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https://www.thenerdelement.com/2022/08/15/salvage-marines-at-san-diego-comic-con/
By Désirée Guzzetta
In the new sci-fi series, “Salvage Marines,” which can be seen on Popcornflix, wars are fought not for nations, but corporations. Samuel “Sam” Hyst (Casper Van Dien) is saddled with life debt, something he doesn’t want to pass on to his unborn child. With his best friend, Ben “Tak” Takeda (Peter Shinkoda), he signs up for a two-year stint in the R.E.A.P.E.R.S., or Salvage Marines, who take on dangerous missions in the name of corporatism.
Once in training, Sam and Tak realize not only are they the oldest recruits, but that there’s a chance that instead of working off their life debt, they may incur even more. For Sam, there’s also temptation in the form of Jada (Jennifer Wenger), a younger recruit who wants to escape her own problems. The series also stars Linara Washington as Sam’s pregnant wife, Sura, and Armand Assante as Kelkis Morturi, a corporation overlord who shows up as a hologram seemingly everywhere on Sam’s homeworld exhorting everyone to keep working.
The Nerd Element had a chance to participate in a roundtable at San Diego Comic-Con with “Salvage Marines” stars Van Dien, Wenger, and Shinkoda. The trio happily chatted with reporters about their new show, their personal relationships, and for Van Dien (prompted by a question from The Nerd Element), the four stages of an actor’s career.
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By Désirée Guzzetta
The new documentary, “The Territory,” director Alex Pritz’s feature-length debut, combines his footage with that taken by the indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau people, whose land in Rondônia, Brazil is being clear-cut by illegal settlers and others. Shot over three years, the film details the conflict over the indigenous tribe’s 6,000 square miles of the Amazon rainforest, a conflict exacerbated by the Brazilian government’s seeming indifference to the Uru-eu-wau-wau’s rights. Darron Aronofsky (“Pi,” “Mother!”) is one of the documentary’s high-profile producers.
“The Territory” almost plays like a thriller. We are introduced to Bitaté Uru-eu-wau-wau (all tribe members take the tribal name for their surname), who is 19 and becomes his tribe’s leader. His mentor, Neidinha Bandeira, has been an activist for several decades trying to support the tribe and protect the rainforest. The work is dangerous, especially after Jair Bolsonaro becomes president of Brazil, an event which emboldens the illegal settlers to further encroach on the Uru-eu-wau-wau’s land. Bandeira receives regular death threats, and Bitaté and his people are treated like they don’t matter. Pritz includes interviews with some of the illegal settlers, including small farmer Sergio, who starts an Association to make his group’s efforts “legal,” and Martins, an invader who feels entitled to a piece of the land.
I saw the film when it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2022 and was bowled over by its passion, and a second viewing cemented my opinion that it’s one of the best documentaries of the year.
Ahead of the film’s general release on August 19, 2022, I spoke with director Pritz about his project, including what drew him to tell this story, why he included interviews with the illegal settlers, how he met Neidinha and Bitaté, and how the global community can support the Uru-eu-wau-wau. Spoiler warning: The conversation does include a few spoilers for the content of the documentary.
To learn more about “The Territory” and how you can support the Indigenous people of the Amazon, go to https://theterritoryimpact.org/
The post The Territory, A Conversation with Alex Pritz appeared first on The Nerd Element.
It’s been twenty-one years to the day since the tragic death of music icon Aaliyah. Today, we honor her memory by revisiting the young actress’s second and final film, Queen of the Damned.
After the success of 1994’s Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles, based on Anne Rice’s book of the same name, a follow-up film was inevitable. But instead of adapting the second book in Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles series, The Vampire Lestat, Warner Brothers oddly chose to combine its storyline with Rice’s third book, Queen of the Damned. The 2002 film, directed by Michael Rymer (Hannibal) and written by Scott Abbott (Introducing Dorothy Dandridge) and Michael Petroni (The Rite), celebrated its 20th anniversary back in February this year.
