If you know Stephen Hanna you know to always expect the unexpected, and to not be surprised, so it came as no surprise to learn that Hanna has penned the book "7 Get Rich Schemes" The Government Doesn't Want You to Know About Just Because The Plans Are Slightly Unethical and Borderline Criminal" under under the pen name Thomas Hanna (a self-proclaimed political prisoner) and which he says is edited and published by his less delusional nephew (S.A. Hanna). That’s Stephen Hanna for you!
For the first time since March 2020 – nearly 15 months – I went inside a movie theater, and actually watched a movie!
What had once been a weekly occurrence (sometimes even more frequent), was stopped cold turkey with the onset of the pandemic last year. And while walking into a theater used to seem like an intrinsic part of me, this past week it all felt decidedly foreign – a concept which took a few minutes to get used to all over again.
But soon, that theater started feeling like home. Except for the moment someone’s annoying and obnoxiously loud ringtone went off for an exceedingly long time.
In any event, movies are back, and some of the ones that were scheduled to be released last year are finally hitting the big screen. And thankfully, many of those are well worth the wait!
“Cruella” (Rated T)
Cast: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser, Mark Strong
Genre: Crime/Comedy
Where to watch: In theaters/ Disney+ Premier Access
Dwight’s Rating:
Origin story prequels are proving to be great ways to reboot and revitalize an old movie franchise, and this is one relatively recent Hollywood trend we can all get behind.
Just how did our hero become such an amazing crime fighter or super sleuth? What caused that despicable villain to turn into such a lowlife scum bucket?
The controversial but entertaining “Joker” from 2019 can be considered one of the better examples, and maybe even a blueprint, especially after earning Joaquin Phoenix a Best Actor Oscar.
Disney is betting that you want to learn how one of their memorable villains became so unpleasant.
Cruella de Vil from “One Hundred and One Dalmatians” has been an antagonist people have loved to hate since that hit animated classic was released in 1961 – rescuing Disney’s animation division from the brink, after a long lack of hits and a major flop.
And so, after a number of animated sequels and a live-action remake, we now have a live-action prequel, focusing on the life of “Cruella”.
In the film, Estella (Emma Stone) is a young and clever grifter who’s determined to make a name for herself in the fashion world. She soon meets a pair of thieves who appreciate her appetite for mischief, and together they build a life for themselves on the streets of London. However, when Estella befriends fashion legend Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson), she embraces her wicked side to become the raucous and revenge-bent Cruella.
While the previews and trailers look intriguing, the film is an even greater surprise: a stylish, fun and funny exercise, with nary a dull moment. And you don’t have to know anything about any previous movie in this franchise, nor the book on which the original movie is based.
Just so you know, this book is all fiction!
With a title as long as it’s backstory, this is a book that was five years in the making.
Hanna initially had the idea for the book while he was employed as a television producer. He recollects how every other day people would send emails to whoever’s email they could get a hold of pitching the most outlandish ideas. Most of the ideas would have an obvious flaw but the passion with which the request was written was so strong that he says a person could tell that they thought it was a million-dollar idea, which was actually the original title for the book.
It wasn’t until the pandemic that he had enough time to arrange, draw and layout all the ideas into book form.
“The book uses the fictional framing device of an imaginary uncle writing to his nephew from prison, all the money-making ideas he has hoping that the nephew would have better luck than him. However, just because the narrator is imaginary doesn’t mean he is reliable and so often his account of things has to be corrected by the editor. This book will make the reader both laugh at the ridiculous business pitches as well as question the things society accepts as normal,” said Hanna.
Hanna says he does not want people to read his book and think that he is making fun of their drunk uncle. But to take it as it is – an attempt to inspire through satire.
“If you’ve ever thought to yourself ‘my idea is too ridiculous to be taken seriously’ hopefully this at the very least inspires you to realize that if these ideas aren’t too crazy to end up in a book, then your dreams aren’t too crazy to follow.”
Hanna says his book is for anyone that likes a good laugh.
Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian
