RUSHLIGHTS, a dark, gritty action-mystery thriller, stars Golden Globe and Emmy winner Beau Bridges (The Descendants, The Fabulous Baker Boys, Max Payne) and Aidan Quinn (“Elementary”, Unknown, The Mission, Legends of the Fall).

RUSHLIGHTS revolves around Billy Brody (Josh Henderson, TNT’s Dallas) and Sarah (Haley Webb, Final Destination), two delinquent young lovers from the suburbs of Los Angeles, traveling to a small Texas town to falsely claim a dead friend’s inheritance. The two teens, haunted by their own dubious pasts while pursuing their scam, wind up in a nightmare of greed and betrayal when confronted with the twisted and bizarre underworld of Tremo, TX – population 2870.

At first, as ‘Cameron Brogden’ (Quinn), the attorney representing the estate to be passed on, introduces himself to the young couple (Henderson, Webb) the hustle seems to be developed according to plan. Cameron is most courteous and assists ‘ illy’ and ‘Sarah’ in their claim.

Enter ‘Sheriff Brogden Jr.’, (Bridges) the local Sheriff for the past thirty years, who also happens to be ‘Cameron’s’ older brother. The Sheriff confronts the ‘foreigners’ with suspicion and stacks of questions. Still confident in their goal to cash in, the two kids start covering their tracks. Things start to get complicated when the nature surrounding the death of ‘ ackary Niles’, the owner of the estate, is being put into question.

The young grifters know that time is of the essence and the discovery of foul play delays their claim. ‘Billy’ and ‘Sarah’ are stuck.  To make matters worse, while scrutinizing ‘Niles’ large mansion, the youngsters discover that the inheritance has plenty more family strings attached than originally thought. It appears that almost everybody associated with the ‘Niles’ property has some kind of a stake in the succession of the fortune. Embedded in this unnerving tail is also a coming of age element encapsulated in the love story between the two teenagers.

‘Sarah’, tormented by a drug-problem while struggling to impersonate a dead friend, desperately urges ‘Billy’ to leave Tremo while they still can.  However, ‘Billy’ seems compelled to follow through with the plot asoriginally cooked up. He keeps pushing ‘Sarah’ for ‘just a few more days.’ Ultimately, the turn of events reaches a boiling point and it becomes utterly clear that the young couple’s scheme to pull a fast one on an unscrupulous, cunning, and self-serving circle of characters, was a most ill fated plan to begin with.

Rushlights is currently available On Demand via iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, and Xbox through Vertical Entertainment.

The Film Society of Lincoln Center’s annual NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL, now in its 54th year, begins this September 30th and runs through October 16th. As always, the festival is diverse, with a number of International, Documentary and World Premieres from filmmakers established and emerging.

With new works from Errol Morris, Jim Jarumusch, Ang Lee, Pedro Almodóvar, Kelly Reichart, Olivier Assayas and Paul Verhoeven’s first feature film in nearly a decade, not to mention screenings of the lone restored Marlon Brando feature One Eyed Jacks, this festival is once again a Criterion collector’s dream come true.

Here are the features I’ll be geeking out over, which are just some of this year’s highlights.

For showtimes, tickets and additional information about director and cast member in person Q&As, visit FilmLinc.org/NYFF

THE BIG THREE

THE 13

Launching the festival is the opening night documentary THE 13, making its world premiere. The nonfiction film’s title refers to the loophole in the 13th Amendment that allowed for a progression from slavery to the horrors of mass incarceration and the prison industry. I’m hearing a lot of pre-festival buzz on this one. It’s Netflix produced, with an eye on Emmy and Oscar, but a bigger mission to shed light on its subject matter. Featuring Cory Booker, Angela Davis, David Dinkins, Henry Louis Gates, and Newt Gingrich.

20th CENTURY WOMAN

The festival’s centerpiece selection is another world premiere – Mike Mills’s follow up to the acclaimed Beginners called 20th CENTURY WOMAN. Set in 1979, the comedic drama stars Annette Bening in a buzzworthy role. Rounding out the great cast is Billy Crudup, Greta Gerwig, and Elle Fanning.

THE LOST CITY OF Z

Closing out the festival is James Grey’s THE LOST CITY OF, based on the novel of the same name. Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller, Tom Holland and Angus MacFadyen star in this true-life drama of British explorer Col. Percival Fawcett, who disappeared while searching for a mysterious city in the Amazon in the 1920s. This is the film’s world premiere.

MY FICTION PICKS

BILLY LYNN’S LONG HALFTIME WALK

This Ang Lee award-bait feature is making its world premiere at the festival nearly one month before national release. The movie is based on Ben Fountain’s novel and stars Joe Alwyn, Kristen Stewart, Chris Tucker, Garrett Hedlund, Vin Diesel and Steve Martin. If that’s not impressive enough, get ready to geek out big time over the technical specs. The movie was shot in 3D, but at 120fps with native 4K rendering and mastering. Theatre owners and exhibitors were treated to 11 minutes of footage in April, and the reaction was thankfully beyond anything Peter Jackson accomplished with his bad soap-opera effect on The Hobbit. Expect the same mastery of modern storytelling technique as Lee’s last film, Life of Pi.

CERTAIN WOMEN

Kelly Reichardt is one of the most exciting indie filmmakers working today. If you’ve not seen Old Joy, Wendy and Lucy, or even Meek’s Cutoff, do yourself a favor and indulge in their simplicity and sophistication. CERTAIN WOMEN brings together Laura Dern, Michelle Williams and Kristen Stewart under her direction (!!!) in a trio of stories set in Montana. The film was shot on 16mm, because of course it was. A hit at Sundance, this is the movie’s last festival appearance before the IFC Films release in mid October.

ELLE

Love him or hate him, Paul Showgirls-but-also-Robocop Verhoeven brings to the festival the US Premiere of his first French film ELLE. Isabelle Huppert plays a victim of rape who refuses the very mantle of victimhood. She’s also the CEO of a video game company and daughter of a notorious mass murderer. From a screenplay by David Birke (13 Sins, Gacy) adapted from a book by Philippe Djian (Betty Blue), the film received a seven-minute standing ovation at its Cannes Film Festival International premiere.

I, DANIEL BLAKE

On the topic of Criterion Collection picks past and probably future, my first introduction to director Ken Loach came from their remastered treatment of his classic coming-of-age tale Kes. The newest film from the regarded British director, I, DANIEL BLAKE won this past year’s Palme d’Or in Cannes and centers around a man all but defeated by the bureaucracy of the English health care system.

MOONLIGHT

Hot on the heels of the announcement that Barry Jenkins will be helming a limited series adaptation of current bestseller The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, comes the director’s latest feature. Spanning the childhood, adolescence, and adulthood of a gay African-American man who survives Miami’s drug-plagued inner city, the film goes into general release in late October after this, and many other acclaimed festival appearances.

MY ENTIRE HIGH SCHOOL SINKING INTO THE SEA

Dash Shaw is the author of graphic novels New School and Bottomless Belly Button. This is his animated feature debut, set in high school and featuring the voice talents of Jason Schwartzman, Lena Dunham, Reggie Watts, Maya Rudolph, Susan Sarandon, and John Cameron Mitchell. The showings do come with a warning, however, from the festival – the film uses stroboscopic effects that can be dangerous for people with photosensitive epilepsy.

PATERSON

Jim Jarmusch once took the last seat at a screening I tried to attend of The Fantastic Mr. Fox. I’ll never forgive him for that. Well, that and for his disappointing follow up to Broken Flowers with The Limits of Control. With his latest film, PATERSON, he must measure up to his brilliant last film, Only Lovers Left Alive. Adam Driver plays a bus, um, driver in the town of Paterson, New Jersey. Getting even more meta is the epic poem Paterson by William Carlos Williams at the heart of this story. Watch for a cameo from Moonlight Kingdom star Jared Gilman. This is the US Premiere of the Amazon Studios distributed release.

PERSONAL SHOPPER

Fans of the Olivier Assayas film Clouds of Sils Maria will be thrilled to catch PERSONAL SHOPPER, which also stars it-girl Kristen Stewart. It is described in the program notes as being a psychological and supernatural thriller for the digital age. This brief festival appearance marks its US Premiere, and a chance to see the film before its general release even in France.