Lestat de Lioncourt (Stuart Townsend) has been in a vampiric slumber for decades. One night in a New Orleans cemetery he’s awakened by a band rocking out in his abandoned house. (Is it their first jam session here, or did Lestat not hear them until this specific night? We don’t know.) He adopts the band, generously lending his haunting voice to their instrumental-only setup. The keyboard player says vampire with a very Bon Temps twang, a treat for all us True Blood fans out there.
With a vampire wearing super low-rise leather pants on vocals, the band, named The Vampire Lestat, skyrockets to fame, despite never playing actual concerts. I guess their The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari-esque music videos were enough to gain a following.
When he’s not bragging about his modern-day rockstar status and snacking on goth groupies, Lestat narrates his undead beginnings with his vampiric maker Marius de Romanus (Vincent Perez). While still a baby vamp, Lestat awakens Akasha (Aaliyah). The titular queen and mother of all vampires awake with his furious violin playing, similar to how he’ll respond to the hard rock of the 2000s.
Aside from Lestat’s narration, we also hear Jesse Reeves (Marguerite Moreau), a researcher at the Order of the Talamasca — a secret society that keeps tabs on the paranormal. But studying isn’t enough for Jesse, who clearly has a death wish. It’s the age-old tale of a moody vampire fascinated by a gutsy human and vice versa. However, their connection seems to develop over exactly two brief encounters.
Lestat’s coming out of the coffin isn’t ideal for his fellow vampires. He uses his music and one massive press conference to taunt them. He actually says, “Bring it on,” at one point. He really could’ve tried to be scarier with that. Lestat essentially invites his undead haters to the band’s first and only concert in Death Valley (featuring over 3,000 local Melbourne goths). Why these vampires, who wish to remain in the shadows, would choose to attack him in public in front of a massive crowd of humans is beyond me. Korn frontman Jonathan Davis provided the vocals for Lestat in the film (though it’s completely unconvincing that a French vampire would have Davis’ distinct voice).
Queen of the Damned feels more like one long music video than a 101-minute film, but that isn’t meant as an insult. The soundtrack is expertly curated by Korn’s Jonathan Davis (American Satan) and fellow composer Richard Gibbs (Love Don’t Cost a Thing, 28 Days). Davis and Gibbs wrote original songs and scored the film. But they also included rock hits like “Excess” by Tricky (which is also heavily featured in Thir13en Ghosts), Disturbed’s “Down With The Sickness,” and the sexy and spooky Deftones’ “Change (In The House Of Flies)” — which plays during the aesthetically pleasing sex scene between Lestat and Akasha.
Of course, the highlight is Aaliyah, though she doesn’t appear on screen until 50 minutes into the film and has limited screen time. Queen of the Damned was the budding actress’s second movie role following Romeo Must Die with Jet Li. At the time, an ancient vampire queen seemed like a surprising choice, but Aaliyah was a horror fan. In a May 2001 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Aaliyah described her characters as “very regal. Very grand. A lot of great costumes. She’s sexy, but she’s evil.”
On August 25, 2001, six months after production wrapped, the 22-year-old R&B star died in a plane crash flying from the Bahamas to Florida after shooting the “Rock the Boat” music video. After her untimely death, Aaliyah’s brother, Rashad Haughton, completed ADR during post-production.
In addition to it being a part of Aaliyah’s legacy, Queen of the Damned was the first R-rated movie I watched in theaters. I was 12 years old and a few months into my goth phase. Admittedly, I envied all the pale-skinned girls because that was just the typical image of goth girls. I felt the same seeing Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death in The Sandman. though thankfully, it’s becoming less the norm. But seeing a brown-skinned vampire was mind-blowing to me.
Queen of the Damned is mostly considered a bad adaptation, over-the-top silly, and just a poorly structured film in general. All are true. However, many, myself included, see it more as a disasterpiece, a guilty pleasure, a piece of 2000s nu metal nostalgia. It also had a killer soundtrack, gorgeous and intricate costumes, and good acting. As stated by her family and colleagues, Aaliyah would’ve been proud.
