An uplifting and empowering coming-of-age movie centered on a determined young Maori girl, Whale Rider is an inspiring drama that is sure to captivate the whole family.  Ripe for rediscovery, this award-winning film tells a poetic story that transcends the usual tropes of coming-of-age films, unfolding into a graceful tale about challenges of changing customs, community, and courage.

Bolstered by stunning cinematography and smart storytelling, this touching tale makes its Blu-ray debut August 22^nd, 2017, as a 15^th Anniversary Edition from Shout! Factory’s Shout Select line. Bonus features include audio commentary with director Niki Caro, “Te Waka: Building the Canoe” featurette, a “behind-the-scenes of Whale Rider” featurette and more! Fans can pre-order their copies now by visiting ShoutFactory.com.

The New York International Children’s Film Festival, the largest and most acclaimed film festival for young audiences in North America, is thrilled to be honoring this extraordinary film by presenting a special anniversary screening of The Whale Rider. The special screening takes place August 13th at 11 am at the JCC Manhattan (tickets will be available online in July at www.nyicff.org).

In Whale Rider, a small Maori village faces a crisis when the heir to the leadership of the Ngati Konohi dies at birth and is survived only by his twin sister, Pai (Academy Award^® nominee Keisha Castle-Hughes, Game of Thrones). Although disregarded by her grandfather and shunned by the people of her village, twelve-year-old Pai remains certain of her calling and trains herself in the ways and customs of her people. With remarkable grace and courage, Pai summons the strength to both challenge and embrace a thousand years of tradition in order to fulfill her destiny.

Shining a light on films that deserve a spot on your shelf, Shout Select titles are handpicked by the film buffs at Shout! Factory. From acknowledged classics to cult favorites to unheralded gems, Shout Select celebrates the best in filmmaking, giving these movies the love and attention they deserve. Shout! Factory will be presenting additional Shout Select home entertainment releases throughout 2017. Meanwhile, fans will are encouraged to follow us on the official Shout Select Facebook page www.facebook.com/ShoutSelect for up-to-the-minute updates.

Whale Rider Special Features

• Audio commentary with director Niki Caro
• “Te Waka: Building The Canoe” Featurette
• “Behind-The-Scenes of Whale Rider” featurette
• Deleted Scenes with optional commentary
• Poster art and photo gallery

I have to think that there’s a portion of the established fan-base of Twin Peaks that’s turned off by the drastically different reboot currently airing on Showtime.

As far as I can tell, we’re midway into the season of Twin Peaks: The Return, or Season Three if you’re so inclined to think in linear storytelling terms.  Traditional storytelling, of which this past weekend’s episode eight boldly rejected, does not apply. Showtime has finally proven their “no limits” mantra from a decade ago.

The original ABC series from David Lynch and Mark Frost changed the future of  small screen dramas to come.  There simply would be no Northern Exposure, no Picket Fences, no X-Files, no Sopranos, no Mad Men, no American Gods without the profound game changing force of Twin Peaks.  So it’s all the more amazing that in this new golden age of television, with an abundance of quality shows to choose from a broader availability of channels, the new Twin Peaks knows how to challenge expectations.

PREVIOUSLY ON TWIN PEAKS

If there’s any continuity to be found in Showtime’s reboot, it lies somewhere in the final moments of the original series.  The disturbing final image of season two finds Cooper and Bob reflected in a cracked-mirror, blood dripping from the FBI agent’s forehead, united in otherworldly evil intention.  It was a shocking “twist” that’s been unresolved, yet expectedly so for over two decades.

Back in the day, I was completely convinced for a good portion of season one that it was Cooper who killed Laura Palmer.  As much as the series dipped into the supernatural, Cooper-as-killer was a whodunit answer made completely implausible by the show’s then-linear storytelling.  Maybe my theory was ahead of its time, considering where the new series has taken the tale.

LYNCHOMANIA

To fully appreciate what’s going on this season on Twin Peaks, I don’t think you necessarily have to be an avid viewer of David Lynch’s filmography, but I highly recommend it.

Whereas the original series borrowed slightly from Lynch’s Blue Velvet, you in needed to know it to become hooked on the quirky serialized drama of Twin Peaks.  Both the film and the series revolve similar Americana towns, in this case called Lumberton, and possess a dark, criminal world under its surface.

Over twenty-five years later, this Twin Peaks is an aggregation of so many things Lynch has explored both thematically and visually, it’s like a grab-bag gift each week for fans.  There are recreations and variations from nearly everything in the director’s oeuvre (and not just the films).

To put it in perspective, the ABC series wasn’t known for channeling Eraserhead, but the Showtime series has countlessly.

EXTREME EXPRESSION

As of episode eight, Lynch has given us so many of the things that personify him as an auteur, that we may be witnessing his art at its most expressive, purest form.  It’s completely free of network-notes or second guesses.  He’s assembled a growing cast of actors completely comfortable in what they’re doing, most impressive of which is Kyle MacLachlan’s reassigned performance(s).  He’s breaking the rules of pacing, holding on moments of silence or mundane tasks, often to the point of hilarity.  He’s peppering each episode with fantastic musical guests (The Nine Inch Nails most recently); first expectedly, under end credits, then sporadically, between storylines.

FEAR WALK WITH ME

“Cooper you may be fearless in this world, but there are other worlds.”

– Hawk (episode 211)

Most notable of all, in this return to Twin Peaks, we’re stuck deep in the subconscious of Lynch’s fears.

Although he’s explored the merger of science and technology with our natural world in films like Lost Highway, that’s a theme imperative to the new show.  There are forces at work that even the FBI doesn’t know of.

Then again, twenty-plus years in the town of Twin Peaks, Lucy doesn’t grasp how cell phones exist.

LISTEN CLOSELY

It’s not a coincidence that Lynch plays a character with limited hearing capability.  Always a master at it for mood, the director has played sound designer all season, and with the added technology of today’s surround systems.  Notice how much he brings even the slightest sound effect up for impact, like during the end credits of season 7 in which unidentifiable drones and diner conversations compete for clarity with Santo & Johnny’s Sleep Walk.

Lynch’s small-town Americana has always been bastardized by evil forces, but he might be making his boldest statement each Sunday night on Showtime.  Not only is he playing in the sandbox of our own nostalgic ties to his landmark early 90s series, but he appears to be reevaluating its existence in the landscape of today’s television.

EXPECT ANYTHING AND NOTHING

We may never get an explanation behind some of the truly disturbing visuals, story sidelines, or endless character introductions that have twisted the minds of faithful viewers, and no doubt have turned off a portion of the audience.

We are way, way beyond the simplicity of a prom-queen washed ashore, her body wrapped in plastic.  But I am completely captivated, and generally fine with the possibility of no explanations as long as the coffee continues to be this damn fine.

DC Comics are responsible for creating some of the most iconic supervillains of all time with the Joker, Lex Luthor, Darkseid, and Ra’s Al Ghul all making the top 10 of IGN’s list of the top 100 comic-book villains of all time. The Joker, who was created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson and first appeared in Batman in 1940, narrowly missed out on the top spot to Marvel’s Magneto. The crazed clown has, however, arguably been more prevalent in mainstream media over the decades. With the DC Extended Universe recently opting to create Suicide Squad, a film centered on some of their most entertaining bad guys, it stands to reason that other lesser-known villains could soon be represented on the big screen. But which supervillains deserve their shot at the big time?

Owlman

With Zach Snyder’s Justice League scheduled for release on November 17 this year, there is certainly the potential for a number of antagonists relating to these characters to crop up in DCE films in the future. One of these could be Owlman, who heads up the evil opposite faction of the Justice League, called the Crime Syndicate of America. The super-intelligent master martial artist is Batman’s evil counterpart, but mainly operated on the reverse Earth-Three which was a parallel world to the one which Batman and the Justice League occupied.

On this planet, each member of the Justice League had their own evil counterpart, which is why DC may decide to add these characters to their extended universe.

Owlman was created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky in 1964, and the supervillain first appeared in the Justice League of America series of comics. Up to now, Batman’s evil equivalent who in some versions is actually his brother Thomas Wayne Jr hasn’t been epitomised much in mainstream media. He did appear in the straight-to-video Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths animation in 2010 where he was voiced by James Woods, but aside from that some comic-book fans would agree that the villain deserves more representation.

Roulette

Roulette could be a cool addition to the DCE Universe now due to the fact that casino games have become so popular – the online gambling market is worth over $47 billion, and a lot of these players may be interested in watching a supervillainess with skills based on their interests.

The character was created by Geoff Johns and Derec Aucoin, and first appeared in JSA Secret Files in 2001. Roulette is an absolute genius when it comes to calculating odds and gambling winnings. And with her superior gaming abilities, if she was playing the game she was named after, she’d be more likely to bet on what online sources describe as an “inside bet” as they reward the highest payouts.

In addition to her mental powers, Roulette is an exceptional martial artist who also uses robot security dogs, death traps, and is accompanied by a metahuman who can negate super-powers. The character has appeared on TV in season 9 of Smallville in 2009 and season 2 of Supergirl in 2016.

Professor Pyg

Professor Pyg is a much more recent DC villain, and was created in 2007 by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert. He has been a regular in the Batman comics for the last ten years, and has been described by Morrison as “one of the weirdest, most insane characters that’s ever been in Batman.”

The character is a schizophrenic who strives to make people “perfect” by transforming them into “Dollotrons.” He does this by binding false doll faces to people. This sadistic maniac would be hard to pull off in films that are geared towards a family audience, but he could appear in an R-rated movie if DC decides to follow the same path as Marvel did with Deadpool in 2016.

The Marvel adventure starring Ryan Reynolds was the highest grossing R-rated film of all time and raked in $783.1 million, so it would make sense for DC to try something similar. Pyg’s most recent appearance in mainstream media was in the hugely successful 2015 console game Batman: Arkham Knight. It was the fastest selling game of 2015 with over 5 million copies sold in a matter of months.

The Professor Pyg missions were particularly memorable, as players had to work to track down the crazed psychopath as classical music played in the areas where his victims had been slaughtered.

There are a number of other lesser-known characters that comic book fans would probably like to see in mainstream media and the DC Extended Universe.

Firefly, for example, who was also in Arkham Knight, could feature in upcoming works. In a prequel comic to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Batman has a brief battle with the pyromaniac and leaves him tied up on the street for the police to find, with Lex Luthor watching on CCTV. The comic is available at Dr Pepper.

Marvel has proved with their massive universe which has made over $4.5 billion since it began with Iron Man in 2008 that there is the potential to introduce limitless numbers of characters over the course of the franchise. Perhaps if DC wants to outdo the Marvel powerhouse, it should bring in some of these more obscure and unique supervillains to mix things up a bit.

This Sunday, July 3 at 10pm, Animal Planet’s Expedition Mungo airs its season finale.

The series, focuses on Mungo, known as one of the premiere adventure cameramen, who has traveled to more than 90 countries to capture the world’s wild and wonderful – and sometimes hostile – environments. Now, he now steps in front of the camera to lead viewers on his own adventures, exploring myth and legends he’s heard of during his 20 years traveling the world.

In this clip from the upcoming episode, The Deadly Dragon of Borneo, a merciless serpent known as the Genali prowls the murky waterways of Borneo, hunting and killing children while they swim. What is responsible? Could it be a reticulated python, a crocodile, or even a deadly dragon out for revenge? Mungo tries to separate fact from fiction.

For more details, click HERE!

It is all about Plastic Man.

There were plenty of great books this week but Sholly Fisch and Dario Brizuela brought us one of the most memorable books this week in Scooby-Doo Team-Up.

Action and Wonder Woman were both great reads, Teen Titans continues to feed from our love of Young Justice and I’d be stupid not to mention Batman ’66 Meets Wonder Woman ’77, but Scooby and Plas were an absolute joy to read.

TEEN TITANS #9
Blood Of The Manta: Part 1
Written by Benjamin Percy
Art by Phil Hester & Khoi Pham
Inkers by Trevor Scott & Craig Yeung
Cover by Khoi Pham & Jim Charalampidis
Variant by Paolo Pantalena & Arif Prianto

Kid Flash struggles with the aftermath of Slade’s machinations, even with Raven’s request Wally is unsure of his Teen Titans membership. Meanwhile with the news televising the Titans in action, Lucia Hyde is horrified that the truth about Jackson will come out.

Jackson is just beginning to master his powers and struggles with fitting in with his team mates while also battling with his mother over his lineage. It’s too late for Jackson as Black Manta has discovered his secrets and is coming for Aqualad.

Teen Titans pre-Rebirth was fundamentally broken, post-Rebirth Percy has taken to fandom’s adoration for Young Justice as a template to this teams dynamic and a good example of that is Jackson Hyde aka Aqualad. This story drives us in a new direction that steers us away from the recent tussles with Slade Wilson.

Hester, Pham and Percy are doing a brilliant job of making Teen Titans unmissable once again.

WONDER WOMAN #25
Perfect
Written by Greg Rucka
Art by Liam Sharp & Bilquis Evely
Cover by Liam Sharp
Variant by Jenny Frison

Over twenty five issues and across four long storylines: ‘Year One’, ‘The Lies’, ‘The Truth’ and ‘Godwatch’, it all comes to this, Wonder Woman throwing herself into action.

Clark and Bruce notice a sharp change in the Amazon Princess and they wonder if the loss of her lasso caused her shift. While Etta tries to settle back into The Picket, the hunt for Cheetah goes on. Wonder Woman tries to reach out to Veronica Cale one last time to no avail and seeks out Clark & Bruce.

The heart to heart is something she needs and leads to her getting back something she thought lost to her forever and forging a bond that will last forever.

What can I say that hasn’t already been said?

Greg Rucka, Liam Sharp, Nicola Scott and Bilquis Evely have constantly surprised and delighted me for the past twenty five issues. There have been the odd bumps in the road, not everything is perfect after all (despite the title) and this, like last issue played out as an extended epilogue tying up all the lose ends readying us for the future.

One thing I am glad for is the Steve Trevor/Diana Prince relationship, it has proven a driving force in the book and don’t be fooled by the hunt to help Barbara Minerva, this title was all about love. The gods, albeit in their spirit animal form, even reinforce this.

I am truly sad to see this amazing team depart the book but they have built so much here that whoever follows has only got up as a direction to travel in.

Thank you for making Wonder Woman… a wonder!

BATGIRL #12
Troubled Waters
Written by Hope Larson
Art by Eleonora Carlini
Cover by Dan Mora
Variant by Francis Manapul

Burnside YMCA is being haunted by some kind of spirit and terrorising anyone trying to use the pool. Batgirl is shaken when her investigative skills are tested to the limit as science fact and the supernatural contradict one another.

Could the ‘ghost’ be something more? A missing student perhaps?

Only Barbara can find out the answers, but will she drown for her troubles?

An entertaining read and Hope Larson taps into some of the more quirky aspects to Barbara and Batgirl’s personality to give us a mystery for our fiery detective to solve.

Coupling Carlini’s fun art with this bizarre tale of a ghost in a leisure centre makes for a unique issue, throwing in a seance to exorcise the spirit while Barbara searches for a more practical solution pushed the envelope further.

I am a little disappointed that the book keeps trying to emulate the early days of the character’s revamp, it was successful but the book and character have moved on from there.

BATMAN ’66 MEETS WONDER WOMAN ’77 #6
Written by Marc Andreyko & Jeff Parker
Art by David Hahn
Inks by Bill Williams & Karl Kesel
Cover by Mike & Laura Allred

While Ra’s Al Ghul invades the Batcave and confronts Bruce, Diana, Dick and Selina must battle Talia and her minions.

While the trio manage to make it to Arkham and rendezvous with Batwoman and Bruce, now Batman once more arrives in a new Batmobile he had designed especially for Dick to use in his guise as Nightwing. 

Now a team of heroes, they race into Arkham and are confronted by The Riddler, Clayface, Cheetah, Mr. Freeze and Killer Croc.

They all fight the good fight and Batman is able to catch up to Ra’s but not before the villain does something shocking.

I am a fan of both these incarnations and of course the recent passing of Adam West led me to revisit this age of fun and creativity.

I will always be sad that Adam West never made a cameo on Wonder Woman, being that they were from the same creative stable.

Here we have a fans dream come true, two of the DC Trinity in an ‘all new’ classic adventure. The cover is the first thing that hits you and it does with fantastic impact and appeal, the story inside may not be quite what I envisioned for them both, but it does an admirable job of mixing elements of both shows while adding new twists for all involved.

I’m not sure I buy into Nightwing and Batwoman here, they don’t seem to work and direct attention away from the two stars we really picked up the book for.

BLUE BEETLE #10
The Sacrifice!
Written by Keith Giffen & J.M. De Matteis
Art by Scott Kolins
Cover by Scott Kolins

The scarab has realised it’s mistake bonding with Arion but only a psychic bond with Jaime can help free the Scarab from his evil spell.

While Ted and OMAC battle the hordes of bugs Jaime tries to reach oth to the Scarab whilst also battle Mordecai. All seems lost until Dr. Fate reappears and brings Ted’s employee Teri with him… only she isn’t just an employee, in the 31st century she is The Flash!

Jaime uses the distraction to rebond with the Scarab and as Blue Beetle once more he is able to best the mighty magician in combat, but all is not what it seems…

The Scarab is in charge now and Jaime may be lost forever…

Strange, aside from that final moment, ten issues in and with an all new Flash from the Legion Of Superheroes added to the cast roster we are exactly where we were ten issues ago.

That isn’t a bad thing, its been a rocky road to get here but it begs the question… why did I bother reading and should I continue?

I trust the creative team, their extensive portfolio has shown us time and time again that they know what they are doing in the industry. Perhaps this will have a stronger endgame and this is a misdirect? I have grown to like Jaime and the scarab armour and have faith that things will get better.

This lengthy opening arc was not a good start, but I’m firmly in the ‘wait and see’ camp.

ACTION COMICS #982
Revenge: Part 4
Written by Dan Jurgens
Art by Jack Herbert & Jose Luis
Inks by Jack Herbert & Ray McCarthy
Cover by Patch Zircher & HiFi
Variant by Mikel Janin

Zod is losing patience and the promises of Cyborg Superman are not helping matters, resulting in the bickering villains resolving to take Superman’s Fortress for themselves.

While they mount an attack Clark, Lois and Jon are desperately using the technology there to try and restore Clark’s eyesight. Kelex explains that Superman has lost all his vision based powers with the exception of heat vision and there appears to be no way to restore them.

Of course this is the moment Zod’s squad attacks, so Kelex reaches out to Supergirl for assistance but she wont be alone, she seeks out the ultimate Super Team to save the day.

Will they arrive in time?

This issue we looked as the Revenge Squad and their dynamic, or as it turns out, their lack of one. In one respect they are perhaps the deadliest incarnation to go by that team name in Superman’s history, but in another it can be argued that they are the weakest.

Henshaw struggles to keep the band together, constantly promising things to each individual to keep them at his side. They have lucked out with Clark suffering a disability, but aside from their common goal, it is clear they can’t work together for toffee.

Superman, meanwhile, is argued by many as the most powerful hero in the DC Universe, this is true but not because of his powers… it is because of his supporting cast and no one more that Dan Jurgens knows this and delivers in spades. I also love his take on Zod, there is clearly more to him for us to see, I can’t wait for next issue. Team Superman is going to make this an epic one!

HAL JORDAN AND THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #23
Fracture Part 2: Guilty Blood
Written by Robert Vendetti
Art by Ethan Van Sciver
Cover by Ethan Van Sciver & Jason Wright
Variant by Kevin Nowlan

Did a Green Lantern really commit murder?

Hal doesn’t believe it and John refuses to allow the truth to come out. 

Meanwhile, Guy Gardner and his partner Arkillo are on a suicide mission to discover what the raiders were after and Soranik grows suspicious as to Kyle Rayner’s connection to Sarko.

Curiosity leads Soranik to the morgue and an impromptu autopsy and she discovers devastating secrets before Sarko’s body disappears in a temporal anomaly.

Guy brings back a recording device the Raiders had hidden and it seems more shocks are in store as John and Hal discover even more secrets.

The murder plot might kid you into thinking it is the main story, with the page count dedicated to it and you’d not be a fool to believe that is Vendetti’s goal.

The real story is Sarko and exploring the revelation that Kyle Rayner was his father in the future. I was gripped more by this storyline and Soranik was too it seems though she seems less than pleased to discover her future may well be mapped out with Rayner too.

You can carry on with the murder and the tightrope the two lantern factions are balancing on to investigate it but for me the heart of the story, and indeed Vendetti’s strength, is exploring the characters.

HELLBLAZER #11
The Smokeless Fire: Part 5
Written by Simon Oliver
Art by Davidé Fabbri
Inks by Jose Marzan Jr.
Cover by Tula Lotay
Variant by Yasmine Putri

Dante is on the run with his sister Sam and the journal with secrets of the Djinn.

Who will catch up to him first? Marid and his supernatural forces or Jon, Mercury and a magic sneaker?

Normally it would be Constantine but Marid has the added edge of Dante’s duplicitous friend Leon. As the chase heats up Leon reveals to Marid exactly how thay will win the day but as we know by now Constantine isn’t without a few tricks of his own.

The Smokeless Fire rumbles on and though its been enjoyable it is definitely overlong.

We’ve been waiting for Dante to make a move since he took hold of the diary so it is good to see we are finally picking the chase back up from part one. It has been slow going but I am waiting for Oliver to pull this one out of the bag. Constantine has been bogged down by long stories that veer far off the path that we actually want to follow. For many readers this style is a welcome one, for me?

I want a story with a beginning, middle and end so I hope that this battle against the Djinn has no more roadblocks as we near the end.

JONAH HEX / YOSEMITE SAM #1
Comin’ In A Shootin’!
Written by Jimmy Palmiotti
Art by Mark Texeira
Cover by Mark Texeira
Variant by Dave Alvarez

Yosemite Sam strikes it rich in Cripple Creek by discovering gold, but newfound wealth brings many problems for the gunslinger and his friend Foghorn Leghorn.

Problems abound, Sam hires Jonah Hex to protect him and his riches from greedy third parties.

Is Jonah just what they need or just what they don’t?

Jonah isn’t known for playing nice and his involvement isn’t making things any easier for Sam.

I can’t and won’t hide that fact I have a dislike for these modern twists to the cartoon classics.

Bizarre doesn’t come close to describing it as a concept but if Elmer Fudd versus Batman was to prove anything, its that it can work. Here, we thrust hotheaded Yosemite Sam with the grittiest gunslinger Jonah Hex, and what I am surprised about is just how entertaining a read this story is.

It can’t work beyond this story simply because of it’s bizarreness, but its specifically that curio that draws you in and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by this mash up.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #9
The Man From Monster Valley Part 2
Written by Steve Orlando
Art by Felipe Watanabe
Inks by Scott Hanna
Cover by Felipe Watanabe & HiFi
Variant by Doug Mahnke & Wil Quintana

Makson betrays the trust put in him by the JLA and attacks the crowd at the press conference.

The entire JLA has to combat his rage and it proves a task almost too much for them.

With the eyes of the world’s media upon them can they help Makson save himself and make is deceitful family face justice for what they did to him?

A rare Orlando misstep for me. Everything works out in the Makson story, thankfully the man from Monster Valley can disappear forever after this issue as the story proved to be much ado about nothing.

It wasn’t all for nothing, as we have that powerful scene between Lobo and Ryan Choi that was a saving grace. I must argue that they have a decent foe or two very soon as a reason for being, but much like the praise directed to Vendetti this week, JLA has it’s strength also in character. This makes for a team you grow attached to, and a dynamic that is proving to have strong appeal… but for the love of all that is holy, give them Darkseid or someone equally epic as a reason to go on!

SCOOBY-DOO TEAM-UP #27
Curses: Foiled Again!
Written by Sholly Fisch
Art by Dario Brizuela
Cover by Dario Brizuela & Franco Riesco

Woozy Winks is doomed or so would an unscrupulous fortune teller would have him believe.

Poor Woozy seeks out his pal Plas, but bad luck seems to be following Woozy wherever he goes.  Suspecting someone from his rogues gallery but unable to prove it, Plas seeks out Mystery Inc. Is the fortune teller for real? What’s the scam and why Woozy?

You can bet Scooby & the gang will find out!

Here we end on Scooby and the gang meeting Plastic Man.

For me this was pure brilliance. Whether you are a fan of the hound and his detective buddies or the master of malleable superhero antics, you have comedy, detective work and a story exuding genuine fun and creativity.

From the superb art to the great character moments, Fisch and Brizuela ensure this issue is the best it could possibly be.

More of these team ups please!

All 30 Animated Films in Enduring Franchise PLUS All-New Special Features Included in Box Set

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and DC Entertainment celebrate a decade of heroic animation with the release of the DC Universe Original Movies: 10th Anniversary Collection, a comprehensive box set of all 30 films, 5 animated shorts, new special features and exclusive collectible items coming November 7, 2017 to Blu-ray™. The entire 30-film set will also be available on Digital starting August 15, 2017.

Launched in 2007 with the landmark release of Superman Doomsday, the DC Universe Original Movies are based on or inspired by storylines and/or characters from within the ever-expanding DC library. Produced by DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, the stories range from films based upon iconic DC Super Hero stories (Superman Doomsday, Justice League: The New Frontier, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: The Killing Joke) to films inspired by themes from within DC history (Batman vs. Robin was inspired by “The Court of Owls,” Superman vs. The Elite was inspired by “What’s so Funny About Truth, Justice and the American Way?”) to original stories (Justice League: Gods and Monsters, Batman and Harley Quinn).

The DC Universe Original Movies: 10th Anniversary Collection will include all 30 films – from Superman Doomsday to the all-new Batman and Harley Quinn, as well as newly released commemorative editions of Wonder Woman and Justice League: The New Frontier. The 32-disc box set will also include all five “DC Showcase” animated shorts – The Spectre, Green Arrow, Jonah Hex, Catwoman and Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam. The details of the special features will be announced later this summer.

“It’s been an amazing journey from the initial concept of bringing comic book pages to screen to the completion of 30 animated films spotlighting the mesmerizing characters and stories of the DC library,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Vice President, Family & Animation Marketing. “We are proud to celebrate this first decade of filmmaking with an impressive box set filled with exciting extras beyond these stunning films themselves.”

The 30-film DC Universe Original Movies: 10th Anniversary Collection (Blu-ray) will include:

SUPERMAN: DOOMSDAY
JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE NEW FRONTIER
BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHT
WONDER WOMAN COMMEMORATIVE EDITION
GREEN LANTERN: FIRST FLIGHT
SUPERMAN/BATMAN: PUBLIC ENEMIES
JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS
BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD
SUPERMAN/BATMAN: APOCALYPSE
ALL-STAR SUPERMAN
GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD KNIGHTS
BATMAN: YEAR ONE
JUSTICE LEAGUE: DOOM
SUPERMAN VS. THE ELITE
THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, PART 1
THE DARK KNIGHTS RETURNS, PART 2
SUPERMAN: UNBOUND
JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE FLASHPOINT PARADOX
JUSTICE LEAGUE: WAR
SON OF BATMAN
BATMAN: ASSAULT ON ARKHAM
JUSTICE LEAGUE: THRONE OF ATLANTIS
BATMAN VS. ROBIN
JUSTICE LEAGUE: GODS AND MONSTERS
BATMAN: BAD BLOOD
JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. TEEN TITANS
BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK
TEEN TITANS: THE JUDAS CONTRACT
BATMAN AND HARLEY QUINN

Welcome back to Graphic Breakdown!

I’m so happy to be writing about comics this week and every week! Here are some of the books that came out this Wednesday!

Batman / Elmer Fudd  #1
Written by Tom King
Illustrated by Lee Weeks

Tom King is not my favorite Batman writer as I constantly say in this column. He’s talented, but he never found his voice in my opinion.

Until maybe now.

The last issue of Batman was excellent and this was one hell of an entertaining read. Honestly, this was unexpected.

So, in this comic book, Elmer Fudd is a hit man. I kid you not.

He has been suckered by “Bugs” to go kill Bruce Wayne. So he tries and then runs afoul of the Batman. Chaos ensues.

The cool thing here is the way King makes it all work. His dialogue is classic Looney Tunes dialogue spun to be real. It actually works and is quite ingenious.

It’s also a compelling story and I give it points for creativity.

The art by Lee Weeks is something else. I love Weeks and anytime he draws something? I’m there. This is a nice new release and a great read.

Good for DC for taking a chance and making comics fun again.

RATING: A

The Flash #25
Written By Joshua Williamson
Illustrated by Carmine Di Giandomenico, Neil Googe, Ryan Sook

Another fine issue of The Flash. It’s the start of the second year of Williamson’s run and the start of the “Running Scared” storyline. It’s a good one too. Williamson has done a fine job this year. There were a few stinkers along the way, but overall he’s done great.

In this issue, The Reverse-Flash is back. He is out to destroy Barry’s future. This guy never stops!

This is a battle through time and it’s quite exciting. Williamson knows how to deliver the goods, and he certainly does in this issue. I love the scene where Barry meets a young Thorne. It was surprising, and it gave the whole thing depth.

The art is good in this issue though I am partial to Di Giandomenico’s art above the rest. It’s wonderful and has an energy to it that I love.

Pick this up. It’s a good book in a fine series.

RATING: B+

Astro City #45   
Written by Kurt Busiek
Illustrated by Brent Eric Anderson

It’s good to see Brent Anderson still working. He’s one of the best artists that nobody talks about anymore. His work has always been solid and I’m glad he’s still around. He’s also turning out good work on the series he helped create: Astro City.

This issue is the first part of a two part story called “Who Broke The Broken Man?”

This issue sorts through the counterculture in Astro City like music, art etc. and it’s history. Busiek is really digging deeper than he has in years.

It’s a little tired but it still works well. I enjoyed this issue. Busiek and Anderson are also a great creative team. They know how to make a comic book work.

You may not be able to pick it up if you’ve never read Astro City before, but for those of us who have, it’s a nice trip back into the city that we love.

RATING: B

Supergirl: Being Super #4
Written by Mariko Tamaki
Illustrated by Joelle Jones

This has been a sweet mini series. I will even venture to call it a classic. Tamaki was made to write Supergirl and this was just plain awesome. It’s a great take on a classic hero we have not seen before.

First of all, the cover is gorgeous. Joelle Jones did such an amazing job on it. Honestly, it’s hard for me to think about anyone else’s version of Supergirl after seeing her drawings.

Then there’s the story. Tamaki explores what makes Supergirl “Super.” She does it in a way that is good for all audiences and all ages. This is Supergirl at her most heroic and it works wonderfully.

Tamaki and Jones are a spectacular creative team. I hope they have more Supergirl stories in them.

Or, maybe they can work together on another hero…

Say Batgirl maybe?

They are damn good. And this series was damn good. Recommended.

RATING: A

Batman/The Shadow #3   
Written by Scott Snyder and Steve Orlando
Illustrated by Riley Rossmo

I cannot get enough of Riley Rossmo’s rendition of The Shadow. Holy God, put him on a Shadow book immediately.

He does such a great job drawing the character. He does a great Batman as well,  and on the art duties in general. His Shadow though is something we have not seen before.

This book is just damn cool. Snyder and Orlando have a blast writing this. They add the Joker into this story and it just makes the whole thing even more bananas. That’s a good thing.

The Joker has been offered incredible power for Stag to kill Batman. Oh course, The Joker is in for that! So, it becomes up to the Shadow to help protect the Batman.

Fun ensues.

And fun it is! This is a well done, well drawn series. It makes you wonder why it took so long for someone to make a series like this (The Shadow appeared in a Batman book years back but it sucked)

They just work naturally well together. I can’t wait to read the rest!

RATING: A-

Kamandi Challenge #6 
Written by Steve Orlando
Illustrated by Phillip Tan

This nutty concept of taking a story with Kamandi and having different creators make an issue based off last month’s cliffhanger by another creative team has been awesome! It has been little jarring, but that’s part of the experiment. Kudos to DC for having the guts to take this on.

In this issue it’s the always fun Steve Orlando on the writing and the nutty art of Phillip Tan. It works great. This issue takes Kamandi to post apocalyptic Russia. Kamandi is tasked with saving the city. It’s out of it’s mind and I love it.