MY DOCUMENTARY PICKS

THE B-SIDE

Errol Morris’s latest focuses on Elsa Dorman, a friend of the director who uses 20×24 Polaroids as her medium for portrait photography. This is a documentary about a documentarian, who has for over fifty years commissioned the portraits of people in an unconventional format.

BRIGHT LIGHTS

The real-life Postcards from the Edge and then some, this is a portrait of the ultimate open-book celebrity mom and daughter team of Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. The movie is directed by veteran documentary producer Alexis Bloom and filmmaker/actor Fisher Stevens.

THE BEST WORST THING THAT EVER COULD HAVE HAPPENED

Musical theatre geeks will salivate over this story of the cult Sondheim/Prince show Merrily We Roll Along, which closed after only 16 performances in 1981. This is the World Premiere of the documentary, featuring the original cast members of the show. Stephen Sondheim himself is scheduled to appear in person at the October 9th screening.

GIMME DANGER

The importance and impact of Iggy and the Stooges is explored and exploited in Jim Jarmusch’s love letter to the punk gods of my hometown Ann Arbor, Michigan. Jarmusch and Iggy Pop are scheduled to discuss the film in person at the October 1st premiere. Shirts optional, lust for life required.

Just in time for Halloween, the Canuxploitation cult classic, The Pit, will arrive on Blu-ray and DVD in a new 2K restoration coming on October 18th, preceded by a  multi-city limited theatrical release.

Jamie wouldn’t kill anyone… unless Teddy told him to! Twelve-year-old Jamie (Sammy Snyders, Tom Sawyer of TV’s Huckleberry Finn and His Friends) is one creepy kid… he has a perverse obsession with sex, his only friend is an evil teddy bear, and he’s the only one who knows about the hole in the forest where he feeds raw meat to a ravenous pack of mutant troglodytes. Jamie will teach everyone a lesson: the kids who teased and bullied him, the mean old lady down the street, even his pretty new babysitter. Soon they – and his entire town – will face the flesh-eating horror of The Pit! The one and only directorial effort by Lew Lehman with a script by documentarian Ian A. Stuart and featuring a wonderful cast that includes Jeannie Elias (Nomads), Sonja Smith (Videodrome) and Richard Alden (The Sadist).

Special Features include:

• Interview with Star Sammy Snyders
• Interview with Star Jeannie Elias
• Interview with Screenwriter Ian A. Stuart
• Interview with Composer Victor Davies
• Audio Commentary by Film Historians Paul Corupe and Jason Pichonsky

For more information, including screening dates and locations, visit kinolorber.com/film/thepit

Jennifer Walters has survived the Civil War, but not unscathed. This December, she rises from the rubble, re-entering the world as a different kind of hero in the all-new HULK #1! Eisner Award-winning writer Mariko Tamaki (This One Summer) makes her Marvel debut alongside rising star artist Nico Leon (Spider-Man) to chronicle the ongoing adventures of Jennifer Walters – and bring you a Hulk book for Marvel NOW! the likes of which you’ve never seen before!

Following the traumatic events of Civil War II, Jen is determined to move forward, to go on with her life. But there is something bubbling under the surface. A quiet rage. The physical and mental wounds are still fresh. The pain of the past and all she’s lost is always there – an undercurrent, a pulse, waiting to quicken and trigger her transformation into the one thing she doesn’t have control over…the HULK!

“The title Hulk implies all of the baggage that comes with that comic’s 50+ year history – the ongoing battle with the monster within – and that’s why it’s more appropriate for this series,” says Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso, speaking with The AV Club. “Jen went through major trauma in Civil War II, and Mariko and Nico’s story will deal with the fallout of that trauma – the anxiety and anger, sometimes self-destructive, that comes along with it. If there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, Jen is going to have to search hard for it, and she’s going to have to battle with some pretty big monsters – including the one within – to find herself again.”

Jennifer Walters’ greatest battle is about to begin. One that will pit her against the monster inside. Can she control the rage that consumed her cousin Bruce for so long? Or will she succumb to it? Find out when Tamaki and Leon bring you the can’t-miss HULK #1 this December!

HULK #1
Written by MARIKO TAMAKI
Art by NICO LEON
Cover by JEFF DEKAL
On-Sale This December!

To find a comic shop near you, visit www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook. 

Written by John Semper, Jr. 
Art by Paul Pelletier
Inked by Tony Kordos & Scott Hanna
Cover by Will Conrad & Ivan Nunes
Variant Cover by Carlos D’anda
Published by DC Comics

THE IMITATION OF LIFE – PART ONE: AWAKENING

The strange cybernetic man that has been monitoring Vic Stone hunts through a warehouse full of discarded robotics. Upon finding a behemoth of a robot he activates it ready to raise the stakes in his plan.

Meanwhile police are in pursuit of a stolen armoured car. To their surprise their cellphones begin ringing and their sat nav switches on directing them into a head on collision with Cyborg himself!

Vic reveals how by tracking credit cards he was able to access their transactions and further to that, their criminal records. Handing the two bungling robbers to the police, Vic returns to S.T.A.R. Labs. A warm welcome is far from coming as Silas Stone, Vic’s father gives his son a telling off for ripping apart a hydraulic to intercept the robbers.

Tom and Sarah run diagnostics on a reluctant Vic. While Tom takes Silas aside an angry Vic is convinced by Sarah to clear his head by leaving the lab with her in disguise. Vic then thinks back to his fight with the monstrous Malware and the discovery of a secret data bank which held secrets to his beginnings, but more than that, it contained a secret journal.

The audio recording revealed Silas was unsure if his son was saved or some kind or replicant. Vic was hurt by the recording but even more because he is not sure his fathers doubts were unfounded.

Sarah convinces Vic to forget about ‘processing fuel’ and instead, enjoy the pleasure of his favourite ice cream. Some curious children see through his disguise and in a rare moment of fandom without the League, Vic poses with the children for photos with their favourite hero. Even that moment turns sour when they make a remark abut him not having a heart.

A broken man, Vic sinks deeper into depression as they walk home and pass a church that the Stone family once frequented but now neglect. Sarah decides to stop the pity party and drags her friend into a jazz club.

Inside lead singer of Sarah’s favourite band Brother Blue takes the hero aside and makes him realise that the soul is beyond biology, beyond technology… and when Brother Blue begins to play it reaches out to Vic and he finally feels good and human once more, not just a cyborg.

The feeling of humanity is short lived. The robot that was activated earlier leaps into conflict with Vic swearing to kill his human side so the alien tech can be free of it’s ‘biological ‘virus’.

Sarah watches is terror as newly revealed Kilg%re is ready to kill Vic just as he had literally had an awakening!

To Be Continued…

STORY: 5/5

A very emotional beginning, Vic comes across as a tad immature emotionally, and I must confess I am just more a fan of Cyborg being a Teen Titan rather than a Leaguer. The revelations of his fathers secret journal and how it shaped the direction of the story and character is a welcome dimension to the character that has previously either been ignored, side tracked or brushed off.

Brother Blue, the Jazz lounge singer reaching out to Vic is a beautiful scene and poignant. Semper balances the drama and action very well. The drama doesn’t feel too slow or layered on too thick and the action not to sparingly.

There are many parallels between Kilg%re and the recent arc in Superman with another cybernetic foe, The Eradicator, but the drama and depression or poor Vic as a modern day Frankenstein’s monster sets it apart.

I like that he was pulled out of the self-doubt and hope that Vic continues to grow. But I would also enjoy seeing more of Silas, Tom and Sarah as the series continues. As I said I’ve only ever been a fan of his original adventures but now I’m actually looking forward to reading more of his new adventures.

ART: 5/5

I first came across Paul Pelletier during his time at Malibu comics and then during his stint on Incredible Hulk. His style is vastly different these days and it looks even more amazing than his early works. Usually second or third or even fourth tier characters in comics don’t get the top creative talent but I’m glad that a) Cyborg is being elevated creatively. Marv Wolfaman & George Perez’s cybernetic superhero is enjoying a new resurgence and it’s a worthy ‘rebirth’

COVER: 5/5

Feels like a film poster doesn’t it?

