Produced by James Franco, Vince Jolivette,
Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver
Screenplay by Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber
Based on The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside
The Room, the Greatest Bad Film Ever Made
by Greg Sestero, Tom Bissell
Directed by James Franco
Starring James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogen,
Alison Brie, Ari Graynor, Josh Hutcherson,
Jacki Weaver, Zac Efron, Hannibal Buress

The Room is inarguably the worst film in the last 50 years.

I love it.

Millions love it. We all acknowledge it to be one of the worst films ever made. Yet it lives in infamy and revels in its shlockiness and awfulness as midnight showings and appearances by its creator Tommy Wiseu are constantly sold out across the country.

It is an ironic and somewhat rewarding realization that it has spawned on of the best films of 2017.

The Disaster Artist is a loving and somewhat scathing retelling of the creation of the cult favorite film, The Room by the mysterious and definitely bizarre, Wiseu.

Playing, Wiseu, and directing, James Franco disappears into the roll of the the eclectic auteur. Like Wiseu with The Room, he acts and directs with a passion and love of the craft. Thankfully, unlike the man he is portraying, Franco is actually a brilliant director and actor.

The Disaster Artist is entirely better then it has any right to be.

Based on the book written by actor Greg Sestero, who played, Mark, in the original film. The biographical account of the making of The Room, is almost as insane as the film itself. Instead of it being a sarcastic parody and making fun of the person and his film, The book and the film The Disaster Artist is a loving embrace and nod to the passion of film making, regardless of the quality of the end product and the actual talent of its creator.

Much like Ed Wood, Tim Burton’s loving tribute to another terrible yet passionate film maker. What Franco has accomplished with The Disaster Artist” is to show not just how a bad movie was able to be made but why and at what cost it was done. He humanizes Wiseu, while showing his eccentric and sometimes megalomaniacal mannerisms. The viewer is not quite sure whether it is all an act or if he is completely serious. Whether he is just acting like how he thinks big time directors like James Cameron or Michael Bay have been known to act on sets or if the outbursts and incredibly outrageous working conditions are an unconscious choice due to being mentally unstable.

Never does Franco or the writers pass judgement on him or the film. He instead lets the actions of the man and the film he is making, speaking for themselves.

This film requires you to have to sit through The Room to truly appreciate the extent of how exacting they match it scene for scene. It also requires you to sit through some truly uncomfortable sequences. Sequences made even more nigh unbearable when you know that they were actual situations real people were put through in real life.

What i found most surprising and truly appreciated was that Franco and company made an emotional roller coaster of a picture that is unbelievably uplifting and actually, in the end, a true feel good film about a really bad one.

I can’t recommend this film more right now and as it stands it is definitely on my top 5 films of the year so far. I can see why it received the much deserved standing ovation when it was screened a SXSW in March and why Tommy Wiseu personally chose James Franco to make this film.

Go see it. You will laugh, you will cheer, you will yell, you will applaud. Never has there been such an amazing movie bout a completely garbage film as the Disaster Artist is to The Room. 

It actually makes The Room even better then it already is.

Director Allen Hughes (Menace II Society, Dead Presidents) has made an unquestionably bold film about the unlikely but unbreakable bond of trust and friendship between Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, two street-smart men from different worlds who have shaped many of the most exciting and extreme moments in recent pop culture.

Hughes filmed Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre with unfettered access over a three-year period in making The Defiant Ones. The series includes extensive interviews with Dre and Iovine, who speak frankly about their highs and lows as well as interviews with major music icons including: Snoop Dogg, Bruce Springsteen, Gwen Stefani, Bono, David Geffen, Eminem, Nas, Stevie Nicks, Kendrick Lamar, Ice Cube, Jon Landau, Patti Smith, Lady Gaga, Doug Morris, Tom Petty, Trent Reznor, Diddy, Alonzo Williams and will.i.am. The series also features never-before-seen footage from a multitude of recording and writing sessions with Eazy-E, JJ Fad, Stevie Nicks, N.W.A., Tom Petty, The D.O.C., Bruce Springsteen and U2, among others.

Set amid many of the defining societal and cultural events of the past four decades, The Defiant Ones tells the stories of two men from different tough neighborhoods and their improbable partnership and surprising leading roles in a series of transformative events in contemporary culture. This revealing, compelling and often-gritty story takes place in recording studios, in humble homes, in criminal courts and in the highest corridors of corporate power.

And we’re giving away a The Defiant Ones Blu-ray Combo Pack along with a branded notebook and pen (perfect for documenting your own genius!).

To enter, send an email with the subject header “THE DEFIANT ONES” to geekcontest @ gmail dot com and answer the following question:

Jimmy Iovine is the founder of this music label?

Please include your name, and address (U.S. 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 December 17th, 2017.

On the new episode of FORCES OF GEEK PRESENTS OH NO THEY DIDN’T!, we’re talking about JUSTICE LEAGUE whether you like it or not.

But first, we count down our top five favorite DC feature films to date, and come to the conclusion that everyone is entitled to their own opinion.  Also, you’re wrong. JUSTICE LEAGUE is a lot of fun, and way better than most DC feature films.

Listen to why here, or download and subscribe to the show on iTunes or Google Play.

For up to the minute news on latest episodes and general sequel, remake, and reboot buzz, follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@ONTDpodcast)

It’s Christmas time, people! And streaming’s jolly green giant Hulu has all your holiday favorites to get you through the holiday season!

A Christmas Wedding Tail? No? Never heard of it?

How about A Princess for Christmas? Nada?

How about Chilly Christmas? Basic cable favorite I’ll Be Home for Christmas? One Magic Christmas? Shelby: A Magical Holiday Tail? The Yummy Gummy Search for Santa?

How about Office Christmas Party? Grandma will love the scene when that one guy makes a Xerox copy of his junk.

So…yeah. Apparently, Hulu is a little lacking in the holiday spirit this year, as well as holiday favorites. But what they lack in holiday movies they make up for in second-hand Disney discards from Netflix, a decent amount of sick day offerings from their Showtime deal and TV shows galore.

Which is why we are really here.

ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. begins its fifth field assignment on Dec. 2 while Hulu original series East Los High begins its final lap around the gym on Dec. 1. And the third season of The Great American Baking Show kicks off on Dec. 8.

The complete season of Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe heads to Hulu on Dec. 4, as does TV Land’s Younger on Dec. 12 and Freeform’s Bunheads is added on Dec. 14.

Other complete series added to the streaming network include in BBC’s The Next Step on Dec. 16 as well as Epix’s Graves, E4’s Made In Chelsea and Cartoon Network’s Mighty Magiswords on Dec. 18.

Want more Marvel, but with a genius schizo edge? FX’s Legion will be available on Dec. 8.

All in all, a little lacking in the holiday department, but no worries. It’s not like you don’t have Netflix.

DECEMBER 1

East Los High

• East Los High (Finale; Hulu Original)
• The History of Comedy (Complete Season 1; CNN)
• Inside Number 9 (Complete Season 2; BBCWW)
• Tree Fu Tom (Complete Seasons 3 & 4 (Sprout)
• Trust Me (Complete Season 1; StudioCanal)
• The Wine Show (Complete Season 2; Sky)
• 3 Ninjas (1992)
• The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)
• A Princess for Christmas (2011)
• Aliens of the Deep (2005)
• American Outlaws (2001 – Showtime)
• Apocalypse Now (1979)
• Apocalypse Now Redux (2001)
• At Close Range (1986)
• Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction (2006)
• The Black Cauldron (1985)

Bloodsport

• Bloodsport (1988)
• Body of Deceit (2015 – Showtime)
• Breakheart Pass (1975)
• The Brothers Grimm (2005)
• Buffalo 66 (1998)
• Bugsy (1991 – Showtime)
• Certain Women (2016 – Showtime)
• Cheri (2009)
• Chicago (2002)
• Child’s Play (1988)
• Chilly Christmas (2012)
• Citizen Ruth (1996 – Showtime)
• Con Air (1997 – Showtime)
• Coopers Camera (AKA Coopers’ Christmas) (2010)
• The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
• Crazy/Beautiful (2001)
• Death Line (1972 – Showtime)
• Different Flowers (2017 – Showtime)

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

• Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
• Downhill Racer (1969)
• Driftwood (2006)
• Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sex… (1972)
• Evita (1996)
• Extortion (2017)
• The Falcon and the Snowman (1985)
• The Final Cut (2004)
• First Kid (1996)
• The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1981)
• George of the Jungle (1997)
• Get the Gringo (2012 – Showtime)
• Gigli (2003 – Showtime)
• Hammett (1982)
• Hannibal (2001)
• Heaven’s Gate (1981)