I have no idea what to expect from this series each month.

Last month had a huge cliffhanger that I didn’t see coming.

This one does too. It’s a testament to the strength of the concept of this title.

The story is good in this. The art is really great too. There is a splash page right in the beginning that shows Kamandi with his guts ripped out. It was hard to look at. I say that as a jaded American too.  A good job goes out to Tan for making that work.

Where will this go next month? I have no idea. But I look forward to reading it.

RATING: B+

Suicide Squad #20
Written by Rob Williams
Illustrated by Eddy Barrows

Eddy Barrows does the art on this issue and all is right in the world. This is a comic book that is out of it’s mind from month to month. Sometimes, it’s a train wreck. Other times, it’s a bigger train wreck. Sometimes, it’s actually decent. I never know what to expect and I have come to expect only okay. This issue is one of the one that is semi-decent.

Rob Williams is a talented guy that hasn’t learned how to jive with his artists. He does better with Eddy Barrows here than he did ever did with Tony Daniel or Jim Lee.

This issue focuses on the need for a leader for the Suicide Squad. The choices here are slim pickings. Williams makes the quest fun and lively and tongue in cheek.

Also it seems Harley Quinn has lost it. How will the Suicide Squad deal with a Harley who is off the rails?

Eddy Barrows does a great job illustrating this book. It’s great storytelling through and through. His work is fluid and gorgeous to look at. The story is wacky but he grounds it. Pick this up. It’s decent book and you will like something in it, even if it’s just the art.

RATING: B

Detective Comics #959
Written by James Tynion IV
Illustrated by Alvaro Martinez

This is the second part of a storyline involving Azrael. I have never been a huge Azrael fan as previously stated, but Tynion has a good take on him that actually works. Azrael has always been silly to me and now I’m invested in him as a character.

Batman’s team comes to grips with Azrael’s past while Batman tracks down Zatanna. He needs her help to figure out the secret he learned at the end of last month’s storyline “The Button.”

What he learned sent him reeling.

I love that DC didn’t just have that storyline and then decide to throw it away.

They actually made the entire thing organic and flow into the monthly titles. It’s a good move and it makes everything much more compelling.

The art by Martinez is decent. He’s not my favorite artist but he is decent enough. I wish we had someone stronger (like an Eddy Barrows who used to draw this).

Still, it’s a compelling comic book. Give it a read.

RATING: B

Batman Beyond #9
Written by Dan Jurgens 
Illustrated by Bernard Chang

This has been a consistent bright spot in the DC line.

And why not? Good stories. Strong artwork. Nostaglia. All of this and more is featured each month in Batman Beyond!

Terry is in trouble. He needs help. Who can come to his rescue?

One person.

Who is this one person?

It’s Bruce Wayne. But can an elderly Bruce do it? Can he help out his young apprentice?

Terry is fighting Ra’s Al Ghul in a new bat suit and it may not be enough.   Jurgens makes the struggle Terry is facing strong. He also makes the struggle Bruce is facing powerful as well.

The writing makes us care for each character and keeps us on our toes. The race is on and Jurgens makes it awesome.

Chang is doing top of the line work on this title.

Overall, it’s a good book that has a clean, smart storyline. Pick it up. I’m enjoying it.

RATING: B

Mother Panic #8
Written by Jody Houser
Illustrated by John Paul Leon

I have enjoyed the writing on this title very much. The art however has been all over the place. It hasn’t been bad but it’s been inconsistent, especially for a title just starting out. As such, it’s been hard to get into. It’s worth the effort, but it is certainly a challenge.

Mother Panic is hunting down a murderer in this issue. Yet, is she equipped to pull of the job?

Things don’t look to be in her favor. She’s impulsive and has a ton of anger in her.

Houser shows us her inner struggle and the challenges she faces within. It’s powerful to read.

The art takes some getting used to. Leon has never been my favorite. He isn’t bad but I always found his art to be septic. It’s very polarizing and it doesn’t help my earlier points.

This is a good book that needs a look. I hope they find it soon. I’ll still read it, but I think it would help it immensely.

RATING: B-

Lucifer #19
Written by Richard Kadrey
Illustrated by Lee Garbett

I keep telling myself month after month I need to start reading this title from the beginning.

So this month, I will. I’m going to go back and read this from the beginning. Kadrey’s writing seems to demand it and I will give it it’s due.

Lucifer sets up his final confrontation with The Presence in this issue. It’s all been building up to this and it’s fairly awesome to see what happens.

It seems like a pretty complete issue. Is this series ending? Nobody seems to know. I am sure we will find out.

This issue does mark the end of Garbett’s run drawing the book. He is a solid artist and he has done great work from what I can see.

I will be reading this from number one in the coming weeks.

The work is strong. I want to see their complete picture. That’s all due to the talent behind the book.

RATING: B+

In just a few weeks, we’ll see Tom Holland starring in the latest Marvel Cinematic entry, reprising his role as Peter Parker, Midtown High’s only professional wallflower.

As any faithful fan knows, Parker is also known to don the red and blue and climbs buildings as the friendly, neighborhood Super-Man.

And we’re excited to partner with Film Jackets to profile and give away a Midtown School of Science and Technology sweatshirt.

The Spider-Man blue long sleeve shirt is made from cotton & polyester and features rib knit cuffs, with a round neck collar style and an open hem waistline.   It’s one of several pretty amazing, spectacular designs from their Spider-Man Jackets Collection.

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

What comic book issue marked Spider-Man’s first appearance?

Please include your name, size (XS-XXXL) and address (U.S., Canada and U.K. 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 July 9th, 2017.

There are a number of reasons why a project like DC’s Justice League: The New Frontier is such a gift for those of us who love comics.

To start with, it’s just good. In any artistic medium, there is a portion of work that showcases that particular combination of talent and genius that we recognize instinctively as great art. The New Frontier is one such offering. Its storytelling is both accomplished and attractive, and importantly it is very modern. It is a fine example of the strength of comics as a true artistic form, after more than a century of history.

But more than that, the entire point of The New Frontier is to celebrate that history, specifically one important chapter of it. In the process it transforms an entire period of pulp fiction gusto into a fresh and totally unique piece of artistry.

The result is simply wonderful.

For the uninitiated, The New Frontier, originally published in 2002, now available in a collected edition, is a six-volume tour-de-force by the late author-artist Darwyn Cooke. It attempts the clever conceit of bringing the heroes of the Justice League together for the first time, in a story which predates the first episodes of their book’s original run when it was launched in 1960.

No doubt you’ve heard of the Silver Age of comics. It followed the Golden Age, naturally enough. What separated them was the contentious period of American history marked by the red scare paranoia of our Cold War with Russia, and the McCarthy hearings of the 1950’s. In response to this reactionary conservative movement against ‘un-American’ influences in the news and entertainment industries, comics publishers adopted the first regulatory Comics Code in 1954, and publishing houses began shifting away from lurid genres such as horror and crime, to stories considered less controversial. Stories like science fiction and… superheroes.

Comic adventure stories had featured such mystery men before of course. They helped to populate the aforementioned Golden Age. Superman was a popular staple throughout the 40’s and 50’s, as was Batman. And Wonder Woman has been around herself since World War II. (And now, it seems, since World War I.)

But with the inception of this new Silver Age of comics, the publishing house of Detective Comics embraced superhero stories with equal parts enthusiasm and desperation, reviving and retooling old characters, trying out new concepts, and gradually building a universe of characters that positively exploded into the 1960’s. (As did newly formed publishing juggernaut, Marvel Comics). Before this though, the initial flush of creativity culminated in the formation of a new team of DC’s most popular characters, the team we know today as the Justice League.

This is the historical backdrop against which The New Frontier is played. The 1950’s were a time of transition and change for comics, a changing of the guard, and to capture the scope of that in the industry, Darwyn Cooke weaves together an ambitious breadth of storylines into something of a feat of storytelling. It is not just the heroes of the Justice League he showcases. He calls upon an array of popular DC characters from throughout the decade. Notably featured are the Challengers of the Unknown, as well The Blackhawks, and there are a variety of supporting characters and other helpful cameos throughout. He even kicks things off with a nod to the old WWII pulps, with an opening story that features a team, known to a relative few, as The Losers.

In each case every character is introduced into the larger storyline in the same chronological order as they first were featured in their own publications. It’s a clever device, and it is wholly satisfying to watch Cooke pull it off. Long time readers of DC comics, familiar with this era of comics will be in for a treat. For the rest of us, it is a snapshot into a time of which we will only ever have a partial and imperfect view.

Thankfully for us, Mr. Cooke’s illustrative style is more than up to that challenge. Prior to turning to comics, his career spanned both graphics and product design, and a stint as a magazine art director. It shows. His design sensibilities are clearly evident, with a flair for background detail and landscapes that deftly combines the clean mod look of the late 50s with the burgeoning weirdness of the 60s. It’s remarkably like a mix of Tintin comics and the art of Jack Kirby, and what can I say, it just works. The result is cool and stylish, and just ideally suited for comic storytelling.

Thankfully his writing is just as well-fashioned. Cooke understands comics. He understands the theater of it, and the importance of wonder. He understands how to craft emotional moments that inspire the heroic aspirations that are the bread and butter of the medium. His narrative arc moves along with short, tightly written chapters, that are like odes to the form. Each is a gem, and his take on favorite characters are both imaginative and satisfying. It is wonderful to see a Wonder Woman large enough to fill the role, and a Batman who evolves accurately in both his appearance and his tone, to say nothing of a young Barry Allen handling himself admirably with determination and flair as the era’s newly-minted Flash. What a joy.

And unlike most superhero comics of that period, Cooke does not shy away from complexity. These are characters struggling to find their place in a rapidly changing world, and Cooke draws on the societal tensions of the time to bring a certain gravitas to that difficulty. The final conflict is pure science fiction spectacle, but the greater enemy, one that is played on throughout, are the polarizing demons of bigotry, intolerance and paranoia.

The story of Jon J’onzz, Martian Manhunter, DC’s other wayward alien superhero, becomes a central take on how these forces looked in the 50s. As does Cooke’s original creation of a new John Henry character, the only African-American hero in the mix. It’s an attempt, however narrow and grim, to comment on the dire realities of racism during a time in our history when the industry itself catered to a predominantly white male readership.

The ultimate victory of the book, in the end, is as much a vindication of how we are able to come together in the times of our greatest need, to triumph over the forces that seek to alienate and divide us. As all great hero stories do.

I have to say though, that as much as all this is simply gratifying in itself, there’s another, more personal, reason I like The New Frontier so much. It is rooted in an affection I have for one member of the Justice League in particular, a fondness it appears I share with Mr. Cooke. Because, of all the colorful characters he memorializes here, there is one man whose story runs as something of a through-line throughout the project, almost from start to finish. A hero who seems to embody Cooke’s purpose in the story he is telling, more than any other.

A man known to us, as Hal Jordan.

