Steampunk Granny Introduces the Marvelous Miss Isabella

                                               Isabella and Lauren Hart                             

A few months after I retired from the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, I was fortunate enough to be offered the position as a nanny for the nicest people in the world. Over the years the parents became more like family to me and their children like my very own niece and nephew.

This blog is about the amazing little girl that I've had the honor to teach and watched over since she was three months old. She in now is school and is very advanced for her age. Isabella is already reading at second grade level even though she's only in kindergarten and five years old.

Isabella and her dad are big fans of the Flyers and, Isabella is a big fan of Lauren Hart, the National Hockey League's Unsung Hero. Isabella not only memorized every line of The Star Spangled Banner, God Bless America and Oh Canada, but she belts out the song like a pro.

Today, I stood with Isabella's parents, neighbors, and our township's baseball team players to watch Isabella perform at the opening of the township's baseball season. She amazed everyone at the opening with her voice. I have a feeling that it won't be long before Miss Isabella is belting out the National Anthem at all  the home games for the Flyers and maybe even the Phillies. She wants to be just like her hero, Lauren Hart

Love you, Isabella and for the followers of my blog; enjoy!

Steampunk Granny loves her Penny...Penny Dreadful, That Is!

                                                            

       

Last year I had the pleasure of writing the weekly reviews for Biff Bam Pop on Showtime's newest horror show, Penny Dreadful. The show is pure joy for anyone who loves Steampunk or Victorian fashion and horror stories.
  
                                                     

It is a horror show for sure, but it is also a delicious and sensual offering of characters right out of 19th century British fiction. Last season featured characters like Dorian Gray, Mina Harker from Dracula, Victor Frankenstein and his monster and even a Wild West werewolf. Eva Green as Vanessa Ives is the main force tying all these wonderfully horrid characters together.

There is nothing better than walking down the dark streets of Victorian London and finding your worst nightmare waiting in the shadows for you to pass by.

If you missed season one, you can check our my reviews on Biff Bam Pop. Season two begins on May 3rd and I do hope to see you there my little pennies.

I could use a Clone or two, or three: Orphan Black

Orphan Black on BBC America is returning on April 18th. I can't wait. This is smartly written science fiction show about cloning. We follow Sarah, Cosima, Alison and Helena as they try to find out who was behind their cloning and, who now wants them all dead. The very talented Tatiana Maslany plays all the clones, including Pro-Clone, Rachel Duncan.

                                                     

The show relies on the latest theories and scientific principles known about cloning and this is one of the reasons that Orphan Black is so popular. The storyline is believable and asks ethical question of the legality and social problems that real clones would have to deal with. Do clones have the same rights as the people they're cloned from?

Luckily, Sarah has her sister clones looking out for her and her daughter, Kira (Skyler Wexler). Kira's blood might be able to keep our clones from getting sick.

My favorite character is Felix Dawkins (Jordan Garvis). He plays Sarah's adopted brother and when he and Soccer Mom, Alison get together, all kinds of crazy stuff happens.

                                                                

This will be the third season for Orphan Black, but if you missed the first two seasons, you can read my review of Season one and two on Biff Bam Pop and catch the reruns on Demand. I'll be posting a weekly review of this show and I can't wait.

                                                                 

Orphan Black on Biff Bam Pop

Steampunk Granny's Talks About Shadows of the Forest a Chris Eilenstine Film

                                                       

                                           

There is a fabulous Independent Director out there named Christopher Eilenstine. I've done several interviews here and here on Christopher's movie, The Soulless, which I consider a damn great film. Last year, I had the pleasure of attending my very first Red Carpet Premier of The Soulless Part One. It was awesome and you can read about my experience, here.

                   At the Shadows of the Forest Script Reading                                      

Over time, Christopher and I become friends and he introduced me to so many talented actors and actresses. I had the chance to interview a few, like Joe Parascand, Jason Propst and Kaylin Iannone. I became a strong supporter of Independent Films because of my connection with Christopher and Joe.

Recently, I was asked by Christopher to be one of the writers for a new film he is working on. It's called, Shadows of the Forest. I won't give away too much about the film, but I can share the teaser.  Here is the IMDb for the film.

Shadows of the Forest teaser
A teaser for the film.
Posted by Shadows of the Forest on Sunday, November 23, 2014

Christopher assigned three writers to work on the screenwriting with him, Nick Kisella, Michael Kay and little ole Steampunk Granny. Here is the IMDb .

                                 Makenzie                              Nicolette                                  

Christopher picked a day for the cast and special effects team and writers to meet for the first reading of the script. This was a real education for me because I had never done this before. I was plenty nervous and didn't know what to expect. Christopher had everything set up including snacks for the long afternoon ahead of us. It was amazing to watch the story come together as the two young actresses Nicolette Davis and Mak Lowrey along with the other cast members brought the words on the pages alive with emotion.