Heavy Metal

• Heavy Metal (1981 – Showtime)
• Hitch (2005)
• I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1998)
• The Improv: 50 Years Behind the Brick Wall (2013)
• In & Out (1997)
• In Enemy Hands (2003)
• In the Bedroom (2001 – Showtime)
• In the Line of Fire (1993)
• Jack (1996)
• K2 (1991 – Showtime)
• Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)
• Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004)
• Kramer vs. Kramer (1979 – Showtime)
• L7 Pretend We’re Dead (2016)
• The Last Warrior (2000)
• Legends of the Fall (1994 – Showtime)
• Light Sleeper (1992)
• Meet Wally Sparks (1997)
• A Midsummer Night Sex Comedy (1982)
• The Missing (2003)

Mississippi Burning

• Mississippi Burning (1988)
• Moonstruck (1987)
• Mr. Wrong (1996)
• One from the Heart (1982)
• One Magic Christmas (1985)
• P2 (2007)
• Penelope (2008)
• The Perfect Score (2004)
• Personal Shopper (2016 – Showtime)
• The Pianist (2002 – Showtime)
• Political Animals (2012)
• The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984)
• Presumed Innocent (1990)
• Primal Fear (1996)
• Proof (2005)
• Puppetmaster: Axis Termination (2017)
• Red Corner (1997)
• Return to Me (2000 – Showtime)
• Robocop (1987)
• Robocop 2 (1990)
• Robocop 3 (1993)
• Rocky (1976)

Rocky II

• Rocky II (1979)
• Rocky III (1982)
• Rocky IV (1985)
• Rocky V (1990)
• S.F.W. (1995)
• Sarafina! (1992)
• Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
• Searching for Sugar Man (2012)
• Serpico (1973)
• Shelby: A Magical Holiday Tail (2014)
• Silence (2016)
• The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
• Smoke Signals (1998 – Showtime)
• Some Kind of Wonderful (1987 – Showtime)
• Space Jam (1996)
• Stealing Harvard (2002)
• Stigmata (1999)

St. Elmo’s Fire

• St. Elmo’s Fire (1985 – Showtime)
• The Three Musketeers (1993)
• The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
• Three Men and a Baby (1987)
• Titanic (1997)
• Total Recall (1990)
• Urban Legend (1998 – Showtime)
• Urban Legend: Final Cut (2000 – Showtime)
• Valkyrie (2008)
• Vertical Limit (2000 – Showtime)
• The Water Horse (2007)
• The Weight of Water (2002)
• While You Were Sleeping (1995 – Showtime)
• Winnie the Pooh, A Valentine for You (1999)
• Without (2011)
• Wristcutters: A Love Story (2007)
• The Yummy Gummy Search for Santa (2012)

DECEMBER 2

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

• Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Season 5 Premiere; ABC)
• Assassination Tango (2003 – Showtime)
• Office Christmas Party (2016 – Showtime)

DECEMBER 3

• Osama (2003 – Showtime)

Cop Land

• Cop Land (1997)
• Sweet Home Alabama (2002)
• The Rules of Attraction (2002)

DECEMBER 4

• Frontera (2014)
• Superbad (2007)

DECEMBER 5

The Great Christmas Light Fight

• The Great Christmas Light Fight (Season 5 Premiere; ABC)
• Iron Protector (2016)

DECEMBER 6

• Shut Eye (Season 2 Premiere; Hulu Original)
• Killers (2015)

DECEMBER 8

• Defining Moments (Season 1 Premiere; ESL)

The Great American Baking Show

• The Great American Baking Show (Season 3 Premiere; ABC)
• Legion (Complete Season 1; FX)
• Crank: High Voltage (2009)
• Legion of Brothers (2017)

DECEMBER 9

• Dave Made a Maze (2017)

DECEMBER 11

• Steven Universe (Complete Season 4; Cartoon Network)

DECEMBER 12

Younger

• Younger (Complete Season 4; TV Land)
• Holiday Fairytale Wedding (Special; Freeform)
• Cupid’s Proxy (2017 – Showtime)
• Foreman (2017)

DECEMBER 13

• Vengeance of an Assassin (2014)

DECEMBER 14

• Bunheads (Complete Season 1; Freeform)

DECEMBER 15

• 40 Days and 40 Nights (2002)
• Assault on Precinct 13 (1976 – Showtime)

The Crow

• The Crow (1994)
• Everest (1998)
• Kate and Leopold (2001)
• The Limehouse Golem (2017)
• Palm Swings (2017 – Showtime)
• The Rendezvous (2016 – Showtime)
• Score (2016)
• Tears of the Sun (2003)

DECEMBER 16

• The Next Step (Complete Season 5B (BBC)

DECEMBER 18

• Graves (Complete Season 1; Epix)
• Made In Chelsea (Complete Seasons 1-13 (E4)
• Mighty Magiswords (Complete Season 1A; Cartoon Network)
• Ragnarok (2013)

DECEMBER 19

• Decorating Disney – Special (Freeform)

DECEMBER 20

• Kim Dotcom: Caught in the Web (2017)

DECEMBER 21

• Lemon (2017)

DECEMBER 22

• Goat (2016)
• Monster Trucks (2017)

DECEMBER 23

Clarence

• Clarence (Complete Season 3; Cartoon Network)
• Banksy Does New York (2014)
• Someone Marry Barry (2014)

DECEMBER 24

• The Detour (Complete Season 2; TBS)

DECEMBER 25

• United Shades of America (Complete Season 2; CNN)
• Downfall (2004 – Showtime)
• The Hollow One (2015)

DECEMBER 28

• Anjelah Johnson: Mahalo & Goodnight (2017)
• It Stains the Sands Red (2016 – Showtime)
• Literally Right before Aaron (2017)

DECEMBER 29

• Gilbert (2017)

Rings

• Rings (2017)

DECEMBER 30

• The Art of the Game: Ukiyo E Heroes (2017)

DECEMBER 31

• Always Watching (2015)
• Anarchy Parlor (2015)
• Osiris Child: SFv1 (2016)
• Pilgrimage (2016)
• Solace (2016)

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye:
Leaving Hulu on December 31

• A View to Kill (1985)
• Across the Great Divide (1976)
• Alice (1990)
• Barbershop (2002)
• Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004)
• Blue Chips (1994)
• Bringing Down the House (2003)
• Clueless (1995)
• Congo (1995)
• Dances with Wolves (1990)
• Delta Farce (2007)
• Die Another Day (2002)
• Election (1999)
• Enemy at the Gates (2001)
• Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
• Fierce People (2007)
• Fools Rush In (1997)
• Fright Night (1985)
• Ghoulies (1984)
• Ghoulies II (1987)
• Grumpier Old Men (1995)
• Grumpy Old Men (1993)
• Little Man (2006)
• Love Finds You in Valentine (2016)
• The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
• Mousehunt (1997)
• Out of Time (2003)
• P2 (2007)
• Pet Sematary (1989)
• Pet Sematary 2 (1992)
• Proof (2005)
• The Quiet American (2002)
• Rent (2005)
• Road House (1989)
• Shopgirl (2005)
• The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
• Swingers (1996)
• This Binary Universe (2012)
• Thunderball (1965)
• Total Recall (1990)
• Under Siege (1992)
• Undisputed (2002)
• Volver (2006)
• Yellowbird (2014)

Where’s My Fortune Cookie?
Written by Phil Proctor and Brad Schreiber
Published by Blurb
ISBN-13: 978-1389705038
Released 9/19/17 / $17.95

I’ve never met Phil Proctor but I’ve spoken with him a few times online in relation to our late mutual friend Kip King. Long before that, I was aware of who he was and would recognize him when I saw him in various movie and TV projects.

During the heyday of his comedy troupe, the Firesign Theater, I had no idea what they were all about.

I had discovered Monty Python like most of us in the US, when they debuted on PBS in the early 1970s. I discovered Python’s influence, The Goon Show, when a local college radio station ran it weekly here in the late ‘70s.

It wouldn’t be until the 21st century, though, before I actually listened to the Firesign Theater, also influenced by the Goons and often described as an “American Monty Python.”

Essential to Phil Proctor’s own story, Where’s My Fortune Cookie?, is, inevitably, the story of the Firesign Theater. In fact, though, there is so much more to his personal journey and, if anything, it’s twice as surreal as anything that group ever offered. I literally had to look up a few things to make sure he was telling the truth and not just up to his old absurdist tricks with his readers!

Turns out Firesign was just a lingering stopover in Phil’s long career as a child actor, a Broadway and off-Broadway performer, part of various club acts, album cover designer, TV character actor, radio show host, comedy writer, and cartoon voice actor—among other things.

But what an influential stopover it was, counting as fans Robin Williams, Chevy Chase, John Goodman, George Carlin, and many others who have gone on to make the world laugh just a little bit more.

The Firesign Theater’s humor is tough to describe with any degree of accuracy, the words “absurdist,” “anarchic,” and “surreal” being probably the best words for them. In a way, their albums—with names like, Don’t Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers and We’re All Bozos On This Bus, are like the underground comix equivalent of old-time radio comedies and dramas.

When I finally listened to them, I realized that even without knowing where they’d come from, I had incorporated some of their catchphrases into my own language, such as “Forward! Into the Past!” While Firesign might work even better whilst chemically enhanced, repeated listenings reward the listener as you start to realize all the audio tricks that have gone into the various LPs. I don’t think I ever laughed actually but I smiled appreciatively a lot at the group’s sheer cleverness, intelligent writing, and originality.

I do much the same with this book. As with anyone, Phil’s trip to now hasn’t been all sweetness and light. In fact, the book opens with a downright scary (but verified real) incident where he and sometime comedy partner Peter Bergman end up nearly being killed in a restaurant by the Chinese mafia!

In an odd way, Phil Proctor’s story, at least from time to time, is also the late Peter Bergman’s story. Bergman was a bit more out there than Phil—politically, societally, humorously—but the two played off each other perfectly, so much so that when the Firesign Theater was inactive for long periods at a time, Proctor and Bergman would often tour or do TV specials or movies like the great J-Men Forever (made from redubbing old movie serials) or the fun misfire, Americathon.

The early chapters here are my favorite, with Phil acknowledging over and over his personal influences throughout his nearly lifelong career in show business, even as he has to put up with bullies and false hope and disappointments as he never quite makes a complete success in spite of many opportunities.

Peter pops in and out after Phil becomes an adult, and the two become fast friends and creative partners in spite of Peter’s sometimes selfishness. The Firesign Theater—so named because all four members were astrological fire signs—sprung from that friendship.

The book’s title, Where’s My Fortune Cookie?, is a clear reference to the Chinese restaurant incident but after a life of bizarre adventures on record, on radio, on stage and in the real world, that title comes around again, surreally, at the end of the book, thanks to the by then late Mr. Bergman.

In spite of his warts and all telling of the drugs, the orgies, and the struggles and fighting on both sides of the metaphorical footlights, Phil Proctor comes across as he always has—a genial, clever, nice, amusing man who can tell one heck of a story and really make you care about the characters you meet along the way.

If you’re a fan of Firesign Theater or Proctor and Bergman, it’s a must. If you have no idea who any of these people are, it’s probably past time you learned who influenced so much of today’s comedy.

Booksteve recommends!

Gregory Suicide is available in comic stores now and will be released everywhere on December 5 via Dark Horse Books. The hardcover graphic novel is written by Eric Grissom (Deadhorse) with art by Will Perkins (Beware… Comics).

Produced by James Franco, Vince Jolivette,
Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver
Screenplay by Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber
Based on The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside
The Room, the Greatest Bad Film Ever Made
by Greg Sestero, Tom Bissell
Directed by James Franco
Starring James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogen,
Alison Brie, Ari Graynor, Josh Hutcherson,
Jacki Weaver, Zac Efron, Hannibal Buress

Anyone who has ever witnessed The Room – which by many has deservedly been called the best worst movie ever made – can attest to how the weirdness of the film does not merely boil down to incompetent filmmaking, but also to its paradoxically significant amount of entertainment value, the presence of which is as enigmatic as the film’s mastermind Tommy Wiseau.

Very few definitive details are known about Wiseau, which makes for meeting the man in person as odd an experience as witnessing his work.

With the cult following the film has gained, the opportunity to meet Wiseau and his friend and co-star Greg Sestero presents itself rather often, as they continue to travel the world to meet and greet fans at midnight screenings where laughter, heckling and plastic spoons fill the air. As such, it was therefore understandable that Sestero eventually decided to write about his experiences with Wiseau, The Room and the madness that ensued. The result was the insightful and entertaining The Disaster Artist, which was eventually picked up by James Franco to adapt for the big screen, and here we are!

With the seemingly endless number of projects he is constantly involved in, James Franco has a very prolific career to say the least. Never settling for just one genre or archetype, the wide variety of characters he has portrayed is impressive, and while not all of the films he has been involved with have been critically acclaimed successes, the elder Franco brother has proven time and time again that he is one of the most remarkable talents of his generation. Comparatively, while younger brother Dave Franco has yet to become a household name, he has still managed to build a solid career without riding the coattails of his brother.

Some probably still suspect that Dave Franco has been given a lead role in his brother’s latest directorial project as a family favor, but his performance quickly puts such misconceptions to shame. Not only does he sell the character of Greg as a naïve, young man who makes some hilariously questionable choices, he also manages to maintain the likable and relatable qualities necessary to enable the audience to invest in the character. His performance also helps to further ground James Franco’s portrayal of Tommy, which is already a supremely balanced performance in its own right; considering the eccentric essence that saturates Tommy’s existence, portraying him as an absurd caricature to ridicule him would be all too easy. Fortunately, the Tommy that James Franco presents the viewer with perfectly conveys an utterly strange individual without losing any of his humanity, ensuring that anyone who has experienced Tommy in any capacity can buy into the illusion Franco’s performance is selling, all the while also enabling them to invest in Tommy’s dreams and feelings on a more general, human level.

The narrative structure further emphasizes the human themes of The Disaster Artist, again avoiding becoming a cheap mockery of the shortcomings of two people who may be lacking in talent, but are brimming with ambition. As such, the film is therefore a heartfelt and humorous story about friendship rather than a parody of a disastrous film production, which brought its main men a different kind of fame than they had originally hoped.

The setting of the more modest side of late 1990s and early 2000s San Francisco and Los Angeles is a somewhat stark, but realistic contrast to the glitz and glamour Tommy and Greg are seeking. Here, their relationship and their struggles are allowed to build and intensify at a satisfying pace that keeps the viewer engaged from start to finish. Once we get down to the shooting of The Room, everything is meticulously recreated, all the way down to the terrible lighting utilized on the set of Tommy’s disasterpiece. The amount of time allocated to the recreation of what happened on the set of The Room ensures that this part of the film is a genuinely comical centerpiece that neither outstays its welcome nor outshines the rest of the story.

With a truly remarkable central performance from James Franco and copious amounts of heart and wit, The Disaster Artist is a sincere combination of comedy and drama that serves to tell the story of the absurd trials and tribulations of the creators of the best worst movie of all time. Thanks to the tremendous amount of warmth and humanity, The Disaster Artist is as a result endearing without being sentimental and hilarious without being cruel, making James Franco very worthy of the awards he has already started raking in for this one.

Verdict: 10 out of 10.

In Game of Thrones Season 7, Daenerys Targaryen has finally set sail for Westeros with her armies, dragons and new Hand of the Queen, Tyrion Lannister. Jon Snow has been named King in the North after defeating Ramsay Bolton in the Battle of the Bastards and returning Winterfell to House Stark. In King’s Landing, Cersei Lannister has seized the Iron Throne by incinerating the High Sparrow, his followers and her rivals in the Sept of Baelor. But as old alliances fracture and new ones emerge, an army of dead men marches on the Wall, threatening to end the game of thrones forever.

Based on the popular book series “A Song of Ice and Fire,” by George R.R. Martin, the seventh season of this hit Emmy-winning fantasy features returning series regulars Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), Emmy and Golden Globe winner Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister), Aidan Gillen (Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish), Kit Harington (Jon Snow), Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister), Diana Rigg (Lady Olenna Tyrell), Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) and Maisie Williams (Arya Stark).

And we’re giving away a copy!

To enter, send an email with the subject header “GOT 7” to geekcontest @ gmail dot com and answer the following question:

How many episodes were a part of the seventh season?

Please include your name, and address (U.S. 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 December 17th, 2017.

With less than two weeks away from the release of The Last Jedi, aka Episode VIII, details are still rumor and unconfirmed.

Here are several things we do know.

Luke Skywalker is the Last Jedi

Once the title of the film was announced, there has been speculation as to who the actual Last Jedi is.  Is it Rey?  Is it Leia?

Umm..it’s Luke.  You know how I know?

They told us in the opening scroll of The Force Awakens.