Queen of the Damned is currently streaming for free on The Roku Channel.
Want to get the most out of D23 Expo Weekend? Bring your D23 Gold Member card with you or pick up your Disney+ Subscriber pass to take advantage of these special offers and savings just for our D23 Members and Disney+ subscribers during the event!
D23 Gold Members: Be sure to show your physical D23 Gold Member card or download the D23 Fan App to access your digital card throughout the weekend. Plus, receive a collectible print from Disney Artist Eric Tan. Available for pickup at the D23 Ultimate Fan Lounge in Hall A
Disney+ Subscribers: Starting Disney+ Day , you can stop by Will Call at the Anaheim Convention Center from 9/8 – 9/11 or at the Arena Box Office from 9/9 – 9/11 to pick up your Disney+ Subscriber Pass. All you need is your D23 Expo badge and you will be on your way towards unlocking special perks, offers, and other exciting extras. Be sure to look for the designated Disney+ Subscriber Pass Pick Up locations on the map from D23 Expo 2022 Official Event App..
Don’t miss the offers below to enjoy three days of the Ultimate Disney Fan Event:
BoxLunch
D23 Gold Member and Disney+ Subscriber Offer: Front of the line passes, for the Box Lunch booth, will be available all three days of the event. Guests must register via BL reservations system to confirm their time slot!
Keep the magic going with BoxLunch! Be the first to shop our D23 collection before it’s available in stores or online and get your hands on some exclusive merch only available at D23 Expo. We’ll have music, games, and giveaways throughout the weekend, so make sure to follow @boxlunchgifts on social for the latest information! For every $10 spent with BoxLunch, a meal is donated to someone in need through our partnership with Feeding America®.
Citizen Watch of America
D23 Gold Member and Disney+ Subscriber Offer: 25% discount towards watches and clocks sold inside the booth.
Step into the “Wonder of Time,” an immersive experience showcasing 100 years of Disney. Stop by to take a photo with a life-size Walt Disney World Main Street Clock. Shop Citizen watches, from Star Wars and Marvel to Disney and Princess, even a special edition D23 Expo product!
Pandora Jewelry
D23 Gold Member and Disney+ Subscriber Offer: 10% off purchase and a limited edition jewelry case with a purchase of $125 or more*.
Shop the latest Disney x Pandora collections including our 2022 limited edition D23 jewelry. Discover more about the Disney x Pandora partnership through the years, take a one-of-a-kind photo, and enter for a chance to win something special!
*Receive 10 % off your purchase with valid D23 Gold Membership and Disney+ Subscription Pass at the Pandora Jewelry brand booth only. Not valid with prior purchases or the purchase of gift cards. Cannot be combined with any other offers. Void where prohibited. Product not for resale. Includes GWP spend threshold. While supplies last.
Sunglass Hut
D23 Gold Member Offer: Receive an exclusive jumbo pin as a gift with purchase. While supplies last.
Disney+ Subscriber Offer: Receive a mystery pin as a gift with purchase. While supplies last.
Sunglass Hut is the destination for Ray-Ban x Disney Sunglasses, Limited Edition Sensational 6 collectible pins, and Sunglass Care Kits with Disney- and Pixar-themed cleaning cloths.
Plus, there will be giveaways each day!
Art Brand Studios
D23 Gold Member Offer: Disney Canvas Classics regularly $399 on sale for $189. Choose from four of the following princesses: Belle, Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Ariel.
We love entertainment and we know you do too! We’re continually adding to our product selection so you can cherish classic entertainment and take pleasure in the latest trending releases in wall art and sculpture. Our artists share our vision for exquisite and entertaining artwork. Art of Entertainment is a one-stop gallery for movie fans, entertainment geeks, and art lovers. In partnership with Disney, Thomas Kinkade Studios proudly presents narrative panoramas of your favorite stories and characters in our unique collection of Limited Edition Fine Art and Collectibles.
