Indiana Jones and the Grail Tablet

The grail tablet was one of two markers left by three brother knights of the first crusade. The third night who was dying of extreme old age tells his story to a Franciscan friar, that he, along with his two brothers, Richard and the Grail Knight had set out to find and protect the Holy Grail of Jesus Christ.  Which they did in the temple of the sun in the canyon of the Cresent moon in Halay. 150 years after finding the grail two brothers started their journey back to France leaving the grail knight to guard the relic. The grail tablet was one of the markers left by one of the two returning brothers. The other was Sir Richards's shield buried with him in the catacombs of Venice.  Both markers were there to describe the location of the Holy Grail. The tablet was made of sandstone, made in the Middle East, and was found by Walter Donovan's people who digging out there for copper in the mountains north of Ankara, I believe.x

According to Indiana Jones, It used an early Latin text. Which was probably from the mid 12th century that was during the second major crusade during the fall of the county of Edessa. I got this piece from Propland

2000 which has a store on Etsy and they are based out of Spain. Link in the description. Ordered during the peak of the pandemic, it took about 3 weeks to arrive due to the new quarantine rules going into place. My question is how well did this item stand up to international travel and then storage until it eventually arrived. Wow, I'm impressed, there is a lot of paper and this resin cast is wrapped in some very sticky bubble wrap. This box looks a bit beaten up, however, my tablet looks like it is in good shape. Jesus over at Propland2000 kept in contact with me to let me know how my prop was progressing and then over the course of shipping the product until it finally arrived.

In the movie, the Last Crusade, without the top half, Indy still tries to translate it. As shown at the beginning of the film, Indy knows several languages by the time he was 14 such as Greek. He pours a bit of water on top of the tablet to clean it and still tries to translate it. Now it translates something like this. .whoever, or who drinks the water I shall give him, says the Lord, will have a spring inside him welling up for eternal life. Let them bring me to your holy mountain in the place where you dwell. Across the desert and through the mountains to the Canyon of the Crescent Moon, to the temple where the cup that holds the blood of Jesus Christ resides forever."―

Now, this piece is a resin and fiberglass casting. It was painted and weathered. and has a hollow back which helps with shipping costs.  This prop measures 20,07” x 18,50” x 1,18” width Centimetres 51 cms x 47 cms x 3 cms width

Okay, there is something weird wrapped up in bubble wrap and taped to the back. Okay this is a fertility idol, Thank you very much

Indiana Jones and the Cross of Coronado

In this article, we are looking at The Cross of Coronado from Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade.

If you're new here, I cover film, sci-fi, horror, action-adventure, and the historical genres as well as props and cosplay.

The Cross of Coronado is an artifact that only appears in the first scenes of the 1989 George Lucas produced, and Steven Spielberg directed blockbuster.

Far more importantly, the cross helps to establish the mindsets of Father and Son in the early days and how their stories or motivations have changed over the next 30 years.

Indiana, an altruistic teen, looking out for the public good who believes that historical artifacts should be shared with the world and not in the hands of the private collectors.  Indy later turns somewhat mercenary. So, by 1935, we find Jones willing to sell the ashes of Emperor Nurhaci to crime boss Lao Che for diamonds to eventually moving closer to wanting more than material objects to something somewhat spiritual as he does in Raiders of the Lost Ark.  
It also shows how Jones's succumb to their obsessions and tend to lose themselves to them.  

The Cross of Coronado does all this within the first half of the first act of the film.



The year is 1912, Somewhere in the southwest desert, Indiana Jones is a teenaged boy scout. His troop is out for some cave exploring. 

However, Indy and his friend have left the scouts behind to go exploring on their own.

 They enter a cave only to find that there are treasure hunters already in the cave.   