Rian Johnson Might Be The Chosen One

The Star Wars Saga has had it’s share of behind the scenes drama.  With both of the spin-off films, Rogue One and the upcoming Solo, there have been creative conflicts that have showed that both Lucasfilm and producer Kathleen Kennedy aren’t taking many risks with the extremely valuable IP.  The Han Solo prequel not only parted ways with it’s directors, but also brought in Ron Howard to take over the film, recast at least one actor, reshooting their material.

But it’s Johnson, who wrote and directed The Last Jedi who might be the franchise’s big winner.  After parting ways with the originally announced Episode IX director Colin Trevorrow, Johnson was rumored to take over before The Force Awakens helmer J.J. Abrams was announced as returning to the franchise.

Rian Johnson on set with Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) / Image via Lucasfilm

Where does that leave Johnson?   On November 9^th, StarWars.com revealed he’s sticking around with an unprecedented opportunity.

Lucasfilm is excited to announce that Johnson will create a brand-new Star Wars trilogy, the first of which he is also set to write and direct, with longtime collaborator Ram Bergman onboard to produce.

As writer-director of The Last Jedi, Johnson conceived and realized a powerful film of which Lucasfilm and Disney are immensely proud. In shepherding this new trilogy, which is separate from the episodic Skywalker saga, Johnson will introduce new characters from a corner of the galaxy that Star Wars lore has never before explored.

“We all loved working with Rian on The Last Jedi,” said Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm. “He’s a creative force, and watching him craft The Last Jedi from start to finish was one of the great joys of my career. Rian will do amazing things with the blank canvas of this new trilogy.”

“We had the time of our lives collaborating with Lucasfilm and Disney on The Last Jedi,” Johnson and Bergman said in a joint statement. “Star Wars is the greatest modern mythology and we feel very lucky to have contributed to it. We can’t wait to continue with this new series of films.”

The Last Jedi is going to make money. Lots of money.

Although the release of Rogue One brought in a healthy $155 million on it’s opening weekend, it certainly was a clear indicator of the power of the actual Episodes.  A year before, The Force Awakens had a worldwide opening weekend of $529, but it also had the benefit of cast members from the original trilogy as well as the curiosity factor for the new trilogy.

In comparison, Rogue One, was simply a story that not only filled a gap, but characters that were never going to be more than a footnote in the Star Wars mythology.

The Last Jedi, is expected to rake in about $555 million on opening weekend alone and easily exceed $1 billion when it’s all said and done.

Not only resolving the previous films’ cliffhanger ending, The Last Jedi also has a curiosity factor built in with the passing of Carrie Fisher, which is sure to elevate the box office (a similar incident happened with Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker in The Dark Knight, which was released shortly after his death.  Batman Begins’ opening weekend was $48 million vs. The Dark Knights’ $158 million).

Ultimately, all that matters is that it’s fun.

So, on December 15^th, sit down with a popcorn and a soda in a darkened theater and embrace your inner child as the words ‘A long time ago in a galaxy far far away…” unfold on the screen.

In 2015, acclaimed illustrator Andrew DeGraff wowed readers with his intricately illustrated maps of famous novels, which were published in his book Plotted: A Literary Atlas.

Now, DeGraff continues his art form in Cinemaps: An Atlas of 35 Great Movies, a collection of amazingly detailed hand-painted maps showing the plot pathways in some of the most magical movies in cinematic history. Each map is accompanied by an insightful essay written by author and film critic A. D. Jameson, allowing movie fans to appreciate their favorite films from a fresh perspective.

Cinemaps features classic films like King Kong (1933) and North by Northwest (1959), fan favorites such as Back to the Future (1985) and Star Wars (1977), and cult classics like Pulp Fiction (1994) and Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), as well as more recent blockbusters like Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).

Each of DeGraff’s maps contains a color-coded key, so you can follow characters on their journeys through Mordor, the Overlook Hotel, the Death Star, and beyond. Iconic scenes, like the duel between Westley and Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride (1987), are enlarged for closer inspection.

DeGraff took some time to discuss the genesis of the book, it’s challenges and his influences.

* * * * *

FOG!: Congratulations on Cinemaps!  It’s really a fantastic book.  Previously, you authored Plotted.  What was the genesis of creating pop culture maps?

Andrew DeGraff: Thank you! The genesis is a bit “Chicken Before the Egg”-y. The pop culture maps were actually a big part of the inspiration for Plotted. The movie maps actually started in 2010, and I began work on Plotted in 2014.

Prior to beginning the series of movie map paintings for gallery shows I was doing maps for travel features for my day job working as a professional illustrator. Making tiny landscapes full of buildings, bridges, mountains, boats, and trains – it’s kind of intoxicating. It’s like playing with toys again and after playing for magazines, I want to make something for me. Seven years and a few thousand mostly joyful hours later, that little impulse became Cinemaps.

What I find unique is that your maps not only utilize a specific location, but you also log the various characters’ journeys as well.  What challenges did you encounter when designing the book?

Part of the problem was that these were created initially only to be seen in a gallery setting, so the scale was tough. A big painting is great in person, but tricky when you have to shrink it down to fit on the page. I think Andie Reid, the book’s designer, did a fantastic job of mixing the initial full image with fun cutouts and details.

One of the challenges of creating each film is that a great film almost has one element that’s either invisible (Predator) or non-linear like time travel. So along with just trying to show where everyone goes and what they do, there’s almost always some sort of specifically tricky element whether it’s beaming in Star Trek, or Dorothy’s tornado ride to Oz: it’s going to require a little special treatment.

Cinemaps Star Trek 2009

The most difficult thing by far is interiors. Cutaways of multi-level sets, often in chase scenes or important vignettes are dastardly. Especially when you have to get multiple characters in and out, sometimes twice. . . It can feel like trying to build a doghouse for an elephant. Either you shrink the elephant (which isn’t really an option), or expand the doghouse – in which case it not really a doghouse anymore, it’s a garage. So you make it JUST big enough to fit, and hope it still look the way it’s supposed to.

The book also includes essays from A.D. Jameson which discuss the geographies of each film.  How did you wind up working together?

Initially the book was attached with a different writer – the great Martin Seay (read The Mirror Thief!) who had to drop out due to a conflict with his publisher. I was heartbroken. We were at a bit of a loss as to how to replace him, and now running out of time. Martin graciously gave us a list of some colleagues who might serve the book well. One of those names was A.D. Jameson.

Jason Rekulak (Quirk Publisher extraordinaire) and I read some of his work and we were pretty blown away. He analyzes film like a double agent – he’s both observer and the observed. He’s immersed in the film, but self-aware of the immersion. There’s a passion that I thought would work well, and I was over the moon when he signed on. He’s an artistic, literary mad-scientist – which is perfect for a book that’s an art project about movies.

The book is a must have for any cinegeek, as it’s a book about not just movies, but the history of cinema.  How did you determine which films to include.

I had already created about half of the collection: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future – so it was really about how to round out the collection to encapsulate popular cinema, built around that Lucas-ian/Spielberg-ian core. I thought a great starting point was Metropolis, which has been perhaps one of the influential movies ever, popping up everywhere from Citizen Kane, to Queen videos, to C-3PO to Beyoncé. Same for the other earlier films – you can’t talk about Jurassic Park without mentioning King Kong.

Cinemaps Jurassic Park

Some of the toughest decisions were which films of the 90’s to include: which Coen Bros? Which Tarantino? Clueless or Friday? Clerks? There were a few exceptionally funny, nerdy, boisterous conference calls about the film list. There are some gems on the cutting room floor and heartbreaking omissions, but so it goes. I think we did pretty well, and there’s plenty left for a sequel!

Who or what are the biggest influences on your work?

Japanese prints have had a lasting influence over the years: Hokusai, Hiroshige, and Chikanobu just to name a few. Plus Jack Kirby, R. Crumb, Barry McGee, Ben Shahn, Paul Klee, Saul Bass, Chris Ware – there’s so many. I’ve also always loved instruction manuals, exploded view drawings, and anything miniature: models, dioramas, matchbox cars, and of course illustrated maps and infographics. My Star Wars maps in particular owe a serious debt to the late great Massimo Vignelli, designer of the famed NYC Subway map.

What else do you have coming up?  Is there another map book in the works?  

I’ve recently has a show with the wonderful folks at Gallery1988 in LA, which had almost all the new work I created for the book, and some color variant prints of some old favorites.

Right now I suppose I’m enjoying a break from mapping? Well sort of. I have a Force Awakens map on my table. But besides that, I’m planning on getting back into editorial illustration for a few months. I’ve missed the immediacy of the deadlines, and the “you never know what you’re going to deal with next/fly by the seat of you pants” joy of illustration. The maps are very fun, but incredibly time consuming.