All the others are there as well, of course. Kal, Diana, Bruce, and Arthur. Barry, Jon J’onzz, Ollie. Selina, and Dinah. Lois too. But it’s Hal who really shines. And that’s exactly as it should be. Because it is Hal, more than any of the others, who represents the true spirit of The New Frontier.

Hal Jordan, as any kid knows, is Green Lantern. Fearless ace test pilot becomes intergalactic peacekeeping cop when entrusted with a ring of pure emerald willpower by a dying alien… and the sky is literally no longer the limit. Most every kid knows that origin story, it’s as fantastic and silly as the giant green boxing gloves and catcher mitts GL was forever conjuring in the early issues of his career. But just as Cooke is determined to elevate the genre of that time to a new level through his revisionist lens, he takes the opportunity to do something that no one before has ever done quite so well with Hal Jordan.

Throughout The New Frontier, Cooke weaves a history for Hal, a backstory that fixes him firmly in the newly fresh sensibility and spirit of the times. Told through brief vignettes of Jordan’s youth, and smart, evocative snapshots of the 1950s, Cooke explicitly ties Hal to the wartime heroes of his father’s generation, tempers him through a war of his own generation, and launches him straight into the thick of the great new U.S. space craze. By the time the ring shows up, and Hal dons the colors, we have come to appreciate him in a new and surprisingly original way.

Young Hal Jordan is the Boy Who Would Fly. And fly he does. As the new Green Lantern he is the wish-fulfillment of every kid who grew up in the 50’s with stories of Superman, World War fighter pilots, and the new, unfathomable promise of space travel, to fuel their imagination. Cooke calls on all of these elements to tell Hal’s story, and in the process he paints a picture that confirms Green Lantern as the defining superhero of the era.

And what a hero. The power of the Green Lantern, for all its practical silliness, is simply the coolest power set around. It’s the power of pure imagination, wielded with the fearless resolve of the one man ideally suited to realize it as the force for good it is intended to be. Green Lantern’s oath transformed Hal Jordan into the protector of our planet. More, his duty encompassed the whole corner of our galaxy. And so, with one brilliant stroke, and the vast power of imagination, the comics of the Silver Age broke free into the newest frontier of their time – outer space.

Cooke builds that story to a climax that drives the point home, and we are left to bask in the new-found glory of a young man no longer bound as mortal men, and a victory that binds our heroes together, forging the heart of a team that will become legendary, transcending the separations of a world too easily warped, as all ages seem to be, by prejudice and ideology and fear.

What’s not to like about that? It’s as good as storytelling gets, and pure comic book gold.

Or, you know, silver.

Or emerald green.

Produced by Youree Henley, Sofia Coppola
Based on A Painted Devil by Thomas P. Cullinan
Adapted and Directed by Sofia Coppola
Starring Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman,
Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning

There are so many thing from the 70s that would not be served by an update: mood rings, pet rocks, and lava lamps. What made Sophia Coppola feel that a less famous Clint Eastwood film would be appropriate for a redo?

While we may never know for sure, the result is a muddled period piece fairy tale of the dangers lurking under the graces of these cloistered ladies.

Corporal John McBurney (Colin Farrell) is an injured Union soldier who finds himself at an all-female Southern boarding school begging for help and shelter as he recovers from wounds obtained as a deserter.

Miss Martha (Nicole Kidman) and her small brood of well-bred girls help as they can while he recovers. When McBurney heals and is drawn closer to the dowdy Miss Edwina (Kirsten Dunst) emotions flare and loyalties are tested.

This movie may have succeeded if not for an awareness of the source material. Given the pulpy, sexy, murdery movie it comes from this feels as if someone laced a bodice too tight around the script. Though scenes of McBurney flirting with the older girls run from explicit to tongue-in-cheek, there is always a restraint past what the period requires. It hangs like humidity over the entire film and takes away from a lot of the fun that could have been brought over from the original.

In general, it watches like a strange and sad children’s story of warning against temptation; as if McBurney were Snow White stumbling upon 6 female dwarves who get up each day to mine gentility instead of ore. It is suffice to say that Nicole Kidman has never met a period piece she did not like, or did not like her. It is nothing new for her to weave intensity with reserve and succeed wonderfully, but as she is so well-practiced it can be a bit boring to see. One might forget if they are watching the stern mother from The Others or the character at hand, so similar is her approach. Elle Fanning may be falling into a trope of saucy innocent after her piece in Live by Night, which has faint echoes here. With that said, she still turns in a lovely performance and will not be anything but helped by being in this film. Kirsten Dunst has terrific range but seeing her as a sad sack character was at times more interesting as a study of the actress rather than actually engaging in terms of the plot.

The setting is more breathtaking than haunting, though there are echoes of the ghosts of better times throughout the old hallways. The peeling mansion sits on a sleepy but beautiful estate with sweeping canopies covered in Spanish moss and dappled sunlight across the grass. The detail given both to the worn and soft upper class dresses of the women, their clean but functional hairstyles, and the tarnished wealth of the set dressings give a full story of the occupants’ previous grandeur. It also gives unspoken depth to the relationship between Kidman and the girls. Who else would know from what heights they had already fallen save for the woman who protected them through all of it? Who else is more deserving of trust and devotion?

Sophia Coppola does not exist to push the envelope so much as softly and seductively pull it open with a particularly feminine slant. Because of that, her remake The Beguiled is less raunchy and less brutal than the original male-helmed version. This does not change the main driver of the movie, which is that the presence and potential attention from a man apparently undoes much of the sense of sisterhood that occurs in their absence, though man’s wickedness is also a driver for a united front.

The Beguiled is in no way a feminist movie, but if you are looking for a restrained period piece with a catfight or two played out as a battle of will and principles, Coppola has your number.

Produced by Peter Chernin, Dylan Clark,
Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
Written by Mark Bomback, Matt Reeves
Based on Characters created by
Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
Premise suggested by
Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle
Directed by Matt Reeves
Starring Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson,
Steve Zahn, Amiah Miller, Karin Konoval,
Judy Greer, Terry Notary

When Rupert Wyatt’s Rise of The Planet of The Apes was released in 2011, it not only served as a fantastic prequel to the long running franchise, but also reinvigorated it, utilizing state of the art motion capture computer special effects.

The second installment, Dawn of The Planet of The Apes and this final chapter, War For The Planet of The Apes were both directed by Matt Reeves, and despite a solid entry into the mythology with Dawn, this latest installment is far less successful.

Part of the problem is the technology itself.  Whereas Rise ultimately focused on the human characters, and Dawn successfully looked at a world changed by the virus that gave the apes their intelligence, War feels both overlong and underdeveloped

The inimitable Andy Serkis reprises his role for a third time as ape leader Caesar, who struggles to find a way for the apes to peacefully live alongside the threatened human population.  This time out, the villain is The Colonel, leader of a rogue human military unit played with great effect by Woody Harrelson.  Also introduced in this chapter is mute girl, Nova played by Amiah Miller (and who’s character reappears in two of the original films played by Linda Harrison) and Steve Zahn as Bad Ape (who proves that he’s one of cinema’s most annoying character actors regardless of species).

Inherently, I found three major problems with the film.  First, it’s far too long.  At 140 minutes, the film struggles to keep the action moving.  And there’s a good reason for that.

Second, there’s no real “War” in War For The Planet of The Apes.  Melees?  Sure.  Skirmishes?  You bet.  War?  Not really.

Finally, far too often I felt like I was watching an animated film.  With the exception of a few human characters, and despite the use of motion capture, I far too often felt little attachment or worse, interest in the world presented.  There’s no real emotional weight.  Just lots of pixels working really, really hard.

And there’s the rub.  Far too often we’re now seeing films literally constructed piece by piece in a computer.  From environments to clothing to even the most smallest minutia of details.  Who is responsible?  The director?  The effects guys filling out the green screen on a computer?

It’s been said that, “a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare.”  How many will it take to make a summer tentpole?

Produced by Kevin Feige, Amy Pascal
Screenplay by Jonathan Goldstein, Jon Watts,
John Francis Daley,  Christopher Ford,
Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers
Story by Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley
Based on Spider-Man by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko
Directed by Jon Watts
Starring Tom Holland, Michael Keaton,
Jon Favreau, Zendaya, Donald Glover,
Tyne Daly, Marisa Tomei, Jacob Batalon,
Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori
and Robert Downey Jr.

Ever since he swung on the scene in Captain America: Civil War, the anticipation for this addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise has grown to the point that the movie would need to be near perfection.

While it has its bumps and questionable script choices, this is a highly entertaining outing that brings back the humor and explores the growing pains as socially awkward Peter Parker tries to balance high school with a decidedly advanced extracurricular.

With laughs, decent fights, and good old-fashioned teen drama, there is nothing but fun in Homecoming. It is a refreshing change from the heavier Spider-Man outings that have led up to this.

The movie picks up close to his debut with the Avengers. As Peter Parker (Tom Holland) returns home with a souped-up suit (courtesy of his new super-guardian, Tony Stark, aka Robert Downey Jr.) he is encouraged to stay “low to the ground” and get trained up.

But as a new threat to the city looms with Vulture (Michael Keaton) and his crew selling high tech weapons across the city, Parker must decide whether it’s the man or the suit that gives him strength.

This is as much a coming-of-age movie as it is a superhero one. There is an excellent reason that this Spider-Man loves swinging through the streets of New York: he doesn’t have a license. Our 15 year old neighborhood webslinger exemplifies so much of what it is to be a teen.

Parker’s face lights up with unbridled eagerness and joy in the opening sequence as he recaps his introduction to the events of Civil War in a decidedly teenage fashion (endless cell phone selfie reconnaissance). His shy and bumbling kid-next-door crush on the debate team captain Liz (Laura Harrier) is as earnest and winsome as anyone John Hughes could whip up. Even his temper, ego, and general bravado when wearing the costume are easily more tied to age than personal failings of character.

While other Spideys are saddled with the intense responsibilities and weight of the world from the jump, the ability to watch this Spider-Man repeatedly try, fail, and grow is a nice insight in the lifestyle that has not existed before.

It is early to make this claim, but Tom Holland is poised to be the best Spider-Man in the MCU. He strikes the balance that eluded the two who came before him. Tobey Maguire was an excellent Peter but was less believable in the suit. Andrew Garfield was snappy and at home as Spider-Man, but came off as a cockier version of Parker. Holland has a special balance as an older actor (21) who looks like a teen, but also has the tremendous strength, speed, and agility to move as Spider-Man in and out of the suit. He has such grace in motion that afterwards I simply could not see anyone else doing a better job right now being believable as both a dismissible teen and a lithe crime fighter.

Michael Keaton took an odd way of getting here, first dipping into comic movies as Batman and then winning acclaim as Birdman. He brings a ground-level blue collar aspect to living in the post-Civil War period, and a grittiness that seems disparate to Parker’s Freaks and Geeks storyline till very close to the end.

