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Night Court Theme Fits All: Automan

Posted on 27 May 2022 by Andrew WickliffePosted in Automan, VideosLeave a comment

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The Spirit (June 29, 1941) “The Balkan Ball”12 April 2026
Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes (1977) #2438 April 2026
The Spirit (June 22, 1941) “The Tale of the Dictator’s Reform”6 April 2026
The Spirit (June 15, 1941) “Dusk and Twilight”2 April 2026
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ONESIES

22.6 Patriarchal Hunks (Almost Done), or: Maximum Bob (1998) 6 of 7
2 May 2026
22.5 Unharmed Canines (Low Bars), or: Maximum Bob (1998) 5 of 7
24 April 2026
22.4 Disappointments (Flambé Terrorists), or: Maximum Bob (1998) 4 of 7
17 April 2026
22.3 Familiar Faces (Judicial Misconduct), or: Maximum Bob (1998) 3 of 7
11 April 2026
22.2 Please Clap (Big Yucks), or: Maximum Bob (1998) 2 of 7
3 April 2026

709 Meridian

Masters of the Universe (1987) audio commentary - 709 Meridian - watch-along
1 May 2026
Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010) audio commentary - 709 Meridian - watch-along
31 March 2026
The Adventures of Hercules (1985) audio commentary - 709 Meridian - watch-along
11 October 2025
Hercules (1983) audio commentary - 709 Meridian - watch-along
16 September 2025
Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold (1986) audio commentary - 709 Merdiian - watch-along
2 September 2025

Briefly (9 May 2026)
Comics

Blue Beetle (1967) #1 W: D.C. Glanzman, Steve Ditko. A: Steve Ditko. Fun first issue for BEETLE; however, the QUESTION backup ends up overshadowing it. The feature's fun, with some great art--Ditko's doing a ballet--but the much shorter QUESTION has more plot and more character. Even with the new BEETLE's origin in question in the feature. The art's downright delightful even if the typeset word balloons don't play.

Blue Beetle (1967) #2 W: D.C. Glanzman, Steve Ditko. A: Steve Ditko. BEETLE's secret origin involves killer robots, mad scientists, secret islands, and the original Blue Beetle. There's not much more to it, except the framing device, which has his love interest in danger as well. It's fine, but nothing special (other than Ditko doing a pin-up). The Question backup is similarly ho-hum. Just fighting a science criminal.

Blue Beetle (1967) #3 W: D.C. Glanzman, Steve Ditko. A: Steve Ditko. BEETLE gets back on track with a strong feature. The formula seems to be basic science hero plot. The bad guys steal Beetle's gun and use it to rob banks, even if they can't figure out how to shoot it. Gorgeous movement in Ditko's visual ballet. The Question backup's better, too. Okay mystery, no subplots, implied politics, excellent art.

Blue Beetle (1967) #4 W: Steve Ditko, Steve Skeates. A: Steve Ditko. And off again... when the BEETLE feature doesn't just have Ted after science crooks, it flops. Worse, there's not the action ballet. Here, he's tracking the original BB to a remote island on an archelogical expedition and there's an evil cult. Yawn. The Question backup's weird, too. Office infighting, bland villains. All Ditko's energy seems spent (four issues in).

Blue Beetle (1967) #5 [1968] W: D.C. Glanzman, Steve Ditko. A: Steve Ditko. Self-parody about how the squares will inherit the Earth. In the feature, Beetle and guest star Vic Sage battle evil, nihilistic young artists. Ted and Vic are mad they don't love [white supremacist dog whistle] enough. Oof. The QUESTION backup has Vic torturing the bad guy to radicalize him into psychosis, thereby requiring apprehension. Middling (for Ditko) art.

Blue Beetle (1967) #6 [1974] W: D.C. Glanzman, Steve Ditko. A: Steve Ditko. Leadenly portentous but solid "issue" (unpublished until a fan publication did so) has Ted Kord once again in trouble with the law, while the court of public opinion is condemning scientists, science, and Blue Beetle! The villain's a mostly invisible man, so even without the best Ditko ballet, the physical stuff is still great. It's just also incredibly goofy.

Movies

Barton Fink (1991) D: Joel Coen. S: John Turturro, John Goodman, Judy Davis, Steve Buscemi, Tony Shalhoub. Newly successful New York playwright Turturro goes to Hollywood, quickly discovering his "common man" hotel is a dump and he's got writer's block. Plus, there's something a little odd about neighbor Goodman. Throw in a famous author, Pearl Harbor, and some murder, and... the Coen Brothers don't find the movie. Some great filmmaking and good acting, but it misses.

Crime Doctor's Man Hunt (1946) D: William Castle. S: Warner Baxter, Ellen Drew, William Frawley, Ivan Triesault, Claire Carleton. Despite an interesting mystery--albeit not a mysterious one--the entry can't overcome Castle's repetitive, rote direction. Yes, it's soundstage after soundstage but it's always the same shot during the endless expository scenes. Excellent Baxter with a flashlight sequence, and both the photography and music have their moments. If any of the supporting cast worked out, it might've clicked.

Just Before Dawn (1946) D: William Castle. S: Warner Baxter, Adele Roberts, Martin Kosleck, Marvin Miller, Robert Barrat. Banal (but lethal) entry involves Baxter happening upon a poisoning ring and a plastic surgery for wanted criminals concern. They're barely connected (but still less contrived than Baxter's entry into the case), which means the mystery isn't particularly involving. Baxter's more an adventurer this time around; it doesn't play. Even with the thin parts, the performances are okay enough.

Millennium (1989) D: Michael Anderson. S: Kris Kristofferson, Cheryl Ladd, Daniel J. Travanti, Robert Joy, Maury Chaykin. Too high concept, too low budget sci-fi about the correlation and not causation of time travelers and airplane crashes. Kristofferson's a no-nonsense flight investigator, Ladd's a mystery woman who's sometimes a sex kitten, other times a badass future warrior. They do not appear to enjoy kissing each other; Kristofferson makes his adject disinterest obvious. Ladd's eventually appealing.

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