That being said, after a few months – the next book or map show may be taking shape. I still have a black piece of paper that shall become a TRON map, and another grey one for Die Hard, and a blue toned one for Aliens . . .

What are you currently geeking out over?

I just did my semi-annual watching of all the Marvel Films – The Infinity Gauntlet was a big deal when I was a wee fanboy, and it’s been ever so nerdily special to watch the story develop. I know much of the world is sick of super-hero movies, but I’m a Marvel guy, and I dig it.

I just finally got around to reading Jillian and Mariko Tamaki’s This One Summer– and it exceeded my highest expectations, as Jillian Tamaki’s work generally does.

I actually do a lot of Sci-fi audiobooks while I work. I’ve really enjoyed Peter F. Hamilton’s Commonwealth Saga, Sanderson’s Mistborn Trilogy, Bujold’s Vorkosigan Saga, Banks’ Culture Series, and Robinson’s Mars Trilogy and his follow ups.

Music – lots of old soul and R&B records and compilations – what can I say? I think music used to be better . . . but maybe I’m just getting old.

Cinemaps: An Atlas of 35 Great Movies is available now from Quirk Books
and should be at the top of any cinegeek’s holiday wish list!

For more details, visit AndrewDeGraff.com and follow him @drewpatroopa17

Based on the EC Comics series, Tales From The Crypt was a monster success for not only HBO in 1989, but for the idea of cable television being taken seriously as a medium. When Tales From The Crypt appeared on the scene the anthology series was all but dead and Crypt reinvigorated it. Smart stories with flashy casts and big name directors showed the audience that horror can be both entertaining and fun simultaneously.

This time we are not looking at Tales From The Crypt, but the long forgotten spin-off series Perversions Of Science, Crypt’s science fiction themed counterpart.  But to look at Perversions Of Science, we must first delve into the history of Crypt.

Crypt won many awards and was an audience favorite, deservedly so. Until it’s final season Crypt was a high quality series that earned the ratings and accolades which give viewers fond memories of the series. That final season though was rough. To save money production was moved from America to the U.K. and the bulk of the guest cast were British actors largely unfamiliar to American audiences.

Officially this was done to “Bring new faces and talent to the viewer” but it was really all financial as season 6 was starting to bleed viewership off and HBO was attempting to reduce costs while still making enough episodes to syndicate down the line (for syndication you need 100 episodes).

After season 7 HBO still saw some life in the “franchise” though and attempted a Science Fiction version of Crypt in Perversions Of Science. Originally titled Weird Science (the name of the Science Fiction EC comic book that was a companion piece to the Tales From The Crypt comic) it was altered to Perversions Of Science to avoid confusion with the John Hughes movie of the same name.

Perversions Of Science featured the same producers as Crypt (Richard Donner, David Giler, Walter Hill, Joel Silver and Robert Zemeckis) and much of the same crew not to mention shooting in Los Angles again. This was a high end production with a large per episode budget rivaling that of only Amazing Stories back in the 1980’s. This caliber of production attracted large names to it the same as Crypt had years prior. All in all it was formatted the exact same, simply genre flipped.

Yancy Butler, Keith Carradine, Jeffrey Combs, Heather Langenkamp, Jason Lee, Kevin Pollak, Jeff Fahey, Jamie Kennedy, Ron Perlman, Kathleen Wilhoite, Sean Astin, David Leisure, Laraine Newman, Adam Arkin, Elizabeth Berkley, Edie McClurg, William Shatner, Wil Wheaton, Paul Williams, Harvey Korman, Peter Jason, Chris Sarandon, David Warner, Lin Shaye and even Joey freaking Buttafuoco would all appear in front of the camera. Behind the camera directors such as Russell Mulcahy, Sean Astin, Walter Hill, Tobe Hooper, William Malone and William Shatner. Aided in this task by writers such as Peter Atkins, David Goyer, David J. Schow, Mark Verheiden and Andrew Kevin Walker it was easy to bring forth unique takes on classic EC comics tales of science run amok and like Crypt, all of the episodes have some kind of twist ending

Since this was an official Tales From The Crypt spin off and with the Cryptkeeper being a pop cultural icon at this point Perversions Of Science needed a host to rival him… and they did not succeed. Here we have Chrome, a very late 1990’s CGI construct of a “sexy” robot woman for a host.

Voiced by Grease 2‘s Maureen Teefy, Chrome would lead the viewer into the episode via opening her boob and the camera zooming in.

Needless to say Perversions Of Science was not high minded in terms of who it wanted for an audience as this series would amp up the sex and debauchery far more than Crypt did. This could be seen as simply adapting to the new world of pay cable television which was becoming more and more graphic, but really it was a move that reeked of desperation. Many episodes featured naked women when they served no purpose in the story.

Hell, the building Chrome lives in has knocked out windows that spell “SEX” and even the logo has a half circle in the shape of a boob with a hard nipple. Subtle this was not.

William Shatner in “Boxed In”

Despite the talent behind and in front of the camera Perversions Of Science did not fare as well with critics nor audiences. In fact, it was almost ignored at the time it came out in 1997.

Very little coverage in magazines and even HBO failed to promote it very well.

Lasting only ten episodes, the series flew under the radar to the point many people today are shocked to find out that an expensive Tales From The Crypt spin-off even existed. More people know about the thoroughly awful children’s cartoon Tales From The Cryptkeeper than are aware about Perversions Of Science.

All of that said it would be wrong to write off the series outright as there are many fantastic episodes.

Tobe Hooper’s “Panic” and William Malone’s “The Exile” are standouts, and in fact of the ten episodes I can only name two that I feel were genuinely bad television. The rest such as Shatner’s “Boxed In” are fun, but forgettable.

Others, such as “Given The Heir” are good ideas that for whatever reason just weren’t executed well.

One thing that may have doomed Perversions Of Science more than any other factor was it’s tone. In Tales From The Crypt outside of the odd episode here and there you knew it was a horror series at it’s core… with Perversions Of Science there was no consistent tone whatsoever.

One episode would be hard sci-fi meant to make you think and ponder the piece, then the following next week a slapstick comedy episode followed by an action adventure tale set 400 years in the future.

A series, even an anthology series, needs to set a tone and Perversions did not do this. Do not mistake tone for variety though as a variety in storytelling is a positive but there must be a tone. You can not expect an audience to not know each week what KIND of show they are watching. The Outer Limits in 1963 told a massive diversity of tales but you always knew what the show would FEEL like. Perversions Of Science failed in this regard.

The 10 episodes are not on DVD and HBO seems to have zero interest in releasing them. They can be found fairly easily on YouTube though so I suggest seeking the show out.

Illumination, the studio that brought you Sing, The Secret Life of Pets and the Despicable Me franchise, continues the adventures of Gru and his family in Despicable Me 3. After he is fired from the Anti-Villain League for failing to take down Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker, “South Park,” Team America: World Police), the latest evil mastermind to threaten humanity, Gru finds himself in the midst of a major identity crisis. But when a mysterious stranger shows up to inform Gru that he has a long-lost twin brother — a brother who desperately wishes to follow in his twin’s despicable footsteps — the former super-villain rediscovers just how good it feels to be bad.

And we’re giving away three copies!

To enter, send an email with the subject header “DESPICABLE 3” to geekcontest @ gmail dot com and answer the following question:

How many feature films has Steve Carrell portrayed Gru?

Please include your name, and address (U.S. 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 December 17th, 2017.

Winemaker Lot18, in collaboration with Universal Brand Development and the legendary, Emmy® Award-winning NBC series Saturday Night Live, has unveiled a wine collection that celebrates the long-running show and some of its most entertaining characters. The limited edition collection features four hand-crafted blends and uniquely designed labels to honor the essence of Saturday Night Live, which is currently in its 43rd season. Perfect for any fan of the show or wine lover, the collection is now available for pre-order.

With a limited number of each specially-created bottle available, these delicious wines are available exclusively at Lot18.com/SaturdayNightLive while supplies last. The individually selected wines, carefully crafted by the team at Lot18, capture the essence of the show itself as well as the popular characters Stefon, Debbie Downer and The Californians.

The new Saturday Night Live wine collection consists of the following:

2016 Saturday Night Live California Red Blend

Bold and dense, this wine is a blend of 73% Merlot, 18% Zinfandel and 9% Petite Sirah. A portion of it was aged in used Bourbon barrels to impart an oaky flavor and enhance its crowd-pleasing style. On the palate, the wine shows black cherry, black plum, vanilla, dried herbs, oak flavors along with firm, chewy tannins. Enjoy this uncompromising red with a big, juicy steak.