One man dressed in a leather jacket and a brown fedora. He could pass for Indiana Jones from a distance. He and his gang have just come across a 400-year-old artifact --  The Cross of Coronado.  Indy tells his friend that this is the cross that Cortez, the conqueror of Mexico gave to Coronado in 1512/  And it belongs in a museum.\

He sends his friend back to get the sheriff to do what ... I don't know after a long-drawn-out chase on a train that is transporting a circus to their next town.  The gang, lead by the man in the leather jacket and the fedora chase him towards the back of the train where he finally gets off and escapes the railroad and runs back to the house where he and his widower father live.\

It is revealed that Jones Sr. was intent on his passion project as he writes in his diary.  The Grail Diary. Moments later, his friend from the boy scouts whom he sent to get the sheriff arrives blowing his trumpet to announce his arrival.  The sheriff walks in with the treasure hunting gang behind him. 

Do you still have it? The sheriff asks Indy.  Indy gives it to the sheriff, who tells him that it was reported stolen earlier that day. Roscoe, the bowery kid, runs out to give the cross to a man in a white Panama hat. 

The man in the leather jacket and brown fedora takes off his hat and places it on the young Indiana Jone's head and tells him. "You lost today, but you don't have to like it. Next thing you know, we are out in the middle ocean in the midst of a storm. 

Indy looks up just in time to get a punch in the face.  We can see the man with the white Panama hat come down from the bridge area to the main deck to reclaim his cross.  Indy tells him that the cross belongs in a museum ---- again. 

The sailors go to throw Indy into the raging sea and leave him to drown.  But of course, he escapes their clutches as the boat is thrown from side to side. Indy goes after the man in the Panama hat as he climbs a set of stairs.  Indy grabs him, and the Panama hat man loses the cross, and as it is about to slide off the deck, Indy grabs it. Indy still has a fight on his hands. As he is fighting, cargo is starting to break free. Once again, Indy breaks away and climbs to the top of some crates and grabs a cargo line and swings out over the ocean and into the sea. In the meantime, knocking over several large oil drums that catch on fire and crash onto the deck. 

Indy lands in the water as the cargo ship, the Coronado sinks into the deep.

Back at the college where he teaches, professor Jones is finishing a class when Marcus Brody arrives. Indy concludes the sale of the cross to the National Museum, where Marcus is the curator.  And that is the last we hear or see of the Cross of Coronado.\

The Amazon seller where I got this piece is the  Costumebase,


Now, this piece of art is made of a metal alloy, plated, and comes with a 3 feet long gold chain which is attached with a  gold plated jump ring. Now this Cross measures 8"x 6" (21cm x 15.5cm) and is 3/4" (2 cm) thick and has 12 artificial pearls & 4 artificial aqua gems. Now, the makers used a sketch from  "Lost Journal of Indiana Jones" for the back inscription.

The Cross of Coronado was a jewel-encrusted golden crucifix with a chain. It was believed to contain a piece of the real cross upon which Jesus Christ was crucified.

Francisco Vázquez de Coronado y Luján was born in 1510 and died in 1554. He served as the Spanish Governor of the Kingdom of Nueva Galicia. He was also an explorer and conquistador who, in 1540, based on an overly embellished report by Friar Marcos de Niza, who was the first European in what is now the State of Arizona.

Fray Marcos de Niza at the age of 44 in 1439 traveled north from Mexico to Arizona and up to Hopi and Navajo area and over through the present-day New Mexico over to the Zuni peoples saw the city of Cibola one of the Seven Cities of Gold.

In 1540, reports brought back from explorations made by the shipwrecked explorers Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and confirmed by missionary de Niza convinced Viceroy Mendoza of the presence of vast riches to the north, located in the so-called Seven Golden Cities of Cíbola.

Reaching the area in question, Vasquez de Coronado found simple pueblos but no gold.  Not wanting to call the expedition a failure -- the conquistador pushed on to Kansas, and the Texas panhandle in search of another fool's errand based on the rumor passed on to him by a native they called the Turk to a wealthy civilization called Quivira.

During his expedition from time to time, he would get into fights with the native American peoples and would slaughter many.  Upon ending the voyage and returning to Nueva Galicia, he was eventually brought up on charges of war crimes but was absolved.

Many on the internet ask the question, is the Cross of Coronado real.  The answer is no. Coronado did not go to Utah but bypassed it into New Mexico, According to Indy fandom the cross was given to him by Hernan Cortez have the cross to him in 1521. However, Vasques do Coronado was only 11 at the time and still in Spain.

That being said, the cross may have been based on the cross of Emperor Justin, the second, Eastern Emperor of Rome. The cross, called "Crux Vaticana," or the Vatican cross was given to the people of Rome by the Emperor sometime around 568 or 569 AD.







Costume Base https://amzn.to/2D0J5ul

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens: First Teaser Trailer

A long time ago, when I was but a child, The Force was present. It changed the way special effects were made, and had a huge social and cultural impact on the world. Then, not too long ago, when my children were young and impressionable, they too felt the force. Now the force has awoken and producer, director, writer, and all-around bad-ass  J.J. Abrams have released the first teaser trailer for the recently named seventh installment of George Lucas' epic mythology that captured the minds and hearts of audiences back in 1977. 

When  George Lucas wrote and directed "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope." he drew on all the archetypes basic pattern is found in many narratives from around the world called the "Hero's Journey." Episodes 4 - 6 were, in mind the best of the six. However, say what you will about the prequels, my kids love them.

There isn't an official synopsis yet, as Abrams is a pretty secretive guy. However, you can glean what you can from the trailer. 

In the trailer below, the scene fades from black to the arid desert of what we all presume to be Tatooine. A voice says, "There has been an awakening. Have you felt it?" Actor John Boyega pops up wearing a Stormtrooper's uniform sans helmet. He is looking panicked and confused. Boyega turns his back to the camera. Still in the desert, but I guess closer to 

civilization, a droid that looks like a ball with an R2-D2 like semi-spherical top comes rolling past the camera. A platoon of Stormtroopers prepares to disembark into the night. Actress Daisy Ridley mounts a box-like speeder and dashes away. Cut to an X-Wing pilot sitting in the cockpit as several X-Wings skim over a lake. A robed person, presumably a Jedi or a Sith, walks away into a dark forest. He draws his lightsaber -- it is red, but with a handle guard. The voice once again speaks, "The dark side, and the light." John Williams' classic Star Wars theme blasts as the Millenium Falcon screams through the sky banking and rolling as it comes to skim the desert floor as two TIE fighters scream by blasting away. Then the familiar logo that launched a franchise appears on the screen. 

I find the whole clip both interesting and disturbing at the same time. Interesting in that like in "Star Trek" we saw some pretty interesting places that he placed the Enterprise. Here we some X-Wings doing more within the atmosphere. We see some new speeders and droid designs. I find it disturbing in that the Empire still exists or was the Republic was never restored after "Return of the Jedi?"  Lawrence Kasdan, who contributed his writing skills to "Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back" and "Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi" is listed along with Abrams as writers for this installment.

Overall, I am happy to return to that galaxy far, far away and a long time ago.

December 18, 2015 is a long time to wait.

Movie Data

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Year:  2015

Staring:  Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Domhnall Gleeson, Peter Mayhew, Max von Sydow, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley

Director: J.J. Abrams

Producer(s): J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk, Kathleen Kennedy

Writer: J.J. Abrams, Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas (characters)
Rating: PG-13

Running Time: 

Release Date: 12/18/2015

Revisiting A Classic: Star Wars - 33 Years Later.

