Sunday, January 12, 2020

How Howard the Duck ended up in a nearly blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment in 'Avengers: Endgame'

AS A COMIC AFICIONADO AND FAN HOWARD THE DUCK WAS FABULOUS CHEEKY WITTY IRREVERENT AND SUBVERSIVE AS MOVIE IT WAS ABOUT A FAT DUCK WHO WAS OBNOXIOUS AND SO IT LOST MONEY BIG TIME IN THE DISNEY DONALD DUCK UNIVERSE NOW A SLIMMED DOWN NASTY LOOKING HOWARD THE DUCK REAPPEARS IN SPACE

 Marvel fan-favorite character Howard the Duck appears in the big "Avengers: Endgame" battle for less than a second to the right of the Wasp.

 Marvel VFX producer Jen Underdahl and Weta Digital VFX supervisor Matt Aitken told Insider how his appearance came together in the final few weeks of production.

 Though "Endgame" codirector Joe Russo threw the idea out there, Underdahl says he and his codirector-slash-brother Anthony Russo didn't know Howard would actually be added into the film.

 Howard is only in the movie for 17 or 18 frames. The VFX team didn't expect people to notice his appearance until the movie's home release.

 His appearance is a pretty natural fit. Howard was in an early version of "Infinity War" where Peter Quill would have stolen his ship, leaving him stranded on the planet Contraxia. That's the portal we see him come through in "Endgame."


Howard the Duck shows up for a few fleeting moments in "Avengers: Endgame" during the film's climactic battle.
The visual effects team didn't expect viewers to find the character — who was first introduced at the end of "Guardians of the Galaxy" — in the movie right away. But on opening weekend, excited fans not only found him, but started posting picture of Howard in the final battle online.
"I can't remember exactly who it was, it was either [codirector] Joe Russo or [Marvel Studios' president] Kevin Feige and we were talking about the different characters that were going to come through the different environments at each of the portals that had opened up," Marvel visual effects producer Jen Underdahl told Insider of the idea coming up three weeks before visual effects needed to be completed on the film.

Howard the Duck is first seen speaking with the Collector after the credits roll in 2014's "Guardians of the Galaxy." 
Marvel Studios

"So you had Wakanda in one and you had Contraxia in another and we just got to talking in the screening room about who would be coming through Contraxia," Underdahl added.
Introduced in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," Contraxia is the planet where the Ravagers like Yondu (Michael Rooker), Kraglin (Sean Gunn), and Stakar Ogord (Sylvester Stallone) were seen. The team also believed it was the last location where Howard the Duck was seen. More on that in a bit. 

Kraglin and Yondu are members of the Ravagers. 
Disney/Marvel

How Howard wound up in 'Endgame' with three weeks to go before the VFX team was done with the film

"Somebody threw out Howard the Duck and all of a sudden the room sort of laughed and was like, 'Huh, wouldn't that be a great idea?'" said Underdahl. "So that afternoon we gave Weta a call and said, 'Hey, if we were able to get you an old model of Howard the Duck, do you think you guys could get him into some frames of that shot?' They didn't even blink. They said yes."


Here's an earlier progression image that shows some of the work that went into creating the many portals that brought our heroes onto one battlefield. 
Marvel Studios

Russo told Comicbook.com in May he was the one to bring up the idea. But, at the time, he didn't know it was something that could actually wind up in the film. 
"We just thought it was such a cool idea and something for the fans, something for the people who really scrutinize the movie frame by frame, although it didn't take long for them to find him," said Weta Digital VFX supervisor Matt Aitken who thought viewers may not find the character until they could pause the film upon its home release months later. 
Aitken was mostly impressed people were able to spot him in theaters because Howard is on screen for less than a second. 
"It was tight. We had to rig and create a feather groom for Howard and get him into our pipeline and animation," said Aitken of the amount of work that went into getting the small duck into the film late in the game. "He actually shows up in about 17 or 18 frames in the movie. So it's definitely a fleeting glimpse we get of him, way less than a second of screen time."