2016 Stefon Beaujolais

This easy-going, medium-bodied Beaujolais shows off quintessential characteristics of the variety, featuring juicy, exuberant red fruit flavors of cherry and cranberry alongside savory notes of violet and black pepper. Enjoy this jubilant red on its own, or take advantage of its versatility and pair it with anything from poultry to pork to salmon.

2016 Debbie Downer South Eastern Australia Chardonnay

Rich and creamy, this Australian Chardonnay starts off with enticing aromas of toasted oak and nuts. On the palate, the wine bursts with citrus and orchard fruit, the flavors focused by a balancing vein of acidity. This is a delightful wine to sip on its own, but it would also make a wonderful foil for creamy, lemon-accented dishes such as seafood risotto.

2015 The Californians Monterey County Merlot

The grapes for this exquisite Merlot were sourced from sustainable vineyards and grown in mineral-rich soils, which produce plush yet structured wines. Concentrated and ripe, with flavors of black cherry, plum and roasted coffee bean, this is a rich and more full-flavored example of Merlot, to be savored with braised or grilled red meats.

Get ready to binge-watch a world of magic and witchcraft as THE CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA, the previously announced new one-hour dark drama/horror project in development from RIVERDALE Showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, and based on the classic Archie Comics character, is now heading to Netflix!

The new show, written by Archie Comics Chief Creative Officer and RIVERDALE Showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, will be directed by Lee Toland Krieger, and produced by Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Brothers Studios. Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schecter, Jon Goldwater, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Lee Toland Krieger serve as executive producers.

SABRINA will draw from the critically acclaimed CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA comic book series from Archie Comics written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and artist Robert Hack, detailing the compelling and shocking re-imagining of Sabrina the Teenage Witch’s occult origins. This dark coming-of-age story deals with horror, the occult, and witchcraft and will see Sabrina struggle to reconcile her dual nature of being half-witch and half-mortal while protecting her family and the world from the forces of evil.

Stay up to date on the latest ‘CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA’ and ‘RIVERDALE’ news by visiting the official Archie Comics website and following us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Giant Flick LLC., has announced that writer/director and actor Shahin Sean Solimon who is best known for helming and starring in the title Sinbad: The Fifth Voyage (2014) is currently in production on the Sci-Fi/Horror title Alpha: The Awakening.

The project promises to be a dramatic, character-driven ride about a man (Apollo) waking up as the last human on Earth. The project has many hidden metaphors and “easter eggs,” along with practical effects, CGI/VFX, action, and aliens called “Octaliens” in this mind-bending movie. It is also being filmed with state-of-the-art technology and will be a full 4K HD movie.

“I was a big fan of Rod Serling growing up. In fact, I would find myself cutting class to stay home and watch The Twilight Zone or The Outer Limits TV shows on channel 5 in Los Angeles,” said Solimon.

According to Solimon, the driving force behind Alpha: The Awakening is its originality and idea.

“I loved the storytelling, substance, and characters in classic Sci-Fi TV which would drive the plot, all wrapped in a supernatural or sci-fi setting, so I wrote this as an original story with that philosophy in mind. I hope it will resonate with the fans,” remarked Solimon.

Alpha: The Awakening is set for a 2018 release.

Illustration by Andrew Robinson

When it was announced that Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron director Joss Whedon would be taking over Justice League from Zack Snyder it sent shockwaves throughout Geekdom. The defection of Whedon from Marvel Studios to DC represents one of those major movie cross-pollinations that rarely occur (though it’s going to happen again, and soon: despite recent rumblings to the contrary, as of this writing Whedon is still on board for a full-on movie adaptation of DC’s Batgirl next).

Usually this sort of movie cross-pollination happens on the level of supporting actors. There are galleries of prolific supporting performers whose names may not be as recognizable as their familiar faces and voices, but if you pay close enough attention, you’ll spot them as they pop up in just about every popular movie series of our time: from James Bond and the Pink Panther series to Star Wars and Indiana Jones; from Die Hard and The Matrix to Superman and X-Men; from Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings to Star Trek and Mission: Impossible.

Since the young days when I began to track the names of actors and directors and composers and so forth, I have always taken note of the frequent commingling between franchises, with performers and creative crew members alike often working together on multiple similar but competing productions. Movie geeks love to ponder over the cinematic links created by artists who participate in multiple franchises, but what’s going on over at DC and Marvel has taken movie cross-pollination to a whole new level.

As we float the following DC and Marvel movies, and to widen the playing field and keep it level, there shall be no inherent distinction between DC and Marvel pictures as to whether they are stand-alone movies or whether they are officially part of their respective “official movie universes.” We’ll mention it when appropriate, of course, but inclusion within either official “movie universe” is not a prerequisite.

In no particular order, here’s a rundown of the most prominent actors to pop up in multiple unrelated roles in Marvel and DC movies.

J.K. Simmons

MV: Daily Bugle Editor J. Jonah Jameson in the Spider-Man trilogy (2002–2007)
DC: Commissioner Gordon in Justice League (2017)

I didn’t expect Simmons’ take on Gotham City’s most stalwart man in blue to be as funny or flashy as his loud-mouthed newspaper editor in Spider-Man, but if publicity photos of the Oscar-winning actor pumping serious iron in preparations for Justice League role are any indication, his Commissioner Gordon definitely isn’t someone to be trifled with. Maybe we’ll get to see some of that in future DC movies.

Zachary Levi

MV: Fandral, one of The Warriors Three in Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
DC: Captain Marvel, er, “Shazam,” in Shazam! (2019)

If you blinked, you may not have noticed the small part of Asgardian Fandral in 2011’s Thor was recast with Levi for the 2013 sequel. He shows up again in Thor: Ragnarok but barely registers amid the new movie’s glorious rainbow-hued glitterstorm. Future Thor movie cameos are not out of the question, but Levi will get prime face time in DC’s upcoming film adaptation of Shazam!—officially with exclamation point—in which he’ll portray Captain Marvel, the adult superhero who is conjured when young Billy Batson shouts out the magical acronym “S.H.A.Z.A.M.” The Byzantine legalities concerning conflicting authorship and ownership of the character “Captain Marvel” would make for a compelling behind-the-scenes drama in its own right, so I can’t wait to witness the confusion of the less-nerdy masses when Marvel’s female-superhero Captain Marvel movie and DC’s Captain Marvel movie Shazam! exist within the same pop-cultural landscape.

Josh Brolin

DC: Jonah Hex in Jonah Hex (2010)
MV: Big intergalactic bad guy Thanos in The Avengers, et al. (2014–?); Cable in Deadpool 2 (2018)

Thanos has been teased as a future MCU threat since 2012, but that’s not Brolin we see beneath the purple CGI the first time we glimpse the villain at the end of The Avengers. Brolin didn’t officially take over the role until his cameo in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy followed by another stinger in 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. He’ll loom large over 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War. But there’s more: Brolin will face off against Ryan Reynolds as Cable in Deadpool 2, and while it’s highly unusual for an actor to do such prominent double duty within the same studio, it’s not unprecedented (see also Chris Evans for Marvel).

The logic is, technically, only one of Brolin’s (and Evans’) two Marvel roles exists within the officially branded “universe” so they could never conceivably bump into each other. Thinking about this too long will make you go cross-eyed, but anything to diminish the stigma of Jonah Hex would be a good thing as far as Brolin is concerned.

Chris Evans

MV: Human Torch/Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007); Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (2011–2018)

Compared to the dreadful trainwreck that is the new rebooted Fantastic 4, the two campy and clunky FFs from the mid-Aughts seem rather endearing in retrospect. As for Evans’ leading role gig, Cap is all but guaranteed to show up with the rest of the Avengers in Infinity War, but because Avengers 3 is the final film in Evan’s initial seven-picture deal, his future participation in the MCU remains up in the air. Evans has not yet jumped camps to make a DC film, but did co-star in DC Comics’ Vertigo brand film, The Losers

Ryan Reynolds

DC: Hal Jordan/Green Lantern in Green Lantern (2010)
MV: Wade Wilson/Deadpool in Deadpool (2016) and Deadpool 2 (2018); not-the-same Wade Wilson/Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

I happen to think Green Lantern is much more worthy than its unkind reputation—there are some evident kinks that future sequels would probably have worked out, and Reynolds is likable enough in the part that I would enjoy seeing him come back for more.

Failing that, he’s got a sweet open-ended gig as Deadpool, even if his first onscreen incarnation of the character in 2009 is so bizarrely divergent from the ribald and gory version that took the world by storm in 2016.