I would definitely watch the movie, but right now I am really enjoying the book.

Will Conrad and Ivan Nunes have given this issue one a breathtaking first cover!

VARIANT: 4/5

This cover just didn’t connect with me, its not that it isn’t cool, not that it isn’t slick, it is just that it is too busy. Personal preference but If it was just a little less ‘energetic’ it would have worked a little better for me. Not Carlos D’anda’s fault, I think it is more to do with some of the colouring over-saturating it.

Mad Max fans will have something to put atop their holiday gift lists with the Mad Max High Octane Collection, debuting December 6 from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE). All four films from visionary director George Miller’s blockbuster sci-fi franchise — Mad Max (1979); Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981); Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985); and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), now with Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky — are together in one collection.

The Mad Max High Octane Collection is available to own in both Blu-ray ($79.99 SRP) and DVD ($54.97 SRP) versions. Both collections include the four films and five hours of bonus content, including the visually stunning Mad Max: Fury Road “Black & Chrome” Edition. The Blu-ray collection will also include a 4K-Ultra HD version and a UV Digital Copy of Mad Max: Fury Road.

The Mad Max: Fury Road “Black & Chrome Edition” will also be available on Blu-ray
($29.98 SRP) in a two film collection including the theatrical version of the film and a special introduction by George Miller describing his vision.

High Octane Collection Special Features and Additions:

• NEW! *Fury Road “Black & Chrome” Edition – Witness the surreal black and white version of mastermind George Miller’s Fury Road.
• NEW! *George Miller Introduction to the Mad Max Fury Road: Black and Chrome Edition – Special introductory piece by George Miller describing his vision.
• NEW! Road War – In 1982, the world was blindsided by George Miller’s masterpiece of apocalyptic destruction: The Road Warrior.  For the first time ever George Miller, Terry Hayes and star Mel Gibson tell the story of the car-crushing production that redefined action cinema forever.  
• Madness of Max – The previously released Mad Max (1979) documentary is a feature-length documentary on the making of arguably the most influential movie of the past thirty years. With over forty cast-and-crew interviews, hundreds of behind-the-scenes photographs and never-before-seen film footage of the shoot, this is, without a doubt, the last word on Mad Max (1979). Interviews include: George Miller, Byron Kennedy, Mel Gibson, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Steve Bisley, Roger Ward, Joanne Samuel, David Eggby, Jon Dowding and many more. From the Producers to the Bike Designers to the Traffic Stoppers, this is the story of how Mad Max was made.

Mad Max: Fury Road Two Film Collection

Special Features and Additions:

• NEW! *George Miller Introduction to the Mad Max Fury Road: Black and Chrome Edition – Special introductory piece by George Miller describing his vision.

About The Films

Mad Max (1979)

George Miller’s first entry in the trilogy, Mad Max packs brutal action and insane stunts as it follows the inevitable downfall of relentless cop Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson) in a world gone mad. Living on the edge of an apocalypse, Max is ready to run far away from it all with his family. But when he experiences an unfortunate encounter with a motorcycle gang and its menacing leader, the Toecutter, his retreat from the madness of the world is now a race to save his family’s life.

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1982)

The sequel to Mad Max, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior provides action-packed “automotive” entertainment, telling the story of a selfish-turned-selfless hero and his efforts to protect a small camp of desert survivors and defend an oil refinery under siege from a ferocious marauding horde that plunders the land for gasoline.

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

Mel Gibson returns for his third go-round as the title hero who takes on the barbarians of the post-nuclear future – and this time becomes the savior of a tribe of lost children. Music superstar Tina Turner co-stars as Aunty Entity, a power-mad dominatrix determined to use Max to tighten her stranglehold on Bartertown, where fresh water, clean food and gasoline are worth more than gold.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Haunted by his turbulent past, Mad Max (Tom Hardy) believes the best way to survive is to wander alone. Nevertheless, he becomes swept up with a group fleeing across the Wasteland in a War Rig driven by an elite Imperator, Furiosa (Charlize Theron). They are escaping a Citadel tyrannized by the Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne), from whom something irreplaceable has been taken. Enraged, the Warlord marshals all his gangs and pursues the rebels ruthlessly in the high-octane Road War that follows.

Welcome back to Graphic Breakdown!

It’s Wednesday again so that means new comics! Let’s celebrate!

Aquaman #7

Written by Dan Abnett
Illustrated by Scot Eaton
Published by DC Comics

After last months fantastic issue, we get a fairly decent follow up. I enjoyed it enough and quite liked the artwork. I just wish it was more consistent.

At first I thought the book was suffering due to Dan Abnett’s writing. That doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. Abnett has found a groove and while it’s not top level comics, it works enough to be entertaining.

I wish they can keep an artist on this title for more than one issue (Brad Walker please). Even so, Eaton does some amazing work. It well drawn and regal almost. It’s just so inconsistent with the previous issue that it’s hard to have any rhythm. Especially from issue to issue. Consistency. This book would be better for it. Without it, they are just swimming against the tide.

RATING: C+

Batman #7

Written by Steve Orlando
Story by Orlando and Tom King
Illustrated by Riley Rossmo
Published by DC Comics

It’s no secret that I think Tom King has had a slump in the first six Batman issues he wrote. So it was without much enthusiasm I picked up this issue.

And I kind of loved it.

Steve Orlando is a fine writer and he has a good handle on Batman. This is the first of his crossover story “Night of The Monster Men.” And it’s nutty. I like nutty!

Batman teams up with Nightwing and Batwoman in this issue to investigate strange happening in Gotham.

And fun ensues!

Orlando is a good writer, and he knows Batman and the characters around him pretty well. And Rossmo is a frenetic artist who can tell a great story in a unique way. I love his Batman work. I love all of his work! But he sings on Batman. Put these two creators on a monthly Batman. Maybe even one that got relaunched on the wrong foot?

RATING: B+

Doctor Fate #16  

Written by Paul Levitz
Illustrated by Sonny Liew
Published By DC Comics

I have never read Doctor Fate. I tried. Could never get into him. Thus picking up Dr. Fate #16, I have to say I have no idea what the heck was going on.

That being said Paul Levitz is a classic writer. Even if I didn’t get everything Levitz knows how to write a story. And he does that here. He has always written solid stories. Reading this he always will.

The art is pretty good too. Again, I am not a fan of the character. But these two made it worth it. They created a book I wouldn’t read if I wasn’t reviewing…but since I am I give these guys respect.

They know what they’re doing.

RATING: B

Green Arrow #7

Written by Benjamin Percy 
Illustrated by Stephen Byrne
Published by DC Comics.

Green Arrow is one of those books that makes me want to scream. Loudly.

What started off so promising is a book I barely care about with characters that seem familiar but aren’t the characters I grew up loving.

Part of the blame is Percy. He’s a decent writer but it may be time to call it a day. I feel like we are going nowhere with him. The art by Byrne is so far removed from what I enjoy, it’s very distracting.

Oliver and his cast work so well with the right treatment. This is getting further and further away from that.Instead, we are getting stories we don’t care about and will remember. And that’s a shame.

RATING: C

Superman #7

Written by Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason
Illustrated by Jorge Jimenez
Published by DC Comics

The epilogue of “Son of Superman.”

It asks the question, does Superman get a day off?

Or can he take one?

The answer is fairly lifeless.

But hey,  maybe the next arc will be better.

The writing is pretty standard and the art isn’t too bad. It’s just a filler issue. I will use this time to say I hope the next art is better than the last one which felt untrue and rushed.

The creators certainly are talented enough.  I think they have a great story in them. Let’s see that.

RATING: C

Nightwing #5

Written by Steve Orlando
Story by Tim Seeley and Steve Orlando
Illustrated by Roge Antonio
Published by DC Comics

Part two of “Night of The Monster Men”!

I got to this in my pile and I got excited! Steve Orlando!

Nuttiness! I am in!

This part two doesn’t disappoint. It’s hell fun. It’s so nice to see a good story involving all the Batman characters.

Orlando just has it. He’s going places.

The art isn’t as good as the first part but it’s good enough.

Pick up this crossover. It’s a good fall event.

RATING: B

Raven #1

Written by Marv Wolfman
Illustrated by Alisson Borges
Published by DC Comics

Man, I’ve missed Marv Wolfman.

One of the nicest and most talented writers to ever be in the business, Marv hasn’t been writing as much as I would like in recent years.

And then this comes down the line. And man, is it good.

In this issue Raven decides to take a break from the Teen Titans after a recent tragedy. She tries to fit in with some family. And the results are both funny, sweet and emotional.

Wolfman crafts a classic story showing he’s still got it. It’s great. And the art is wonderful. This is a good book. Pick it up. I was as surprised as anyone. Recommended.

RATING: A-

AND THE REST…

Harley Quinn #4
Written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti
Illustrated by Joe Michael Linsner
A surprise this week mostly for the contribution of Linsner. Very fun (even though he has done better work.) And it really entertained in a way I wasn’t expecting. Keep up the good work!
RATING: B+

Justice League # 5
Written by Bryan Hitch
Illustrated by Tony Daniel
Dazzling artwork by Daniel. The story is so lackluster and lifeless that even the art can’t save it. Steve Orlando please.
RATING: C

Green Lanterns #7
Written by Sam Humprhies
Illustrated by Ronan Cliquet
A very real threat is looming for the characters in this title: How soon until it gets canceled? The race is on!
RATING: C

Trinity #1
Written and Illustrated by Francis Manapul
A title focused on Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. Manapul’s heart is in the right place, but it fails to thrill or be even remotely relevant. Bring back the Watchmen invading the DC universe story! Give us more of that!
RATING: C+

A young boy with a magical gift sets out on a thrilling quest to discover his family’s legacy in LAIKA’s newest film, Kubo and the Two Strings.

The latest masterpiece from the animation studio behind the Academy Award-nominated films Coraline, ParaNorman, and The Boxtrolls comes to Digital HD on November 8, 2016 and Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand on November 22, 2016 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Hailed as “an exquisite, beautiful film,” (Scott Mantz, Access Hollywood) Kubo and the Two Strings has captivated audiences of all ages, earning an extraordinary 97% “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the best-reviewed films of the year!

From acclaimed animation studio LAIKA comes an all-new epic adventure starring the voice talents of Academy Award winners Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road) and Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar). Young Kubo (voiced by Art Parkinson of Game of Thrones) mesmerizes the people in his village with his magical gift for spinning fantastical tales. When he accidentally summons an evil spirit seeking vengeance, Kubo journeys on an action-packed quest to solve the mystery of his fallen samurai father, discover his own magical powers, and reunite his family.

Kubo and the Two Strings stars an all-star supporting voice cast including George Takei (Star Trek), Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (The Man in the High Castle), and Academy Award nominees Ralph Fiennes (Harry Potter), Brenda Vaccaro (Johnny Bravo), and Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). The Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD are packed with exciting behind-the-scenes bonus content, featuring the filmmakers and incredible voice cast, that allows viewers to dive even deeper into the magical story.

Bonus Features Exclusive to Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack & Blu-ray Combo Pack

• Introduction by Director/Producer Travis Knight: Director/Producer Travis Knight introduces “Kubo’s Journey.”
• Mythological Monsters: The filmmakers and crew discuss the new techniques they used to create the terrifying antagonists. Learn how each monster differed in scale, design, and execution.
• Braving the Elements: A particularly challenging aspect of filming was animating water and rain effects. Discover how LAIKA was able to animate water in the context of a stop-motion film.
• The Redemptive and Healing Power of Music: Learn how traditional and contemporary musical styles were combined by Academy Award-winning composer Dario Marianelli (Atonement) to infuse the film with such a heartfelt sound.
• Epilogue by Director/Producer Travis Knight: Director/Producer Travis Knight discusses what attracted LAIKA to Kubo and the Two Strings.

Bonus Features on Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack & Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD

• Japanese Inspiration: The LAIKA creative team and the cast discuss the inspirations for the story.
• Corners of the Earth: Filmmakers and crew discuss the challenges of the varied landscapes and locations in Kubo and the Two Strings.
• The Myth of Kubo: Cast and filmmakers discuss the story at the core of Kubo and the Two Strings.
• Feature Commentary with Director/Producer Travis Knight

For more information visit uni.pictures/KuboTwoStrings
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After you have a kid, you find yourself revisiting kids’ movies that you haven’t seen in 30, 35, or in my case sometimes 40 years.

As my kid grew from toddlerhood into childhood, I reluctantly revisited classic Disney features one by one, and I was pleasantly surprised to find them much better – that is, at once more sophisticated and less sentimental – than I remembered them.

So, for this column I thought I’d rank Disney’s first five feature-length films, with a few comments on each.

Of course these are all well known films, but revisiting them as a parent gave me some new perspectives and new appreciation that I wanted to share.

FANTASIA (1940)

Here’s the only one of the First Five that everyone admits is flawed.  The animated episodes themselves are great, but the talky live-action interludes are tedious.

There is no re-watchability to the interludes.  After having seen them once, you simply skip over them anytime you return to the film.  Disney clearly meant well, but the condescending (if friendly) tone of the narrators during the interludes has not aged well.

Luckily, every animated episode is wonderful, and it’s hard to pick a favorite.  The “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” segment was a brilliant way to revitalize Mickey Mouse, who had recently been eclipsed by Donald Duck in popularity.

The “Rites of Spring” segment brilliantly opens not with the dinosaurs – but with the microorganisms that evolved into the dinosaurs over the millennia.

My favorite is the “Pastoral Symphony” episode, blending drama, sensuality, and action within a spirit of innocent play.  I was delighted to find that my kid (at age six) also favored this episode, though he was more into Zeus and the lightning bolts than those cute female centaurs.

PINOCCHIO (1940)

I remember seeing this in the theater (in the 1970s) and being very scared by the Pleasure Island episode, where the bad boys are transformed into donkeys.  My own son, watching the movie for the first time at age seven, had to avert his eyes.

It’s the most moralistic of the First Five, and yet the morals grow naturally from the story and the characters rather than being imposed upon them (or upon us).

It’s also nice how Jiminy Cricket – not Pinocchio – might be the main character.  In a Disney film, small size usually means large intellect – and large heart.

SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1938)

It’s almost shocking how much action and tragedy is packed into Disney’s first feature film, which is also the first feature-length animated film in color.

This film veers close to horror in the startling scene when the beautiful queen transforms herself into the hideous hag.  You can see her body parts transforming on screen.  Again, my son (at age seven) had to avert his eyes.

Snow White herself is almost too good to be true (which is why I don’t rank this film higher), but it’s a sad soul indeed that doesn’t fall in love with her.

Also striking is how much of the film passes without dialogue – how much is conveyed only through the animated characters in their dances, squabbles, or routines.

DUMBO (1941)

If it’s remarkable how much of Snow White passes without dialogue, it’s even more remarkable that Dumbo himself never speaks a word.

I expected to find Dumbo a sentimental or immature sort of kiddie flick, but I was surprised at all the street-wise banter spoken by Timothy Mouse (like Jiminy Cricket, small on the outside but big on the inside) and at the very bizarre trippy drunken dream after Dumbo unwittingly quaffs a tub of alcohol.

My kid at age six hid his eyes when that weird eye appeared toward the end of the alcohol dream.  Now at age nine (as I write this) he keeps asking to see that part again.

BAMBI (1942)

Not only is Bambi the best of Disney’s First Five, it’s the best of all Disney animated features – and one of the best American films of the 20th century.

Without sentimentality, without simplism, Bambi depicts an entire life cycle – a “circle of life” that would be depicted successfully again in The Lion King.  Most people remember Bambi himself as a naïve fawn, but for half the picture he’s a teenager or even an adult.

The most common criticism – that the film is too harsh for kids because Bambi’s mother dies – is understandable.  But we shouldn’t shelter children from life’s hardships or life’s complexities; we should introduce such things to children slowly and clearly.  Bambi is a perfect way to do this.

Remember also that Bambi is harshly attacked by dogs late in the film.  Of course Bambi survives, but even with a happy ending, the film clearly suggests that nature – and society – can be cruel as often as kind.

Bambi is rich in other ways as well, such as with an extended silent opening that takes us deep within a forest, a wilderness without people, the type of untamed land that Walt Disney hoped would endure in our world forever.

IDW Publishing, with the support of DC Entertainment, will honor the victims of Orlando’s Pulse Nightclub tragedy by publishing LOVE IS LOVE, an anthology graphic novel curated by writer Marc Andreyko (BATWOMAN, WONDER WOMAN ’77). In the wake of this devastating event, Andreyko assembled a group of fellow comic book creators to contribute to the benefit project. Andreyko received an overwhelming response across the comic book community and beyond, with over 200 writers and artists lending their talents to LOVE IS LOVE, a collection of over 100 short graphic stories. All material has been donated by the writers, artists, and editors, with all proceeds going to victims, survivors, and their families via EQUALITY FLORIDA.

LOVE IS LOVE will debut in comic book shops and bookstores this December. The anthology graphic novel is a 144-page love letter to the LGBTQ community containing moving and heartfelt stories—some using iconic DC characters—from some of the greatest talent in comics, including Phil Jimenez, Steve Sadowski, Paul Jenkins, Mike Carey, Matt Wagner, Marguerite Bennett, Aneke, Damon Lindelof, Patton Oswalt, Steven Orlando, Rafael Albuquerque, Jason Aaron, Jason Latour, James Asmus, Ming Doyle, James Tynion IV, Cecil Castellucci, Brandon Peterson, Jesus Saiz, Olivier Coipel, Leinil Yu, Elsa Charretier, and many more to be announced.

“When tragedy happens, art responds. And after the Pulse massacre, the comics community responded quickly, decisively, and with open hearts,” said project organizer and writer Andreyko. “I could not be more proud of this book, or to be a member of the comics community. The talent and emotion on every page is staggering. LOVE IS LOVE mourns the 49 lost, honors the survivors, and celebrates love in all forms.”

“When Marc brought this project to me, there was no hesitation about us getting involved,” said IDW Chief Creative Officer Chris Ryall. “To echo Marc’s sentiments, we are proud of the hard work and talent that has gone into this project and to be involved in any way to support the survivors and their families in the face of tragedy.”

“We’re deeply thankful to all the participants who donated their work to LOVE IS LOVE,” said Sarah Gaydos, Group Editor for IDW Publishing. “The outpouring of emotion from their work honors the LGBTQ community, and helps express the grief we’re all feeling.”

“Marc’s heartfelt passion for this cause and this project has inspired everyone involved in LOVE IS LOVE,” explains Jamie Rich, Group Editor of DC’s Vertigo imprint. “As an editor on the book, I continue to be moved every day by the expressions of hope and love the contributors have put forth, and can only imagine the profound impact the book will have on readers, as well.”

The contributors behind LOVE IS LOVE have banded together to send a powerful message through their art that they stand with the victims of this national tragedy. Help spread the love this December and become part of this historic comics event.

Pre-order LOVE IS LOVE here.

Click here for more information on EQUALITY FLORIDA.

From Christopher Priest, author of The Prestige, comes his new novel, The Gradual.

Alesandro grows up in Glaud, a fascist state constantly at war with a faceless opponent. His brother is sent off to war; his family is destroyed by grief. Occasionally he catches glimpses of islands in the far distance from the shore, and they feed into the music he composes—music for which he is feted. His search from his brother brings him into contact with the military leadership and suddenly he is a fugitive on the run—he seeks refuge on the islands and his endless travels take him through places and time, bringing him answers where he could not have foreseen them.

And we’re giving away two copies courtesy of our friends at Titan Books!

To enter, please send an email with the subject header “GRADUAL” to geekcontest @ gmail dot com and answer the following:

Who directed the adaptation of The Prestige?

Please include your name and address (U.S. Residents only. You must be 18 years old).

Only one entry per person and a winner will be chosen at random.

Contest ends at 11:59 PM EST on October 9th, 2016.

Produced by John Carls, Lydia Dean Pilcher
Screenplay by William Wheeler
Based on The Queen of Katwe by Tim Crothers
Directed by Mira Nair
Starring David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong’o,
Madina Nalwanga, Martin Kabanza, Taryn Kyaze

In a sea of teenage dystopian, apocalyptic movies it is refreshing to watch a film about a young person who beats the odds with nothing but the power of her mind and the love and support of her family and friends.

Based on a true story, Queen of Katwe is about Phiona Mutesi, a poor, uneducated girl from a Ugandan ghetto who triumphs over her circumstance through learning the game of chess.

Queen of Katwe is a filled with stellar performances from Oscar favorites and newcomers alike. Set against the backdrop of a level of poverty few Americans could ever fathom, Phiona Mutesi’s family struggle to survive.

Raised by a widowed, working mother, Phiona is the middle child of 4 children. Unable to afford school, all but the youngest child work to scrape enough money together to exist. In her daily trug, Phiona discover a group of children being taught to play chess by the local missionary outreach program. Lured by the promise of a meal and intrigued by game, she joins the group. Robert Katende, the chess coach, realizes Phiona’s precocity for the game and helps her and the other children tackle the obstacles that would keep them from competing on the same level as their wealthier, educated piers.

Although presented in an age-appropriate way indicative of a Disney film, Queen of Katwe does not shy away from the harsh reality of an impoverished life, especially the challenges of woman in its society.

From Phiona’s fierce but loving mother, played by Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave, Star Wars: The Force Awakens) who goes literally sells her own clothes to make sure Phiona has enough light to study by, to David Oyelowo’s (Selma, Star Wars; Rebels) Katende the chess coach, who must weigh providing a better life for just his own family against a chance to better the life of all the children in the chess program, each person faces the challenge of simple surviving or striving for something greater.

In her first feature film Madina Nalwanga gives a heartbreaking performance as the young Phiona. Her portrayal of the underdog is kept from caricature by Nalwanga’s very grounded and realistic tween quirks. The dynamic between her and the other young actors and actresses is engaging. No matter your background there are experiences that every young person goes through, and the children in this film make you remember your own experiences of find your place in the world. I was not the only person in the theater to feel this way. It was a delight to be with an audience that clapped at Phiona’s triumphs and and sniffled at her failures.

Phiona Mutesi’s story is not easy to watch. The dangers to a young girl in her situation are many. For many others in her neighborhood the only way out is to find a man to support them, and many times it is only marginally better than where they have come from. It is inspiring to see how each character continues their fight while maintaining their integrity.

Queen of Katwe is a well made film that will have you cheering in your seats. Just make sure you bring a couple of tissues with you. You are going to need them.

Produced by Richard Grandpierre
Written by Christophe Gans, Sandra Vo-Anh
Based on Beauty and the Beast by
Gabrielle-Suzanne, Barbot de Villeneuve
Directed by Christophe Gans
Starring Vincent Cassel, Léa Seydoux,
André Dussollier, Eduardo Noriega,
Audrey Lamy, Sara Giraudeau, Nicolas Gob,
Myriam Charleins, Jonathan Demurge,
Louka Meliava, Yvonne Catterfeld, Dejan Bucin

I am not surprised that Disney is finally getting around to producing a live-action version Beauty and the Beast.

After all, a generation has passed since they reaped in the box office success of their 1991 animated version, and as Disney On Ice had equal success in freezing this overdone fairy tale, a live version had to be somewhere down the road.

I even understand that the new version is being helmed by veteran hack screenwriter, Bill Condon, who directed the final two installments of the Twilight series, so you know that the 2017 take of the Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve’s fairy tale will have an even hunkier “beast” of the Taylor Lautner variety, one that has the anger of a lion, but who also brandishes a bewildered smile when he sees shiny things. The waifish Emma Watson will shine, I’m sure, as Belle unless the producers change their minds and find an actress that can be even more of a cardboard cutout.

Yes, the possibilities are endless as Disney is just dying to take a huge risk these days after the much-publicized failures of John Carter and The Lone Ranger. Perhaps Disney can attempt a live-action version that’s partially animated and on ice to hedge their bets?