Weta Digital even had enough time to give Howard a gun almost as big as him for the scene. 
Marvel Studios

"I think if you looked at the complexity of getting him ready for the shot, and the amount of time that he's in the movie, I think it's probably one of the most skewed characters I've ever built for a movie, in that respect," he added. "But it was so much fun. We really enjoyed it."
The best part was that while all of this was happening, the directors didn't even know Howard was really being inserted into the film. Underdahl says they didn't even notice the character in the scene the first few times they watched it, which made the moment even sweeter.
"They didn't even know," said Underdahl. "The filmmakers had no idea we were going to try and get this in, so that when the shot came through, [and] we're sitting in dailies, we let it play a few times. Then I think it might have been Joe [Russo] who was like, 'Oh my God, there's Howard the Duck!'"
"The whole room kind of erupted like, 'That's amazing!'" said Underdahl of everyone seeing Howard the Duck during the battle scene. "Mind you, we're in the very end of the cycle. We have had this long three-year push, we're right up against it. So to have something like that show up was our true gift to the room and it was appreciated across the board."

Why it made sense for Howard the Duck to be there: He was in a version of 'Avengers: Infinity War'


Peter Quill originally would have stolen Howard's ship, leaving him stranded on the planet Contraxia. 
Marvel/Guardians of the Galaxy trailer

"There was a version of 'Infinity War' when we were going to spend some time with Howard the Duck and Peter Quill on Contraxia," said Underdahl of why the idea even came up. 
Underdahl said the scene would have involved Peter stealing Howard the Duck's ship, stranding him on the planet. But it became too much of a side story.
"They've got to service all these different MCU characters and groups of heroes," said Underdahl of why Howard didn't make it into "Infinity War." "So things like that, that kind of departure into Contraxia, it ultimately would've taken too much weight of the film. We had to kind of stay on target with the storytelling."
"So when you're watching the portals open in Contraxia in the background, we're talking about, OK what are the things that we can see back there that are going to let us know kind of in a few frames where we're coming from?" Underdahl continued. "We just started talking again about who would be there, flashing back to the story point for 'Infinity War.'" 
It was a nice way to bring in an idea that was discarded in "Infinity War" back into the fold in "Endgame." And, hey, maybe we'll see Howard confront Quill in James Gunn's "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3."

Howard the Duck Deserves Another Chance | Den of Geek


https://www.denofgeek.com › Movies


When Howard the Duck was released on August 1, 1986, it marked the first time in history a big budget film based on a Marvel Comics character was released.
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A photographer captured the sun looking like devil horns off the coast of Qatar during an eclipse



Ben Mack
  Jan 10, 2020
Snapcha

An eclipse in the Arabian Gulf. 
Elias Chasiotis

  • The sun appears to have devil horns in stunning pictures taken off the coast of Al Wakrah, Qatar by photographer Elias Chasiotis.
  • The photos were taken during an eclipse at sunrise on December 26, 2019, and went viral after Chasiotis posted them on Facebook, appearing in the likes of CNN, NBC, and The Sun.
  • He told Insider it was "a truly unforgettable experience" and that he "intentionally chose the coastal area of Al Wakrah, Qatar, so that the horizon would be completely open, and the eclipsed sun would rise from the sea.
There's no actual man in the moon, nor is the sun really the devil in disguise — though some people might come to such a conclusion based on some stunning snaps a photographer took during an eclipse in the Arabian Gulf off the coast of Qatar on December 26.
The images went viral soon after Elias Chasiotis posted them on Facebook, and he told Insider that capturing the eclipse was "a truly unforgettable experience."
One of Elias Chasiotis' photos of an eclipse at sunrise in the Arabian Gulf. 
Elias Chasiotis

"My passion for photography started when I was a small kid, together with my interest in the sky and the stars," Chasiotis said.
"I became an amateur astronomer very early, and I observed my first solar eclipse when I was 14."

A plane flying overhead during an eclipse at sunrise. 
Elias Chasiotis

He added: "I have photographed many solar and lunar eclipses. For this eclipse, I intentionally chose the coastal area of Al Wakrah, Qatar, so that the horizon would be completely open, and the eclipsed sun would rise from the sea.
"I desired to capture inferior mirage effects that would make the eclipsed sunrise even more thrilling."
Chasiotis captured his images of the sun appearing to have "devil horns" off the coast of Al Wakrah, Qatar, 
Elias Chasiotis

Chasiotis said the mirages are caused by "inversion layers on the atmosphere."
"They are not rare, but not present every day. I was finally lucky!
"The sun rose in two parts that reminded me of a crab claw, a very unusual and breathtaking sight. Soon the two separated parts united in one deep red crescent. An 'Etruscan vase' effect was visible, exactly what I had hoped for. I stood in awe."