                                                            

                                                                                                                            
I'll share some of the photos taken that wonderful afternoon and you can keep informed on the progress of the film by following the Shadows of the Forest Facebook page  

Steampunk Granny Parties with Kung Fu legends, Zombies and Ghost Busters,

     Expo 9 Martial Arts Convention Sifu Cliff with Ghost Busters of New Jersey

                                                                 

 
                                Plenty of fun with friends living and dead

                                                     

 

This weekend I was at a three day Expo 9 Martial Arts Convention in Pennsauken, N.J. This event was hosted by Sifu Cliff. There were lots of martial arts demonstrations and little old me was even allowed to participate in one of the demonstrations.

                                                            

                                                                 

We had our own horde of Zombies that intermingled with the vendors and guests. Luckily they didn't try to eat my brains. I'm guessing they're not that into old brains.

                                                            

Some impressive artists were there that specialized in comic art and books. I'll mention of a few of my new friends and in the next few weeks, I'll be posting interviews that I'll be doing on them.

I was part of a female author panel which included the lovely and talented:
                                                        

Danielle Ackley-Mcphail https://www.facebook.com/danielle.ackleymcphail?fref=ts

Sarah Nicole Johnson Miller of Outpouring Comics https://www.facebook.com/sarah.n.miller.543?fref=ts

Cinsearae Santiago Reiniger https://www.facebook.com/cinsearae?fref=ts

I had the pleasure of meeting the Kung Fu grand master and film star Chi Ling Chiu and Martial Arts Expert, Author and Poet, Snake-j Blocker. This is his site and I will be doing an interview on this amazing person: https://www.facebook.com/SnakeBlocker?fref=ts

                                                          

My friend and co-member of the South Jersey Writers Group, Dawn Byrne, my grandson Nathan Reid and, my daughter Marie Reid helped me over the three days selling my books and keeping me company as we watched zombies, knights and ghost busters do battle before us.

                                                               

                                                    

I even had time to do some spiritual readings for a few vendors. It was such a rewarding experience for all involved, including me.

                   Mary Campbell and Steampunk Granny                                         

This was my first Martial Arts Convention and I had a great time. Hope to see all my new friends next year!!!  And maybe they will let me drive the Ghost Busters Car.

                                                             

New friends:
                                                           J. R. Earls

                                                     Rusty Gilligan

                                                             

My Love Affair with Robots

                                                                 

The very first robot I remember seeing was at Lit Brothers’ Department Store during the Christmas holiday around the year 1950. I was about four years old and Jane was almost three. My parents, the famous Fred and Lucy, had taken my sister and I to see Santa. We stood in a long line of parents and children that moved at snail speed around the different departments of the store, including the toy section.

Finally, it was my family's turn to enter the inner sanctum that held the red throne and good ole Santa. Right before we walked through the door, my gaze fell upon a very strange toy nestled in with the various sizes of baby dolls and teddy bears. It was a metal man. It had an antenna sticking out of the top of its head.

"I want that," I said to Fred. He was tugging me towards the man with the white beard, but I dug my heels into the rug and pointed at the table. "I want that," I repeated.

"Ask Santa," Fred said.

I did ask Santa for the metal man, but that Christmas morning, metal man was a no show. Fortunately, one of my cousins received a robot for his birthday that summer and I was allowed to play with it. It was a great toy, but it couldn't fly. Anthony and I figured this out after we dropped it from the second story window. Oops!

                                                                  

Robby

The year was 1956. I was taking my sister Jane and brother Michael to the  creature double feature matinee at our neighborhood theatre. The youngest, Lucy, was too little to tag along. My siblings and I had boloney sandwiches in the brown paper bags that we carried. After buying our popcorn for the food fight, we settled into our seats to watch Forbidden Planet.

                                                                

As soon as Robby the Robot came onto scene, my love affair with robots began in earnest. This robot could move and talk and fight bad people. I wanted one and so did my brother Michael, but Christmas was months away. What could we do in the meantime?

Fred had loads of cardboard boxes from the stock he bought every week for our grocery store. I'll have to admit, we kids were quite inventive. We pilfered a few rolls of aluminum foil from the stock room to cover the boxes. Wire hangers were used as our robot's antenna. Knobs were whisked away from all the bedroom furniture to make great control buttons, that is, until  mom made us put them back.

On Christmas morning, Michael got his robot, which I'm pretty sure was a duplicate of Robby, but all I got were more stupid baby dolls. My mother could not understand my fascination with robots.

Robots have become a  welcomed staple in many a science fiction film and I have loved every one of them, even the scary ones like Hector from Saturn 3.

                                                                  

I still love robots. The world of robotics is here and it's amazing what they can do now. We have Nano robots, space robots, helper robots. Check out this site for more: http://www.roboticstoday.com/  and http://www.popsci.com/tags/military-robots

We've come a long way since Robby and that's the way it should be. Robots can be used in dangerous situations, helping to keep people from harm. Can robots take over the world; take over us? I doubt it, but if we don't stop trying to blow up the planet, they might have to.

                                                                  

I've published my first book in an apocalyptic series called Roof Oasis. I've included a robot as part of the story. Her name is Patty. She starts out as a child's companion in book one. In book two, Saving Solanda, which will come out this summer, Patty is evolving; becoming self aware.

                                                                    

She's quite demanding and I have no idea what trouble she'll get into by the time book three and four are finished.

