New production of The Addams Family TV Series

Just now at the AddamsFest event "Charles Addams: New York State of Mind", the concept of the new series of The Addams Family in development for television is Wednesday Addams is a teenager in a private school in New England. The words were spoken by the Tee & Charles Addams Foundation Director Kevin Miserocchi. Last week it was announced that Tim Burton will produce and maybe also direct all of the episodes.

Charles Addams: A New York State of Mind, Oct. 29

Pulled from the Facebook event listing:

Missing Manhattan amidst the pandemic? We’re bringing the energy of the city to Westfield during AddamsFest! 

Tee & Charles Addams Foundation Director Kevin Miserocchi sits down with Westfield resident and Inside Edition correspondent Les Trent for an intimate fireside chat about the saucy side of his friend Charlie’s life in New York City, and a new collection of Addams’ cartoons, Addams’ Apple: The New York Cartoons of Charles Addams. 

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Kevin Miserocchi will also present a specially commissioned, forged bronze bust of Charles Addams to the Town of Westfield in honor of its 300th anniversary and to commemorate Westfield’s place in Addams’ life and art.

The event will be streamed on Facebook Live at no cost, and participants can submit questions for consideration using the form at addamsfest.com/nystateofmind.

Tour the Swamp: In anticipation of the event, get a rarely seen glimpse of Charles and Tee Addams’ home in the Hamptons (“The Swamp”) -- including the pet cemetery where they were buried, and a residence featuring a curious collection of skeletons, embalmed bats, swords, flasks, photos with famous friends, and so much more. Available for viewing at addamsfest.com/nystateofmind.

📚 Get the book: Can’t attend the in-person event but want to purchase the book? Order it from the The Town Book Store through November 7 and receive a 13% discount. Contact the Town Book Store at anne@townbookstore.com or 908-233-3535 to order your book.

Joe Bob Briggs The Last Drive-In on Shudder - Halloween Horror Double Feature

Don't forget to watch the Halloween special on Shudder with Joe Bob Briggs The Last Drive-In. Oct. 23, 2020 9pm Eastern, airing live followed by a live Instagram Q&A.

From Facebook:

In case you missed it yesterday, here are some answers to FAQ: 

*It's a double feature

* It can be watched Friday via Shudder (the live stream is under Shudder TV)

* If you have Shudder via Amazon Prime, you can't watch it Friday (because Prime doesn't carry the live stream)

*It will go On Demand on Shudder on Sunday. (Hopefully also on Prime on Sunday, but sometimes Amazon delays it)

*It will air Friday and go on demand Sunday both in the USA and Canada. Other regions will have the 2nd movie on demand * It will not air tonight on AMC+ but will go on demand there on Sunday

 * Code JBBSHUDDER will get you a free 14-day trial of Shudder

Promo video https://www.facebook.com/JoeBobBriggs/videos/698243807484307/

October 2020 Playlist

Enjoy this Spotify playlist for the Mighty Demons, Little Devils, Handsome Vampires and Clever Witches: Music for the autumn equinox inspired by textures, sounds, and sights while lurking in the dark caverns of a deserted city of lost souls.

Working from home during the pandemic, I can't complain. However, the unusual challenge of doing everything during a pandemic has kept this blog from being updated often.

What has the Korner been watching/looking forward to watching?

1. "A Discovery of Witches" on Shudder, SundanceNow, and AMC/AMC Plus. The 2nd season comes to those channels in the USA on January 9, one day after it airs in the UK on SKY TV. The show is based on the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. While the books may be more young adult-oriented, they still are a good read so if you binge-watch the eight episodes of season 1 and don't want to wait until January to find out what happens in Season two, consider taking time to buy the books from your local bookseller or borrow them from your local library.
2. "Babylon Berlin" on Netflix has just released its 3rd season. It is for fans of a foreign mystery, historical dramas, and the Weimar period. The music is incredible. If you also follow "Deutschland 83" and "Deutschland 86", soon "Deutschland 89" will be available on Sundance TV starting October 29. Hulu carries the prior two seasons.
3. "Woke" on Hulu is based on the life of cartoonist Keith Knight. It explores racial issues of his life, his work as an artist, and his relationships. Keith is played by Lamorne Morris who was recently interviewed by The Complex. The show is perfectly timed to be a voice in how racial injustices in the present are a call for criminal justice reform. The episodes are quick and definitely deserve repeat viewing.
4. Truth Seekers is coming to Amazon Prime Video on October 30. Starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, "Paranormal investigators set out to film ghost sightings, but as their supernatural experiences grow more frequent, they begin to uncover a conspiracy that could bring about Armageddon for the entire human race." The director, Jim Field Smith, has directed other comedies, "Episodes" and "Wrecked" for television. It'll be fun just having the stars of Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The End of the World back together again.
5. I haven't watched "50 States of Fright", however probably will soon because there's a report that the app Quibi will be out of business just after 7 months. Christina Ricci stars in Season 2's 6th episode "Red Rum"/Colorado.

Reminder to those who want to find me on social media:

• Facebook
• Instagram

Roger Jackson narrates audio books - check out the titles

While all of you are enjoying your streaming videos and online social events, consider looking at audiobooks to pass the time. Voice actor Roger L. Jackson has narrated some audio books that you can download from Audible. Listen to the samples and hear his vast talent!

Roger L. Jackson on Social Media

Fans of the horror movie series Scream and TV series "The Powerpuff Girls," voice actor Roger L. Jackson is on Cameo if you want to send anyone a msg. for their birthday, anniversary, Easter bunny horror msg.

And don't forget to check out Roger's Twitter site.

Vice.com published an interview with Roger back in October 2019 titled, "'I Knew It Had to Be Sexy' – The Voice of Scream's Ghostface Speaks."

Movie Review: BlacKkKlansman

Spike Lee brings to the forefront a crisis going on in our present day world since Trump became president with the film BlacKkKlansman. It is something you can feel is brewing and it bubbles over much later in the film.

Lee is known for tipping us off with opening credits, and in BlacKkKlansman he begins with a clip from a tragic scene in Gone with the Wind as Scarlet O'Hara runs through the dirt and railroad tracks surrounded by thousands of the wounded civil war soldiers.

The camera pulls away and the film cuts to a b/w 8mm, racist-laden, PSA with a pro-segregationist, a Dr. Kennebrew Beauregard, dramatically portrayed by Alec Baldwin. He seems to be rehearsing a voiceover for this film with repeated false starts. Lee distinctly has Baldwin facing the camera, breaking the fourth wall, and showing Beauregard's character flaws. Also, we're seeing a side of racism against what is now thought of as revolutionary: the Little Rock Nine. Our lesson in this moment is to remind us about the struggle of desegregation of blacks and whites in schools; a short history lesson of what occurred three years following the 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling that stated separate public schools for blacks and whites is unconstitutional.

Next the story arrives in Colorado Springs, CO, which is actually filmed on location in Ossining NY. The story takes place in the early 1970s, but the book from which this movie is based was about events that took place in 1979. In one scene there is a "elect Richard Nixon" poster, therefore moving this timeline back about 7 years. This is, perhaps, Lee's choice to connect the KKK to Nixon's 1968 and 1972 campaigns, mainly reminding us of Nixon's "Southern Strategy" for supporting States' Rights, and that the Republican party continued to use this strategy through the last presidential election.  (Read further about the strategy.)

The story of Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) begins with his job interview for the Colorado Springs Police Dept. While he is working in the records room, he meets a fellow cop that calls him a racist derogatory term. The harassment from this cop is an angle that adds to the tension whenever he cop reappears in the film.

Eventually Stallworth is recruited into the undercover detective work and is asked to attend a Black Panther meeting at a local college. He meets Patrice Dumas (Laura Harrier), the president of the Black Student Union. She is created by Spike Lee to represent the black women of the black power movement.    The speaker at the student union is Stokely Carmichael, aka Kwame Toure, who created the phrase Black Power. Stallworth finds himself in a crowd chanting along for empowerment. In this scene, director Spike Lee gives several of the students in the audience close ups under spotlight -- distinctly three at a time framing just their head and shoulders --while Carmichael tells them that they're beautiful. Dumas meets later on with Stallworth and she questions his role in being there, asking in a less-than-welcoming way if he's the police. She is skeptical; the police's reputation is to shoot innocent black people.

Lee uses opportunities in all of his films to create positive moments within black culture; anything that resonates with socializing, dancing, and singing together. Songs such as "Oh Happy Day," and "Too Late to Turn Back Now," are well known songs with the former released in 1969 and the latter in 1972. The songs were part of the soul, rhythm and blues soundtracks furthering a movement that empowered African Americans in their unified fight against segregation and suppression.

Taking the undercover work to a new level, Stallworth discovers that the Klu Klux Klan are recruiting through a newspaper ad, and leaves a message in a white voice, not which is from actual true story, so it furthers his disguise and adds a bit of humor to Lee's version. In the process of leaving a message, which is on an answering machine, he uses his real name. Stallworth speaking with KKK leader by phone uses his savvy vocal inflections to pretend he hates blacks and Jews, convincingly enough that they want a face-to-face meeting with him. Fellow detective Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver) plays the white Stallworth. Zimmerman executes the task and wins most of the local group over. Adam Driver displays a blend of vulnerability and heroism for this role, and should be considered for nominations as supporting actor.

To play a klan member as an actor, it is probably one of the most difficult to accept roles that the cast will ever experience, but they genuinely appear as fully realized characters; as calculating, conniving propagandists, and lowlife idiots. Spike Lee also doesn't hesitate to let us see how the klan wives are in it for the crusade despite being shut out from their meetings. We see later they're there to do the messy work that their cowardly husbands won't do. Women early on were instrumental in empowering the Klan, and had their "Ladies of the Invisible Empire" gatherings.

Topher Grace is at first unrecognizable, and as the KKK's Grand Wizard, David Duke, he adeptly plays a naive, but oppressive, hatred-gushing, media-savvy racist. We're at a point in time in which Duke is devising a route to gaining political leadership.

Without plot spoiling, there are two speeches that the film offers in parallel to each other. It is so vivid in which every moment is imbued with a sense of horror. KKK members chanting the "America First" phrase, which was resurrected at the most recent presidential campaign stops. Spike Lee wants us to feel we are experiencing history that is repeating itself; a mirror in a sense. His most effective key moments are how he uses the camera as a witness in klan initiation rituals, like the secret handshake, and their viewing parties for watching a horrific 1915 D.W. Griffith film, The Birth of a Nation. 

All throughout BlacKkKlansman is the dramatic score by Terence Blanchard, known for working on over 22 projects by Spike Lee, he orchestrates music not hidden in the background. The score flourishes in the foreground and keeps the scenes from feeling flat.

One song of note is an unreleased track by Prince in the end credits, "Mary Don't You Weep," and Spike Lee says "Prince wanted me to have that song, I don’t care what nobody says. My brother Prince wanted me to have that song. For this film. There’s no other explanation to me. This cassette is in the back of the vaults. In Paisley Park. And all of a sudden, out of nowhere, it’s discovered? Nah-ah. That ain’t an accident [laughs]!"

While the Stallworth story wraps up, Lee transports us to a present day reflection of a painful reminder of what occurred a year ago in Charlottesville, VA. The rise of neo-nazis is happening not just in the U.S. but in several countries in Europe. He doesn't hold back on the footage including present day David Duke attributing his cause to the words of Trump.

The end footage of the violence in Charlottesville beckons us to stay alert and don't let the hate speech or violence win. Don't be complacent while innocent people are wrongfully targeted, are falsely accused of criminal behavior, and often are murdered. Heather Heyer is one of thousands of victims dying in a fight against the rise of hatred.

Further viewing: Jordan Peele on his producer role of BlacKkKlansman.


How you can fight the hate:
https://www.aclu.org/issues/racial-justice
https://www.indivisible.org/
https://www.splcenter.org/
https://www.humanrightsfirst.org/

Movie Review: Ingrid Goes West

If you watched Ingrid Goes West and never once checked your social media accounts, then you don't have the addiction to constantly check social media and, most importantly, you are nothing like the obsessive compulsive character portrayed by Aubrey Plaza.

No other movie has given Aubrey Plaza the opportunity to be so vulnerable like in her role as Ingrid Thorburn in Ingrid Goes West. From the start it is clear that this movie is about a young woman who goes off course in her life when she fanatically tries to be someone she isn't; manipulates her way into the life of someone she found on Instagram to follow and for which to be influenced on what to wear, what to eat, etc. 

The only real honest person in Ingrid's life comes with the friendship she forms with her landlord, Dan Pinto, played by O'Shea Jackson, Jr. He's got a thing for Batman. It is a great angle for him to play with in other aspects of the story involving Ingrid's critical compulsive behavior. Together their antics are less heroic and more mischievous, but he lightens the tragic side of the mentally ill aspect of Ingrid's personality.

Ingrid Goes West shows us how people with their vapid personalities prefer to surround themselves with others like them. In the case of the character of Ingrid, she tries to blend in and be a part of the popular scene, justifies her existence by wining approval and friendship with the most empty-minded social media "influencer," Taylor Sloane.

Elizabeth Olsen plays Taylor Sloane and does an expert portrayal of someone who wants to surround themselves with every new product or trend to post to their page. Poses with the best, verbally declares everything is the best, but without "everything" she literally is no one, nothing.

Unfortunately, if it is not obvious, Ingrid fails to gain more actual, and much needed, close friends nor does she have truly enjoyable emotional experiences by stalking her favorite "manufactured" social media personality. Someone like Taylor Sloane is attractive to others who are unpopular and desire human connections. For the isolated person like Ingrid, sometimes social media interaction is anxiety inducing at its worst. In one instance, Ingrid demonstrates a level of being self-conscious about posting comments, is compelled to get it right to gain her "like" or a reply to the comment. She doesn't want to come off too needy or too quirky, but she wants Taylor to respond so she asks a harmless question while being encouraging. Taylor's response, of course, is life changing to Ingrid to the point where she insinuates herself into Taylor's life at the highest degree of desperation to win her over.

Ingrid Goes West offers an example of how society struggles to never relinquish a grip on their, ironically, "smart" gadgets, and how people avoid facing their true "selfie". However, is abstinence the only answer to our social media madness? What if you're at the point of posting your final vlog and you get a "like" in response, can you still cut yourself off?

Take your "selfie" on a break to explore this:

Techcrunch come up with 9 reasons social media stalking feels so right. -- ask yourself now, are you a stalker? If so, do you have the right equipment? 

Facebook and Instagram announced that they have put into place tools for those that want to know how long they've been using the apps. However some psychologists say that this is not going to reduce or stop the addiction. "'If one is addicted to maximizing ‘likes,’ it seems that these tools are a bit like suggesting to an alcoholic that he/she set an alarm to go off after the first drink or a few drinks — not effective at all,' she said." 

"To use the new tools on Facebook and Instagram, users will need to find them on a settings page and take the time to opt in, which will most likely be a barrier to many people, experts said."

The concept of social media stalking addressed in Ingrid Goes West is exactly why I won't activate a data plan on my cell phone or I'd otherwise fall into the trap of checking into social media no matter where I am. I'm not at all on social media to be an influencer. I typically choose who I follow and don't react by clicking "follow" on any strangers who follow me.  

We all have seen those friends on Facebook aka "crackbook" who post selfies on a regular basis. What is this constant need for attention? We've all learned in the past year that the addiction to social media is built in with each like providing a dopamine hit, from Sean Parker, the founding president of Facebook, "'The thought process that went into building these applications, Facebook being the first of them … was all about: ‘How do we consume as much of your time and conscious attention as possible?’ That means that we need to sort of give you a little dopamine hit every once in a while, because someone liked or commented on a photo or a post or whatever. And that’s going to get you to contribute more content and that’s going to get you … more likes and comments,' he said." 

[Ingrid Goes West Spoilers]
Favorite lines:

• "Maybe its good to be alone once in a while." 
• "If you don't have anyone to share anything with then what's the point of living."

Noted connection to a real world experience:

• Best moment of satire--an inside joke for people who have dined at the vegan affirmation-laden Cafe Gratitude--in the film is a place called the Grateful Kitchen. The vegan cafes are only in SoCal, but just make sure you don't end up at Cafe Attitude.

Read more about the actor's and director's view of social media.

Do you want more movie reviews that offer a comparative insight into our contemporary world? Let me know in the comments.

Keeping Up With the Favorites: Blixa Bargeld & Einstürzende Neubauten

Back in 1998, the Korner interviewed unconventional singer/composer Blixa Bargeld (Einstürzende Neubauten, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds) around the time the album Ende Neu was released. He was in a terrible mood having learned that a representative handling the travel at Nothing Records didn't put him in a better class than coach class on a flight from Los Angeles to Germany. However, Blixa was quite accommodating for the interview and didn't let that upset be a distraction. Nothing Records was licensing Ende Neu for domestic release, but the album originally was released by Mute Records in 1996.

There is not much in book form exclusively about Einstürzende Neubauten, but back in 2011, this book by Jennifer Shyrane, Blixa Bargeld and Einstürzende Neubauten: German Experimental Music: 'Evading do-re-mi' was published and it is one of those well-written academically in-depth ebooks and print rarities. Find it if you can. Blixa provides the Preface to the book. You may only find portions of it on Google.

Fast forward to 2017, let's look at what is happening with the band Einstürzende Neubauten. They were the opening band on January 21, 2017 at the new concert hall, Elbphilharmonie, in Hamburg, Germany. See the video below:


As of this weekend, Blixa was spotted by V. Vale of RE/Search on a plane from Berlin to Copenhagen. Einstürzende Neubauten are performing live in Europe what they call their "greatest hits" from the last 37 years. Here is a review from the May 12 show (if using Chrome, you can translate it). They opened with "The Garden" from Ende Neu.

The formation of the band is covered in this MetalKult interview with Blixa Bargeld about the formation of Einstürzende Neubauten.

Dangerous Minds interviewed Blixa in 2012 about his art show, "Life Patterns."

And just this past April, Blixa was interviewed by Profil.At in which he states he has no relationship with a record label or the music industry, "I have so little to do with industry that it does not concern me personally. Other people take care of my business, and after I do not have a record deal, I'm not guilty of any business. In this respect I can do what I want." Of course, one of those non-music things he does do is cook risotto.


Just in today, photos from their O2 Forum show in Kentish Town, London on May 4, 2017.

The Untold Story of Thee Temple Ov Psychick Youth

This project will only be funded if at least $50,000 is pledged by Thu, Nov 3 2016 8:00 PM PDT.

68th Emmy Awards - Nominees - Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series

The Korner is providing reflections on the 68th Emmy Award nominees. Feel free to comment at the end of this post about your favorites or who doesn't deserve the nomination.

The top pick here is for "The Americans" for the episode "Persona Non Grata," written by Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg (FX Networks). This is a spoiler-free post so all that can be said is that it is the best example of how the team that creates each episode for this intense drama series and executes it perfectly each time. The suspenseful nature of a clandestine meeting is told with meaning by deeply emotional characters. The outcome for the main characters is full of metaphors and the rollercoaster of their story is hovering at the top, readying them for the dive of their lives. Writers Joseph Weisberg and Joel Fields are enjoying their first ever Emmy nomination for "The Americans," which is a longtime coming and so well-deserved.

The Korner cannot speak for the nomination of "Downton Abbey," episode 8 (PBS) written by Julian Fellowes, based on the fact that it is not a show that has been watched by The Korner. It can, however, appreciate the work by Julian Fellowes, a writer who won the Oscar for the screenplay of Gosford Park (2002). Fellowes won the Emmy for writing Downton Abbey in 2011. Fellowes has a talent for detail in the character development. We're sure that Fellowes will be a top vote for many of the Emmy voters.

Many times nominated, one-time winners in 2015 for Outstanding Writing, both David Benioff and D.B. Weiss share the nomination again in 2016 for "Game Of Thrones" for the episode "Battle Of The Bastards" (HBO). Indeed, this is a tremendous feat, writing an epic battle for the end of season 6. Scenes with the key characters are not overwritten and their actions speak much louder. It is an exhausting episode and ends in a victory for the victims. The Korner would not disagree that these writers deserve the Award for Outstanding Writing.

Writers Robert King and Michelle King are facing their second Outstanding Writing nomination for "The Good Wife" and this time for the series finale, "End" (CBS). While The Korner followed this series faithfully, this wasn't the best written episode of "The Good Wife," but perhaps it made an OK finale for the series because of the outcome for the main character. So much had to be packed into this episode. The Kings were previously nominated for the series's pilot episode and as executive producers for Outstanding Drama. The voters could strongly favor them due to the fact that the series has ended and also there is a spin-off on the table, expectedly for the characters played so well by Christine Baranski and Cush Jumbo. We expect that they'll have other guests including Carrie Preston playing Elsbeth Tascioni. (In a future post, we'll talk about supporting actor nominations covering Preston and others). We just hope it means a return of the character played by Archie Panjabi. The Korner would be shocked that it would win the top Outstanding Writing vote by the Emmy voters.

Sam Esmail is a newer writer and producer, most famous for the show for which he is nominated, "Mr. Robot" and its pilot, "eps1.0_hellofriend.mov," (USA). Regrettably, The Korner didn't make time in its schedule to watch "Mr. Robot," but appreciates and understands this newcomer being an underdog in the competition, however is not sure it can top the votes against the above list. Maybe in 2017 after it has at least two seasons behind it. (Edit: The Korner will watch Season 1, perhaps even Season 2, before The Emmy Awards air).

The other tough-to-win contender is for Marti Noxon and Sarah Gertrude Shapiro for "UnREAL" and the episode "Return" on (Lifetime). Noxon is well-known to The Korner for her work on Joss Whedon's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" from 1997-2002. Definitely she's overdue for an Emmy win and this is her first Emmy nomination, but do the voters watch "UnREAL"? It is an interesting concept of how reality shows get made. I think Noxon and Shapiro have a hard battle to win this Emmy, just as much as perhaps "Mr. Robot," but it is a key nomination as the third season of "UnREAL" is being developed.

Teechip Baits You and Scams You

"A special design for all the true fans! (lb.1))" -- was the title of the Teechip sponsored ad that appeared in my newsfeed soon after I loaded Facebook 13 days ago. I was using my tablet, which doesn't have the ad blocker feature that I use in a browser on my laptop. If I hadn't seen that ad, I wouldn't have made a mistake of buying the product. I filed a claim and their response was typical of what I've read others have received in filing a claim:

We have reviewed your claim and unfortunately we will be unable to offer you compensation for the following reason(s):
We were able to confirm that the artwork printed is the artwork advertised. Per our Terms of Service, we are only able to send replacements for items that are materially flawed. This is a result of our products being custom-printed and unique to each campaign. As the product does not deviate from what was advertised we do not consider your received item materially flawed. Please see the attached image detailing the advertised campaign.
Your claim has now been closed. We apologize that there is nothing more we can do at this time. Please let us know if you have any other questions, and we hope to see you on TeeChip again soon!

Do you think that the attached image they used (without my markup, below right) with the item I received (below left, without markup) deviates from what was advertised? (click the image to pop open a larger photo):

The artist who created the design in photoshop should not be blamed for what Teechip is sending out. They have a facility assigned to do the printing of the art onto the merchandise. The artist, indeed, has their own page on etsy.com and posted a photo of a print of this same design that got framed by the buyer.

There are two Facebook pages that show other disappointed comments for different merchandise than the above. Teechip is a Scam and Shame on Teechip. Teechip's claims rep is intentionally vague in saying, in his request for an additional photo from me, after my initial photo in filing a claim, "This way I can see if the facility made any errors." Plus, Teechip uses such a flawed and vague Terms and Conditions language:

Cancellations, Refunds, & Exchanges 

Because of the customized nature of Products, we do not allow cancellations, refunds, or exchanges. If, upon receipt of your finished Product, you feel that your order was incorrect due to an error on our part, please email us within fourteen (14) days of your delivery date. Claims are handled on a case-by-case basis.

Clearly, the facility is not able to handle any graphic and accurately print it without a high contrast, i.e., making the blacks intensely black and the whites washed out. The company lacks any transparency on the process. If it isn't a facility's fault, then who is responsible for the quality assurance?

According to the Better Business Bureau:

On at least one occasion, BBB sent mail to this company in an attempt to develop a report. The mail was returned by the Post Office; therefore a complete BBB report at this time is unavailable. If you have information that would assist your BBB in developing a report, please speak with a BBB service advisor.

If you were wronged, do what I did, which is dispute the charge on the card with your credit card provider. If you paid with Paypal, do the same. My dispute is in process with my credit card provider. Do this as soon as you can so that you can get your money back. I paid $21 and change for the mug and the shipping charges. It is the principle that they scammed me and are scamming others. EDIT (8/1/2016) I received a refund from the vendor Teechip within three days of posting this blog.

Please go to the petition below to help get the word to Facebook that Teechip should no longer use Facebook's site to advertise, and that they should be banned from Facebook.

68th Emmy Awards - Nominees - Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance

The Korner is providing reflections on the 68th Emmy Award nominees. Feel free to comment at the end of this post about your favorites or who doesn't deserve the nomination.

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance:

• Chris Pine as Dr. Devizo, Robo-Dino in "SuperMansion" - "The Inconceivable Escape of Dr. Devizo" (Crackle) 

Chris Pine as Capt. Kirk in the Star Trek movies bores me to death. He has two ways to react: normal voice and excited because he's in danger voice. I'm actually quite surprised he is credited as playing these two characters in this Crackle web series, created by Robot Chicken's Matthew Senreich and Zeb Wells. Props to the show for landing some excellent special guest voices who may also deserve the nomination. The late Anton Yelchin plays Dudley, Black Saturn's little brother in the episode "Unfortunate Son".

• Keegan-Michael Key as American Ranger, Sgt. Agony in "SuperMansion" - "Puss in Books" (Crackle)

The multi-talented Keegan-Michael Key gets this well-deserved nomination for playing two key characters in this episode.

Key's previous voice character work in other animated shows, including BoJack Horseman and Archer, needs to be taken into consideration when voting for this category. He has been previously nominated for several other Emmy Awards for Key and Peele.

The competition that Key faces is Seth MacFarlane for "Family Guy". MacFarlane previously won in 2002 for voice-over performance, and later was nominated in 2009, 2013, 2014, and 2015. Trey Parker and Matt Stone each have not been previously nominated for voice for "South Park", but have won previously for Outstanding Animated Program.

I hope Keegan wins this time and we continue to see more episodes of "SuperMansion" on Crackle.

SAG Awards - Nominations - Christina Ricci

Congratulations to Christina Ricci on her SAG Awards nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries for her portrayal of Lizzie in "The Lizzie Borden Chronicles". Others in her category are Nicole Kidman for "Grace of Monaco", Queen Latifah for "Bessie", Susan Sarandon for "The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe", and Kristen Wiig for "The Spoils Before Dying". Best of luck to Christina!

The 22nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016 at 8 p.m. (ET) / 5 p.m. (PT).

DVD release of "The Lizzie Borden Chronicles"

Yes, you, too, can have the 8-episode mini series of "The Lizzie Borden Chronicles" that aired on Lifetime last spring. Sony Entertainment will release the DVD on February 2, 2016. It will contain deleted scenes and a gag reel. The release coinciding with Groundhog Day either means that if the ground hog sees its shadow, we'll have 6 more weeks of delicious bleakness. If it doesn't, spring is on the way and your blood will begin to warm any remaining frostbitten appendages. Check out this scene from the third episode starring Jonathan Banks (spoilers ahead!):

The Lizzie Borden Chronicles - Episode 1.8 - Review

Apologies for the lateness in getting this review up. I hope everyone has had the chance to catch the last episode.

We last left off with Emma Borden at Willowdale Asylum in Maine. The episode begins with her missing from the asylum after a doctor was attacked. In the closing scene of the previous episode, Emma lost her cool and started to find it in her to fight back. Lizzie is on the case to try to find Emma. Keys are missing. Money has disappeared. Lizzie finds a letter in a photo frame belonging to Emma from Officer Trotwood (now deceased). Cut to Emma at the door of Mrs. Trotwood's house in Boston. Emma had always wanted to meet them. Mrs. Trotwood insists that she stays with her and her grown children. They're mooching off of her, so why not one more?

Lizzie, of course, finds Emma in Boston and Emma wants Lizzie out of her life. Mrs. Trotwood sits with Lizzie back at her hotel and Lizzie threatens her when she learns that she's not to come near Emma. Mrs. Trotwood and one of her sons tells Lizzie to stay away from them and stay away from Boston.

Back at the Trotwoods, there's a formal engagement party for one of the sons. It's a bit drawn out so I'll just cut to the priceless moment that Emma sees the meat carver hacking into a slab of ham. We haven't had a flashback in about three episodes, so of course, she has a flashback of her attack on the doctor back at the asylum. Lizzie sneaks in, finds Emma, and tells her that she's running for her life from Charlie's old friends. Emma tells her to keep running. If the men catch up to her, tell them the truth and where they can find her. Lizzie exits, skulking through the crowded party; one of Charlie's friends finds her. Clearly, the person checking names at the door must have left their post. Mrs. Trotwood interrupts the confrontation. Lizzie conveniently pops a balloon with a gigantic dagger, which of course, the "pow" of the balloon is mistaken for a gunshot and a shootout begins. The shooters escape as does Lizzie. Mrs. Trotwood wants them caught, "Nobody sleeps, tonight!" Damn, my eyes barely can stay open.

