Art of the Day: Okoye, Black Panther and Nakia

Artwork: Black Panther poster by Ryan Meinerding

Happy belated sixth year anniversary to the Black Panther movie!

This past Friday, February 16th marked the sixth year anniversary of such an amazing movie. Newly crowned King T'Challa didn't really have a chance to get used to the title before having to deal with a rising threat to Wakanda by his cousin Erik Killmonger. When the betrayal and downfall actually happens, you can't help but experience it. Which made T'Challa return so special. As well as Black Panther, Nakia, Shuri and the Dora Milaje's triumphant win in the battle against Erik Kilmonger's Black Panther and the Wakanda deserters. I haven't rewatched this movie in a while, maybe I'll watch it this weekend.

Book of Interest: To All the Boys I've Loved Before: Special Keepsake Edition

I guess I'm in a romantic sort of mood which is understandable since it's two days before Valentine's Day. A gift you might want to pre-order for yourself is this Special Keepsake Edition of To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han. This special edition is to celebrate the book’s 10 year anniversary. It will be published on Tuesday, March 19th. It's so cute, it really does look like a notebook.

Anyone else planning on getting this? I am, I just don't know if I'll pre-order it or buy it when it's released.

Book: To All the Boys I've Loved Before: Special Keepsake Edition by Jenny Han

Publication Date: March 19th

Description:

Lara Jean’s love life gets complicated in this New York Times bestselling “lovely, lighthearted romance” (School Library Journal) from the bestselling author of The Summer I Turned Pretty series. This special edition features a deluxe faux notebook cover with real elastic enclosure and a new foreword from the author—a true love letter to both new and established fans of the series.

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them…all at once?

Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

Happy 4th Anniversary, Birds of Prey!

The Birds of Prey movie was released in theatres February 7, 2020. And it's such a fun, ridiculous and underrated film that I really wish had gotten a sequel. It's a spellbinding story that follows as Harley Quinn attempts to change her life now that she had ended things with the Joker. Yeah, she's a total mess but a fun mess who can totally take care of herself. Meeting fellow misfits (Black Canary, Huntress and Renee Montoya) and trying to protect a little girl, Cassandra Cain from Black Mask made this a weirdly fanscinating story.

I remember going to see this on a Saturday with some friends and I really enjoyed watching Birds of Prey. Between the zany story and equally zany characters and cool fight and action scenes this really was an interesting movie. Yes, these were not the comic book version of Birds of Prey and other DC Comics characters but the movie adapted them in a unique way that went perfectly with this chaotic movie. I noticed that as time goes by, there are more and more fans who have grown to really appreciate this fun little movie. If I have time today, I think I'll rewatch it. It's been a while since I've seen this movie.

Happy fourth year anniversary to the Birds of Prey movie!

Entertainment News #35: Shelved Movie, Cancelled Show and Sesame Street

- Warner Bros. Discovery has announced that the movie Coyote Vs. ACME has been shelved entirely and is no longer being released despite being completed. All for a $30 million tax write off. Why does the CEO David Zaslav even work in the entertainment industry? Because it doesn't seem like he cares about the movies and shows that are being created or see in value in them. That is other than the large paycheck and bonuses he receives.

Entertainment News #33: Wonder Woman TV Series and The Bear

- Happy Anniversary Wonder Woman TV series! It's the 48th Anniversary of the show. Wonder Woman premiered on November 7, 1975 on ABC with the first episode The New Original Wonder Woman. I've seen this pilot quite a few times, it's a really good adaptation of the comic book. The pilot (which was a movie) which was set in 1942 and told the origin story of Diana, how she met Steve Trevor and how she made it to Man's World and World War II.

(Wonder Woman season 1 pilot: The New Original Wonder Woman)

- Some good news for fans of The Bear TV series. The show which airs on Hulu has been renewed for a third season by FX. According to reports the third season will air sometime in 2024. I really love watch The Bear, it's an amazing show and I so glad it got renewed.

