distinguish one movie from another. It is so essential to the James Bond franchise that more often than not, the first thing asked when a new Bond film is announced after who is playing Bond is usually who is performing the opening theme.

Given that the James Bond series is such a cultural touchstone and the music is tied so definitively into that identity, it should come as no surprise that other musicians will often draw inspiration from the iconic sounds of the Bond franchise in their own songs. This is what I mean when I talk about a song that sounds like a "Bond theme". That unique mix of eroticism and action that is distinctly Bond is what I am searching for in this list of songs that, to my ear, sound so much like the themes to James Bond films.

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Green Phoenix - Building Better Backstories V

So this editorial was always going to be a real pain in my ass. For one, it seems to have become culturally "cool" to rip into the Star Wars sequel trilogy and mock it relentlessly without taking into account any of the positive traits that the series does possess. And there are a few truly positive elements of the sequel trilogy that I think need to be given their due credit, especially if we are going to try and improve upon the franchise. The trilogy has some truly inspired cinematic and narrative moments that, if properly explored, would've been absolutely inspired.

That being said, I would be lying if I didn't understand and at the very least agree that the Star Wars sequel trilogy overall wasn't a steaming hot mess almost from the word go. Which is a damn shame because the acquisition by Disney had all the hallmarks of being a momentous achievement and a chance to restart the series from all of the enormous weight of the Legends canon; that is the Star Wars material released independent of the Lucas-era films up until the Disney acquisition.

I've known ever since the release of The Rise of Skywalker that some kind of Building Better Backstories was going to be necessary for the sequel trilogy, but I also struggled to figure out how best to fix the franchise.

It will be difficult, but I think I have a solution. It may not contain many specific narrative elements, but we will take a look at what went wrong, what they could've used, and how that might have worked for a better trilogy overall.

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Green Phoenix - Why I Enjoy Alternate History?

Hello everybody!

I hope that your June was as relaxing as mine. Actually, given everything that happened in June, I hope your month was even more relaxing than mine. I kept myself quite busy, between participating in protests, attending city government meetings, and a lot of fiction writing and reading, I've also been working quite hard on building a stockpile of articles for all of you to enjoy.

In the hopes of easing all of us back into the habit of reading my incredibly entertaining articles, I thought it would be quite fun for me to begin with a short editorial going over one of my favorite topics of all time and one that I wish got a lot more respect in this day and age.

And who knows, maybe my discussion on it may inspire you to look more into it and create even greater works in the field.

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Green Phoenix - Building Better Backstories IV

Last week, I reviewed Jurassic Park III, ultimately giving it a disappointingly low 4.5/10. This hurts because the Jurassic Park franchise has always held a special place in my heart.

My first and oldest passion has always been dinosaurs and paleontology and Jurassic Park did much to foster that affection. Among my earliest memories was watching the original Jurassic Park, so for me to say that the third film in this franchise is a disappointment hurts me a great deal.

I think that's why I needed to do a Building Better Backstories for Jurassic Park III. I thought long and hard about what changes would need to be made and, I hope that you guys enjoy what I came up with.

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Remembering Caroll Spinney

We have recently lost Sesame Street legend, Caroll Spinney at the age of 85.  He died from complications from dystonia at his home in Woodstock, Connecticut.  In memoriam of this legend to begin 2020, let me honor him by sharing my biggest memories of him.

Green Phoenix - Remembering My Little Pony

On the 12th of October, 2019, the series finale of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic aired, ending a nine year run of the show. While this will most certainly not be the last we see of My Little Ponies on television, especially given the cultural presence and impact of the bronies, Generation 4 has come to an end.

With ten seasons, multiple television movies and spin-offs, online video shorts, two feature length films (one in production now), and millions upon millions of hours of fan-created content, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is leaving behind a magnificent cultural legacy, one that will likely go down on the level of Star Trek or Lord of the Rings on its cultural and fan impact.

With that in mind, and with my own membership within the Brony fandom, I felt that a wonderful tribute I could give to the show which has done so much for me would be to reminisce about the show, the fandom that was born from it, and the impact that My Little Pony had upon my life in general.

