'Cartoon Factory' shatters the fourth wall

The Cartoon Factory (1924/1930)
Starring: Max Fleischer
Directors: Max Fleischer and Dave Fleischer
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

An animator (Fleischer) invents a way to automate the creation of cartoons. This, in turn, leads the animated character Koko the Clown to create a cartoon version of the animator. 

"The Cartoon Factory" doesn't just break the fourth wall--it turns it to dust. Several times over. Not only does Ko-Ko the Clown know that he's a drawing--he's a drawing who understands drawings are just lines that can be put on paper or erased as the creator chooses. And that Ko-Ko can create and erase those lines. It's fascinating to watch Koko go about trying (intentionally or not) to corrupt the animated world he lives in by creating a version of the person who originally animated HIM... and then to watch this creation turn on him, because the creation can never fully become the creator and fiction can never fully escape into reality, nor can reality ever fully merge with fiction. (That's at least the message I took away from this... even if I may be overthinking things.)

I've mentioned before my fondness for cartoons and movies that break the fourth wall in other reviews on this blog, so I enjoyed "The Cartoon Factory" quite a bit. I've seen at least one commentator state that he felt the ending is a result of Fleischers not knowing how to bring the story to a close, but it seems to me that it's simply following the format of the series: Most (if not all) episodes open with Ko-Ko emerging from the animator's inkwell in some fashion, and then returning to it at the end. 

But how about you take a look for yourself, and perhaps let me know your take on this fun fusion of live- and animated-action? You can watch it from this very post, and then use the comments section at the very bottom to sound off.

Trivia: The original version of "The Cartoon Factory" was first released into theaters on Feburary 21, 1924. It was one of roughly 130 silent "Out of the Inkwell" series, all of which combined some degree of live-action footage with animation. (The version embedded in this post, and that forms the basis for this review, was released in 1930 with the soundtrack added.)

It's alluring but ultimately unremarkable

Lookers: Allure of the Serpent (1999)
Script: Barry Gregory
Art: Pat Quinn

Rating: Six of Ten Stars

Sisters Michelle and Tanya Nichols, owners of and lead investigators for Complete Recovery Inc. (CRI), are hired to investigate whether or not it was the Loch Ness Monster is the creature that decapitated man on the lake's shore.

"Lookers" was a series from Avatar Press that ran during the late 1990s, in a string of one-shots, mini-series, and in the pages of the anthology title "Threshold". The title is a pun, as it focused on the adventures of a detective agency headed by a pair of beautiful sisters in their 20s, with Tanya being the pair's brawn and Michelle being the brains. Both were child prodigies, and they are generally the smartest people in whatever room they happen to be in.

The one-shot "Lookers: Allure of the Serpent" is a so-so example of their adventures. It's got an interesting set-up, but it is predictable in every way. The moment the Mort Sidney Company executive seeking to hire CRI mentioned cloning and the "Jurassic Park"-style attraction, I guessed that the "Loch Ness Monster" was their creation and that CRI was not so much being hired to investigate a gruesome death but to serve as a PR vehicle... and that guess was further validated when Michelle was established as an internationally renowned Loch Ness Monster skeptic who had published a scientific paper on the matter while still a child.

Despite its predictability, or perhaps because of it, "Allure of the Serpent" entertains in the same way a low-budget action movie or an episode of a TV drama does; it's enjoyable because you know what's coming (with perhaps a small variation). If viewed as an easily digested piece of formula fiction, "Allure of the Serpent" does it's job, nothing more and nothing less. Even the abrupt ending feels like the way a cheap movie or TV episode might close. (A one-page denouement at the expense of a house ad would have been nice.)

The art is passable, with Pat Quinn delivering some clean and crisp black-and-white drawings that generally keep the eye moving across the pages in the right direction and keeps the story flowing, even if the P.O.V.'s in  some of his panels don't quite make sense. Barry's Gregory dialog is also reasonable, always natural-seeming even with the plenty of wordy exchanges between some of the characters. Unfortunately, the speech balloons communicating those exchanges are sometimes  laid out in ways that are counterproductive to easy reading.

There are some random touches that I suppose are artifacts of how Avatar (and many other publishers) during the late 1980s and through the 1990s marketed their wares--with sex and nudity and more sex in the pages of the comics. Because, dontchayaknow--comics are for adults now!

In "Allure of the Serpent", we get a bizarre scene of a guy grabbing his girlfriend 's boobs at a time and place that makes no sense contextually nor reflects that dialog in the panels where it happens... and we're treated to a little full-frontal nudity courtesy of Tanya after she gets dunked in the lake by Nessie. While the second scene can be viewed as in keeping with the genre "Lookers" emulates, the first one is out of place and just a little gross.

I suppose I could also mention the fact that our heroines probably shouldn't have just worn swimsuits onto Loch Ness; I understand the water there is consistently fairly cold. (Although I could be wrong... and this IS a comic book after all. Skintight outfits are required for male and female characters whenever there's even a slight reason for one.)

In the end, like the low-budget action films it reminds me of, "Lookers: Allure of the Serpent" is entertaining but generally unremarkable... and perhaps the best thing about it is its poster (or cover in this case).

Princesses of Mars, Part 34

 The latest Mars Rover has sent back pictures of life on Mars--the beautiful Princesses of Mars!

The Avengers: Death at Bargain Prices

Death at Bargain Prices (1965)
Starring: Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg, Andre Morell, T.P. McKenna, John Castor, and Allen Cuthbertson
Director: Charles Crichton
Rating: Ten of Ten Stars

When the mysterious death of a government agent traces back to a department store owned by a reclusive millionaire (Morrel), top secret agents John Steed (Macnee) and Emma Peel (Rigg) uncover a scheme to wipe London from the map and hold the entirety of Great Britian for ransom.

"Death at Bargain Prices" is another perfect episode of "The Avengers". We get great banter between Steed and Peel; we have a fascinating and highly intelligent villain who very nearly bests our heroes--even after he himself has been defeated; we a talented supporting cast portraying interesting characters among whom it's difficult for both the Avengers and the viewers to tell ally from enemy; and we have the unusual setting of a high-end department store used effectively and to its fullest extent.

From serving as a vehicle for veiled observations on the way British society was changing in the 1960s--with centuries-old class structures and gender roles melting and morphing and melding, something that's also embodied in the styles and characterizations of both John Steed and Emma Peel--to providing a backdrop from the climactic confrontation between the Avengers and the villains who want to blow up London.

As Steed and Peel conduct their investigation--with Steed undercover as an efficiency expert, and Peel (under protest) taking a job there (under protest) as a shop girl--we get to see that some floors are the traditional upscale store, with traditional staff divisions, but others are being renovated and out of service for the time being, as they are being reworked for modern days. The owner of the store, an old-school industrialist brilliantly played by Andre Morrell is living in a private apartment and storage area on the facility's top floor, embittered at a society and peers that have rejected him and are leaving him behind. Peels interactions with her male coworkers, and some of Steed's hilarious but over-the-top sexist jokes illustrate how women's place in society was changing. It's all very clever commentary... and it's delivered wrapped up in a package of light-hearted action and excitement.

And that excitement is at its finest during the episodes climactic moments where there is another spectacular mix of the goofy and the deadly serious, as the Steed and Peel square off against the bad guys in a fight that starts in the toy section and moves through the departments of the store, getting increasingly lethal as it goes. Even after the bad guys have been put down, the heroes still have to deal with the issue of finding and stopping a nuclear bomb from going off. 

From beginning to end, and in every way, this is one of the best episodes from Season Four of "The Avengers".

Picture Perfect Snow Day

It's a winter wonderland here at Shades of Gray on this Picture Perfect Wednesday.

We've been making snowmen and sledding...

... and some of us went skiing and made new friends!

But the ski trip wasn't without problems. Some of us forgot our jackets...

... some of us forgot our pants...

... and we're lucky that Yvonne Craig remembered to bring even her ski boots!

The Truth About That Cherry Tree...

The story of young George Washington chopping down a cherry tree and fessing up to the act of vandalism is one of the most enduring tales told about one of the U.S.'s Founding Fathers. It has recently been discovered that, while a cherry tree was indeed chopped down on that sunny day in Virginia in 1738, it was not young George Washington who did it, but a time traveling Joan Blondell.

And what red-blooded American boy wouldn't lie to cover for Joan? Obviously, none of them!

Musical Monday with Winona Oak

Winona Oak is a Swedish singer/songwriter who is squaring off against herself during her first visit to Shades of Gray on this Musical post-Valentine's Day Monday.

Here's hoping you had a better Valentine's Day that the one implied by this song. (And even if you didn't, maybe you will find entertainment in the music and be fascinated by the clever and creatively filmed and trick-laden video that comes with it.

He Doesn't Love Me (2019)

Starring: Winona Oak

Director: Andreas Ohman

Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

The Great Cupid Gender Swap

In celebration of Valentine's Day, here's an idea for a campaign subplot and new magic item. (All text in this post is released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright 2020 Steve Miller.)


Cupid's insane sister, Himera, has trapped him in a pocket dimension, and she has taken over as the Spirit of Love. She wants to move up from mere minor entity to full-fledged god, and she is appearing to characters with Charisma scores of 16 or better, and Wisdom scores of 12 or better, with an offer: "Promise to be loving and kind to those who deserve kindness. Promise to defend and protect romantic lovers wherever you find them. Promise these things, and I will give you power and make you a Soldier in my Army of Love."

