General Leia makes for great costuming

One of the greatest gifts that Carrie Fisher bequeathed to fans is a Leia for all ages -- from rebel princess to rebel slave to rebel general in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

When I first started attending conventions, one of the best and most fun activities was creating costumes of favourite science fiction and comic book characters. (We called it costuming, not cosplay, back in the day BTW.) I even won some awards. While I never created or wore a Princess Leia costume, I am now of an age and body type that a General Leia costume suits better.

I am more of a costume assembler than seamstress, so I found pieces at the Value Village thrift shops. I searched the Internet to look at photos of the movie costume and kept my eye out for items. I am pretty happy with the result.

The first piece I found was the plum/purple vest - $6.49. I was actually looking for pieces for a Jyn Erso costume (which I have also been assembling), but grabbed this vest when I saw it.

The next piece I found were the boots - $6.99. I love the fact they are tall with flat heels and super comfortable.

I looked for some time, but could not find a jumpsuit or flight suit in my size at a reasonable price. What I did find was an army green shirt that fit well - Tommy Hilfiger - $11.99.

On a separate trip, I found army green cargo pants that are a close match to the shirt - $14.99.

Then I located a belt to complete the look - $3.99. It's not exactly the same buckle that General Leia wears, but it works fine for my costume.

I do not have General Leia's double sapphire ring. The button on the vest says Join the Resistance. The cost to date is under $45.

I'll talk about my Jyn Erso.costume - I'm calling it Jan Erso - at another time!

You can chat with me about costuming and comics at the Ottawa Comiccon, EY Centre, May 12-14, 2017. See you there!

-- Janet Hetherington

The Lone Ranger vs. Sharknado

I went to see Disney's The Lone Ranger at the SilverCity Cineplex movie theatre last night, wanting to catch it before it closes. It was a good-looking production featuring interesting portrayals of the iconic characters of my youth, and it provided some strong moments typical of the western genre. Still, my overall reaction was: "It's trying too hard to be a hit."

Contrast this to the crazy-wild interest and success of Sharknado, which played on TV last week (SyFy and Space). This was utter B-movie fare: sharks swept up by a tornado and dumped into flooded California. According to this movie, your best defense against a tornado waterspout is to have a chainsaw handy in case sharks rain down on you.

It may seem like I'm comparing apples to oranges here, but I believe these two movies speak to why audiences embraced low-budget Sharknado and have had underperforming response to high-budget The Lone Ranger.

The key word here is underperforming. While there was a lot riding on Silver, there was less sink or swim for Sharknado. Sharknado was intended to be over-the-top and silly. The producers made a movie they wanted to see. Based on the Facebook and Twitter response, others wanted to see it too.

(To The Lone Ranger's credit, the  ticket-seller said the film had sold out the night before and the theatre was pretty packed when I was there.)

The Lone Ranger had its over-the-top moments too, with a horse that defied gravity and a Saloon Madam's leg that doubled as a firearm (think Cherry in Planet Terror). But rebooting a treasured icon for modern viewers is a tricky business, and while it has worked for some films like Star Trek (2009), The Lone Ranger suffers upfront from an audience disconnect to the "western experience." What interest is there for today's kids in the need to build a physical cross-nation connection (the railway) when they can pick up their phone and reach anyone anywhere around the world? The Twitter generation is also more of a collective mindset, more Borg than John Wayne, so the notion of a "Lone Ranger" who will right wrongs may not have the same appeal or impact as it did for young audiences in the 1930s, 40s and 50s.

So, why would Sharknado, which also had a 1950s vibe, fare so well? As absurd as its premise may be, Sharknado likely resonated with viewers who recently experienced mass flooding in the US midwest, Canada and other disasters. The best science fiction and horror movies exploit the fears of the time. The price was right too: free to watch or PVR. In addition, while movie theatres politely lecture  patrons to turn off their cell phones during screenings, the home-viewing audience can partake of alcoholic beverages, tweet and FB post to their heart's delight during the broadcast. This can be seen as equivalent to watching flicks from the comfy seats of big-finned cars at the drive-ins of the 1950s.

Going back to Star Trek, it's interesting to note that Gene Roddenberry pitched and sold the original TV concept as "Wagon Train to the stars." The western was in its heyday. People were connected to that genre's theme. The Lone Ranger may yet ride again, when the time is right for a white-hat hero rather than a  chainsaw-wielding one.

Barsoom! John Carter arrives March 9

Taylor Kitsch as John Carter

My first memory of the John Carter series was crystalized forever by the amazing  book covers by Frank Frazetta.

Now the sword-wielding adventurer hits big screens March 9 in a new Disney film directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, WALL-E).

John Carter brings this captivating hero to the big screen in an adventure epic set on the wounded planet of Mars, a world inhabited by warrior tribes and exotic desert beings.

Lynn Collins as Dejah Thoris

Frazetta's vision

Based on the first of Edgar Rice Burroughs' "Barsoom Series," the film chronicles the journey of Civil-War veteran John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), who finds himself battling a new and mysterious war amidst a host of strange Martian inhabitants, including Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) and Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins).

John Carter also stars Mark Strong, Bryan Cranston, James Purefoy, Samantha Morton, and Thomas Haden Church. -- Janet Hetherington