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Fenris Talks About: Three More Gaming Gems You May Not Know About

Going with a more generalized format this time, here's three more games that may or may not have slipped under your radar.

Green Phoenix - Building Better Backstories I

Welcome to Building Better Backstories.

The premise behind this series of editorials will be amending or transforming the backstories behind famous fictional characters, events, or organizations to fix issues that I see with them. This could be something as complex as a complete rewrite of a backstory, to a simple retexturing of the overall lesson.

Today's Subject? Batman

My aim with this series is for you to join me in considering why fiction utilizes certain backstories and how those stories and the changes we make can have a fundamental impact on the overall "feel" of the character, event, or organization in question.

And for our first post in this series, let's take a look at one of the most famous superheroes, with one of the most well-known backstories of all time.

He is "The World's Greatest Detective (in the DC Universe)", He is Vengeance, He is the Night:

Bruce Wayne, otherwise known as Batman.

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Red Prime Shard - Splatoon 2 Final Fest (Splatfest)

So we’ve had the final Splatfest in Splatoon 2 which was known as the Splatocalypse as the theme was Chaos vs. Order.  In story, we had a debate between Off The Hook members Pearl and Marina on which they preferred.  Pearl wanted Chaos to win as she didn’t want to live in a predictable world where everything was boring and too much the same, where as Marina felt more comfortable with Order as she wanted to live in a world where she could feel safe and secure where she wouldn’t lose what she loves, namely Off The Hook which means everything to her, especially as it saved her from a dark time in her life, especially when during that time Pearl being protective of her despite Marina’s dark past.

Green Phoenix - The Machete Order

I am a huge fan of the Star Wars franchise. Despite the many issues in the prequel trilogy as a result of George Lucas in his later life and the strange decisions of the Disney trilogy (ahem...The Last Jedi...ahem), this series remains a quintessential part of my childhood and a tie between mine and my parents' as well.

But with that fascination, there comes a critical question which must be asked, especially if you decide to introduce someone to the new series.

What Order Do You Watch the Star Wars movies?

In today's editorial, I will explain my preferred watch order and what I like about it.

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News: E3 Expo Accidentally Leaked over 2,000 YouTubers, Game Journalists, Analysts, and Streamers Personal Information

Phone numbers and addresses were accidentally made available on the E3 Expo's website with a simple link.

Fenris Talks About: Why I Spent 151 Hours Playing MapleStory 2 (And MMOs in General)

Wanna read about me rambling about MMOs for a minute? This is the article for you then!

Green Phoenix - Disney's Dark Age

Imperial March playing in the background

Between their ownership of Pixar Animation, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the entirety of Star Wars, the Walt Disney Company has become a nigh unstoppable juggernaut of the entertainment industry. Disney has become successful off of decades of successful branding and marketing their most popular entertainment properties until they have become staples of our childhoods.

And when one takes a look at the greater portion of these properties, a pattern emerges. The majority of them belong to a specific period of incredibly high-performing and critically lauded animated films released between 1989 and 1999, more popularly known as in cinematic history circles as the "Disney Renaissance".

But what about the period before the Renaissance? What was the state of Disney animation in the decades following the death of their founder, when the Nine Old Men began to pass and new talents rose and fell to eventually define my generation's childhood?

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Fenris Talks About: Five Things You Didn't Know About Xbox Avatars

Ever wanted to know random trivia about Xbox Avatars? You've come to the right place. 

Hit "Read More" for more information!

Fenris Talks About: The Weird Life and Death of Minecraft: Story Mode (Briefly)

Not the most in-depth telling, but it'll do.

Fenris Talks About: A Quick Ramble for Mental Awareness Month

 Why do you play video games?

Blacksad: Under the Skin (First Look)

Giving a look into current information for Blacksad: Under the Skin, and a little bit of background for the comic series itself. Grab your tattered trench coat and your favorite pack of cigarettes. We're gonna solve a murder.