Alan Rapp

The Pretender – Ranger Jarod

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: The Pretender – Ranger Jarod
  • wiki: link

Throwback Tuesday takes us back to another episode featuring a man who can be anyone he wants to be. Jarod (Michael T. Weiss) joins a search group to find a missing college student in the middle of a national forest. This is one of the few examples of the series where Jarod impulsively leaps into action prior to doing a hefty amount of preparation and research, setting up an identity, and leaving clues for the Centre to follow. Despite evidence that the missing boy been injured and washed downstream, Jarod and another volunteer in the search, Nia (Elpidia Carrillo), continue searching the mountain where they discover a plane crash, drug money, and uncover a murder by another ranger (John Posey).

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Devil’s Reign #2

/ / Comics

Devil’s Reign continues with the heroes on the run (and others already in prison), Spider-Man being lured into a trap at The Daily Bugle to get the crap kicked out of him by Taskmaster, and the Kingpin making threats against Elektra. While Dr. Octopus engineers a way for the Mayor of New York to make use of the Purple Man to win the election, the heroes throw a swerve and decide it’s Luke Cage (instead of Tony Stark) who should run against him for control of the city.

This is your typical middle issue to a series laying foundation for conflict around the corner, suggesting Otto has his own plans for the technology offered him by the Baxter Building, and giving one hero a brutal ass-kicking. While Spidey is out, I don’t see Beyond or other heroes leaving him out to dry (as his identity would likely compromise others). So, who might show up for a save?

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The Secret of Skeleton Island

/ / Books & Magazines
  • Title: The Secret of Skeleton Island
  • wiki: link

Throwback Tuesday takes us back to a mystery involving the Three Investigators whose mantra of “We Investigate Everything” leads them to take a trip to the abandoned amusement park on Skeleton Island where a movie company’s attempt to film is being compromised by the appearance of a ghost.

There’s a personal connection for our trio as Pete Crenshaw‘s father is involved in the movie. That, and the idea of the three boys doing some scuba diving for a short film side project, provides cover for the Three Investigators. However, word about what they really to look into precedes them getting them stranded on a small island in a storm (the first of two times this will happen in the book) as there are those who will go to great lengths to make sure the secrets of Skeleton Island are never discovered.

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The Djinn

/ / Home Video
  • Title: The Djinn
  • IMDb: link

Written and directed by the team of David Charbonier and Justin Powell, The Djinn plays on several classic horror tropes including children and monsters and the unforeseen price of asking for wishes from a demonic source (Hint: it’s never a good idea).

The film takes place entirely within the apartment of the mute pre-teen Dylan (Ezra Dewey). On night when his father (Rob Brownstein) is at work, Dylan makes use of a satanic book of spells left over from the apartment’s previous tenant and makes a wish. To see his wish granted, he’ll need to survive an hour of being hunted by a malevolent creature known as the Djinn (a mix of CGI and performances from multiple actors including John Erickson, Donald Pitts, and Tevy Poe).

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Once and Future #23

/ / Comics

Most of Once and Future #23 involves the armed standoff between Bridgette and her daughter hoping something in the secret armory of William Shakespeare can help her other son who is now being hunted by another Galahad. Eventually mother and daughter come to an understanding, Nimue decides not to shoot her mother and Duncan, Bridgette, and Rose leave her whatever they aren’t taking to help summon a water god as an ally in the increasingly out-of-control conflict. Despite the tension, no one dies and both sides go their separate ways.

The issue is a rarity in that, while still well done, is one you could skip without missing much of a beat. Other threads include Merlin stressing and yet another story being brought into the mix when a parlay with the fairies leads to three magic beans and a beanstalk.

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