 

When a character agrees to be a Soldier in the Army of Love, a silver chain with a heart-shaped ruby pendant appears around his or her neck. The necklace cannot be removed, and, although it does not radiate magic, it is a powerful artifact that grants its wearer the following abilities:

    * +5 bonus to hit with all bows, all bows and missiles they fire are treated as if they are enchanted weapons

    * Use charm person as a spell-like ability a number of times per day equal to the character's Charisma bonus. The character's total levels is the caster level.

    * If the amulet is flipped around so it hangs down between the character's shoulder blades, if the character utters the command word "It's the Power of Love", a pair of ghostly wings appear on his or her back that function as a feather fall spell cast at 20th level. The spell effect is limited to the character, although he or she can share the effect with one other creature (up to Medium-size) if it is embraced tightly.

Himera will continue to appear to the character from time to time, sometimes offering helpful hints in solving whatever problems the character and his or her allies are currently facing, and other times she will ask that assistance be provided to star-crossed lovers under dire threat.

    When the character next gains a level, Himera appears to him or her and demands that the character become a Priest/Cleric/Mystic (or whatever class casts divine magic in your campaign). If the character refuses, he or she, and close friends, allies, and others he or she cares about, are transported to the pocket dimension where Cupid is imprisoned. They must then help the actual Spirit of Love escape from captivity and put his sister back where she belongs.

    Even if the character chooses to become a priest of Himera, at some point he or she is bound to do something that offends the capricious entity and will find him- or herself banished with all their friends and loved ones to Cupid's prison.

The Avengers Dossier, Page Three

And now, we take it's time for another brief look at a supporting player from the 1965/1966 season of "The Avengers".

CAROLINE BLAKISTON

In "The Gravediggers", Caroline Blakiston plays Miss Thirlwell, a nurse at a hospital that hides many secrets.

Born in 1933, Blakiston got her start as an actress on stage, but soon transitioned to television where she found success and a career that has spanned six decades. 

Among the many series she's had recurring or starring roles on are "Poledark" (2015-2018), "Brass" (1983-1990), The Ceasers (1968), "No Cloak, No Dagger" (1963), and "City Beneath the Sea" (1962). She was also regularly cast in parts large and small in various adaptations of Agatha Christie novels and stories during the 1980s and 1990s, as well as being cast as three different characters in three different episodes in both "The Avengers" (in 1961, 1965, and 1967) and "Midsomer Murders" (in 2005, 2009, and 2016).

 
Blakiston has also had roles in numerous television and big screen movies, including a small but important role as Mon Mothma in "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi" (1983).

'Mabel's Strange Predicament' is worth witnessing

Mabel's Strange Predicament (1914)

Starring: Mabel Normand, Charlie Chaplin, Chester Conklin, Harry McCoy, and Alice Davenport

Director: Mabel Normand

Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

A drunk (Chaplin) causes chaos in an hotel and generates romantic strife between couples staying there by making it appear as though a young woman (Normand) is having an affair with a married man (Conklin).

In addition to just being lots of fun, and therefore worth seeing for everybody, "Mabel's Strange Predicament" is a historical artifact that film history buffs need to see for a number of different reasons.

First, this is one of the early incarnations of what we now recognize at the sit-com. We've got characters of markedly different types and circumstances interacting  in a single space, and we have a situation that escalates due to misunderstandings and lack of communication between the characters. (This story structure and configuration has older roots--in French farces, for example--but every element of a sit-com is so clearly present here that it's worth checking out. (Personally, I also found the changes in social standards that have happened in the past 100 years fascinating. Much of the comedy here hinges on Mabel being locked out of her hotel room in pajamas--any time after 1950, I imagine a young lady dressed like that would be embarrassed about having to go to the lobby and ask for help, but she would have to be wearing a sexy negligee or less for the level of mortification that Mabel displays here.)

Second, this was the first film that featured Charlie Chaplin in his "Little Tramp" get-up. According to some sources, the character was conceived in collaboration between Chaplin and director/co-star Mabel Normand in order to give the drunk that Chaplin plays in in this film a unique flair while also emphasizing Chaplin's strengths as a performer. It was a move that saved Chaplin's film career, as Mack Sennett was getting ready to fire Chaplin because he was not adapting well to the differences between performing on stage and performing for cameras. Normand, who had spent most of her working life in front of or behind film cameras, convinced Sennett to give Chaplin some leeway, and over the several films they made together, she taught Chaplin everything she knew... and, eventually, the student became the master! In a quirk of fate that probably went a long way to helping Chaplin perfect the first, more obnoxious incarnation of the Little Tramp character, he ended up starring as the character in a mostly ad-libbed, last minute production. When work on "Mabel's Strange Predicament" was halted due to bad weather, Chaplin and a couple camera crews were dispatched by producer Sennett  to create a film in front of  a crowd attending a soapbox race who had no idea what was going on with Chaplin engaging in antics. (Click here to check out that very funny short film.) 

Of course, "Mabel's Strange Predicament" is also worth seeing for anyone who just wants a few minutes of fun. And you can do so, right here from this post by clicking on the embedded video below!