Tuesday, May 25^th, 2010 is the 33 anniversary of Star Wars: A New Hope

W hat were you doing on May 25, 1977?  I know where I was; I was getting off my paper route and rushing to the theaters to see a movie my best friend from Junior High told me about the day before.  I waited in the lobby for a few minutes, and then I walked down into the dark rows of seats.  On the screen, a cartoon was playing while I tried to find my friend.  I was wearing my news press delivery bag over my shoulders as I took my seat.  The cartoon ended, and then the Fox Pictures fanfare played, and then for a moment, silence...  An orchestral crescendo and the solid blue words appear on the screen, "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far, away."  The next two hours went by in such a blur, that all I know is that I didn't move from my seat, perhaps not even a muscle as the spectacle that is now titled Star Wars: A New Hope unfolded before my eyes.  Well after all this time, I can still remember just about every line, every nuance of every character.  In the decades that followed the release of Star Wars, we have seen two sequels, and three prequels, an animated series, a universe of licensed books and merchandise.  The phenomena that are Star Wars has infected new generations of loyal fans.

The story is classic, a teenage farm boy, on the desert world of Tatooine, wanting a find a life of adventure and excitement waits for the day that he can escape from his life of boredom.  A young princess, captured by a wicked dark-lord, tortures her into revealing the base of rebels against the evil empire.  The swashbuckling pirate, who seeks to make a quick buck, ends up as a hero.  Throw in an old wizard, two Laurel and Hardy like robots for comic relief, and you have the makings of what American mythologist, Joseph Campbell would call the archetypal hero.  Starring Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia Organa, and Harrison Ford as Han Solo, George Lucas has not only reinvented the modern myth, but also reinvented how we create visual effects in films are done today.  The visual effects of the original team, led by John Dykstra, developed the techniques and systems that have now become Industrial Light and Magic, a name recognized around the world for the high quality and leading edge technology.  As a young man, I studied the works of illustrator Ralph McQuarrie and the storyboards and conceptual designs.  A technique I later put to excellent use as a designer as a project manager for the marketing departments of some of the world's leading technology companies.  What is a film director but the manager of a highly complicated project?  One of the many legacies that /Star Wars gave to us is the grand musical scores by Academy Award Winner, composer and conductor, John Williams.  From the opening theme of all the Star Wars pictures, to the haunting melodies that serve as the themes for each of the characters, Williams weaves a musical tale that almost rivals the film itself.

The many mythological comparisons that writers like Mary Henderson, in her book "Star Wars the Magic of Myth," she matches each character with each of the various archetypes from myth, legend.  Drawing chiefly from Joseph Campbell's book, "The Hero with a Thousand Faces," and giving full credit to Campbell, Henderson illustrates concepts such as when Han and Luke running around the Death Star in search of detention block AA23, where Vader is holding Leia, and comparing the scene to Theseus and the Labyrinth of the Minotaur.  Or one can compare Darth Vader as the Dragon guarding over a treasure.  Luke, like Prince Charming, finds and awakens Leia sleeping in her prison cell, like Sleeping Beauty, for example.  Another comparison to the Star Wars plot line is from Lloyd Alexander's 1964 publication of "The Book of Three.'" Lloyd Alexander's "Chronicles of Prydain" series that feature Taran, a young farm boy, orphaned at birth, raised by, and cared for by an old, wise wizard.  After chasing after the farm's prize possession out into the dark forest, an oracular pig, Taran returns to find his farm set on fire by the evil Horned King, his forever covered with a skeletal mask of a human with the antlers of a deer or elk.  Taran, in "The Book of Three," journeys to the center of the land, saves a princess along the way, finds a glowing sword of immense power, and meets archetypal and memorable characters along the way.  Some these characters may remind one of C-3PO, R2-D2, and Han Solo.  Lloyd Alexander is also the author of Disney's 1985 release, '"The Black Cauldron."