Mark Strong

DC: Bad guy Sinestro in Green Lantern (2011); Rumored to play villainous Dr. Thaddeus Sivana in Shazam! (2019)

If Strong is cast in Shazam! he will be DC’s first double duty warrior. Though he’s yet to dip into the Marvel universe, his comic-book bona fides include the adaptations of Kick-Ass and Kingsman: The Secret Service and its sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle.

Danny Huston

MV: Stryker in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
DC: General Ludendorff in Wonder Woman (2017)

Huston makes for Marvel’s second-best Stryker in the otherwise forgettable X-Men Origins (that’s after Brian Cox as Stryker in 2003’s X2: X-Men United, and surely fandom unanimously agrees with me on this one). His despicable Nazi General Ludendorff spends most of Wonder Woman as the de-facto villain (before the true villain is revealed, that is) and as such he gets to chew up quite a bit of scenery.

Halle Berry

MV: Storm in X-Men, X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Days of Future Past (2000–2014)
DC: Patience Phillips/Catwoman in Catwoman (2004)

As with Josh Brolin mentioned above, Halle Berry is probably very happy to have enough Marvel credits to make us forget about that one particular blunderous DC flick on her resumé (she also co-starred in The Losers with Evans)

Ben Affleck

MV: Matt Murdock/Daredevil in Daredevil (2003)
DC: Bruce Wayne/Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Suicide Squad (2016), Justice League (2017)

The theatrical version of Daredevil is a bit of a mess, but the longer “R”-rated director’s cut is, surprisingly, so much better it’s a crime anyone ever cut it down to a PG-13 in the first place. The popular Netflix series has likely put the kibosh on any direct theatrical sequel to the Affleck version, but that’s just fine by me because Affleck makes for a solid Bruce Wayne/Batman: he’s older, world-weary, and more cynical than any previous movie version of the Caped Crusader.

Michael Keaton

DC: Bruce Wayne/Batman in Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992)
MV: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

The very notion of Best Batman Michael Keaton turning up in any Marvel movie was too good to hope for, so I took initial casting rumors for Spider-Man: Homecoming with a giant grain of salt. When news was confirmed that Keaton would indeed be playing the new film’s villain Vulture, geek brains the world over swelled and splattered with excitement.

A DC movie superhero portraying a Marvel movie bad guy?!

Dangerously cool. Keaton’s dark turn in the new Spidey flick is—pardon the pun—a marvel, with the seasoned star delivering a slow-burn performance full of charisma and menace in equal measure. As is often the case in Spider-Man lore, the antagonist is a tortured genius juggling palpable human demons, and Keaton wisely never slips into any of the rote hamminess that too often neuters superhero movie villains. He’s still the best cinematic Batman and Bruce Wayne, and since—mild spoiler alert—he lives to see Homecoming’s end-credits stinger, we can expect to see his character return in future Marvel movies.

AVAILABLE NOW

The Defiant Ones

Director Allen Hughes (Menace II Society, Dead Presidents) has made an unquestionably bold film about the unlikely but unbreakable bond of trust and friendship between Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, two street-smart men from different worlds who have shaped many of the most exciting and extreme moments in recent pop culture.

Hughes filmed Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre with unfettered access over a three-year period in making The Defiant Ones. The series includes extensive interviews with Dre and Iovine, who speak frankly about their highs and lows as well as interviews with major music icons including: Snoop Dogg, Bruce Springsteen, Gwen Stefani, Bono, David Geffen, Eminem, Nas, Stevie Nicks, Kendrick Lamar, Ice Cube, Jon Landau, Patti Smith, Lady Gaga, Doug Morris, Tom Petty, Trent Reznor, Diddy, Alonzo Williams and will.i.am. The series also features never-before-seen footage from a multitude of recording and writing sessions with Eazy-E, JJ Fad, Stevie Nicks, N.W.A., Tom Petty, The D.O.C., Bruce Springsteen and U2, among others.

Set amid many of the defining societal and cultural events of the past four decades, The Defiant Ones tells the stories of two men from different tough neighborhoods and their improbable partnership and surprising leading roles in a series of transformative events in contemporary culture. This revealing, compelling and often-gritty story takes place in recording studios, in humble homes, in criminal courts and in the highest corridors of corporate power.

Defiance is defined as “daring or bold resistance to authority or to any opposing force.” This unique and inspiring tale shows how decades of defiance and determination helped Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre build a few empires, make a series of American Dreams come true and transform two street kids into global forces to be reckoned with, here and now. The result is a master class in how to work your way up from the bottom to beyond your wildest dreams.

Home Again

Alice (Reese Witherspoon), a recently separated mother of two, finds her life upended when three young, charismatic filmmakers move into her guest house. Alice’s unlikely new family and a budding romance comes to a crashing halt when her ex-husband shows up, suitcase in hand. A story of love, friendship, and the families we create, Home Again is a modern romantic comedy with one very big life lesson: starting over is not for beginners!

Produced by Nancy Meyers, who brought us beloved films including Something’s Gotta Give, The Holiday, and The Intern, Home Again is filled with a talented ensemble cast including Michael Sheen (Midnight in Paris), Lake Bell (What Happens In Vegas), Nat Wolff (The Fault in Our Stars), Pico Alexander (A Most Violent Year), Jon Rudnitsky (“Saturday Night Live”) and Candice Bergen (Miss Congeniality).

Despicable Me 3

Illumination, the studio that brought you Sing, The Secret Life of Pets and the Despicable Me franchise, continues the adventures of Gru and his family in Despicable Me 3. After he is fired from the Anti-Villain League for failing to take down Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker, “South Park,” Team America: World Police), the latest evil mastermind to threaten humanity, Gru finds himself in the midst of a major identity crisis. But when a mysterious stranger shows up to inform Gru that he has a long-lost twin brother — a brother who desperately wishes to follow in his twin’s despicable footsteps — the former super-villain rediscovers just how good it feels to be bad.

Academy Award nominee Steve Carell (Foxcatcher) reprises his hilarious role as reformed criminal mastermind Gru, as well as his newly discovered twin, Dru. The all-star voice cast also features Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids, Despicable Me 2), Miranda Cosgrove (Despicable Me 1 & 2, School of Rock), Steve Coogan (The Secret Life of Pets, Philomena), Jenny Slate (Zootopia, The Secret Life of Pets), Dana Gaier (Despicable Me 1 & 2) and legendary singer and actress Julie Andrews (The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins).

Once Upon a Time

Bai Qian, a goddess and monarch from the Heavenly Realms, is sent to the mortal world to undergo a trial to become a High Goddess. There, she meets Ye Hua, with whom she falls in love and marries. When an old enemy reappears in her life, everything she holds dear is threatened.

Based on the best-selling fantasy novel Three Lives Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms, Once Upon a Time is a story of epic battles, deep passion, and the powerful forces that drive mortals and gods alike toward revenge, loyalty, and eternal love. Co-directed by first-time feature film directors Zhao Xiaoding and Anthony LaMolin, Once Upon a Time stars Liu Yifei (Ip Man 3) and Yang (I Belonged to You).

Detroit

From Kathryn Bigelow, the award-winning director of The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty, comes the gripping story of one of the most terrifying secrets in American history. John Boyega (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) plays a Detroit security guard caught in the crossfire after a late-night police raid sparks a wave of violence that spirals out of control. Detroit features masterful supporting performances by Will Poulter (The Revenant), Algee Smith (Earth to Echo), Jacob Latimore (The Maze Runner), John Krasinski (“The Office”) and Anthony Mackie (Captain America: Civil War).

The Deuce: The Complete First Season

Boasting a fine ensemble cast and executive produced by David Simon, George Pelecanos, Nina K. Noble and James Franco, The Deuce chronicles the rise of the porn industry that began in New York City in 1971-72, driven by the gradual legalization of porn and a politically motivated effort to “clean up” Times Square.

Seizing the chance to cash in on the nascent porn business are a vivid assortment of characters, including: Vincent Martino (James Franco), a bartender with vision and connections; Frankie Martino (Franco again), Vincent’s identical twin, a dangerously freewheeling counterpart to his entrepreneurial brother; Candy (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a self-made, on-the-street sex worker eying a new career in porn filmmaking; pimps C.C. (Gary Carr) and Larry Brown (Gbenga Akinnagbe); young prostitutes Darlene (Dominique Fishback) and Lori (Emily Meade); midtown cop Chris Alston (Lawrence Gilliard, Jr.); newspaper reporter Sandra Washington (Natalie Paul); mob capo Rudy Pipilo (Michael Rispoli); disillusioned college student Abby Parker (Margarita Levieva); and others.

Available December 5th

Stronger

Inspired by the true story, Stronger stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Jeff Bauman, a working-class Bostonian who was at the 2013 marathon when the bomb blast occurred and he tragically lost both of his legs. After regaining consciousness Jeff was able to help law enforcement identify one of the bombers, but his own battle had just begun. Jeff’s deeply personal journey tests a family’s bond and defines a community’s pride as he overcomes adversity to become the living embodiment of “Boston Strong.”

Based on the New York Times best-selling memoir by Jeff Bauman and Bret Witter, Stronger celebrates Bauman’s unrelenting courage against unimaginable odds. Directed by David Gordon Green (Our Brand Is Crisis) and written for the screen by John Pollono (“This Is Us”), Stronger also stars Tatiana Maslany (“Orphan Black”), Miranda Richardson (Tom & Viv) and Clancy Brown (The Shawshank Redemption).

Boston

Narrated by Matt Damon, Boston chronicles the story of the iconic race from its humble 15-runner origins to the present day. In addition to highlighting the event as the oldest annually contested marathon in the world, the film showcases many of the most important moments in the race’s century-plus history, including the tragic events of 2013 and the preparations for – and eventual running of – the 118th Boston Marathon one year later, when runners and community gathered together once more for what would be the most meaningful race of all.

Available December 11th

Vice Principals: Season 2

Created by McBride and Jody Hill (co-creators of HBO’s Eastbound & Down), this “comedic achievement” (Vulture) tells the story of a southern suburban high school and the two people who conspire to run it, the vice principals. McBride and Goggins star as Neal Gamby and Lee Russell, a pair of ambitious administrators waged in an epic power struggle to become school principal. As the tumultuous school year at North Jackson High continues and new semesters bring big changes, Gamby and Russell learn that the only thing harder than gaining power is holding on to it.

American reporter Nicole (Sophie Cookson, The Kingsman) travels to investigate the possible murder of Sister Marinescu, sadistically crucified by a priest to vanquish a demon. As Nicole uncovers the weird tales behind this horrific incident, disturbing events reveal that the demon is still lurking nearby, seeking a new human host.

And we’re giving away two copies!

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

How many feature films has Steve Carrell portrayed Gru?

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

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

Director Xavier Gens previously directed this film based on the hit videogame?

Contest ends at 11:59 PM EST on December 17th, 2017.

Goldie Vance Volume 1
Goldie Vance Volume 2
Written by Hope Larsen
Illustrated by Brittney Williams
Colored by Sarah Stern 
V. 1 ISBN: 978-1608868988
V. 2 ISBN: 978-1608869749
Published by BOOM! Box
V.1 Released 10/11/16 / $9.99
V.2 Released 5/9/17 / $14.99

I’ve never been all that big on surprises but every once in a while one comes along out of the blue and quickly and thoroughly wins me over.

Such is the case with Ms. Goldie Vance.

Until now, I had never heard of Goldie Vance nor of Hope Larson, Brittney Williams or Sarah Stern, the trio who crafted her first two adventures here, collected from what were, according to the Grand Comics Database, a dozen comic book issues from BOOM! Studios in 2016…which I had also never seen nor heard of before.

Thus my big surprise that as I type this, Goldie Vance is now my new favorite character!

Her stories seem to be aimed at a younger readership, the level that many bookstores label “Intermediate.” It’s no secret that in the past 20 years or so, it’s those tween and teen novels that are some of the best-written books out there. Many are far better reads than the often cookie cutter thrillers and romances that monopolize the so-called “adult” bestseller lists.

But then there have always been excellently written children’s books that can be enjoyed by adults. Remember Eloise by Kay Thompson (no relation) and Hillary Knight from the 1950s? That was the one about the little girl who lived in a hotel and had adventures there.

Well, that’s Goldie Vance…sort of. At 16, she’s a little older but she’s a young girl whose father manages a Florida resort hotel where she’s been raised her entire life. She works parking cars but her dream is to one day soon become the hotel detective. Toward that end, she has made herself the unofficial sidekick to Walter, the man whose job she covets.

She knows everyone working at the hotel and nearby and she knows which ones would be likely to have picked up info on any case she might be working on, with or without Walter.

The stories are set in the early 1960s, as per a calendar in Walter’s office in Volume One and a footnote about 1963 M.I.T. tuition in Volume 2. This allows for Soviet spies in the background of the first one and astronauts playing a major role in the second. Otherwise, though, there is a modern feel to the whole thing character-wise since many of the main characters are African-American including Goldie and her father, and he’s divorced from a white woman (who’s also a mermaid…sorta). Goldie’s best friend Cheryl is hoping to become an astronaut, in spite of being black and female in that era. There’s no hint of racial issues in either volume, though, which gives Goldie’s world the breezy, lighthearted air of a fantasy sixties where there was no need for a Civil Rights movement.

The artwork is just downright fun! The faces reminds me a bit of Wendy Pini’s great color work while showing an obvious, but not overwhelming, manga influence throughout. The characters are so well defined visually and so well written that I could actually hear their distinct voices and accents in my head as I read! That doesn’t always happen.

Both adventures are well paced with each original comic serving not as a “chapter” but as a section, say, of a TV movie leading up to the next commercial. The layouts are consistently cinematic, creative, and easy to follow.

Volume One introduces our teen heroine as she attempts to recover a cheap stolen necklace and find out why so many folks are after it. There’s hot rod racing, helicopters, disguises and a car chase. Volume two deals with a secret underwater base and an amnesiac beauty pageant contestant found on the beach in a spacesuit. The joy of both volumes is in the unique and sometimes questionable ways Goldie deals with all of these distractions.

On the negative side, the first volume suffers from a deus ex machina ending where a character who hasn’t even been in the story shows up and too handily fixes some of the problems Goldie has inadvertently caused. We don’t even get to see what happens, here or in volume two. It’s just…fixed. The second story has pages of art that look like they may have been done smaller and then blown up. Quite a few panels show a dearth of backgrounds as well.

But in the end, none of that kept Goldie Vance herself, the plucky budding detective, from becoming my new favorite character. We learn some about Goldie from her dialogue but quite a bit also from her facial expressions and how she adjusts her attitude between the various different folks with whom she comes in contact.

Like I said, Goldie’s world isn’t our real world, certainly not in 1962 and not in 2017, but today, for me, it sure has been a nice escape from our REAL real world. I do hope Goldie Vance, Walter, Cheryl and all their friends get to have some more fun adventures soon!

Booksteve Recommends!

The Star Wars universe may be the most well-known fantasy creation of all time. But that’s exactly what it is, right? A fantasy? Big bombastic characters, and even bigger and more bombastic weapons. Nothing in the universe makes sense — Jedi, plant-destroying machinery, the existence of Jar-Jar Binks — but it doesn’t have to, it’s a work of fiction.

Yet, in actual fact, that statement isn’t entirely true. Some things in this galaxy far, far away do make plenty of sense.

While using the energy of crystals to power weapons may be far beyond the science of our world, and manipulating objects with the mind would be considered nothing short of magic, there are definite similarities between the Star Wars universe and our own; similarities that help create a foundation of reality, from which the fantastical elements can be built. One such element that mimics our world is the way society, democracy and economy works within Star Wars. They have ruling classes, jobs, currency, taxation.

This is all pretty boring stuff. Stuff you really don’t think about when watching the movies. However, its background existence allows you to immerse yourself in the story by making it more believable and truer to real life. For example, in Star Wars: A New Hope, it is revealed that the Imperial Empire have constructed a superweapon the size of a small moon. We don’t stop to question what the heck is going on, because we totally believe, after what we’ve seen of the Empire and understand of our own world, that a powerful galactic regime like the Imperial Empire would have the resources to build such a technological terror. If the superpowers of Earth were scaled up to the size of an authority governing an entire galaxy, it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see them build a structure as monumental as the Death Star.

But, was the Empire actually able to build the Death Star? A new Star Wars infographic hopes to shed some light on this question.

Experts have put the cost of constructing the Death Star at around $852 quadrillion (which transfers to exactly the same amount of Star Wars credits). $852 quadrillion is a lot of cash. The total wealth on Earth is thought to be around $90 trillion, which means the superweapon would cost nearly 950000% more to produce than the GDP of planet Earth. Could the Empire really gather that much cash?

A team of UK chartered accountants asked themselves that very question. They wanted to know exactly how the Imperial Empire managed to fund one of the most iconic sci-fi weapons ever made. Was the Death Star part of the realism built into Star Wars, or was it purely a work of fantasy?

In this Star Wars infographic, the question as to whether or not the Imperial Empire had the money to pay for the ultimate power in the Universe is answered once and for all: