TV Show Review: Doom Patrol season 2

Doom Patrol season 2

Premiere Date: Jun 25, 2020

Exec. Producers: Jeremy Carver, Geoff Johns, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Chris Dingess

Cast: Timothy Dalton, Matt Bomer, Joivan Wade, Riley Shanahan, April Bowlby, Diane Guerrero

Genre: Action & adventure, Comedy-drama

Network: DC Universe (Season 2)

HBO Max

Doom Patrol is a team of traumatized and downtrodden superheroes, each of whom has suffered a horrible accident that gave them superhuman abilities but also left them scarred and disfigured. The members of the team have found their purpose through The Chief and have come together to investigate some of the world's weirdest phenomena. After The Chief mysteriously disappears, though, the reluctant heroes find themselves called to action by Cyborg, who comes to them with a mission that they cannot refuse. Doom Patrol -- part support group, part superhero team -- is a band of superpowered freaks fighting for a world that wants nothing to do with them.

Doom Patrol season 2 on HBO Max was just what I've come to expect with this acid-trip random-ass puppet show. DC brings the full array of nutballs and whack jobs from their closet, dusts them off, and lets them play house all over the screen. The show is intensely dark, weird, makes no sense at times, and yet makes all the sense in the universe at others. It's a mixed bag of Spam and Candy Canes in one bite. Yet, it freaking works!

As we pick up on season 2, we get to know Dorthy a lot better. She has her "friends" that make appearances here and there. But the main theme is the Candle Maker, we don't know what's up with the guy, but bad news is the theme. Jane continues to battle with all the voices inside her, the struggle to control and contain is draining on her and it gets hard to watch at times. And yet, I can't look away.

Cliff is still struggling to just BE. He's not happy most of the time and continues to find ways to blame everyone around him, yet we want him to find peace. Rita and Larry are in the same boat as well. We want them both to find peace, master their powers, and live a life that will be meaningful to them. However, nothing is ever easy in this universe and so the wash, rinse, repeat goes on and on. And yet, I can't look away.

Cyborg.....I don't know what to say, except he's so on his high horse at times. Almost judgmental. Which I find out of place with all the other characters. And yet, I can't look away!

Danny the Street has got to be one of my favorite characters from any of the shows I've recently watched. I would party there any day, any time! The world that DC has created draws you in and won't let you go. It is so weird and thus why it is so great. I can't look away, and I sure as hell don't want to.

Getting 4 and 1/2 Crowley Sheep

KD

TV Show Review: Swamp Thing: Season 1

Swamp Thing: Season 1

Network: CW, Oct 8, 2020

Exec. Producers: James Wan, Mark Verheiden, Gary Dauberman, Michael Clear, Len Wiseman

Cast: Crystal Reed, Andy Bean, Derek Mears, Virginia Madsen, Henderson Wade, Maria Sten

Genre: Action & Adventure, Superhero fiction, Horror fiction, Drama

Original Network: DC Universe, May 31, 2019

While looking into an epidemic in her Louisiana hometown, CDC investigator Abby Arcane discovers that the local swamps hold numerous secrets after her partner seemingly dies and transforms into Swamp Thing.

Let me start by saying I haven't read DC's Swamp Thing comics. So I don't know what's cannon.

I decided not to review Swamp Thing after watching the first episode. I wasn't sure how I felt and wanted to give it a few more episodes...then I watched episode 2. Oh yeah, this is my kind of show.

Episode 1 is slow. They have to set up the characters and you find out who becomes the Swamp Thing and why. In episode 2 we jump right into the dark, supernatural side of the show. This is pure drama, horror, creepy, action stuff. Think Supernatural without the funny parts. But that's okay! We are losing Supernatural soon, and while this isn't the same, it can soften the blow.

Swamp Thing was made for the DC Universe streaming service which failed. Leaving it and many other shows homeless. Most went to HBO but the CW bought Swamp Thing. It is obvious it wasn't made for network TV. Lots of cussing (which is censored) and some pretty intense violence which might be censored a bit. There is a high creep factor! Even I got the heebie-jeebies.

I am looking forward to watching more and hope there will be another season!

4.5 "Swamp" Sheep

SharonS

Sheep Movie Review: Joker (2019)

Joker (2019)
Oct 3, 2019
Directed By: Todd Phillips
Written By: Todd Phillips, Scott Silver
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Bill Camp, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen

Rating: R (for strong bloody violence, disturbing behavior, language, and brief sexual images)

Genre: Action & Adventure, Drama, Mystery & Suspense

Runtime: 122 minutes
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures

"Joker" centers around the iconic arch nemesis and is an original, standalone fictional story not seen before on the big screen. Phillips' exploration of Arthur Fleck, who is indelibly portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, is of a man struggling to find his way in Gotham's fractured society. A clown-for-hire by day, he aspires to be a stand-up comic at night...but finds the joke always seems to be on him. Caught in a cyclical existence between apathy and cruelty, Arthur makes one bad decision that brings about a chain reaction of escalating events in this gritty character study.