With the 33rd anniversary of what the America Film Institute ranks as the second best Science Fiction film ("2001: A Space Odyssey" is the number one) of all time, perhaps it might be time to dust of that Blu-ray, DVD or VHS and re-watch or introduce members of a newer generation to a film

Movie Data

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Year:  1977

Staring:  Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing, Alec Guinness, Peter Mayhew, David Prowse, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker

Director: George Lucas

Producer(s): Gary Kurtz

Writer: George Lucas

Rating: PG

Running Time: 121 minutes

Release Date: 5/25/1977

Originally published on Associated Content by Robert Barbere on 5/19/2010 

Ender's Game ~ You Will Be The Last | Featuring Ben Kingsley

A new Ender's Game trailer is available.

"In the near future, a hostile alien race (called the Formics) have attacked Earth. If not for the legendary heroics of International Fleet Commander, Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley), all would have been lost. In preparation for the next attack, the highly esteemed Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford) and the International Military are training only the best young children to find the future Mazer. Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), a shy, but strategically brilliant boy is pulled out of his school to join the elite.
Arriving at Battle School, Ender quickly and easily masters increasingly difficult war games, distinguishing himself and winning respect amongst his peers. Ender is soon ordained by Graff as the militarys next great hope, resulting in his promotion to Command School. Once there, hes trained by Mazer Rackham, himself, to lead his fellow soldiers into an epic battle that will determine the future of Earth and save the human race." ~ Summit Entertainment

The film is directed by  Gavin Hood and follows a young Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, who is a military savant. Asa Butterfield plays Ender who is his early to mid-teens when this story starts, trains at the Battle School. Harrison Ford plays Ender's instructor at the school and runs him through a series of games designed to teach Ender War Tactics. After successfully completing a zero gravity war game, the instructors agree that Wiggan is a tactical genus.

Ben Kingsley, Harrison Ford,  Viola Davis, and  Hailee Steinfeld, and Asa Butterfield star  in this fight for survival for humankind..

Look for  "Ender's Game" on Friday,, November 1st, 2013 in the United States and on October 25, 2013 in the United Kingdom.

In the trailer above, Mazer Rackham is telling (yelling) at Ender. Loudly explaining that war is not a game that you can reboot at any time.

Related

Ender's Game - Theatrical and Propaganda Posters
Ender's Game ~ Propaganda Posters

Ender's Game Promotional One Sheet

Ender's Game - First Trailer

Movie Data

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Year:  2013

Staring: Ben Kingsley, Harrison Ford, Abigail Breslin, Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, Viola Davis

Director: Gavin Hood

Producer(s): Orson Scott Card,Robert Chartoff, Lynn Hendee, Linda McDonough, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, 

Writer: Gavin Hood

Rating: Rated PG-13

Running Time: 114 minutes

Release Date:  11/1/2013

All images courtesy of  Summit Entertainment

Ender's Game: Chosen Trailer

Summit Entertainment released a new video for the Orson Scott Card adaptation of his 1980's novel "Ender's Game." The film is directed by  Gavin Hood and follows a young Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, who is a military savant. Asa Butterfield plays Ender who is his early to mid-teens when this story starts, trains at the Battle School. Harrison Ford plays Ender's instructor at the school and runs him through a series of games designed to teach Ender War Tactics. After successfully completing a zero gravity war game, the instructors agree that Wiggan is a tactical genus.

Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis, and  Hailee Steinfeld star opposite  Asa Butterfield in this fight for the future.

Summit Entertainment has a scheduled arrival date of November 1st, 2013. "Ender's Game" is distributed in the US by Summit Entertainment.

In the trailer above, Col. Graff (Harrison Ford) , and Major Anderson (Viola Davis) watch as Andrew "Ender" Wiggin annihilate their enemy in a series of "war games."

