It is often said that the primary objective of franchise films is to evoke nostalgia in the viewers. These films serve as a reminder of the time when we first met the characters, a time when we had fun and didn’t have the adult perspective to overanalyse filmmaking style. An ideal scenario in such cases, is a sequel that takes a new approach while still retaining the warmth of the original film, thereby providing you with a refreshing yet nostalgic experience. However, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the latest addition to the Ghostbusters franchise, fails to deliver in terms of novelty, instead relying solely on nostalgia.

Director: Gil Kenan

Cast: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Kumail Nanjiani

This fifth addition to the supernatural comedy franchise takes place three years after the events of Ghostbusters: Afterlife. The Spenglers, including Egon Spengler’s daughter Callie Spengler (Carrie Coon), her boyfriend, Gary Grooberson(Paul Rudd), her children Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe( Mckenna Grace), and their close friends Lucky Domingo and Podcast, move to New York City to assist Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) and Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd ) in reestablishing the paranormal investigation group known as Ghostbusters. 

After back-to-back weekends of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, with performances from a reunited No Doubt, Tyler, the Creator, Lana Del Rey and Doja Cat (complete with an entourage of sexy Yetis), sister event the Stagecoach Country Music Festival has rolled into Indio’s Empire Polo Club.

Stagecoach, which will feature performances by Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, Morgan Wallen, Willie Nelson, Post Malone, Dwight Yoakam and others, has grown in popularity since it started in 2007. This year it sold out well in advance of the fest.

So if you’re wondering how Southern California’s two largest music festivals, compare, here’s a primer.

The music

While the lineups are vastly different, there is one artist who is spending three consecutive weekends in Indio: Carin León. The regional Mexican music star attracted crowds at Coachella’s twin weekends. (León joins a small club of artists who have played both fests, including fellow Stagecoach 2024 performers Willie Nelson, Trampled by Turtles and Post Malone, but it’s even more rare to play both fests in the same year, as Nelson has.)

While Coachella is known for plenty of pulsing EDM beats, that has begun to transfer over to Stagecoach in recent years, with Diplo’s name now branding the indoor Honkytonk dance tent that started out as a place for traditional line dancing.

The grounds

The Stagecoach footprint is noticeably smaller than Coachella’s. The VIP rose garden is not part of the fest, nor is the hulking Sahara Tent, although it can be seen in the distance.

The Mane Stage is set up 90 degrees clockwise from where Coachella’s largest stage was, but at Stagecoach there are fewer stages overall. Stagecoach‘s largest music spaces are the Mane, Palomino (Coachella’s Mojave Tent) and Diplo’s Honkytonk (Coachella’s Yuma Tent). The air-conditioned Sonora Tent has been transformed into the Bud Light Backyard, with performances throughout the weekend, but it’s not a full slate of music like it was at Coachella. Some stars who are playing early on the Mane stage, including Josh Ross, Kylie Morgan and The War and Treaty, will perform a second set at the Bud Light Backyard during the weekend. The Stagecoach-exclusive Toyota Music Den features up-and-coming artists such as Shaylen and RVSHVD.

Coachella’s Gobi Tent has been turned into the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch with meet-and-greets with cast members of “Yellowstone” and “1923” and a merch collaboration between Yellowstone and Stagecoach.

Stagecoach also has VIP seated and standing sections, with the general admission fans being further out on the field for the Mane stage, and fans can bring in lawn chairs, which is a no-no for Coachella. The other stages are like Coachella with first-come, first-to-get-close-to-the-stage access.

Coachella’s craft-beer barn area has been renamed for the Mayor of Flavortown himself, Guy Fieri, and the food stalls from the last two weekends have been replaced with a large RV and area for Fieri and friends’ cooking demos all weekend long. Perhaps the best detail of the area: a smoker with Flavortown branding that has a metal sculpture of a bull’s head with red eyes.

Both festivals offer the standards of pizza and chicken tenders, but many of the L.A. restaurants that were at Coachella both weekends have decamped. While you can find some plant-based options, they aren’t as plentiful as at Coachella, while Stagecoach easily has the better barbecue game.

Outside of the main festival grounds, Stagecoach allows RV camping and you can only access the campgrounds if you are camping.

There’s also a space at Stagecoach for demonstrations with the Compton Cowboys.

Oh, and that lush green grass you saw on everyone’s Instagram during Coachella? It’s mostly gone now.

The art

While the rainbow Spectra tower is a permanent installation on the grounds at this point, most of the large installation art that created the landscape of Coachella is gone.

However, not far from Spectra is Mismo, an art installation of colorful paisley teardrop sculptures by Sofia Enriquez that was originally part of the program at Coachella 2019.

Stagecoach also has a couple of pieces of large country-themed art, including a horse sculpture and a cowboy boot.

The Ferris wheel is not quite art but definitely a landmark, and it remains in the same spot for both fests.