Entertainment News #20: Power Rangers 30th Anniversary Special, Gossip Girl, M3GAN, K.C. Undercover, Bel-Air

- The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always 30th Anniversary Special will premiere Wednesday, April 19th on Netflix. According to reports, the special will have the Rangers reuniting to deal with a familiar threat from the past. In the midst of a global crisis, they are called on once again to be the heroes the world needs.

Starring in the special are David Yost (Billy Cranston/Blue Power Ranger), Walter E. Jones (Zack Taylor/Black Ranger), Catherine Sutherland (Katherine "Kat" Hillard/Pink Power Ranger), Steve Cardenas (Rocco "Rocky" DeSantos/Red Power Ranger), Karan Ashley (Aisha Campbell/Yellow Power Ranger) and Johnny Yong Bosch (Adam Park/Black Power Ranger).

The special will also feature Barbara Goodson (who was the voice of Rita Repulsa), Richard Horvitz (who was the voice of Alpha 5) and a surprising new character Minh (played by Charlie Kersh) who is the daughter of original Yellow Ranger Trini Kwan.

Entertainment News #17: The Flash season 9 and 9-1-1's 5th Anniversary

- There is a lot of good news being released about the upcoming ninth and final season of The CW's The Flash TV series. Including releasing this really amazing poster, I just love the visuals of the Flash's boots and lightning. But it also makes me wonder whose boots are they? Are they really Barry Allens' or someone elses?

As for the news, it's being reported that Keiynan Lonsdale will be reprising his role as Wally West (a.k.a. Kid Flash). Also guest appearing is David Ramsey reprising his role as John Diggle (from Arrow), Sendhil Ramamurthy as Ramsey Rosso (a.k.a. Bloodwork), Andy Mientus as Hartley Rathaway (a.k.a Pied Piper), Max Adler as Jaco Birch (a.k.a The Hotness), Damion Poitier as Keith Kenyon (a.k.a Goldface), Javicia Leslie as Ryan Wilder (a.k.a Batwoman from Batwoman) and Nicole Maines as Nia Nal (a.k.a. Dreamer from Supergirl which I reported on before in Entertainment News #14).

Fandom Friday: Random Fandom Thoughts #25

Happy Friday! I can't believe it's already Friday, how has your week been? Mine has been pretty good. With that said, I want to know what fandom thoughts are on your mind?

- I know it's an unpopular opinion in the 9-1-1 fandom but I would like to see Margaret and Philip Buckley return for the sixth season. I know a lot of the fandom doesn't like them but I feel these were people who never dealt with the grief of the death of their son Daniel and ended up shutting down and closing themselves off from their remaining children, Maddie and Evan "Buck". In the fourth season episode Jinx, Buck had mentioned that him and his parents were attending a few therapy sessions, which I figure were virtual. I think it would be nice to see how the therapy sessions went and if they helped the Buckley parents to understand their grief and how it resulted in how they raised Maddie and Buck. It would also be nice to see them acknowledging that they were distant and that they want to get to know as well as love their adult children especially since over the years they weren't really there for them.

(Margaret and Philip Buckley      9-1-1 season 4 episode 5: Buck Begins)

Entertainment News #9: Bring It On, Anniversaries and Superman & Lois

- Happy 22nd Anniversary to the movie Bring It On! The movie premiered in theatres August 25, 2000 and it was directed by Peyton Reed and written by Jessica Bendinger. The movie stars include: Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Gabrielle Union, Jesse Bradford, Clare Kramer, Nicole Bilderback, Lindsay Sloane and Natina Reed. I love this movie, it's one of my favorite sports films that's filled with humor, drama, friendship, rivalry, cool routines and a little romance. This movie has it all.

Happy (Belated) 27th Anniversary, Clueless!

I can't believe I forgot to write something yesterday for the 27th Anniversary of Clueless. This is truly one of my favorite movies, it has an amazing story that follows the "clueless" Cher Horowitz who think she knows what's best for everyone in her life. Alicia Silverstone was pefectly cast as Cher as well as the rest of the cast.