Related

Ender's Game ~ You Will Be The Last | Featuring Ben Kingsley
Ender's Game - Theatrical and Propaganda Posters
Ender's Game ~ Propaganda Posters

Ender's Game Promotional One Sheet

Ender's Game - First Trailer

Movie Data

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Year:  2013

Staring: Ben Kingsley, Harrison Ford, Abigail Breslin, Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, Viola Davis

Director: Gavin Hood

Producer(s): Orson Scott Card,Robert Chartoff, Lynn Hendee, Linda McDonough, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, 

Writer: Gavin Hood

Rating: Rated PG-13

Running Time: 114 minutes

Release Date:  11/1/2013

All images courtesy of  Summit Entertainment

Ender's Game - Theatrical and Propaganda Posters

The "Ender's Game" storyline follows a young Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, who is a military savant. Asa Butterfield plays Ender who is his early to mid-teens when this story starts, trains at the Battle School. Going through a series of games designed to teach Ender the martial arts War Tactics). After successfully completing a zero gravity war game, the instructors agree that Wiggan is a tactical genus..

Director Gavin Hood's "Ender's Game" film releases three new posters this week. The first and last are propaganda posters, and the one in the middle is for the film. 

In recruiting poster above, The International Fleet is calling for leaders to help in the fight against the Buggers.

Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis, and  Hailee Steinfeld star opposite  Asa Butterfield in this fight for the future.

The propaganda poster above cries out "It's Us Or Them" while also letting us know that "That The Next Invasion Is Imminent."

The film is based on the widely popular books of author Orson Scott Card.

Summit Entertainment has a scheduled arrival date of November 1st, 2013. "Ender's Game" is distributed in the US by Summit Entertainment.

Related

Ender's Game ~ You Will Be The Last | Featuring Ben Kingsley
Ender's Game ~ Chosen One Trailer
Ender's Game ~ Propaganda Posters

Ender's Game Promotional One Sheet

Movie Data

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Year:  2013

Staring: Ben Kingsley, Harrison Ford, Abigail Breslin, Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, Viola Davis

Director: Gavin Hood

Producer(s): Orson Scott Card,Robert Chartoff, Lynn Hendee, Linda McDonough, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, 

Writer: Gavin Hood

Rating: Rated PG-13

Running Time: 114 minutes

Release Date:  11/1/2013

All images courtesy of  Summit Entertainment

Ender's Game ~ Propaganda Posters

In a world were imminent invasion is looming, from mankind's archenemies, the 'Buggers,' or more formally known as the Formics. The International Fleet propaganda machine churns out the message that all citizen's must remain vigilant. Here are three new posters to get that message out to all of mankind that we are 'Never Again!' going to take an invasion from the  Formics, or from anyone for that matter.

With the hash-tag #DiscoverTheTruth The poster depicts a World Trade Center like attack from mankind's mortal enemies, the first poster warns that another invasion is on the horizon and is a call to arms. 

Do your part: Get the message out says the poster above. Hash-tag #BeAHero 

The "Ender's Game" storyline follows a young Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, who is a military savant. Asa Butterfield plays Ender who is his early to mid-teens when this story starts, trains at the Battle School. Going through a series of games designed to teach Ender the martial arts War Tactics). After successfully completing a zero gravity war game, the instructors agree that Wiggan is a tactical genus..

Harrison Ford also stars as Colonel Hyrum Graff, who is in charge of Ender's education and training. Sir Ben Kingsley plays war hero Mazer Rackham, and Abigail Breslin ("The Call," "Zombieland") plays Ender's sister Valentine

Summit Entertainment has a scheduled arrival date of November 1st, 2013. "Ender's Game" is distributed in the US by Summit Entertainment.

Related

Ender's Game ~ You Will Be The Last | Featuring Ben Kingsley
Ender's Game ~ Chosen One Trailer
Ender's Game - Theatrical and Propaganda Posters

Ender's Game Promotional One Sheet

Movie Data

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Year:  2013

Staring: Ben Kingsley, Harrison Ford, Abigail Breslin, Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, Viola Davis

Director: Gavin Hood

Producer(s): Orson Scott Card,Robert Chartoff, Lynn Hendee, Linda McDonough, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, 

Writer: Gavin Hood

Rating: Rated PG-13

Running Time: 114 minutes

Release Date:  11/1/2013

All images courtesy of  Summit Entertainment