Bésame Cosmetics
D23 Gold Member and Disney+ Subscriber Offer: D23 Expo exclusive lip gloss. While Supplies Lasts.
Bésame Cosmetics is back at D23 Expo with another show-stopping collection: Disney Villains! Celebrate the mayhem and glamour of Maleficent, The Evil Queen, and Ursula with a highly detailed assortment of show exclusive products. Venture through our immersive photo-op experience, Villains Alley. Receive a complimentary shoulder crow to live out your very own villains’ adventure with any badge scan or purchase. Best of all, with our new mobile shopping app, you can browse the collection, purchase, and select a pick-up window, all from your mobile device! You don’t need to decide between shopping or seeing your favorite panel!
CORKCICLE
D23 Gold Member and Disney+ Subscriber Offer: 10% off entire purchase, each day.
CORKCICLE® is proud to be a part of D23 Expo. Please stop by our booth to check out our amazing CORKCICLE x Disney collaborations including our Minnie and Mickey collections, Star Wars, Marvel and our newly released Disney Princess Collection. Available items will include our stainless steel canteens, tumblers, stemless, mugs, and kids cups.
Disney Fine Art and Cyclops Print Works by Collectors Editions
D23 Gold Member and Disney+ Subscriber Offer: 23% off entire purchase.
Collectors Editions, publishers of Disney Fine Art, Photographs from Walt Disney Archives, and Cyclops Print Works, is proud to feature works from their collection of renowned Disney artists! Shop original and limited edition art, Disney screen-prints, and archival photos from Disney’s rich history!
Disney+ Innovation Lounge
D23 Gold Member and Disney+ Subscriber Offer: A Disney+ Collectible Card pack featuring custom illustrations celebrating some of the most popular current and upcoming Disney+ movies and shows. * While supplies last.
The Disney+ Innovation Lounge will feature innovations from across partners and products in a dedicated space to learn about and explore the future of Disney+.
Disney Movie Insiders
D23 Gold Member and Disney+ Subscriber Offer: Receive a Mickey Mouse lapel pin. While supplies last.
Learn how to earn and redeem points for incredible rewards inspired by your favorite movies and characters. Discover a universe where new fans and super-fans unite. Disney Movie Insiders membership required. Visit DisneyMovieInsiders.com for terms and conditions.
The El Capitan Theatre Hollywood
D23 Gold Member and Disney+ Subscriber Offer: Exclusive early access to our Nightmare Before Christmas tickets, including our opening night featuring a performance by DCappella. While supplies last.
The Disney Studio Store Hollywood is bringing the Hollywood Magic to D23 Expo. With an assortment of limited-edition pins, open edition pins, and apparel, there’s sure to be something for everyone. With the addition of the El Capitan Theatre Box Office, guests can also grab tickets for their favorite movies playing at the theatre.
House of Sillage
D23 Gold Member Offer: 15% off entire purchase.
Disney+ Subscriber Offer: 5% off entire purchase.
Be the first to experience the newest limited edition fragrance celebrating Minnie Mouse by House of Sillage, launching at D23 Expo! Discover the Disney x House of Sillage Collection, which includes our Mickey Mouse fragrance, luxurious cosmetics, and scented candles—all in celebration of the greatest love story between Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Stop by for a free gift, snap a selfie, and enter for a chance to win a HOS Fragrance!
Iron Studios – Worlds to Collect
D23 Gold Member and Disney+ Subscriber Offer: Mystery exclusive gift with purchase. While supplies last.
Since 2012, Iron Studios has been developing and producing extremely detailed collectible figures, being the first Brazilian company with licensed products 100 percent made for collectors.
With its worldwide fanbase, Iron Studios has been attracting a growing audience that is increasingly demanding and attentive to the smallest detail, winning over fans from the most popular and strict collector forums and groups in the world.
All professionals involved in the processes of creation and development of our figures share the same passion as our clients, thus, we always seek the highest level of fidelity and perfectionism in each project. We use original references in figures derived from films and series, and create unique representations of original comic book characters, based on exclusive conceptual arts, produced by several established artists.
In physical stores, we regularly organize and promote official events and exhibitions aligned with our licenses, where friends, customers, fans, and collectors attend and spend pleasant hours with us, exchanging ideas, information, sharing their opinions, knowledge, and tips. This is done in a healthy and familiar environment, full of special attractions.
Iron Studios Workshop is our division responsible for film replicas. We have developed character replicas and accessories on a 1/1 scale for decoration and entertainment at promotional events.
From our thematic exhibitions to our participation in the CCXP Comic Con Experience, we always seek to innovate and surprise our audience. Seeking to constantly expand its line of products and its collection of characters, Iron Studios has continued to acquire new and varied licenses, including Disney lines derived from the Marvel (comic and cinema) and Star Wars universe, and continues to captivate fans and collectors of a diverse array of classic and contemporary pop culture.
NEFF
D23 Gold Member and Disney+ Subscriber Offer: Exclusive apparel or headwear item during designated time slots over the weekend. While supplies last.
Stop by our booth and check out the exciting Neff-Disney apparel collections! Mickey, Star Wars, Marvel, Buzz, the Simpsons, and Stitch T-shirts, pullover hoodies, hats, and more featuring all new designs. Neff-Disney, live by the anthem “Forever Fun.”
RockLove Jewelry
D23 Gold Member Offer: Jewelry travel case gift with purchase. While supplies last.
Your gift with purchase is a stylish travel companion to keep all your RockLove Jewelry safe and organized! Made from eco-friendly vegan leather with a soft scratch-proof suede interior, this compact and lightweight jewelry case features hooks, pocket, and a ring row to keep your jewelry tangle-free. With logo silkscreened in silver metallic on the sleek black exterior, the zippered RockLove Jewelry Travel Case is 4” x 4” x 2” to easily fit into your handbag or luggage.
Disney+ Subscriber Offer: 5% off entire purchase.
RockLove celebrates the wondrous women of Disney, Star Wars, and Marvel at D23 Expo! Launching dozens of new jewelry designs all dedicated to empowering female characters, including a D23 Expo exclusive that celebrates the true original Disney gal: Minnie Mouse!
![The logo for Select Brands features “Select Brands” in white typeface against a grey background and “Incorporated” in a white box in grey lettering. The line “Est. [icon] 1998 is positioned on top within a rectangular shape with peaks on the top and bottom.](https://d23.com/app/uploads/2022/08/13_1180x600_gold-member_081922.jpg)
Select Brands
D23 Gold Member and Disney+ Subscriber Offer: 20% off prices as marked.
Bringing magic and storytelling to the heart, and the heart of the home, with licensed kitchen appliances including classic Disney, Pixar, and Star Wars branded products.
Steiff
D23 Gold Member Offer: 10% off your order plus an exclusive pin gift with purchase.
Disney+ Subscriber Offer: 5% off your purchase. While supplies last.
Discover the most magical Disney collectibles of them all! Superior quality plush from the company chosen by Walt Disney himself to make the first commercially produced Mickey Mouse toys in 1931. Featuring a range of your favorite characters, our new Disney soft plush line, and special D23 exclusives—all with Steiff’s world-famous “Button in Ear” trademark. Gold Members: show your card and receive a FREE gift and a 10% discount!
The Walt Disney Family Museum
D23 Gold Member Offer: Free shipping for online purchases. While supplies last.
Disney+ Subscriber Offer: Exclusive Jungle Book postcard. While supplies last.
Come experience the life story of the man behind the magic. Find inspiration through interactive galleries featuring films, music, artifacts, and a spectacular model of Disneyland. Enjoy the original exhibition “Walt Disney’s The Jungle Book: Making a Masterpiece,” on view now until January 8.
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