Chasiotis says it was the most awesome sunrise of his life. 
Elias Chasiotis

"Soon, the eclipsed sun vanished in clouds, so I missed the annular phase of the eclipse. During that phase, the sun is visible as a bright 'ring of fire.'
"When the sun reappeared, it was a crescent again."

The sun rises during an eclipse off the coast of Al Wakrah, Qatar. 
Elias Chasiotis

As for what's next for the photographer, he told Insider: "Now I'm getting ready for the next annular solar eclipse of June 2020, and the total solar eclipse of December 2020.
"A total solar eclipse is the most spectacular natural phenomenon on earth, a truly unforgettable experience."

Chasiotis says he can't wait to experience more eclipses. 
Elias Chasiotis

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A Florida community could lose a beloved nurse and father. Here's how Trump's policies stand to disproportionately affect black immigrants.

Kenya Evelyn
Jan 10, 2020, 
Rony Ponthieux. Kenya Evelyn


President Donald Trump's proposed merit-based changes to the current immigration system wouldn't change the number of immigrants permitted in the US, but does look to redefine the type of migrants accepted.
Critics call these policy changes discriminatory, accusing the administration of singling out poor, mostly black and brown countries in favor of European immigrants and would-be tech workers.
"There are 1.8 million black immigrants who are already disproportionately vulnerable to immigration enforcement. Attacking the legal ways they come here sends a clear message they aren't wanted," Nana Gyamfi, executive director for the Black Alliance for Just Immigration, said.

Sunset over Rony Ponthieux's Miami Gardens home signals time to head inside. After a few comical attempts, his 12-year-old daughter Christina gives up teaching him how to throw a football. Rony prefers soccer anyway and the hot, November sun makes him sweat. Sundays begin the busy week for this family, a mix of hospital shifts, school trips, and recitals.


Play soon leads to prep. Christina rehearses chords on the living room piano while Rony gets ready for work. Tonight is the first of four, 12-hour shifts at Jackson Memorial Hospital where Rony is a registered nurse. Nights are split between wards, aiding patients post-surgery and emergencies.
Rony Ponthieux and his daughter. Kenya Evelyn
For many Haitians living in South Florida, the Ponthieux story is a familiar one: escape from political turmoil and hard work to achieve an education. After years of sacrifice, together they live their own American dream — complete with Saturday church services in Kreyol. As Rony fills up on leftovers in the family's modest kitchen, he steals a minute to sit beside Christina as she plays.

Bonding moments like these are under threat now as the family's future in America remains uncertain.

"It's a terrible situation," Rony said. "You come to America for a better life but it's almost like we're being punished for wanting to give back to the country that welcomed us."

Rony, who came to the US with his wife Majorie in 1999, is among 50,000 Haitians living under Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a legal protection granted to countries experiencing catastrophes of war or natural disaster. President Barack Obama granted TPS following the devastating quake. It allowed Rony and his wife to stay and work in the country.

But in 2017, the Trump administration announced it would terminate TPS for Haitians, giving Rony just months to leave the country he's called home for 20 years. Due to multiple appeals, his legal right to stay has been in limbo ever since.

"I couldn't believe after all these years we'd just be told 'ok, now leave,'" he said. "Without TPS, I would have to go back to Haiti where I have no job, no resources and few connections. My entire life is here."
Trump's policies could disproportionately affect migrants from Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean

President Donald Trump's proposed merit-based changes to the current immigration system wouldn't change the number of immigrants permitted in the US, but does look to redefine the type of migrants accepted. Critics call these policy changes discriminatory, accusing the administration of singling out poor, mostly black and brown countries in favor of European immigrants and would-be tech workers. Rony points to the president's own rhetoric.

"He calls them 'shithole countries.' He said he wants more people from Norway," he said. "My skin is black, my accent is Haitian but I work hard to be part of America like anyone else."

Proposed changes to US immigration policy do stand to disproportionately affect migrants from Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. According to the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), black immigrants are more likely to enter the US legally through asylum, TPS or visa programs including the diversity lottery. Trump has vowed to "restore the integrity of" what he calls a "broken asylum system" and gut the diversity visa altogether. BAJI executive director Nana Gyamfi says these steps are designed to restrict black immigration.