Though the film was almost nonstop smiles and laughter in the audience, roughly 2/3 of the way through the film I checked my watch and surprised myself with how many minutes were still in the movie. Even though the end result was a masterpiece, removing 15-20 minutes of footage would have wrapped this up nicely. That point passes quickly, however, as Peter readjusting to civilian life is a movie in and of itself. This film basically ties 3 separate tales together (teen angst, Spider-Man training, Civil War aftermath for regular citizens) and wraps it in a web fluid bow.

This Spidey follows a current trend in both TV (DC’s Young Justice) and print (Marvel’s own Miss Marvel/Kamala Khan) that folds in the difficult reality of combining teenage-level executive functioning with world-saving superpowers and 5th period chemistry homework. It also acknowledges that there are older, wiser, and more skeptical superheroes acting as yet another set of adults to both mentor and criticize the new generation of heroes.

Tony Stark is part of the 15-20 minutes that could be cut, though he isn’t all of it. Robert Downey Jr. plays him perfectly, but at times it feels more like an Avengers side trip rather than a standalone film thanks to the branding and continuous mentions and cameos. Hopefully the next will pull back on the supervision and meddling. This also comes through in the Spider-Man suit, which has so many special features that it is almost like a stripped down version of Iron Man’s own suit.

One of the best aspects of Spider-Man is how little is tied to the costume versus the man. It was one of the major recurring elements that jolted the watcher out of enjoying a straightforward Spider-Man movie rather than a trailer for the next Avengers piece. That, and Marissa Tomei’s strangely young Aunt May.

There is nothing wrong with saving the universe. Someone has to do it. But to have Spider-Man return to being a guardian of the boroughs is a real treat and serves the scale required for a teenage superhero versus a more seasoned one. Audiences will enjoy this in the theater, but also the endless possibilities that a movie so bright-eyed, fresh, and dynamic brings us.

Our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is back around the corner.

Produced by Judd Apatow, Barry Mendel
Written by Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon
Directed by Michael Showalter
Starring Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan,
Holly Hunter,Ray Romano, Adeel Akhtar,
Anupam Kher, Bo Burnham, Aidy Bryant

What’s left to explore in the romantic comedy?

If there was ever a more formulaic and generally disappointing genre, I have not seen it. One of the more tired trends that has seen increasing popularity lately is using diversity as an easy device to move the plot forward without unpacking almost any of it.

Since there have been many half-hearted iterations of Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?-style comedy (including the unbearable update, Guess Who?) it was a pleasant surprise to see such a fresh take in Kumail Nanjiani’s first feature.

Based off of the true life story of how he and his wife met (she is a co-writer), it brings a cultural lens to the genre that moves diversity from mere trope to thoughtful aspect.

The Big Sick is a heartwarming and quirky boy-meets-girl-who-suddenly-goes-through-a-medical emergency story. Kumail and Emily (Zoe Kazan) have a blossoming relationship that he is quietly hiding from his devout Muslim parents, who are actively searching for a good prospect in order to set up a traditional [arranged] marriage.

As he and Emily fall into dischord after a difficult conversation about the future, she falls incredibly ill and has to rely on the decision-making of Kumail and her distraught parents Terry (Ray Romano) and Beth (Holly Hunter). Navigating the situation together, the unlikely trio bonds in strange and wonderful ways.

Watching Kumail, Terry, and Beth handle the grief in their own ways is rich and intimate. The emotional anxiety of waiting for news from the hospital is compounded by meeting for the first time without Emily to manage expectations and interactions. Social graces are strained and snapped to great reward due to the great chemistry between Nanjiani, Hunter, and Romano. While early scenes lean on shallow racially tinged moments (Terry mentions that he always wanted to speak to a Muslim about 9/11, a heckler goes for anti-Muslim taunts, etc.) later in the movie we get a better look at how love plays the largest factor in bridging the gap.

This isn’t to say that the film isn’t without flaws. It is too long at the end and there are several places to tighten up the movie without losing any of the heart. Some of the speeches seem a bit clumsy and straightforward, like when Kumail questions his parents’ traditionalist view in the face of the options he feels that America offers. It is refreshingly earnest and personal, but there is a clunkiness that I wish had been ironed out in a thoughtful rewrite.

Performances across the board, however, combined that pure honesty with deft restraint and skill. Holly Hunter is dynamic as Beth, the family backbone. You can feel the electric charge from her body through the screen as she goes toe-to-toe with Kumail and questions why he is still around, as his view of his relationship to Emily clashes with hers. Ray Romano pulls out the bumbling awkward dad routine that made Everybody Loves Raymond such a success. But this one has a bit more of a wearied edge, with stress showing at the seams that he seems barely able to stay on top of. His desire to be friends with this unfamiliar man who keeps demonstrating how much his daughter means to him is clumsy in the most charming way.

Nanjiani does not always look comfortable with so much screentime, but he has an ease with the material that shows from both his comedy background and his personal experience. This movie should do much for his standing as an actor that deserves more substantial roles going forward.

Though we do not spend a great deal of time with his family, the comedic relief from his brother as straight man (Adeel Akhtar) and the stern but caring attitude from Bollywood legend Anupam Kher as his father create a brief but noticeable portrait of what Kumail could lose if he turns from his culture to follow his heart.

Perhaps the most interesting part of this movie, and the best reason to recommend it as relief from the traditional rom-com, is where the relationship building lies. Though her presence is always felt, the majority of this sweet film does not center on Emily and Kumail. Rather, it is on the idea that strong mutual love for a third party can unite complete strangers as it gives them something deeply familiar to relate with and relate to.

Kumail Nanjiani is known for his time as a stand-up comic and his role as Dinesh on HBO’s Silicon Valley. Soon audiences will also know him add the lead in his first feature The Big Sick, which is based on the true life story of how he met his wife (and co-writer) Emily Gordon after her health scare forces him into an awkward but necessary partnership with her parents (Ray Romano and Holly Hunter).

While he in Boston during his comedy tour, he spent some time speaking about the film, his personal journey, and why one-man shows are hilarious.

*  *  *  *  *

FOG!: How long did it take you to get on stage and feel comfortable in your voice?

Kumail Nanjiani: You know somebody said every five years you have a breakthrough with standup. I think Margaret Cho said that, and I think that’s true. For the first five years on stage it’s sort of sheer panic, and each time you’re swimming to stay alive.

The next five years is, “Alright, I’m comfortable on stage.” That’s when you can start to figure out who you are on stage, or who you want to be, and start finding your voice. And then at the end of 10 years, hopefully, you’re comfortable on stage and you have a decent sense of the stuff you want to talk about.

And then it keeps changing, but I would say the first five years were very challenging—fun, but challenging.

How much of the standup in The Big Sick came from material you’ve done?

It was mostly standup I was doing around the time we were going through that. I kind of looked back at my old notebook and found material from then because I used to perform differently, so I couldn’t do standup the way I do it now. I had to do it the way I did it then. And if you see, there’s only one point in the movie where I take the mic out of the stand.

It’s just for me and nobody will notice it, but for me that was a big move. The first six or seven years I didn’t take the mic out of the stand. When I took the mic out of the stand it felt different for me—I felt more confident, so I could be more personal because the mic stand is like a barrier between you and the audience, it’s like a wall. And getting rid of that lets you talk to them as yourself.

At least that’s how it was for me. So in the movie the only time the mic’s in my hand is my last appearance.

How long did it take you to get comfortable when it came to making this movie?

Well, we wrote the script for around three years. It was me and Emily writing it and we’d get notes from Judd Apatow and Barry Mendel, one of the other producers. So it was this sort of thing we had been working on, and I knew I would have to act in it at some point.

When we first started writing it, I didn’t feel comfortable with that idea, but I knew at a certain point I’d have to start gearing up to do this on screen. So I would say, about three years into the writing of it, I was like, “All right, we’ve done enough writing and we can keep writing, but now I have to start focusing on the performance aspect of it.”

Maybe two and a half years into writing, I actively started trying to make myself comfortable with the idea of actually making the movie, because the writing of it and the making of it are two completely different challenges.

In the film your character also does a one-man show that’s a kind of Pakistan 101. What made you decide to include two completely separate acts?

What we wanted to show with that is that this character is subconsciously trying to grapple with a part of himself that he’s too scared to tackle, and that he’s unable to tackle. So clearly that one-man show is meant to be the way he feels about his culture, the way he feels about his parents, how he feels different from them, and how he feels connected to them. So that is meant to be like a little part of himself that he wants to be doing more than just observational bits. You’re supposed to see that he’s bumping up against this wall. That was the purpose of this one-man show.

It’s actually based on a one-man show that I did, but the one-man show that I did was after the events of the film and it was actually the first time that I did anything personal. I’m proud of it. It wasn’t perfect. The one-man show in the movie is sort of like a joke.

What draws you to them?

I think one-man shows are so funny. I wrote for a sketch show that Mike Showalter had called Mike and Mike Have Issues, and I wrote this sketch called “Last Lines”. The point was you don’t have time to watch the whole one-man show, and the last line sort of gives you the message. So it was Mike performing the last lines of all these made up one-man shows. So we always thought those really, really self-serious one-man shows were super funny.

What do you feel it does for The Big Sick?

It’s funny and it also allows you to explore important parts of the character. Ultimately, we kind of did it because we thought it was a funny thing, but you can also see Emily trying to challenge him and giving him notes with his career that challenge him personally and professionally. And we want to see that Kumail doesn’t like that.

So that’s kind of the purpose of that one-man show. It does a bunch of different things. It’s also way longer than that. We could do a ten minute thing of just that one-man show. We shot it at this theater in New York and just kept shooting and shooting and shooting. There’s so many different bits of that that are not in the movie.

What’s been the reaction so far from the people in your personal life?

Well, my brother’s seen it and he loves it. My parents have not seen it yet, so we’re all “on pins and needles” for that one. My parents are very excited about the movie. You know, we wrote it for like three and a half years until we got funding for it. So, I called them just to let them know that, “Hey, just so you know, I’m writing a movie. It’s about that period of time. This is how you guys are portrayed, this is how it happened in real life, this is where it deviates from real life.” And they were like, “Okay. Alright.’ And then they came for a visit on-set and they got really excited.

So, they’ve been really excited. They’ve watched the trailer hundreds of times. They just took a picture of themselves (shows the picture) at a movie theater in [New] Jersey next to the poster. They’re adorable. So they’re like really excited for it. My dad looks like he does in the movie too.

What was it like going through the casting process of the whole family?

Well, my dad it was kind of easy, because the actor (Anupam Kher) is like a Bollywood legend. I grew up watching his movies. So, the entire time I was writing the movie, it’s based on my dad, but I saw him saying those lines. I wanted him to play my dad from the very beginning. He looks like my dad. I know he can do the comedy and the drama and all of that. And the singing. He makes up a song in the movie. I was listening to it again and I was like this is a really dirty song. Nobody’s gonna know, but it took me a bunch of times watching it, because I sort of pieced it together and I was like, “Oh God, he just made up a really filthy song.”

