Celebrity Roster and Reunions Grow: ‘The Goonies’ and ‘A Christmas Story’ Join Second Wave Additions of NostalgiaCon ‘80s Pop Culture Convention Sessions
The celebrity roster, reunions and entertainment programming of NostalgiaCon’s ‘80s Pop Culture Convention, September 28 and 29 at the Anaheim Convention Center, just rose several notches with today’s second wave announcement of panels and celebrity Q&As (http://www.nostalgiacon80s.com/).
With the latest update, NostalgiaCon now features reunions for: “The Goonies”; The MTV VJs; “The Dukes of Hazzard”; “A Christmas Story”; “Dallas”; “CHIPS”; “Laverne & Shirley”; “WKPR in Cincinnati”; “Land of the Lost”; and The Original Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLOW).
Among the latest celebrities joining NostalgiaCon panels, photographs and/or autographs opportunities are: Corey Feldman (“The Goonies”, “Gremlins” and “Stand by Me”); ‘80s actress and pin-up model Heather Thomas (“The Fall Guy” and “Zapped”) in her first ever fan convention; Claudia Wells (“Back to the Future”); Zack Ward (“A Christmas Story”); Scott Schwartz (“A Christmas Story” and “The Toy”); Eric Estrada and Larry Wilcox (“CHIPS”); Sam Jones (“Flash Gordon”); hip hop legends Rodney O (“This Is For The Homies”), Sir Jinx ( Rapper and Producer, including Ice Cube’s AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted album), E-Love (LL Cool J’s right hand man) and the Godfather Of Spanglish Hip Hop himself, Mellow Man Ace (“Mentirosa”); Ron Masak (“Murder, She Wrote”); George Wyner (“Spaceballs”); Wesley Eure, Philip Paley, and Kathy Coleman (“Land of the Lost”); Dallas, Angel, Daisy, and Ashley Cartier of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLOW). (Talent appearances are subject to changes).
NostalgiaCon will mark several milestones for some guests. It is the first ever convention appearances for the original MTV VJs and for Heather Thomas. It is also the first California convention for “The Goonies”.
In addition to the celebrity appearances and panels, NostalgiaCon Home Game Entertainment are staging the classic ‘80s game show “Remote Control”.
The broad and still growing list of speakers, panels, Q&As and programming reads like a Who’s Who of major motion picture, TV show, music artists, and pop culture pundits that make the ‘80s so awesome is available at http://nostalgiacon80s.com/experiences/schedule/. (See the most updated list of celebrities here: http://nostalgiacon80s.com/featured-talent/. The latest list of music performers is here: http://nostalgiacon80s.com/concerts/
Among the new round of sessions added to the schedule are:
Saturday, September 28
Who You Gonna Call? Ghostbusters Costume and Prop-Making
Are you troubled by strange noises in the night? Do you experience feelings of dread in
your basement or attic? Have you or your family ever seen a spook, spectra or ghost? If
so, then it’s time to call the professionals…the Southland Ghostbusters!
If you’ve ever wanted to build a Proton pack or a life-size Ectomobile, this in-depth workshop has got you covered with the tools and talent that will help you become a part of a ghostbusting crew accurately, cheaply and easy – and just in time for next summer’s reboot of “Ghostbusters”!
What The Goonies, Doc, and Ferris Bueller Teach Us About Life – and Business!
When it comes to ‘80s movies, Chris Clews has seen it all – and distilled lots of practical wisdom and fun business insights. Join the author of the “What 80s Pop Culture Teaches Us About Today’s Workplace” book series as he takes an irreverent look at the life and work wisdom that can be learned from “The Goonies, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, “Back to the Future” and more iconic 80s movies. Chris’ talk will inspire you with insights about inclusion, leadership, vision, embracing life and more from the movies and icons that defined the ‘80s.
The ABCs of the ‘80s And Some Cool Ways to Get Your Kids to Embrace Your Passion for the ‘80s
Ok, parents, let’s all come clean here. You are stuck in love with the ‘80s and you NEED your kids to love, bond and fully embrace that side of your favorite pop culture decade. If you thought you were alone, you just haven’t met “ABCs of the ‘80s” author Erin Campbell Dunkerley and illustrator Desi Moore. Come close for this quirky talk about how to parent to raise up truly ‘80s kids and other stories.
Sunday, September 29
‘You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out, Kid’ and Other Musings from the Cast of ‘A Christmas Story’
As the holidays fast approach, we take an in-depth look at ‘A Christmas Story’ with the beloved movie’s cast mates Scott Schwartz and Zack Ward.