"It's to ensure that only rich Europeans are coming into the country, essentially the whitening of America," said Nana Gyamfi, executive director for BAJI. "There are 1.8 million black immigrants who are already disproportionately vulnerable to immigration enforcement. Attacking the legal ways they come here sends a clear message they aren't wanted."

Black migrants, mostly from Africa and the Caribbean, represent 10% of the immigrant population. While they continue to be one of the most educated, 19% of black immigrants live below the poverty line, 12% are unemployed, according to BAJI. In September, the US Department of Homeland Security introduced a change to a public charge policy that would deny green cards to immigrants receiving federal benefits like Medicaid and food stamps. BAJI estimates that one in 20 black immigrants and their families could be affected. A court blocked the change four days before it was to take effect.

Gyamfi says even if never enforced, policies still achieve their intended chilling effect.

"Fear of immigration enforcement keeps black immigrants from seeking the public services they qualify for, and deters would-be applicants from seeking asylum or a visa," she said. "In recent years our work has been just as much myth-busting and addressing hysteria as it is advocacy."

With each new announcement, Rony also worries about any potential effect on his legal status.

"Everything is so temporary you almost feel scared to take a breath," he said. "But our lives here, our families here, aren't temporary."

Rony has been a permanent fixture of Jackson Memorial Hospital for years. Traffic turns tonight's commute from 30 minutes to an hour, giving Rony time to browse his phone. He swipes past dozens of photos of a wide-eyed youth in uniform. The young man stares stoically in front of the American flag but poses jokingly with his comrades in the US Army. Rony's 19-year-old son, Christopher, finished boot camp in Georgia earlier that month. He calls often, but they keep the conversation light.
Rony Ponthieux looks at a picture of his son. Kenya Evelyn"It's a lot of pressure for him," Rony said. "You volunteer for your country and worry that it may not let your parents stay."

The Ponthieux were hopeful that Christopher's military service would aid in their green card quest. But they'll have to wait until the end of 2021, when Christopher turns 21. A court order extended TPS through January of the same year. The timeline leaves a near nine-month gap, putting Rony's legal status in jeopardy.

If TPS expires, Rony and more than 315,000 other recipients from 15 countries would face an immediate deadline to leave the country and be subject to detention and deportation in the process. The Trump administration's proposed 79% spike in application fees for green cards may also take effect by then, a measure activists criticize as politically motivated and designed to keep low-income migrants out.

In their effort to stay, the Ponthieux parents will now face a permanent residency fight that is more stringent, and possibly, more expensive.

The 18,000 American children born to Haitian TPS recipients add to the uncertainty, including Christopher and 12-year-old Christina. Thousands of Haitian families face the reality that their lives together in the US may be limited. Christina, only a seventh grader, fears her family could be split up. It's an uncomfortable conversation between piano practice, schoolwork and at-home lessons on the historical bond between the US and Haiti.
'The anxiety is difficult but I have to be here for the patients, for my family'

Rony heads toward Jackson Memorial's automated glass doors, backpack in tow. The hospital is where his advocacy is most successful. Occasional quips about immigration from patients create opportunities to show the difference he and other migrants make.

"I tell them how, without TPS, I wouldn't be here to care for them," he says. "Their hearts drop and they tell me they don't want to lose their favorite nurse."

Minds also begin to change when considering all the other community members they'd lose — 320,000 TPS recipients from Central America and the Caribbean alone.

Together with his shiftmate, Rony will spend the night checking IVs, monitoring patient breathing and other vital signs. While his work on the night shift is an asset for others, his own health has experienced the effects of uncertainty. Rony's been hospitalized twice over the year for blood pressure spikes and stress-related dehydration.

"The anxiety is difficult but I have to be here for the patients, for my family," he said. "I want to stay part of this community until I can't."
Rony Ponthieux Kenya Evelyn

Just as Rony's shift begins, a beggar stops him wanting a cigarette.

"Smoking is no good for you, brother. I care about your health," he said. He offers the man change for dinner before heading inside.

Sunrise will mark a day's work done, just in time to take Christina to school. Before long Rony will fix another plate of leftovers and head out for another 12-hour night. Stolen moments with Christina on the piano or calls with Christopher help to break up the routine.

He doesn't take them for granted. Rony can only guarantee those bonding moments until January 4, 2021.
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