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Emma finds the shooters who were after her and Lizzie and confesses to them that she killed Charlie. They want to kill her and decide to take her back to Fall River to face trial. She says, "It's time a Borden pays for her crimes."

Lizzie makes a deal with Mrs. Trotwood. She tells Mrs. Trotwood how to find the men and how she can get Emma back. They go to Fall River to get them and the Trotwood brothers head up to the hotel room where Charlie's friends and Emma are supposedly hiding. Another slow motion shootout with big shiny revolvers occurs and lots of walls are spattered in stage blood. It continues after a commercial break. Emma has a gun and Lizzie has a dagger. Lizzie and Emma face off while two remaining men lay bleeding. Emma says she will go with Lizzie if she can show an ounce of human decency. Lizzie says she's been trying to protect Emma this whole time, but Emma insists that she let them live. Lizzie agrees reluctantly and drops the dagger so it stands straight up into the wooden floor while the men, still bleeding, look on in dying boredom.

Emma and Lizzie depart the scene and board a sea vessel with tacky room decor that is bound for Paris. Lizzie decides she has to take a nap as all that stabbing and chasing after Emma for a day and night was so exhausting. A few seconds later, the ship's horn blows and Lizzie wakes up. She is alone in the cabin and wonders where is Big Sis. She walks to the deck to look for her. People are waving to those on the dock and there is Emma looking up at Lizzie with a tiny tear in her eye. Emma turns and disappears from the dock as Lizzie is weeping a single tear, left alone with strangers to hack up on her cruise to Europe.

The END... FINALLY!

The Lizzie Borden Chronicles - Episodes 1.5, 1.6 & 1.7 - Review

There's such a gap between the post today and the post before because I can only stand to watch "The Lizzie Borden Chronicles" in On Demand mode so I can fast forward through the commercials.

Last we saw Lizzie, she had begun to buy up land around her house. She killed some more people and got away with it. Pretty much this goes on a lot in episode five in addition to finding a way to get Charlie framed for murders. The courtroom scenes are hilarious with the moment Lizzie takes the stand as a witness in how she been defending herself when Nance O'Keefe met her fateful end. This is for Charlie's trial in the death of Isabel Danforth (another of Lizzie's new victims).

We left Emma being courted by Officer Trotwood when Lizzie reminded Emma of her dark past. Emma tries to cool off Trotwood in the fifth episode, but Trotwood is too eager. He proposes and she accepts. Lizzie gets jealous, doesn't want to lose her one and only familial advocate. She even tries to discuss the concept of love, but is too keen with the killing to have a deep conversation. There's the tiresome story of Spencer having gone missing and she deduces that the town photographer/pornographer, Chester Phipps (Rhys Coiro aka Billy Walsh of "Entourage") photographed the dead Spencer. She forces Phipps to take her to the body, but he doesn't last much longer.

Lizzie doesn't like the competition for Emma's affection and maneuvers Trotwood into finding out about the baby skeleton that was hidden back at the old Maplecroft house. He's too keen on Lizzie's manipulative methods and confronts her. The wedding is still on. Or is it?

Lizzie is getting deeper into debt as Skipjack has blackmailed her into 50% of everything she owns to cover up the death of Spencer Cavanaugh. The Skipjack story lasts into the sixth episode until Lizzie no longer can use him, plus he bungled a death that causes grief for Emma. I'm sure you can guess, but I won't spoil it. Emma, in fact, leaves but has second thoughts and returns to Lizzie.

Episode seven brings to the cast the talented Chris Bauer ("True Blood"). He's looking into Charlie's sudden demise. Also, Lizzie takes a job, relocating to Maine, teaching school children under a pseudonym, Annabelle Grimke, and with blonde hair. Emma is in a sorry state, under the name Lenore Grimke. She's sorry she ever thought Lizzie was innocent, but soon she realizes that she, too, is done with her own innocence. There's no irony like the irony of using references to Edgar Allan Poe. Lizzie's old habits die hard... bloody hard.

One episode left! Anyone want to guess how this series ends?

The Lizzie Borden Chronicles - Episodes 1.3 & 1.4 - Review

Many probably didn't catch "Today" on NBC at the end of March and possibly missed this interview with Christina Ricci on launching the mini series about Lizzie Borden.

Nearly half way through the first season, The Lizzie Borden Chronicles starts to reveal more tormented twists and disagreeable turns. The third episode opens with the burial of the Borden's half brother segueing to the deceased Spencer Cavanaugh about to be disposed of by Mr. Flowers, sponsored hidden burial by Lizzie Borden. Charlie, when not investigating Lizzie's latest murder, enjoys tea with Isabel Danforth as he learns that Spencer, the playwright, never returned from a night of drinking. Hmm, anytime someone in town dies, Lizzie is the first one on someone's mind.

Last time I left off, local girl Adele went missing. Lizzie hid her away when Spencer disappeared and uses Adele's temporary departure to convince Spencer's sister, Nance O'Keefe, that she should go looking for her brother in Boston. Cut to Lizzie unsealing the coffin lid and Adele being a bit hysterical back at the old Borden barn. She asks Adele to promise that she never misbehaves and, sobbingly, Adele agrees with Miss Lizzie. Back at the new home with Adele, Lizzie has her well-rehearsed when Emma inquires as to where she thinks Spencer could be. Matters as to their house-warming party RSVPs show how unwelcome the Bordens are to the new neighborhood.

Mr. Flowers (Jonathan Banks) arrives to convince Lizzie to retain his services behind Emma's back. "Fifteen percent of the family business, monthly." He threatens the life of Adele and Emma if she doesn't comply. What is the Borden's family business? Probably won't matter. Banks is not listed as a character beyond this episode.

Charlie runs into Adele at the florist and her rehearsed speech about Spencer going missing makes him more suspicious. Adele departs without the flowers for the party. Lizzie ends up at the florist learning about what caused Adele to flee without the flowers. Party and murder is all Lizzie can think of. Cut to Charlie getting an eyeful at the old barn of bloody dirt that makes a strawberry Kool-Aid type drink when he puts a scoop into a pale of water.