I think the movie was a wonderful modern adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel Emma (which is also a really good book). I can't forget about the fashion, although the movie was released in the 90s, the fashion doesn't feel dated. There are so many iconic outfits in this movie that it's impossible to overlook. Clueless is a fun, fashionable and thought-provoking movie that is a delight to watch. Happy 27th Anniversary, Clueless!

Happy 14th Anniversary, The Dark Knight!

Wow, I can't believe it's the 14th Anniversary of The Dark Knight movie. It was released in theatres July 18, 2008. It's one of my favorite movies and one of best movies out the director Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. I like the first movie Batman Begins but the third movie The Dark Knight Rises was so awful, I can't even bother to rewatch it, it's just so bad.

However, The Dark Knight, was so chaotic, fun and interesting to watch with Batman not only trying to stop the Joker but also Two-Face. It felt like a Batman movie especially since the director Christopher Nolan (who also co-wrote the movie) at times seemed to forget that he was making movies about comic book characters. You don't need to make the movies realistic, where's the fun in that. For what it's worth, despite the realism take, the first two movies are still good and I really enjoy watching them. I also like that it didn't seem as if he was trying too hard to tell a good story. Unfortunately, the third movie is truly terrible with the story being all over the place. Anyway, Happy 14th Anniversary The Dark Knight the best movie in the Nolan Batman trilogy.

Fandom Friday: Random Fandom Thoughts #24: Jonah Greenway, Percy Jackson TV Series and MCU Movie Anniversaries

Happy Friday, I hope you had a good week and hopefully the weekend will be to. I wanted to know what fandom thoughts are on your mind?

- I can't believe I'm saying this but Jonah Greenway is turning out to be a much more interesting new 9-1-1 character than Lucy Donato. I don't understand why the show's marketing team hyped up Lucy so much and not to mention all the interviews promoting the character only for her to be one of the most boring characters on the show. I think they really miscalculated with who they decided to promote especially since Jonah's Angel of Death storyline is so much more interesting.

(Jonah Greenway    9-1-1 season 5 episode 16: May Day)

Happy 8th Anniversary, Captain America: The Winter Soldier!

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is one of my favorite movies and it was released in theaters eight years ago on April 4, 2014. I can still remember going to the theatre to see this. I love everything about this movie, it's so amazingly well made. I still think this is the best Marvel movie out of the entire MCU movie series, I have rewatched this movie more than any of the others.

I wouldn't change anything about Captain America: The Winter Soldier, except giving Sharon Carter more scenes. From the amazing story to the character development, the way the story unfolded, the fight scenes, this movie is absolutely fantastic.

Fandom Friday: Random Fandom Thoughts #19

Happy Friday! It's been an interesting week, which is why I'd love to know what are some of your fandom thoughts?

- One of my pet peeves is when comic book superhero/villain characters have on random regular clothes over their costumes. I don't know, it's just something that annoys me. It ruins the look of the costume and it looks weird.

Happy 25th Anniversary, Daria!

It's the 25th Anniversary of the Daria animated series which premiered on March 3, 1997 on MTV. The popular show was a spinoff from another popular MTV animated series, Beavis and Butt-Head. Daria is a really funny, witty, interesting and a surprisingly thought-provoking show that centered around the smart, sarcastic, somber and outcast main character high school student Daria Morgendorffer. The show also focused on her family, her best friend and fellow outcast Jane Lane, her school life and the world in general.

I always thought Daria Morgendorffer was the anti-Cher Horowitz. Because where Cher was perky, cool, fashionable and popular, Daria on the other hand was the complete opposite. She was absolutely fine being her cynical and sarcastic self and had no desire to fit in and be one of the popular kids. However, Daria's younger sister Quinn was definitely a Cher wannabe because she was trying her best to be popular, fashionable and cool. Daria feels like a forgotten show, I never see anyone talking about it. I guess I can include myself in that as well because I haven't written anything about it on my blog either. However, I did include it in a list of old TV shows to watch.