Now, on the other hand, I thought that the risks associated with the 2014 French language version of Beauty and the Beast were many degrees higher, as we are not only talking about just another adaptation of the nearly four hundred year old, French-authored story of the same name, but also, to raise the risk ante, the 1946 film version directed by master director, Jean Cocteau, La Belle et la Bête, which is still deservedly regarded as one of the greatest works of not only French film history but also of the history of cinema in general. To put this in even greater perspective, imagine a new version of Casablanca starring Kristen Stewart as Ilsa Lund. Then again, let’s not, as some things are best left alone and legendary for eternity.

For the aforementioned reasons, I was quite apprehensive about watching this 2014 French-German production of Beauty and the Beast, but I felt even more concerned when I saw that it was directed by Christophe Gans, the man who gave the world Silent Hill, a painfully bland horror film that was adapted from a Konami videogame, which actually looked and had the narrative construction of a mid-2000s videogame. Yes, that good. Gans also directed the 2001 horror-action film, Brotherhood of the Wolf, which included the tasteful-CGI rendered moment where Monica Bellucci’s breasts become transformed into snow-capped mountains, or was it the other way around?

For that mess, Gans recruited Bellucci’s then full-time husband and respected actor, Vincent Cassel, who I assume liked the experience (or the money) so much that he signed on to play the titular “beast” in Gans’ recent and painfully unnecessary version of the 18th century story whose greatest sin, besides treading on cinematic hallowed grounds, is again wasting the fine acting talents of Léa Seydoux.

I first noticed Seydoux in 2008’s, La belle personne, another film adaptation of a classic French novel, La Princesse de Clèves by Madame de La Fayette. That 17th Century novel was adapted and directed by Christophe Honoré, who seemed to have produced the film as a form of a protest against French president Nicolas Sarkozy, who had issues with the relevancy of the book in contemporary society. Honoré’s adaptation was a limp failure, but Seydoux lit up the screen and remains as the only positive takeaway of that film experience. A year or so after I saw her in La belle personne, I saw Seydoux in a small but affecting teen drama, Belle épine, where the simple narrative structure allowed Seydoux to carry most of the film through her dynamic performance.

Since Belle épine, Seydoux’s selection of roles have wildly vacillated between challenging work that utilizes her immense talents like in Lumières Awards winning, Grand Central, to superficial ones such as the recent James Bond film, Spectre, where Seydoux is just employed as just another pretty face. Sadly, the 2014 model of Beauty and the Beast has Seydoux as the fantasy film equivalent of a Bond girl. Léa pouts a great deal, has her breasts pushed up to her chin, and is forced to endure some laughably poor dialog in this bland film that offers nothing in terms of adaptation to make it even slightly more relevant for today’s audience. If Gans needed a model for a more relevant transformation of a classic fairy tale that would’ve utilized Seydoux’s talents to their fullest, he didn’t have to look any further than Catherine Breillat’s 2010 take on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Sleeping Beauty.

Gans employs the same tired narrative framing as countless filmed fairy tales: a parent reading a bedtime story, which we will later find out is his or her own story, to his or her children. I could get into this said story, but you’ve seen it before, except the focus of the tragedy of this version of Beauty and the Beast is more environmentally themed than its American counterparts. This adaptation is a bit dark at times, as you do get some gore and nudity with Gans’ version that the Disney folks will probably not give you in their family-safe version coming to a multiplex near you in 2017, but when it is all said and done, you are just seeing Brotherhood of the Wolf again but with a few adorable CGI canine-like creatures running around the beast’s castle for potential merchandising options for the French kiddies.

So, if you want to give yourself and your family a treat, dig up the previously mentioned 1946 Jean Cocteau version, La Belle et la Bête. Warning, there are no CGI rendered stone giants or one-dimensional family members for you not to care about; there is only respect for the original source material, or as film critic Bosley Crowther once described Cocteau’s film, “a priceless fabric of subtle images, . . . a fabric of gorgeous visual metaphors, of undulating movements and rhythmic pace, of hypnotic sounds and music, of casually congealing ideas.”

Simply put: America doesn’t need another Casablanca, and France didn’t need another La Belle et la Bête.

Produced by James Franco, David Hinojosa,
Vince Jolivette, Christine Vachon
Screenplay by David Gordon Green,
Andrew Neel, Mike Roberts
Based on Goat by Brad Land
Directed by Andrew Neel
Starring Nick Jonas, Ben Schnetzer, Gus Halper,
Danny Flaherty, Jake Picking. Virginia Gardner,
Austin Lyon, James Franco

The tagline for Andrew Neel’s newest film Goat reads “cruelty, brutality, fraternity,” and he doesn’t shy away from showing cruelty and brutality in gory detail.

Unfortunately because we know this film is based on actual events, and adapted from the controversial 2004 memoir by Brad Land, we also know what it means by “fraternity.”  The film is clearly set on undoing the typical played-for-laughs approach of Greek life by Hollywood.

As with the book, Goat is an eye-opening, and ultimately depressing first-hand look inside some very ugly truths not only about the very worst of frat hazing, but of the darker origins of shared machismo.

The film’s first half hour is focused on establishing Brad Land’s poor self-esteem, having lived in the shadow of his real-life brother Brett (played by Nick Jonas).  Upon leaving a typical party that’s not his scene, he’s brutally assaulted by two men.  When the police initially reject his story of the crime, Brad decides to get tough, go to his brother’s school and pledge his Phi Sigma Mu (the fictionalized Kappa Sigma) fraternity.

This is more set up than I would have expected from the film for Brad, and I actually think it’s one of the stronger decisions screenwriters David Gordon Green, Andrew Neel, and Mike Roberts come up with.  They know that the next hour of the film will be a series of violent and despicable actions and events, leading up to a climax that, once again, made hazing a topic of news in the US.

Up and coming British actor Ben Schnetzer is fantastic in the lead role of Brad, and he has to be since the camera is often solely fixed on his face from bruised and beaten, to bold and brave.  You might not often feel for Brad’s poor choices, but you’ll have a deeper understanding of where they’re coming from, and that’s all on the subtlety of Schnetzer’s performance.

Unfortunately the film makes a few poor choices of its own, the most egregious being a walk-on cameo from James Franco as Mitch, one of the frat’s living legends.  Franco’s character is played for laughs, and after seeing the trailer for Why Him? this past weekend, I’d say he’s on the brink of going becoming this generation’s Christopher Walken.

It’s possible that Mitch is a cautionary character, but the film already has enough displays of racism, sexism, and homophobia for the audience to understand these are not boys with exemplary judgement skills.  Worse yet, most of them are probably CEOs of Fortune 500s right now.  We get who they are and who they’re going to become, thank you very much Mr. Franco you can go home now.

Ultimately at just over 90 minutes, the film’s exhaustingly graphic.  A true horror film for any parents of college Freshman this September.  The camera lingers when you wish it wouldn’t, the puke is just a tad too real, and then of course there’s that goat.  That poor, poor goat.

When the on-screen brotherhood traditions and rite of passage turn into criminal actions, you be on brother Brett’s side asking, “what’s the point?”  Will this film be the turning point that puts an end to college hazing rituals?  Probably not.  Tales of fraternity suspension and investigations continue to hit the headlines each semester.

Fortunately, the film retains the book’s strong narrative of personal redemption.  After we cringe at Brad’s misguided search for masculine affirmation, and witness his darkest nature, getting to his emotional liberation makes it worth the watch.

Goat opens today in select cinemas, on demand and digital HD.

Produced by John Carls, Lydia Dean Pilcher
Screenplay by William Wheeler
Based on The Queen of Katwe by Tim Crothers
Directed by Mira Nair
Starring David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong’o,
Madina Nalwanga, Martin Kabanza, Taryn Kyaze

The inspirational true story of Phiona Mutesi, a girl from the slums of Katwe in Uganda who became a Chess Grand Master makes for a winning, family-friendly Disney film.

Newcomer Madina Nalwanga stars as Phiona and David Oyelowo (Selma) stars as the mentor who teachers her chess and Lupita Nyong’o plays her mother Nakku Harriet, who doesn’t see the value in something so trivial when her daughter could be helping put food on the table.

In this case “food on the table” is a woeful metaphor, because the fatherless family (dad tragically died young) rents a sad hovel that doesn’t even have four full walls and a roof, let alone a table or beds. Their poverty is staggering, especially when you learn the film was shot in the real slums of Katwe (as well as in Johannesburg, South Africa).

Besides the mostly solemn, determined Phiona, the children (all who have never acted before) are a delight, including Ethan Nazario Lubega as pint-sized Benjamin and Nikita Waligwa as pig-tailed Gloria.

Oscar winner Nyong’o’s face is largest on the movie’s poster and she’s both fierce and funny as Phiona’s overprotective mother. But the film really belongs to Oyelowo, whose warmth and dedication to his kids is the heart of the movie, especially when he turns down a better job to stay with his kids.

Two standout scenes: When he sidesteps the organizer of a prestigious chess competition into letting his “slum children” participate and when the children are intimidated by their more privileged competitors and want to go home — he nods and then makes them laugh with a story about a hungry dog he saw chasing a cat. “The dog was running for a meal, but the cat was running for his life,” he tells them and the kids have not only found their motivation, but a new nickname, Katwe Cats. Naturally, they walk away with their first of many trophies and a newfound sense of pride and purpose.

In the film’s inevitable march to a happy ending where Phiona becomes a world-renowned Chess Grand Master, there are several setbacks. A little too much time is spent showing her frustration when she’s forced to return to Katwe after having seen a better life beyond its slums. And a melodramatic subplot with her older sister could easily have been cut.

But that’s a small quibble for an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable film that will send you out with a smile, thanks to the triumphant last chess match and a fantastic end-credit sequence where we meet the real Phiona.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Cave Carson has done it all: survived countless adventures below the Earth’s surface, met the love of his life, and gotten a cybernetic eye…somehow. After he and his wife, Eileen, sent their only daughter Chloe off to college, Cave was ready to become just another mundane member of the surface world. That is, until Eileen got sick. Newly widowed, Cave tries to piece his life back together when a knock on the door of his secret underground lab pulls him back into a past that he and Eileen thought they had left buried deep within the Earth.

Adding to his troubles, Cave must determine if his recent hallucinations and visions are the work of his mind or his mysterious cybernetic eye. (Spoiler: It’s the eye.)<

Written by Gerard Way (DOOM PATROL, Umbrella Academy) and Jon Rivera (Heartbreak), and illustrated by Michael Avon Oeming (Powers), this is an absurdist action-adventure story unlike any other!

Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye #1 hits shelves October 19th.

Emily Blunt, Rebecca Ferguson, Justin Theroux, Haley Bennett, Edgar Ramirez and Allison Janney star in DreamWorks Pictures’ The Girl on the Train, from director Tate Taylor (The Help, Get on Up) and producer Marc Platt (Bridge of Spies, Into the Woods). In the thriller, Rachel (Blunt), who is devastated by her recent divorce, spends her daily commute fantasizing about the seemingly perfect couple who live in a house that her train passes every day, until one morning she sees something shocking happen there and becomes entangled in the mystery that unfolds.

Based on Paula Hawkins’ bestselling novel, The Girl on the Train is adapted for the screen by Erin Cressida Wilson. The film’s executive producers are Jared LeBoff and Celia Costas, and it will be released by Universal Pictures.

For your chance to download passes to the advance screening of Girl on the Train on Tuesday, October 4^th  at 7:o0 pm at Providence Place Cinemas 16 click here:

http://tinyurl.com/zje4g9r

Seating is first come, first served and not guaranteed so please arrive early!

Right about now you are in that sweet spot between summer and fall where the heat from August still lingers just a bit during the day and you are not quite sick of pumpkin spice everything imaginable. And for some of you, that means one thing: five weeks until Halloween.

Hulu has begun to gear up for October with a spooky schedule of filled with scary slashers, wicked witches, haunted houses and creepy crawlies. Both for horror hounds and the kiddies alike, there is enough scary movies to go around to keep everyone happy.

So, if you are are trying to fill your days between the parties, first-rate haunted houses and second-rate scares, here are a few movies you can stream to keep you busy in the days when you don’t have to dress up like Harley Quinn or Dead Jon Snow.

American Horror Story (Season 5) (FX)

The best of all the American Horror Stories. Indie rock goth soundtrack with Lady Gaga making out with a vampire Angela Bassett. This is the American Horror Story America deserves.

The Amityville Horror (1979)
The Amityville Horror (2005)

Compare and contrast the superb original with the remake that will make you happy that Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool can allow him the ability to say no once in awhile.

ARVE Error: no id set

The Boston Strangler (1968)

Tony Curtis plays Albert DeSalvo, a serial killer that is ahead of cops at every turn. If Tony Curtis as the Boston Strangler doesn’t entice you to watch this, how about Henry Fonda as the no-nonsense cop that’s hot on his trail?

Candyman 3: Day of the Dead (1999)

Carrie (1976)

Original tagline: “If you got a taste for terror, than you have a date with Carrie.”

The best. DePalma. King. Spacek. Travolta. Laurie. Katt. Yes, even Katt.

The Descent (2005)

The perfect combination of the true terror of small spaces AND female frenemies.

Kill List (2011)

Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
Poltergeist III (1988)

Just enough Poltergeist movies to have a mediocre Poltergeist movie marathon.

Pontypool (2008)

Great little horror gem about a verbal virus that affects a small community by turning them into violent zombies.

Sleepaway Camp 2: Unhappy Campers (1988)
Sleepaway Camp 3: Teenage Wasteland (1989)

Sleepy Hollow (1999)

Back when Tim Burton’s love to Johnny Depp was just a crush and his codependence on Danny Elfman was more a passing fancy, there was Sleepy Hollow, super entertaining, great fun and nothing like the original story.

Stigmata (1999)

Patricia Arquette is a hairdresser who develops a small skin issue.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Here is the trailer. Enjoy the trip in the wayback machine. You’re welcome.

Troll (1986)
Troll 2 (1991)

The slightly mediocre first movie (starring Julia-Louis Dreyfus AND Sonny Bono) is overshadowed by the infamy of the second awful, awful AWFUL movie.

Zombie Nation (2005)

Despite what the title claims, there are only five zombies in this movie. More of an association then a nation.

In the film I.T., Pierce Brosnan plays Mike Regan, a successful, self-made man who has it all: a gorgeous wife, a beautiful teenage daughter and a sleek, state-of-the-art “smart home.” But he soon finds himself in a deadly, high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse when his I.T. consultant, Ed (James Frecheville), starts using his skills to stalk Mike’s daughter and endanger his family, his business,and his life. In a world where there is no privacy, and personal secrets can go viral by the click of a mouse, Mike needs to rely on his old connections to defeat a new kind of nemesis.

Screenwriter Dan Kay (Pay The Ghost, Timber Falls) took some time out of his schedule to discuss the film.

***

FOG!: I.T. deals with personal technology being used as a weapon.  What was the genesis of the project?

Dan Kay: I had a meeting with the movie producer David Friendly and he told me this eerie story about how an I.T. guy at his company had crossed some personal boundaries. One of the things that was so startling was the realization that, through David’s computer, this guy, who David barely knew, had access to all kinds of personal and private information about David and his family. David then asked me if I thought there was a movie idea in here somewhere. I responded to it immediately and thought it could make for a terrific thriller.

You don’t have much of an online presence through social media.  Are you wary of it?

I’m not particularly afraid of the potential consequences of having a large digital footprint. I resist social media a bit because it’s a time suck and can be a horrible distraction, particularly for a writer like me, who is easily distracted.

I.T. was based on a story you wrote and the screenplay was by you and William Wisher.  Did you collaborate together or did he come on board after?

I did not collaborate with William Wisher. William has a close working relationship with the director John Moore and once John came on board he asked William to work on the script with him.

What did Wisher bring to the story?

No comment.

Your first film, Way off Broadway, you both wrote and directed.  Do you want to direct again?

I would like to direct again, yes. I very much enjoy being a screenwriter, but as a screenwriter your creative influence often ends when the director comes on board. Film is, after all, a director’s medium, and as the writer you need to surrender your vision to the director for better and for worse.

The bulk of your produced work consists of thrillers.  What do you like best about the genre?

I like thrillers because when they are done right the audience goes on a roller coaster ride; your heart beats faster, you sit at the edge of your seat. It’s a lot of fun crafting that type of experience on the page.