We quickly discover that Emma was the one who hired Charlie as the private investigator and he calls into question how Lizzie was raised when she asks him to vindicate her sister. Charlie is ready to check-out of the B&B when Nance runs into him to inquire about Spencer. Isabel is relieved that she doesn't have to say goodbye to Charlie or clean his room. Nance reveals that Spencer uses morphine and that he would never have left for Boston (people could probably find more morphine than they need while in Boston during this time, though). Charlie warns her that she should not go to Lizzie with this knowledge or she'll end up being Lizzie's next "project".

Lizzie watches a poor little dog being berated by Mrs. Kenney, another non-attendee of the house-warming party. She even confirms that everyone invited from the neighborhood despises Lizzie.  We previously learned Lizzie is sympathetic to dogs when she had a conversation with Charlie about a murder investigation.

Party preparations underway, Lizzie tends to Adele's anxiety after Charlie's pervasive questioning. The two leave and head to Mr. Flowers' headquarters. Charlie follows (or was led there by Lizzie on purpose). A fight randomly breaks out in an alley between Charlie and Flowers' people. They take Charlie to some railroad tracks. We are led to believe he's dead, but as you may recall, I've said that Charlie is a man of many talents.

Emma and Trotwood, the police officer, have a conversation about how much the party is going to suck without guests. Emma is completely smitten with him. When we return later to the Borden home, Emma is sitting alone; no one showed up.

Flowers, Lizzie and Adele are about to discuss the future. Lizzie assures Adele that she can relax. Flowers asks "Who's next?" She pulls out her daddy's old straight razor and distracts him so she can shoot him dead and turn and slashes Adele's throat. Plants the weapons in one hand of each victim.

Quietly, Lizzie leaves the scene and discovers Nance O'Keefe outside her home. She invites her into the party, but Nance is remembering that Charlie cautioned her. Lizzie tries to convince Nance she can trust her no matter what anyone else has told her, "I'm not a monster." They go inside to party.

Next episode, in under three minutes we learn: 1) Charlie cannot be killed by a train, 2) Lizzie talks to Emma at breakfast about how terrible Mrs. Kenney is to her dog, 3) Nance is freaked out by the site of Charlie's battered face when he sneaks into her room, still pretending to have checked out. 4) Lizzie visits Mrs. Kenney about the animal abuse. You have the set up for what is about to go down in about 49 minutes.

Mr. Flowers' team is back drinking and reflecting on the crime scene of their former boss and formerly alive Adele. Who? "The one with the bad hand." Oh, well, let's drink some more.

Charlie hides out in Nance's room drinking and sewing his face. Isabel orders him back in bed and he's on his way to kill the ones who wronged him. Nance and Isabel giving orders that he stay. Discussion about the party and how Nance spent the night and lived. Charlie gives Nance a full list of what not to do in the presence of Lizzie Borden. Don't eat, drink or go to her old barn.

Lizzie wants to buy more lots including the one lot in which Mrs. Kenney's home is on. She makes an offer on it at asking price plus half. She also finds Skipjack at the county office and he tells her he is her new business partner. He pins a photo of Spencer on the bulletin board as his insurance. He demands $1000/week starting that Friday. She proposes $1000/month and then $3000 a year. She has to come up with the first $250 this Friday.

Officer Trotwood appears to finally be courting Emma Borden. Clea DuVall is such an expert of looking like she's trying to hold her composure but is really ecstatic when Trotwood asks Emma if he could call on her sometime.

Nance and Lizzie have dinner together and when they finish, Nance asks Lizzie to drop Spencer's play off at her hotel's front desk. She reports back to Charlie that she thinks Lizzie is a sweet woman without any experience with men. Charlie and Nance have a flirtation while discussing him taking down the people who cut him. Somehow she drugged him and he collapses. She tells Charlie she's going to find out what happened to Spencer herself. This sort of thing happens at about the 25 minute mark.

Lizzie takes Mrs. Kenney's dog in to care for him. Mrs. Kenney accuses Lizzie of theft. Lizzie informs Mrs. Kenney that she's expanding her property with the lot behind her house. Emma observes this interaction and asks about this expansion, "Planning to build a moat?" Emma wants to discuss Trotwood's plans to call on her. Lizzie is happy for Emma, that she "found another suitor, that someone's come along at a better time. Will you tell him about Benjamin, that you gave birth out of wedlock? I just think you should get your past out in the open. If he truly loves you, then none of this will matter." And then Lizzie is off to deliver the script to Nance. Emma is just floored.

Nance tarts herself up to meet Skipjack and he shows off a knife trick, something he calls art. She pretends to be elated. He makes some lewd suggestion about seeing the back of a door up close and she acts all hot for it. Out in the alley, Nance jabs a knife into Skipjack and he confesses that Lizzie Borden killed Spencer.

Isabel goes searching for Charlie in Nance's room when Lizzie inquires about him. Her husband, owner of the B&B, finds her and speaks in misogynistic tones about how Charlie is not looking at her like she's looking at him. How has Isabel not sent Lizzie after this terrible husband she's stuck with yet?

Charlie gets over being drugged, another talent. Goes after the men at the bar to kill them for trying to kill him and tries to find Skipjack. Is it too late? Did Nance take care of him? He's barely alive, but cannot answer Charlie as to where Nance is, but clearly an investigator should be able to figure out she's long gone.

Trotwood retrieves the little dog from the Borden residence with a promise to return to Emma to take her on a walk. They're on their walk when Lizzie returns to find the dog gone, but Nance holding a gun in the shadows pointed at Lizzie. She has terrible aim. She knows everything about Flowers, Adele, nevermind that Lizzie offed Spencer. She should know better than to follow Lizzie through dark hallways. Trotwood and Emma hear a commotion and enter just in time to see Nance pull a knife on Lizzie, stab her as Lizzie is struggling on the staircase for Nance's gun, but then Nance falls down the stairs onto something that stabs her in the head. Charlie bursts in just as the cops arrive and they arrest him and cart him off. Lizzie gets away with a self-defense defense.