Get Your Trivia Powers Ready! Home Game Entertainment is Hosting Throwback Live Edition of ‘Remote Control’
“Remote Control” was a popular TV show that aired on MTV in the late ‘80s. At the convention Home Game Entertainment will focus the entire game around ‘80s trivia with prizes for first, second and third place that will be held on Sunday, September 29.
How the West Coast Represented – and flipped the 80s Rap Game!
Representing West Coast 80s rap, we have pioneering hip hop legends Rodney O (“This Is For The Homies”), Sir Jinx (Rapper and Producer, including Ice Cube’s AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted album), E-Love (LL Cool J’s right hand man) and the Godfather Of Spanglish Hip Hop himself, Mellow Man Ace (“Mentirosa”). Pop-Culture expert and actor, Lizza Monet Morales will be moderating a deep dive conversation about how each of these trailblazers changed the game and as a result, paved the way for many musical acts and genres of today.
EEK, It’s the Sleestaks – and a totally Awesome ‘Land of the Lost’ Cast Reunion
Philip Paley (Chaka), Wesley Eure (Will), and Kathy Coleman (Holly) join us for a behind-the-scenes look at one of the campiest TV shows that most ‘80s kids loved from rerun heaven and that they could never get enough of.
Director: Adhik Ravichandran
Starring: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Das, Trisha, Simran
Genre: Action / Crime Drama
Rating: 4.5/5
“Good Bad Ugly” centers on Red Dragon (Ajith Kumar), a notorious gangster who chooses to surrender himself in the hopes of turning over a new leaf and reuniting with his estranged son. However, when unforeseen threats emerge, Red Dragon is forced to step back into the dangerous underworld to protect the only family he has left.
“Good Bad Ugly” plays to the strengths of Ajith Kumar, delivering a fan-pleasing portrayal of both his vintage villainy and his matured emotional depth. Ajith’s powerful screen presence, coupled with his iconic voice, shines against Arjun Das’s brooding and intense new-age antagonist, creating an electric old-school versus new-school dynamic. The nostalgic return of Simran is a clever nod to longtime fans, bringing heart and familiarity. Trisha brings a strong, grounded performance as the moral compass in Red Dragon’s life, helping move the emotional threads of the story. The film smartly balances action, comedy, and sentimental fan-service moments.
While the film delivers on fan expectations, its narrative could have benefited from tighter pacing and deeper character development for its supporting cast. Some plot conveniences and an overreliance on nostalgia may limit broader audience appeal beyond the fanbase. Certain dramatic beats felt rushed, leaving little time for emotional resonance to fully land.
The ambition to blend high-octane action with heavy emotional stakes sometimes leads to tonal inconsistencies. At moments, the shift from gritty underworld drama to lighter fan moments feels abrupt. Additionally, though Ajith Kumar’s effort to showcase his dancing skills is commendable and welcomed by fans, it slightly disrupts the otherwise darker tone the film establishes.
“Good Bad Ugly” is a tribute to Ajith Kumar’s enduring legacy, offering vintage thrills while teasing new dimensions to his craft. It’s a solid entertainer that successfully taps into fan nostalgia while hinting at an exciting evolution for AK. While not without its flaws, the film’s heart, energy, and performances make it a must-watch for fans and a compelling action-drama for broader audiences.
In these uncertain times, you can’t beat a good old-fashioned horror movie. Unfortunately, Presence is not an old-fashioned horror movie. Yet, as I discovered, this is a good thing!
When I heard about the premise of this movie, I was intrigued. The stylishly subtle trailer was, appropriately, haunting. And was that Lucy Liu? A haunted house movie from the perspective of the ghost? As a seasoned horror movie buff, I was all in!
Like the majority of people I missed the films brief theatrical release. Luckily I was able to catch it on streaming. Visually the film is easy to enjoy from your own home, as it’s rather cosy looking. I never thought I’d be describing a horror movie as ‘cosy’ looking but it’s true! This is not a James Wan type creepy, dusty, decrepit house harbouring a haunting. No, this is a 100 year old jewel toned, oak finished colonial style home.
Despite this the story follows the beats we are all familiar with: troubled family of four move into a new house. The big deviation from the trope is we, the audience, are seeing events unfold from the POV of the ghost or presence.