So, with him it was easy in a sense that we knew who we wanted and I knew someone who was family friends with him. I had to get the producers on board, and that was easy, because I could just show them clips. And Emily and I watched a bunch of Bollywood movies on Netflix and we watched a couple of his Bollywood movies that I had seen when I was a kid and she loved him. And once I showed the clips to Barry [Mendel] and Mike [Showalter], they loved him. From us trying to get him to actually getting him was like two days. He was very quick.

And casting the role of your mom?

The mom was very challenging, because we needed somebody who could do the comedy and the drama in a way that felt like the same person. And because of the way Hollywood portrays brown people, I found that a lot of the actors were used to sort of going for the laugh in a bigger more performative way. And it really was eye-opening. Obviously, I’ve done auditioning and stuff, so I know the kind of roles that we go out for, but they really were going for the wacky Pakistani thing, you know? Anupam [Kher] was good because he’s from Bollywood. You know, they have nuanced portrayals there. Adeel [Akhtar] – the guy who plays my brother – is British, and they have nuanced portrayals there. And Shenaz [Treasury] – who plays his wife – is also from Bollywood.

So, finding the person to play my mom was challenging. We saw a lot of people. And that was one of the last major parts that we cast, because she had to be like my mom where she’s funny and she’s loving and she can be angry and disproving and put you on a guilt trip.

You know, everybody’s mom is a lot of things and my mom is a lot of different things. So finding that was actually pretty challenging, but when we auditioned Zenobia [Shroff], I was like, “Finally.” Finally, we found someone who could do all those things, because some of them were used to playing the strict mom, which is not exactly what this part is. There are strict parts of it, but there’s a lightness to her and to my mom that we really thought was important.

As a comedian, what shaped your perspective?

It’s hard to diagnose myself, but I would say it probably comes from a feeling of not belonging. Even in Pakistan and having that carry over here, because I was different and felt like I didn’t fit in. This is the most I feel like I fit in. When I was a kid, I definitely felt very shy. I just liked movies and video games and nobody else liked them as much as I did. And I remember always feeling like I wasn’t part of the group, you know? From being a little kid and all the way until college just feeling like an outsider.

Do you feel like this movie is going to play differently from 1st generation to 2nd generation?

I hope so. I think so. I’ve had a lot of people contact me who were in my position who have parents who are more traditional they’ve sort of, not “rebelled” against them but had to negotiate their own identity in the way that my parents never had to. My parents are still like, “We’re Pakistani.” For me, I don’t know what I am and part of the movie is negotiating that. We’ve shown to a lot of older immigrant families and I think we do a good job of portraying both sides so that both those different sets of people who are having very different experiences feel spoken to, hopefully.

The scene where I make the stand, I think that’s something that a lot of people can relate to like ”I reject you culture, it’s not me; or maybe it is I don’t know!” Then my dad in the movie says, “The American Dream doesn’t mean do what you want to do. You still have to care about your family and other people and stuff.” So I think that scene kind of encapsulates both perspectives and shows the challenge of having those different points of views and how it is very difficult for a Pakistani person to be here and deal with non-Pakistani people, but it’s also difficult to deal with other types of Pakistani people.

So, I hope they have different experiences and I hope they connect to it.

Titan Books is delighted to announce four products, all of which will be available exclusively at San Diego Comic Con from July 19 – 23 2017. These include books debuting at the show and limited editions, along with awesome collectibles for fans of the hit Adult Swim series Rick and Morty, and Firefly.

Titan Books will be found at Booth #5537.

Rick and Morty: Official Coloring book with Comic Con Exclusive T-Shirt

Become the Redgren Grumbholdt of coloring in with the squanchiest coloring book in dimension C-137! Early realease copies only available at the show. Every copy of the book comes with a Comic Con exclusive free t-shirt to color in at home!
Price: $15

Firefly: Back From The Black with Comic Con Exclusive enamel pin

Get your own limited edition glow-in-the-dark Serenity pin with every copy of the brand-new book Firefly: Back From The Black. Artist Joey Spiotti has imagined the crew back on Earth-That-Was in this charming gift boopk
Price: $15

Star Trek: The Next Generation The Art of Juan Ortiz Limited Edition

Following on from Juan Ortiz’s fabulous Original Series movie-poster collection, this latest treat for art-loving Trek fans features 178 posters that capture the essence of The Next Generation, and includes a signed tip-in sheet and exclusive art print.
Price: $60

Star Wars: On The Front Lines Comic Con Exclusive Debut

First availability anywhere! Don’t wait for publication to grab your early release copy of Star Wars: On The Front Lines. Packed with never-before-seen artwork and detailing the tactics, weapons and vehicles used across the Star Wars saga this book is a must-have for any fan.
Price: $50

After her father presents her with a mysterious music box, Clare Shannon is surprised to find her every wish coming true. Her joy slowly morphs into terror as she begins to realize the bloody price of each new wish.

For your chance to download passes to see WISH UPON at the advance screening on Wed, July 12 at 7:00pm at AMC Boston Common, click here: broadgreenscreenings.com/OMvlO26793.

Remember seating is first come, first served and not guaranteed. Arrive early!

Facebook.com/WishUponMovie

The Alien series has always strove to be about more than just creatures exploding out of people’s various body parts. Ridley Scott’s Alien comes across as a terrifying rape allegory while its sequel, Aliens, works as a condemnation of Vietnam. The latter sequels appear to be an experiment to see if audiences are willing to pay for visual torture.

In a similar vein, Alien: Covenant—as well as Prometheus before it—appear to be just as much about religion as exploding chests. Specifically, they’re against religion. Covenant in particular seems written as a semi-coherent, anti-religious parable.

I would assume this would go without saying, but the internet is a fickle mistress so, be warned: There be spoilers ahead.

“Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven”

That quote above is by Satan in John Milton’s Paradise Lost. On a related note, Covenant was supposed be titled Alien: Paradise Lost. This provides interesting context for a film that deals so explicitly with religious themes.

In the epic poem, Milton details the Biblical story of the Fall of Man. In this retelling, Satan is a beautiful angel who unsuccessfully attempts to overthrow God whom he believes to be a tyrant. Milton originally intended Satan as a purely-antagonistic figure, but many scholars now view Satan in a vaguely-positive light as more of a tragic figure than outright villain.

In Covenant, David rephrases Satan’s quotation to ask his doppleganger brother, Walter, “Is it better to be a servant in Heaven than a king in Hell?” Scott is clearly drawing a comparison between the rebellious David and Milton’s Satan. David wishes to be a king rather than a servant and wonders if Heaven is all that much better than Hell anyway. He mentions later in the film that humanity isn’t very “kind” at all. David views them as tyrants just like Satan once viewed God.

David’s question brings up the issue of religious piety. Can faith be programmed? Where does piety stem from? Walter is a newer android unable to love because he’s been “updated” by his creators. When androids started to seem too uppity and uncontrollable, later versions had their emotions dumbed down to compensate.

Walter cannot himself create anything, and his only desire is to perform his duty. When Walter sacrifices his hand to save Dany, David initially views the act as indicative of love, but Walter simply sees it as cold duty. By contrast, David is able to create and emote heavily, but he does so in spite of his creators’ wishes.

If humans are the gods of synthetics like David and Walter, then the way androids are programmed to serve them is akin to forced religious piety. Walter serves his gods blindly, while David realizes there is no true love to be found there. And indeed, the humans in these films largely appear to be terrible gods not worthy of following. In fact…

The “Faith” Guy is the Dumbest of All

Early on in Covenant, we’re introduced to a man of faith named Christopher. Christopher is worried that his ambiguous “faith” will cause others to not trust him, or to think him crazy. Since he’s forced to take over control of the ship, he needs to be viewed as a strong leader.

Well, unfortunately for him, his faith turns out to be his undoing. When Satan (David) tempts Christopher to take a closer look at the alien egg pod things, Christopher does it. After all, he’s a man of faith, and he will do what he’s told. Naturally, he becomes infected resulting in the further destruction of the crew.

In fact, faith is the only reason they’re on the planet in the first place. Christopher cites his vague faith and optimism as reasons to check out this new planet despite the more reasonable Dani suggesting they move on. Reason would have allowed them to continue along safely. Faith ruined them all.

At a late point in the film, Dani mildly recants and tells Christopher that maybe they do need faith after all. But Dani’s merely espousing a “foxhole Christianity” theology where anybody in a terrible situation will turn to God as a last-ditch effort.

And besides, after Christopher’s death, it becomes clear that his faith was not only foolish, his death was the most obviously-avoidable. It’s very clear that his faith in everything—including robot-Satan—is what doomed him.

But David isn’t really Satan, he’s much more…

David is Ozymandias

Alongside Paradise Lost, the film makes several references to yet another epic poem: Ozymandias. From the massive, Egyptian-like sculptures left behind by the now-extinct Engineers to several in-movie quotes from the poem, Ozymandias’ influence is profoundly palpable.

Scott is turning David’s Satan comparison on its head in an interesting way. David isn’t content to merely escape the clutches of his gods like Satan, he longs to become a god like Ozymandias did. David wishes to embody what Ozymandias never could. While Ozymandias eventually succumbed to death and the ravages of time like all of us, David believes he can create into infinity. He wants to become the God that his “gods” (humanity) never became.

But the thing is, the religion of David (like all “religions” in Alien) is perverse and false. He is still creating something untrue and ruining the universe in the process. The only way to experience kindness is to “kill” our gods. By allowing them—and religion—to live forever like David attempts to do, we inadvertently create Hell.

In fact, the whole reason the aliens were created in the first place is because the Engineers decided to kill humanity (their creation) because humans had killed an Engineer who came to Earth several thousand years before. That Engineer was known as Jesus. If that’s not an on-the-nose condemnation of religion, I’m not sure what is.

Although the way that aliens reproduce is pretty damning…

Aliens’ “Reproduction” is Violent, Horrific, Similar to Conversion

More than usual in Covenant, we see several horrific, gorey “births” of aliens. We learn a great deal about how they spread and reproduce, and it’s not pretty. The aliens in this film are essentially David’s children due to his biological experiments and cross-breeding. And because David has been shown to exhibit god-like tendencies, it seems that an analogy is being made between alien reproduction and the spread of religion and its perceived violent by-product.

David sees the aliens as perfect while humans as inferior. They may be his creators, His aliens “convert” them from their shitty human ways and “rebirths” them as perfect and clean new specimens. It repaints the born-again allegory of Christian conversion in a sickening, brutal way. Would we really choose to become converted if the results were that obviously-terrifying? Scott seems to think that’s exactly what’s happening when Christians convert, it’s just not as obvious.

Of course this is a false conversion, and what is created is worse than what was. And besides, it’s all for nothing because…

There is No God in the End

Because here’s the weird thing about these movies, almost everybody is simultaneously creator and created. David’s rebelling against his gods and building his own religion is just indicative of the endless narrative we’re seeing in Alien spilling out in either direction.