One of the more creative endings to a person's life is to blame a dog's piddling and a fallen lamp as the reason for a person's accidental electrocution. Mrs. Kenney has met her end in just standing in the wrong puddle at the wrong time. That Lizzie is oh, so crazy about little dogs.

The Lizzie Borden Chronicles - Episode 1.2 - Review

Remember when Christina Ricci played Wednesday in The Addams Family and Addams Family Values and she beamed with delight at the sight of electrocuting people with her electric chair? There's quite a look of delight in her eyes again when she portrays Lizzie Borden taking in a burlesque homage to her alleged hacking to death her daddy. Except there's no blood on stage; rose petals flutter through the air when the knife is slashed. In case you were not paying attention, the show reminds you of the ax incident with flashbacks... again, and again, and so on.

Following last week's "The Lizzie Borden Chronicles" debut, Lizzie signs the papers on a new house, not having to owe any debts of their father. The debts were wiped away when William Almy suddenly was murdered by, guess who? And who got blamed? William Borden, of course, but he's suddenly suicidal if you believe the inept Fall River Marshal's office.

Cut to Lizzie making friends with a woman named Adele (Kimberly-Sue Murray) who was injured in a factory. She turned to hooking when she couldn't get work with a right hand that just has a bit of scar make-up on it. Lizzie saves her from being assaulted in an alley after taking in an aftershow party with Emma Borden (Clea DuVall) in tow. She daringly clobbers the unsavory man called Skipjack and takes home, much to Emma's admonishment, Adele to take care of her. Lizzie shows her just how much she cares when she kisses Adele affectionately in a dress shop changing area the next day. In comparison to the graphic murder scenes, this scene with fully buttoned-up ladies kissing is quite tame.

Over the course of the episode, Lizzie enjoys tea with the person who pimped out Adele, Mr. Flowers (Jonathan Banks). Lizzie pays him off so she can keep Adele to herself. During her visit, Flowers teaches a lesson to a misogynist low-life while Lizzie agreeably waits patiently for the head bashing to end. Banks is basically "Breaking Bad's" Mike in the late 19th century.

Adele and Emma bond over soup, discussing as you may have guessed, aspirations for a husband and perhaps a family. Adele could be Emma's confidant as she makes the insightful recognition of Emma's having to practically raise Lizzie when their birth mother died. Emma clearly needs someone other than Lizzie to hang out with because the husband topic surfaces a second time and we're only halfway through the second episode. This is Lifetime, so settling down and having a family is the only way Emma's story remains within "The Lizzie Borden Chronicles."

The dashing superhero investigator, Charlie (Cole Hauser), continues privately investigating the blood trail Lizzie leaves everywhere she goes. He's had her followed.  Lizzie actually confronts him, introducing herself while he's dining alone. A few minutes of dialog lets us know Lizzie is not phased by Charlie's presence. It seems he's a man of many talents yet to be revealed. We've only just found out that his magic fingers can untwist Isabel Danforth's twisted ankle back at the B&B. [Danforth is portrayed by Olivia Llewellyn and appeared in Season One of "Penny Dreadful" (Showtime). We don't know yet if she's returning as Mina Harker in Season Two.]

Everything was going swellingly until Spencer (Frank Chiesurin), a playwright/con artist, convinces Lizzie to be a patron of the arts and, ironically, to fund his schlocky play. Planted in this scene is Adele and a coffin that just happens to be in the old barn at the old house. Coffins just are things people keep in barns back in the late 1800s. That Lizzie can sure pick them because he soon ties one on and, when he finds Adele alone, blowing out the candles in nearly every room, he decides to presume Adele will wax his own candle. Instead she nearly snuffs him out. Lizzie finds him outside, injured with a pitchfork and finishes forking him.

This is where I can spoil the rest, but I'll leave it up to you readers to catch up by next Sunday. I must advise you to always keep strike-anywhere matches in your pocket.

The Lizzie Borden Chronicles - Episode 1.1 - Review

"The Lizzie Borden Chronicles" debuted on Sunday, April 5. Lifetime Network is likely stepping up its "darker" programming on Sunday nights to win over some fans of horror who are missing "The Walking Dead." WGN premiered season two of "Salem" the same night. It seems smart that the networks waited until after season five of "The Walking Dead" ended.

This is the fictionalized telling of the story four months following Lizzie Borden's trial in which she was accused of killing her parents and acquitted. I tried to re-watch the re-airing of the movie, Lizzie Borden Took an Ax the night before. It's still difficult for me to like the sickening charm Lizzie (Christina Ricci) lathers on her father or her sister Emma (Clea DuVall). I also couldn't enjoy the modern rock music juxtaposed in the 19th century setting. Some think it's cool, but I think it is obvious that the creators are trying to be obviously different because the movie and, now, the TV series lack a few things. Character development being one of those things.

One of my favorite lines in the first episode subtly alludes to Lizzie being a lesbian when she's answering her sister Emma's question about what she has imagined her husband to be: "I never imagined a husband." If you didn't recall that Lizzie Borden had a half-brother in Ax, don't worry because he wasn't actually in it. He shows up suddenly in the TV series, stirring up trouble, of course, with flaunting a secret held by the sisters. Emma seems to be up for a back story in one of the seven more episodes in this eight-episode series.

There's a B-story involving an investigator named Charlie (Cole Hauser), who starts to look into the murders. Also, William Almy (John Heard) is suing the Borden estate for the debt owed by their late father. Other interesting characters include Lizzie's former elementary school teacher. She offers little insight into Lizzie's wrath on people. The series spends a lot of time repeating flash backs to scenes from Ax, and has lesser horrific moments of dead things in the dark.

Episode one wasn't terrible, but it makes me wary of the next seven. Little things stand out such as the noticeable historic inaccuracy: how is a character able to use a flashlight in 1893? I haven't spent loads of time searching, but what I've seen so far on the internet is that flashlights didn't become available until as early as 1896. Infrequent clever moments, as in Lizzie's reference to the Dickens story Bleak House. However, the charm act is old. I will still continue on in case Jonathan Banks saves a scene or two from being intolerably a drag.