If you've never seen this classic series, it's available on DVD and I also believe on several streaming services. So, if you get a chance, check it out. Since I have it on DVD maybe I'll do a re-watch and write more about the show especially since it's a really good series. This show needs more attention and with that said, Happy 25th Anniversary, Daria!

Happy 17th Anniversary Avatar: The Last Airbender!

Wow, time really does fly by, I can't believe it's been 17 years since Avatar: The Last Airbender animated series premiered February 21, 2005 on Nickelodeon. Avatar: TLA is one of the best animated series, it's an epic adventure that's smart, funny, dramatic and action-packed. The show which stayed on for three seasons follows the reappearance of the Avatar who is destined to provide balance to the world but since the Avatar had disappeared for 100 years, the Fire Nation had taken over.

Avatar Aang only had his Airbending ability and would need the help of Sokka and Katara (a water bender) who are from the Southern Water Tribe to help him find bending masters so that he can learn to bend the other three elements of water, earth and fire. Which he would need all four of his abilities and more to try to stop the Fire Nation.

Avatar: TLA is still one of my favorite shows has some the most passionate fans and I love that the show continues to gain even more new fans. Happy 17th anniversary Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Happy Birthday, Jennifer Love Hewitt!

It's Jennifer Love Hewitt's 43rd birthday! Imagine having a career in entertainment that spans more than thirty years, that takes a lot of skill and talent especially without having any crazy scandals. I'll admit I'm a big fan of JLH even though I haven't seen all of her movies and shows but I think she's a versatile actress who is great in comedy, drama and horror. Below are some of my favorite roles of hers:

Melinda Gordon in Ghost Whisperer

Maddie Buckley in 9-1-1

Julie James in I Know What You Did Last Summer and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer

Del Blaine in Tuxedo

Page Conners in Heartbreakers

Amanda Beckett in Can't Hardly Wait

Happy 69th Anniversary, Disney's Peter Pan Animated Movie!

Wow, I can't believe it's been 69 years since Disney's Peter Pan animated movie was released in theatres on February 5, 1953. I wonder what the those movie goers back then first thought of this movie because I know when I was a kid and saw it on TV I absolutely loved it. While Peter Pan is a fun and zany movie, there is some controversy with this movie which I think should be turned into learning moment. Because we can love something and still be critical about it.

Happy Anniversary, Peter Pan!

Fandom Friday: Random Fandom Thoughts #17: Maddie and Chim, The Mob, Cyberchase and The Batman

It's Friday, what fandom thoughts are on your mind?

- 9-1-1 fans are really happy right now with the announcement that the fan favorite characters Maddie Buckley and Howard "Chimney" Han are returning to the remainder of the fifth season of the show. Maddie had been dealing with Postpartum Depression and she had left Los Angeles because she didn't think her daughter Jee-Yun was safe with her. Chimney along with their daughter Jee-Yun left town to try to find her and the last time Chim was shown was in the seventh episode Ghost Stories where he was in Boston and ran into an old friend, Eli Cobb.

Jennifer Love Hewitt who plays Maddie had been on maternity leave but the actress has now returned and is currently already back to filming. The return of Hewitt also mean Kenneth Choi will finally be making his return back to the series. I'm surprised the show's marketing and promotion teams aren't trying to take advantage of all this fan excitement by releasing a promotion of the return of Chimney and Maddie.

(Chimney and Maddie       9-1-1 season 4 episode 3: Future Tense)

Characters Reading: Tiana (The Princess and the Frog)

In The Princess and the Frog animated movie, Tiana was getting her day started going to her second job at Duke's Café. And while riding on the trolley, she was reading Ladies' International Cookery magazine. Tiana dreamed of opening up her own restaurant and she was working so hard in order to save up enough money to do that.

Side note: I can't believe I forgot yesterday was the 12th Anniversary of The Princess and the Frog, it's one of my favorite movies. It was released December 11, 2009 and it's an amazing movie. Although it's belatedly, I want to wish The Princess and the Frog, a Happy Anniversary!