Engineers made humans who made androids who perfected the evil aliens who adapt and change based on the DNA of whatever they infect. Presumably somebody made the Engineers, but then who made them? It seems like the creation line extends to infinity with no real beginning and end.

There is no ultimate God in this universe. Violence stems from whenever a race either tries to become like God and create or when they religiously rebel against a God who isn’t actually there. Adhering to or believing in religion in either direction is the cause of all pain. Presumably, learning to accept a neutral stance in the universe would lead to peace.

After all, like I said before, if Christopher hadn’t relied on his faith, Covenant as a movie wouldn’t have even happened. They’d have simply continued along to their intended destination with no worries. And since Covenant is a prequel to the entire series, everything is predicated on the failures of religious adherence. Pretty heavy stuff for a movie ostensibly about exploring new ways for aliens to burst out of people’s stomachs.

Jordan Breeding is a current Paste intern who also writes for Cracked and the esteemed Twitter.

Produced by Angelo Barbagallo
Written by Roberto Andò, Angelo Pasquini
Directed by Roberto Andò
Starring Toni Servillo, Connie Nielsen,
Pierfrancesco Favino, Marie-Josée Croze,
Moritz Bleibtreu, Lambert Wilson, Daniel Auteuil

It is very rare to find a film that has no wasted movement. The Confessions comes as close to that as maybe any movie I’ve ever seen.

The story is a simple one. At a meeting of the G8, a mysterious Italian monk is invited at the behest of the International Monetary Fund. The monk and the IMF manager speak late into the night and the next morning the IMF manager is found dead.

Was there foul play? Was it suicide? The story, which plays out over a weekend at a beach side resort, keeps you interested from beginning to end.

From the technical side this movie is nothing short of brilliant. The writing is beautiful with truly profound moments. It switches between Italian, French and English seamlessly and the viewer is never in the dark.

I wish I had a copy of Roberto Ando and Angelo Pasquini’s script so I could pull all the brilliant snippets out. There were just too many. The dialogue is melodic as if the movie is a poem but it never goes too far. It is biting at moments without being cruel. It is deep, without being arrogant.

The cinematography of Maurizio Calvesi is artistic and meaningful. There is no wasted camera movement and he plays with light and shadow throughout the film as the story unfolds into a tale of the morality of money, humanity and the nature of evil itself. Calvesi’s mastery is demonstrated throughout The Confessions and aside from a mildly irritating misdirection near the very end (which we can easily hang on the director) there are no poor choices.

The performances are very strong. Toni Servillo is brilliant as the mysterious monk who spent many years in silence, listening to the world around him. The power of silence in the film reminded me of the beautiful Chaim Potok books, The Chosen and The Promise, which center around the pain of silence driving compassion into those forced to suffer it. The Confessions is very much about compassion and pain. All of the supporting players are well cast and effective, but Servillo shines through in every scene.

While the story is a formula we’ve seen before, who dunnit and why?

The execution is a biting commentary on global economic policy and power. The power of large banks to do whatever they want is a constant subtle thread throughout the story. Politicians have no power because the bankers do what they wish without informing the governments they are beholden to. The rich get richer and the poor, poorer because committees like the G8 are complicit in their acceptance of cruel policies or guilty in their creation of the same.

This film attacks the premise that good can only exist if evil exists. It is a lead pipe across the knees of the conventional wisdom of good and evil. There is even a thinly veiled shot at Dominique Strauss-Kahn and some of the ingrained misogyny that exists. It was good to see from a script written by men.

I have a couple of very minor issues with the film, but they are barely worth mentioning, so I won’t. The Confessions is an excellent film. It is unsurprising that it appeared in so many festivals. If you are a film fan, it is a must see. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Five out five stars.

Produced by Matthew Patrick Braun,
Ryan Hawkins, Anthony Hays, James Lentzsch
Written and Directed by Thane Economou
Starring Blake Lee, Allison Paige, Moses Storm,
Molly Burnett, Kat Palardy, Brian Thomas Smith, Ziah Colon, Joel Johnstone, Meg Cionni

This is the story of two films. One is technically brilliant and one is extremely disappointing.

In a film described as a rom-com there is nothing particularly romantic or funny. Ned (Blake Lee) leads a professional cast through the disastrous happenings of his best friend’s wedding. This film combines every romantic comedy cliche in history and adds nothing to the equation. The cast are all pros, but it is clear they had almost nothing to work with.

Here is just a partial list of some of the things you will experience watching this film:

1. Unrequited love
2. Accidental over-indulgence in Valium.
3. Purposeful over-indulgence in alcohol
4. A toupee gag
5. Food poisoning
6. Love/Hate exes
7. Artificial time deadlines
8. Cake issues
9. Foppish brother in law
10. Seething father of the bride
11. Guest neither side is sure if they own
12. Mildly creepy swingers gag

Does any of this sound original to you?

Me either. It doesn’t matter though. There is nothing wrong with being unoriginal if you are funny, or thoughtful, or sweet in a way that the audience hasn’t seen before. There is nothing wrong with being unoriginal in your execution if your characters are easy to like, love or feel sympathy for.

Unfortunately there is very little to like in the characters or the script.

However!!!

While Thane Economou’s writing leaves something to be desired, his direction is excellent. This film is shot in a continuous 119 minute take. The technical complexity of that sort of feat can’t be understated. It was impossible to ignore the impressive ballet like movement of the camera from one are of the set to another while following the actors. The film strategically slides to interior shots as the crew frantically must have prepared for a real time return to the external. The choreography that must have gone into the preparation is really worth thinking about. Shifts in actor position, lighting, camera, framing and more without exposing the crew who was consistently following setting up the next shot in real time… WOW!

The story of this film is not the story, but the making. If you care about things like that, this is definitely worth watching. If you care about a summer “rom-com” making you laugh and entertaining you, don’t bother.

Doomed man in space, a mad scientist tormentor, sarcastic robot friends, and cheesy movies. I am living the revival life with Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return (Netflix).

I know, I know. Uncool, right?

If you’ve followed my writing these past few years, you know I’m not really into this recent trend of zombie shows – reboots, relaunches and retreads because 15 people on the Internet said it’s a good idea.

Let’s be clear: I don’t say this to be an old fogey and purist on what stuff is. It’s just that I already lived through the ’90s, so why would I want to go through them again? Ain’t no nostalgia deep enough for that, even for many shows and movies I love. Either I’m good with the new stuff I get from creators of my pop culture faves, or I’m not. I don’t need no Fuller House, or a return to Roseanne or Will & Grace. Don’t want them, don’t need them.

But, whatever. The wheel turns. Tons of kids will line the block to see Spider-Man: Homecoming, and rightfully so. Spider-Man is a money machine, and every few years there’s a new crop of 7-year-olds to sell the web-slinger to. Shoehorn a ton of Robert Downey Jr., tingle adults’ member berries with Michael Keaton, and brace for the tidal wave of cash. Who cares if Spidey looks like he’s in athleisure? Get him a hoodie and a backpack! The money awaits! I say, go get it if you’re not swindling folks.

Batman never goes out of style, either; even if nobody really wants to make The Batman, Warner Bros. will force it through because it will sell sell sell. And while Hugh Jackman hung up the adamantium claws for good after Logan, I’m sure we’ll get a new Wolverine soon enough in the new post-Apocalypse line of X-Men films.

I didn’t even want MST3K to come back. In a world where alumni kicked out RiffTrax and Cinematic Titanic for years and years, why would I need more MST3K? It’s already here.

Besides, the post-Nerdist geek industrial complex would sap all the life out of doing this show now, wouldn’t it? Jonah Ray, Felicia Day and Patton Oswalt are all involved on a project funded by Kickstarter, and I’m sick of all four of those things.

Oh, and we’ll throw in comedy podcasterati Baron Vaughn and Hampton Yount as Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot? Eesh. Get out now before an NPR game show breaks out!

So I tuned in with healthy skepticism. And, bit by bit, they won over this O.G. MSTie.

The new show looks and feels like the MST3K that I know, but refitted for 2017. It turned out that MST3K is the kind of project that can be redone again and again, if the people are right and the jokes are good. Besides, we’ll never run out of cheesy, bad movies, even if today’s fare is made to look better than ever, as long as they are done earnestly. I appreciated when Jonah stands up to our Sharknado world by declaring, “It’s not OK to combine an animal with a disaster and release it as a bad-on-purpose movie.”

With creator Joel Hodgson at the helm, MST3K: The Return shows a lot of care and detail in its handcrafted production. In an age of 3D printers, the spacecraft stand up to HD cameras. On the tracking shot through the series of vault doors, I pick out more items in each compartment with each pass.

Because of the increased production values, at times the show veers into when Wayne and Garth get the studio set of the basement for Noah’s Arcade Presents Wayne’s World.

The Skeleton Crew live band on Dr. Forrester’s secret moon base, headlined by indiecore figure Har Mar Superstar as the bandleader, is too much for me.

The analog touches of turning down the lights, and the self-imposed breaks for commercials that don’t exist may be ersatz. But I do appreciate a break in the action for a two-hour program, because bingewatching is tough for this one. (And halfway-analog me still doesn’t bingewatch much.)

MST3K: The Return wisely wades into the idea that the new show has to live up to the old. Dr. Kinga Clayton Forrester, the third generation in the family business of mad science, is written as sometimes unsure and eager to impress.

Also, it’s funny that her plan is not simply to drive a man insane with awful films, but to sell it to nostalgia-thirsty dupes who remember her father’s old work, but no one’s buying. This only adds to her concerns of being seen as a poser, and Felicia Day plays it well.

At least Kinga’s chief henchman, Max, is all about being a poser, wanting to be known as TV’s Son of TV’s Frank. Patton Oswalt got on my nerves until his interlude during the long-distance love song between Forrester and her boyfriend that became a reunion of nerdcore darling Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.

But even if all of the “show” was crap, the main event is all that has to be good. It’s jarring at times to hear modern pop culture references, because once you’re in the theater with the silhouettes, it feels like it’s 1992 again. Until Gypsy comes down from the ceiling, Crow uses props, and Tom Servo starts flying – all of them opening up new ideas for jokes.

Under 2017’s comedic sensibilities, however, it’s nice for them to avoid frito bandito Mexican accents under 1950s Western/monster movie The Beast of Hollow Mountain. Jonah and the bots riff on Rock Hudson’s forceful manhandling of Mia Farrow in Avalanche, but not as pretext for jokes about Hudson being a closeted gay man – something that might have happened in the old show. Different times.

Six episodes in, watching the interminable Starcrash, we get an old-school “hi-keeba” during a fight scene. Then, in the joke-banquet that is The Land That Time Forgot, the new crew is dusting off multi-layered castings such as “Matthew Lillard IS Donald Sutherland IN The Andy Capp Story.”

These dudes are doing just fine.

Dagnabbit! I wasn’t supposed to like this!