What do you have coming up?

I have an action thriller called All Wounds that is being produced by Voltage Pictures, who produced I.T. and Pay The Ghost. And I have a TV series that I am developing at Starz called Tomorrow Today.

What are you currently geeking out over?

I am currently geeking out over Narcos on Netflix; I have one episode left. Also, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, which my three year-old watches obsessively, which means I too, watch obsessively.

I.T. opens in theaters and on VOD today

As the fall begins, we have entered fair season.

Fried food, animals, hay bales, face-painted kids! Jousting, turkey legs, faux-Shakespearean talk, and cleavage!

Faire season! Renaissance faire season, that is! Last week, we attended the King Richard’s Faire in Carver, Mass., just a few weeks after going to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. We’ll also attend the Connecticut Renaissance Faire in October, and the New York faire is in our sights as well.

The wife and I strap on our belts, string up the corsets and boots, slip on the capes. We drink the beer, sing the songs, ham it up with the performers, ogle and get ogled. All at the nerd convention.

What a life, especially for a hobby that’s still relatively new for us yet indulges our hardcore-Halloweener penchant for costumes and dress-up.

Among the recent revelations is that, yes, I’m a Thor cosplayer now. Me. Doing cosplay.

It began with a tunic styled after Thor that I bought a couple of years ago. Since then, I’ve kept adding interesting bits to it to flesh out a full outfit. After a few years and several faire visits, there’s the tunic, shirt, sufi pants, boots, bracers, armored belt, cape-like riding coat, and a winged leather headpiece. I even keep a scimitar and Mjolnir.

Last spring, I also bought a gorgeous Viking tunic that’s red and black with patterned gold trim. The plan was for a potential Black Panther outfit, but for now it’s also just generic Viking. Even wearing that and the winged headpiece at the Pennsylvania faire, I still got Thor looks, with some rather ribald and hilarious consequences.

The King Richard’s Faire was more tame in that regard, but it had moments both awesome and odd.

It’s always fun when people recognize the thunder god. Usually, they throw a fist-pump. Thor’s a warrior, a party dude, and a pretty boy. What’s not to like?

To me, Thor is everybody’s homie. I bet Thor’s Asgardian dap game is mad strong.

My Thor is especially kind to women and children. Thor loves the kids, lets them hold the hammer and jokes about whether they can lift it.

Thor appreciates the ladies, of course.

I walk a little taller, my stance a little wider, any time a woman yells, “Thor!” And usually it’s a yell. Other times, it’s just smiles and giggles. One woman came up to me, looked the outfit over and, through giggles, just kept saying, “I like this” and patted at my winged crown.

Thor can dish it as well as take it, mind you. At the Pennsylvania faire, a performer mounted my shoulders and sang that I “hammer just like Thor.” I then lifted her upon my shoulders and danced around.

But the fellas? Don’t worry. We gets down.

I would run into other dudes dudded up as Vikings and Sumerians, Dothraki and Haradrim. The guys often looked blue-collar, guys I would crack open some Budweisers with and talk football for hours. (Or, conversely, guys who might punch me out at a Trump rally, for all I know.)

“I fuckin’ live for this,” one guy tells me, through layers of barbarian fur,eyeliner, braided hair, and a Conan loincloth.

“I’m one of your followers,” a Hagar the Horrible lookalike says, flashing a Thor’s hammer necklace. We shake hands – grabbing at the wrists, of course – and bro down.

We’re here for the party. We embody the T-shirt I saw that read, “I’m here for the turkey legs and cleavage.” Good-naturedly so. And, to be honest, add the sexy knights to that sentence, and you’ve pegged nearly the entire crowd.

Among the chief odd reactions was people not realizing I was Thor. The obvious reason for such being that I’m not the same color as the Thor they know.

It was funny, if not just annoying, to have people notice the hammer, but not the man holding it. This happened the most when it was parents with young children.

“Oh, hey, it’s Thor’s hammer!”

I’m standing there, like, “Yes, and notice my costume? The red cape, blue tunic with white runic circles, the winged headpiece? I’m not here as ‘Thor’s caddie.’”

Also, because Idris Elba played Heimdall in the Thor movies, I get a lot of those reactions. (At least I didn’t get the Twitter Egg reactions thrown Elba’s way.)

I look nothing like him. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy with my looks. I just not as pretty as Elba is, as a point of fact.

But that didn’t stop a woman who saw my costume and yelled “Heimdall!” I turned, and yelled back, “No, Thor!” She looked down at the hammer and replied, “You’re right! Thor!”

Yup. Thor. Not Black Thor. Just Thor. Though, I’ll admit, being called “Black Thor” sounds pretty damn good. Black Thor is even cooler. All the Valkyries know Black Thor. I bet he gets all the ass in Asgard, am I right? OK, OK, enough of stereotypes.

I try to have some fun with defying expectations, as sadly or benignly bigoted as those expectations may be sometimes. I don’t get angry unless folks get offensively stupid or mean. Those folks I’ll zap.

Alongside all this fun of #vikinglife is that, as a black man, I get to spit in the eye of all those white supremacists and neo-Nazis out there who co-opt Norse mythology to feed their racism. Screw them.

So far, I’ve confined my cosplay Internet presence to Instagram. Way more official cosplayers find my stuff sometimes. I’ll post under #cosplaywhileblack as well as check out the hashtag and lend support. It means a lot, especially when some folks are walking into cons feeling unwelcome at times.

As I get more involved in ren faire life, and the cosplay at work in it, I have been thinking of the next level in my fantasy life. Sure, I’ll continue Thor life regardless of whether he’s a “white” character – and schooling the ignorant with my empty bag of fucks.

I also am interested in cosplaying more as particular characters of color, too, while knowing that I am not limited to portraying only them.

The day will come when I move forward with a full-on Black Panther cosplay. Totes obvi, sure.. But why not? T’Challa is a fine, fine place to start, with so many permutations of outfits to do.

I can take that red and black Viking tunic, after all. and add leather gauntlets with claws, and a leather panther’s head. Or I can take a silver-and-black nottingham coat and do the same.

But I’ll also be looking into my Afrocentric connections and African friends to find regional fabrics of East Africa, particularly Ethiopia and Tanzania, as Wakanda is often situated somewhere in there. Given Ethiopia’s history of repelling European would-be conquerors, this sounds like a good place to start.

However, truth can be better than fiction, too.

Some black friends of mine pointed out how I looked like I was “ready to conquer Spain.” I started looking up Tariq ibn Ziyad, the Moorish general who led the Islamic Umayyad conquest of Visigothic Hispania in 711–718 A.D.

You know Gibraltar, in Spain? That’s named after him, son.

According to history and legend, Tariq was a Berber slave from Algeria who received his freedom and was made a general. When he brought his army to Spain and landed at what later would be called the Rock of Gibraltar, he commanded his soldiers to burn their boats, because only victory of martyrdom awaited them.

Now, that’s gangster.

Reading about Tariq ibn Ziayd reminded me of how, growing up, you’d hear reverence for names such as Hannibal, Haile Selassie, Nat Turner, and Shaka Zulu. They received praise, in certain circles, as black men who cried havoc and dared to defy white men seeking empire. Throughout history, they knew that to be black and stand as a full human being was to be a scourge to white supremacy and, perhaps, whiteness itself.

That idea, of a heroic black scourge, also runs deeply in the characterization of Captain Nemo in Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill’s League of Extraordinary Gentlemen comics. Dakkar, the Sikh Indian prince who became a pirate and scientific genius.

Born into privilege and wealth, Dakkar grows discontent with British rule of India and takes to the seas to battle imperialism across the world. The British Empire makes his blood boil, and he sinks many of their vessels over decades! He takes up the name Nemo, the Latin word for “no one,” whose Greek derivation means “I give what is due.”

Dude has the technologically advanced submarine, the Nautilus, his own crew, and is feared as all get-out by those British spymasters. He’s fluent in several languages, is an accomplished player of the organ.

Especially as long as I have this beard of mine, Nemo is a great choice.

And, who knows: Once I get this outfit together, I may have to branch out to steampunk events, too.

Steampunk and Renaissance faires?

May Thor strike me with a thunderbolt.