The stuff

Stagecoach is full of free stuff. If you have T-Mobile you can get a free lawn chair at their activation. The Bud Light Backyard let fans pick up a custom koozie with a choice of four designs. There are also free goodies at the Toyota Music den, including the favorite Stagecoach bandanna.

At Coachella, there were Neutrogena sunscreen kiosks where you could lather on some free sunblock.

The style

Cowboy hats, boots and fringe were favorite fashion choices at both fests in 2024, but the wild and colorful fashionistas of Coachella aren’t posing around the field at Stagecoach. There is, however, much more plaid, and gear covered in American flag prints.

Mullets are definitely back, with Peso Pluma’s Edgar style the most prominent at Coachella. At Stagecoach, you see some young people with mullets but you still occasionally spot someone who has been rocking the style since the early ’90s.

The one accessory that you will see at both? Bandannas, not just for fashion but a must to try to stave off the festival cough with the gusty winds blowing dust around the site. That’s a souvenir nobody wants to take back with them.

“A blind man, a kid. You claim to be bounty hunters. Right?”

A surprise hit after its release on various streaming platforms, director and writer Yang’s short online wuxia film “Eye for an Eye: The Blind Swordsman” (2023) starring Xie Miao as the protagonist went on to generate a fair amount of attention both in Mainland China and overseas. Therefore it is inevitable that a sequel soon follows with both Yang and Xie returning. Though scheduled for a wilder cinema release, the much anticipated and a longer follow-up still ended up streaming on iQIYI.

This second installment kicks off in Youzhou during the Tang Dynasty. Believing that five fugitives are hiding in a gambling den, blind swordsman Cheng Xia Zi shows up to arrest them. Naturally, they try to fight their way out but of course they are no match for the lethal bounty hunter. Apparently, Cheng is trying to make as much money as possible so he can retire in Chang An, his old hometown.

Meanwhile, in another part of town, a pair of homeless orphans, Zhang Xiao Yu and her little brother Xiao Cao, are stealing food and are caught up in a confrontation between ruthless officer Li Jiu Lang and his rebels. The merciless Li kills the defenseless rebels, Zhang manages to escape but her brother is not that lucky. While on the run, she accidentally bumps into the grumpy Cheng who reluctantly shelters her. After a while, they start to bond and eventually work as a team to bring the cold-blooded Li and his little empire down.

Yang’s sequel plays like a proper wuxia film probably because of its longer running time which allows him to further develop the main lead characters and the dramatic elements. A subplot that concentrates on the orphan Zhang Xiao Yu, played by Yang En You, a traumatized little girl who is obsessed with revenge after the tragic death of her brother. The bond between her and Blind Cheng which takes on centerstage is engaging and not rushed. However, it seems like director Yang is doing a Zatoichi style adventure with a bit of Lone Wolf and Cub thrown in for good measure at times.

Visually the film looks great, especially the outdoor location of rolling hills, forests and mountain ranges. Besides, the detailed town buildings plus their interiors all look lived in and authentic. The fast and crisp fight sequences designed by action choreographers Qin Peng Fei and Du Xiao Hui are impressive, though quite brutal. Also, the fight which features a thug wielding a pair of flaming sword looks interesting and fun, but it is borrowed from Su Chao Pin and John Woo’s “Reign of Assassins” (2010). Though epic, the end fight between Cheng and three hundred guards seems too far fetched and rushed. However, Yang’s use of split screens during the film’s lighter moments is refreshing.

Actor and martial arts champion Xia Miao, born in Beijing, is no stranger to Asian action films who appears in more than thirty films and TV series. He started his film career as a child actor alongside Jet Li in “The New Legend of Shaolin” (1994) and again in “My Father is a Hero” (1995), these films gained him a reputation both overseas and locally. After that he takes a break to study and then makes a comeback in the TV series “Legend of the Shaolin Temple” (2006) and “The Kung Fu Master” (2010). Xia Miao’s portrayal of the blind bounty hunter Cheng is impressive and his moves are equally smooth and convincing during the many fight sequences.

The introduction of a second lead character, the vengeful child, Zhang Xiao Yu (Yang En You) is a nice touch. Child star Yang is impressive and shines as the orphan Zhang, as she effortlessly tackles the emotional and dramatic moments of the film. In addition, her interchange-like bickering and the playful moments with swordsman Cheng are interesting to watch and a nice distraction from the otherwise violent fight scenes, besides adding the much needed emotional connection. Furthermore, Hung Tao is adequately evil and memorable playing the cruel officer Li Jiu Lang.

Even though the storyline of “Eye for an Eye 2” is predictable and familiar, it is still impressive and satisfying production. Besides, the well written lead characters are a plus, and when topped off with the well choregraphed action and engaging visuals, it all makes for a balanced sequel.