 

 

The New Ladies of Fairy Tales

                                                           

In the olden days, the formula for a successful fairy tale was: Princess in trouble + Brave Prince Charming + Prince rescues Princess =  Happy Ever After. Yeah, right!

Maybe I bought this formula when I was five years old, but by the age of ten. I knew better. I was a child from the era that gave us, The Korean War, The Cold War,  Civil Right's Movement, the bra burning Women's Liberation Movement, the Space Program and, last but not least, the war in Vietnam. You realized right away that the world did not offer happy ending fairy tales. I was born to Italian Immigrants in good ole South Philly. We were a middle class working family. The entire family worked in my father's grocery store. As soon as we four siblings reached the age of seven, my father tied an apron around our waist and said, "Get to work!" 

                                                          

We four kids worked seven days a week along with my mother and father, the famous Fred and Lucy.  We went to Catholic school where the nuns focused on teaching the necessary skills to turn us into productive tax payers, even if they had to beat the lesson plans into our skulls. The nuns of the Immaculate Heart of Mary had no patience for fragile princesses in their classes and, they tolerated a Prince Charming even less.

                                                                     

South Philly girls were tough. We had to be. The world in which we lived in was not conductive to princesses or fairy tales. Unfortunately, the Disney Fairy Tales from my generation, did not mirror my upbringing or my daughter's. Sad! I was never a weak maiden in need of rescuing. I was the one usually rescuing others. This may be why I love "The Walking Dead's female heroines Carol and Michonne. 

I brought up my daughter to be a strong woman, also. She's a tiny package looking more like Snow White...that is until you try to hurt her family...then she becomes Wonder Woman... who will gladly send you flying into the next fairy tale. So you can imagine our opinion of weak princesses in Disney Films.

                                                                

This is why we both enjoyed Walt Disney new take on "Doesn't Need Saving" Princesses. Here are two samples

Yes indeed! Walt Disney Pictures/ Roth Films has brought fairy tales into the future and Malificent was proof of this. Women have always been able to do the same jobs as men and, just recently, the military said women could fight on the front lines.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jan/24/us-military-lifts-ban-women-combat

                                                                  

It was with the premier of the film Malificent starring Angelina Jolie, Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning and Sam Riley http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maleficent_(film) that I noticed the new direction,  the Disney Studio had taken.

It was Angelina Jolie's Malificent's kiss that woke the princess, and then, saved Princess Aurora from the selfish, demonic King Stefan. It didn't matter that it was Malificent who placed the curse on Aurora in the first place; Malificent was a little pissed off with the treacherous Stefan for stealing her powerful wings by the time Aurora was born. She took her revenge out on the person she assumed meant the world to Stefan.

                                                                 

What Malificent didn't count on was for her and her shape changing familiar (Sam Riley) to become the secret protectors of baby Aurora. The infant's guardians, who were also fairies, were comically incompetent. Malificent grew to love the child and the child, her.

In the end, it was the love of a strong woman who saved the fair Princess Aurora and her Prince Charming. This was the best version of Sleepy Beauty that I've seen yet.
Angelina Jolie did a stunning job in the film as the angry fairy queen of the forest who falls in love with the child she' cursed. Love conquers all!

                                                               

This past weekend I went to see Cinderella with my niece and great niece. I had wondered if Disney Studio would do as good a job with this film as they did with Malificent. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinderella_(2015_film)

Cinderella which starred Lily James in the title role was a visual feast for these old tired eyes. Richard Madden (Game of Throne's Rob Stark), Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter and the very talented Nonso Anozie from the series Dracula.

The story went by the normal formula of princess saved by prince except for a few twists which I picked up on right away. Yes, the stepmother played deliciously wicked by Cate Blanchett was selfish and abusive to Cinderella, but we see what sparked the hatred.

                                                                       

When Cinderella's father (Ben Chaplin) died away from home, he sent one special gift back and that was for his daughter. The wife received nothing, not even a note proclaiming his love. Lady Tremaine lets slip that she was a happy wife and mother to her true love, first husband, until his untimely death.  Maybe she married Cinderella's father for convenience and security for her and her two brats, but I think she had also allowed herself to dare fall in love again with husband #2.  Lady Tremaine realized that she was not treasured and she took out her revenge on Cinderella. 

                                                              

Cinderella was a sweet, forgiving girl, but her courage did not reveal itself in battle. No, Cinderella proved her bravery with her refusal to allow Lady Tremaine to take advantage of the king's love for her. Cinderella was willing to stay the family slave in order to protect the new king. Bravery comes in all forms and I'm hoping we will see more kick ass princesses on the horizon.

Side note: I wasn't sure what my great niece took home from the film. This being her second movie date of the year with me. Yesterday, she came home from school and asked me to dance with her; a waltz; just like Cinderella and Kit danced. I asked her if I was to play the part of Prince Kit because I would need to lead the waltz. Isabella looked me straight in the eye and said, "Aunt Marie, I'm a princess and I'll lead my own waltz."

                                                           

Damn right, you will!!! Long live the Warrior Queen!