Director Steven Soderbergh (Ocean’s Eleven) chose to film the entire piece using a small (14mm) hand-held digital camera. Soderbergh himself acted as the ‘presence’ following the actors around. From the audiences perspective it is like watching the family through a barrier or pane of glass. Cleverly, windows and mirrors are hugely prominent and integral throughout.
The presence mainly follows and tries to interact with the daughter of the family, Chloe (Callina Liang), who has recently suffered the trauma of her best friend dying suddenly. Through Soderbergh’s experimental filming, we feel the dysphoria and frustration the ‘ghost’ is feeling at trying to affect the world around it, particularly during the anxiety-inducing final scene!
However, in what could be yet another mismarketing of a film, the trailer promised to be the ‘scariest movie you will see this year’ and ‘terrifying’; instead, they delivered this subversive, character-driven, family drama. If you are expecting jump scares and dramatic music stings, this is not your movie. I could understand if someone was disappointed that the only seemingly scary thing is the mother’s and son’s relationship, right up until the gut-punch of the final scene.
Presence is definitely a slow burn, tension building until the final scene, and the unveiling of the ‘presence’ giving us a new understanding of the whole story. The ending is disturbing and stays with you as you re-analyse earlier scenes.
My one complaint is that the character Ryan (West Mulholland) with his Chesney Hawkes hair, perhaps needed more subtlety. The rest of the cast was completely solid and believable as a family with so many unspoken issues.
I wouldn’t recommend this film for everybody but maybe be as so bold to say it’s a horror movie for people that don’t like horror movies. It’s well-lit and cerebral with realistically flawed characters.
Presence is available to stream.
Three and a half stars.
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Martial Arts, Historical
Runtime: Each episode runs approximately 20-30 minutes
Director: Lin Hun (also the Creator)
Studio: Samsara Animation Studio
Main Voice Actors (Chinese Cast):Liu Zhi Shi as Wen Ren Yu Xuan Zhou Qi as Shen Nong Fang Yuan as Xuan
Overview
Fog Hill of the Five Elements is a breathtaking Chinese anime (donghua) that merges traditional Chinese ink-painting aesthetics with high-intensity martial arts action. Created and directed by Lin Hun, this series delivers a spellbinding visual experience that rivals, and in many ways surpasses, mainstream Japanese anime. Produced by Samsara Animation Studio, the anime is a labor of love, known for its hand-drawn animation and meticulous detail.
Set in a mythological world where elemental beasts roam free, the series follows the Five Elemental Envoys tasked with protecting humanity. The story focuses on Wen Ren Yu Xuan, the Fire Envoy, whose actions set off a chain of events threatening the delicate balance between humans and beasts. The tale is steeped in Chinese folklore and myth, weaving a complex narrative of duty, power, and sacrifice.
Without question, Fog Hill of the Five Elements is one of the most visually stunning animated series in recent memory. The blend of traditional Chinese ink wash painting with modern dynamic action scenes is masterful. Every frame looks like a moving scroll painting, with fluid character movements and kinetic fight choreography that puts many mainstream series to shame.
The characters are deeply tied to traditional archetypes found in Chinese legends but are fleshed out with emotional depth and conflict. Voice acting by Liu Zhi Shi, Zhou Qi, and Fang Yuan brings authenticity and gravitas to their respective roles. The dialogue is steeped in poetic language, enhancing the mythic feel of the story.
The soundtrack complements the epic visuals with traditional Chinese instrumentation mixed with modern elements. The sound design heightens the impact of every battle and emotional moment.
Rating: 9/10
Fog Hill of the Five Elements earns a 9 out of 10 for its groundbreaking animation style, deep mythological storytelling, and heart-pounding action. The only downside is its limited number of episodes and slow release schedule, which leaves fans craving more.
Pros
- Unparalleled hand-drawn animation
- Unique art direction inspired by traditional Chinese painting
- Rich mythological lore
- Epic fight choreography
Cons
- Sparse episode release
- Story pacing can be uneven at times
Final Verdict 9/10
If you’re an anime enthusiast or a fan of animation artistry, Fog Hill of the Five Elements is a must-watch. Its fusion of stunning visuals, martial arts action, and mythological storytelling makes it one of the standout titles in modern animation. Whether you’re into Japanese anime or Chinese donghua, this series deserves a spot on your watchlist.
Review of “Good Bad Ugly”
Presence: A Horror Movie For People That Don’t Like Horror Movies
Anime Review: Fog Hill of the Five Elements (Wu Shan Wu Xing)
Dammu (2012) Movie Review: NTR Jr. Delivers a Thunderous Mass Action Performance
Devil May cry