Wow...there is so much to unpack with this movie. But let's get this out of the way...I loved it. It is dark and brutal and sad but it is one of the best villain character developments I've seen on the screen. The writers and directors got this one right. It was so believable, which is why it is disturbing. My emotions were everywhere. The more I think about it, the more I like it.

It does move slow, but it has to in the beginning. Once the Joker accepts his fate things get exciting and violent. I liked how they tied in Bruce Wayne's fate and the reason why the Joker laughs like he does.

Joker is a dark movie but from a storytelling point of view, it is brilliant.

5 "Send in the clowns" Sheep

SharonS

Fiction Corporations: Which one would you work for?

Fictional Corporations

I set out to make a list of fictional corporations and ask who you would like to work for. I went a little overboard. So take a look and let me know which one you would want to work for.

I pick Stark Industries that way I can run into Steve Rogers, Thor, Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson, and Tony Stark...cause have you seen them?!

WICKED

(World In Catastrophe: Killzone Experiment Department)
“WICKED is Good”The Maze Runner novels by James Dashner. Book one released in 2009. Formed to find a cure for the Flare.

For the movie adaptation, it was changed to WCKD (World Catastrophe Killzone Department).

S.T.A.R. Labs 

(Scientific and Technological Advanced Research Labs)
Fictional scientific research facility and organization in DC Comics. First appeared in Superman #246 (December 1971).

Combine Honnete Ober Advancer Mercantiles (CHOAM)
A universal development corporation in Frank Herbert's science fiction Dune universe (1965 novel, Dune)

Acme Corp.
Most noted for the Road Runner/Wile E. Coyote cartoons from Looney Tunes. Also mentioned in an I Love Lucy episode.

Sirius Cybernetics Corp
"Share and Enjoy."
The design and creation of a wide range of robots and labor-savingdevices from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams.

Soylent Corp.
“Soylent; feeding the world, one person at a time.”Soylent Green; a green wafer to contain "high-energy plankton" from the World Ocean, more nutritious and palatable than its predecessors "Red" and "Yellow" but in short supply. It uses people.

Soylent Green is a 1973 American science fiction film directed by Richard Fleischer and loosely based on the 1966 science fiction novel Make Room! Make Room! by Harry Harrison. 

Tyrell Corporation
"More human than human"
A powerful high-tech corporation primarily concerned with the production of androids. From the 1982 Ridley Scott film Blade Runner.

Wayne Enterprises
It is among the oldest companies in the DC Universe. Owned and chaired by Bruce Wayne, who is also Batman.

The Globex Corporation
In The Simpsons universe. Run by Hank Scorpio. Disguised as a friendly and innocent high-tech company, Globex is actually a front for an evil organization that Hank Scorpio uses to take over the East Coast

Umbrella Corp.
"Obedience Breeds Discipline, Discipline Breeds Unity, Unity Breeds Power, Power is Life."
An international pharmaceutical company in the Resident Evil universe. he lab below Raccoon City developed the "T-virus" which escaped and infected the world.

Wonka IndustriesThe Willy Wonka Candy Company was created in the pages of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

SPECTRE

(SPecial Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion) is a fictional organization featured in the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming. Led by evil genius and supervillain Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the international organization first formally appeared in the novel Thunderball (1961) and in the film Dr. No (1962).

Stark Industries
"Consulting in the Future."
A technology company that develops and manufactures advanced weapon and defense technologies, published by Marvel Comics. The company is owned and run by Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man. It builds the helicarriers used by S.H.I.E.L.D, and the Quinjets used by the Avengers.

Parker IndustriesA multibillion-dollar conglomerate appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Gringotts Wizarding Bank
Harry Potter books by JK Rowling
Is the only bank of the wizarding world, and is owned and operated by goblins. Located in Diagon Alley (North Side), Charing Cross Road, London, England, Great Britain

Oscorp
A fictional multibillion-dollar multinational corporation appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Produced the spider that bit Peter Parker - Spiderman

Nakatomi Trading Corp
Nakatomi Corporation, a fictional corporation in the motion picture Die Hard and its sequels

Spacely Space Sprockets 

The Jetsons
Spacely Space Sprockets, Inc. is a company in Orbit City that manufactures sprockets. It is owned by Cosmo Spacely. Its main business rival is Cogswell's Cogs.

International Genetic Technologies
Jurassic Park

"We Make Your Future" —InGen's slogan(src)
The InGen Corporation, or InGen, is a bioengineering start-up company founded by John Hammond. They perform research to clone extinct animals, expose them in a theme park called Jurassic Park.

Omni Consumer Products 

Robocop
A corporatocratic mega-corporation that creates products for virtually every consumer need, has entered into endeavors normally deemed non-profit and even manufactured an entire city to be maintained exclusively by the corporation. OCP owns and operates a privatized Detroit Police Department and have been known to secretly work with criminals to achieve their goals.

LexCorp

Superman
Is a fictional megacorporation appearing in American comic book published by DC Comics. Owned by billionaire entrepreneur Lex Luthor, the company is based in Metropolis and its headquarter is LexCorp Tower.

Weiland-Yutani

Alien franchise
"Building better worlds." ―Company slogan
The Weyland-Yutani Corporation is a technology supplier, manufacturing synthetics, spaceships and computers.

Cyberdyne Systems Corp.Terminator

Cyberdyne eventually develops Skynet, a network of supercomputers that employ artificial intelligence in order to replace human beings as commercial and military aircraft pilots, and for the control of other military systems, including nuclear missiles. The system goes online on August 4, 1997. On August 29, 1997, Skynet becomes self-aware.

Monsters, Inc.Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures energy-producing factory Monsters, Inc. – top scarer James P. "Sulley" Sullivan and his one-eyed partner and best friend Mike Wazowski. Employees at Monsters, Inc. generate their city's power by scaring human children, but they themselves are afraid that the children are toxic to them.

Blue Sun

(Firefly) Blue Sun is on every planet, in every home. For all its fame, it is one of the most shadowy institutions in the 'Verse. One of Blue Sun's niches is in the consumer staples market Blue Sun's other market is in electronic technological advancements. Joss Whedon once described Blue Sun as a combination of Microsoft and Coca-Cola.

Roxxon Energy Corporation

(Marvel) Roxxon Energy Corporation first appeared in Captain America #180 (December 1974), formerly known as Roxxon Oil Company) it is a fictional massive petroleum corporation.

Yoyodyne 

A fictional defense contractor in Thomas Pynchon’s novels, Star Trek, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, a client of the law firm Wolfram and Hart on the television series Angel.

Pym Technologies/Cross Technologies

Ant-Man

It was located on Treasure Island in San Francisco. Pym Technologies was a technology and scientific research company which specializes in nanotechnology and human enhancements, as well as molecular and atomic studies. Hank Pym was voted out and, Darren Cross, became the new CEO and rebranded the company to Cross Technologies.

Queen Consolidated

Is a fictional business company in the DC Comics universe and on Arrow. It was founded by the family of Oliver Queen, better known as Green Arrow (in the comics)

Kord Enterprises

Is a fictional multibillion-dollar multinational research and development corporation in the DC Comics universe. It is owned and run by scientist and businessman Ted Kord, the superhero Blue Beetle.
First appearance: Captain Atom #83 (November 1966)

Stagg Enterprises

First appearance Brave and the Bold #58 (March 1965)
Founded by CEO and billionaire Simon Stagg who has offices in New York City, Los Angeles, and Gotham City. His company is responsible for pioneering new, innovative methods in the fields of engineering, chemistry, and genetics.

Winning the Internet this Week...Avengers vs Justice League

Gotta wait for Batman at the end...

Comic Review: Scooby Apocalypse issue #1 (of 10) from DC

Scooby Apocalypse issue #1
Art by: Howard Porter
Cover by: Jim Lee
Scripter J.M. DeMatteis, Keith Giffen
Story By Keith Giffen, Jim Lee
Variant cover by: Neal Adams, Joëlle Jones, Ben Caldwell, Dan Panosian, Howard Porter
May 25 2016
DC Comics
Series: SCOOBY APOCALYPSE 2016
Color/B&W: Color
Page Count: 32
Those meddling kids—Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and their dog, Scooby-Doo—get more ghost-debunking than they bargained for when faced with a fundamental change in their world. The apocalypse has happened. Old rules about logic no longer apply. The creatures of the night are among us, and the crew of the Magical Mystery Machine has to fight to survive—because in the apocalyptic badlands of the near-future, the horrors are real!

This new monthly series takes Scooby and the gang to a whole new level and features character designs by comics superstar Jim Lee!

 

This is a comic I didn't know I needed until I saw it! I ran across the cover of Scooby Apocalypse from DC (I know, right?!) and had so many emotions... Scooby Doo was a constant in my youth, so reading this was a no-brainer. And I am glad to say, I was not disappointed.

This is a type of re-boot. The gang doesn't know each other yet. Daphne and Fred work together on a Mysterious Mysteries reality show. They are meeting with a scientist whistle-blower from at secret government lab, who turns out to be Velma. The lab had been doing experiments on dogs...see where this is going? Scooby is a failed experiment (he wasn't aggressive enough). Shaggy, who is flocking sexy now, is a dog trainer brought in to help take care of the animals. Guess who he bonds with?

There is the typical evil corporation releasing nanites to infect the world and make people less violent, but...dum, dum, dum...the evil people in charge have other plans. At the end of issue #1 the nanites have been released, but the gang is in a protected bunker. There is a multi-page story at the end about what happened to Scooby and how he meets Shaggy.

My one knock on the comic is the text heavy speech bubbles. There are more than I normally find in comics. But the story is well written and the artwork is fantastic! I love the gangs updated look...did I mention how hot Shaggy is now?

Look! Sheeple...

I will definitely be checking out the rest in this series. And if you are a Scooby fan, you should too.

4.5 "Rut-ro" Sheep

SharonS