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Win ‘Pacific Rim: Aftermath #1’ Signed by John Boyega

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Pacific Rim Aftermath is the six-part comic book prologue is set nine years after the original 2013 Pacific Rim film—and one year before the upcoming film, delving into what happened after Stacker Pentecost and the heroes of the PPDC ‘canceled the apocalypse.’ The series follows Jake Pentecost as he searches for the truth behind the death of his father and introduces Griffin, a former Jaeger pilot now working as an enforcer for a corrupt mob boss. Issues #1 & #2 are currently available in stores and online.

And to celebrate the film’s release we’re giving away a copy of Pacific Rim Aftermath #1 signed by actor John Boyega!

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

Who directed the original Pacific Rim?

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 April 8th, 2018

 


What Type of Gambler Would Your Favourite Superhero Be?

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Image via Marvel

Superheroes are big business these days, but have you ever wondered what type of gambler your favourite superhero would be?

Well – you’re in luck! Superhero slot games are becoming increasingly popular so we have taken a look at five of our favourite superheroes to assess their possible gambling habits.

Read on to see what we make of Spider-Man, Black Panther, Wonder Woman, Superman and Batman’s gambling skills. We start with the Caped Crusader.

 

Batman

Bruce Wayne’s untold riches make it easy to see him at the poker table spending his fortune – but would he be a winner or a loser?

Cool and calculating but also prone to taking massive risks – even if they are always with the best intentions – it is certainly possible to imagine Batman as a professional gambler.

After all, Wayne Manor and all that amazing technology created by Lucius Fox to help protect Gotham from the bad guys is not going to pay for itself.

As a poker player, Batman would likely be a dominant force, winning hands early to collect pots before the flop.

But he would certainly be unafraid of bluffing – living a secret life as the caped crusader certainly allows Batman to practice his poker face on a regular basis.

 

Superman

Next up is Superman, who may be totally confused by the concept of betting, as do they even have gambling on his home planet of Krypton?

We get the feeling Superman would be amused and bemused by the gambling habits of us mere mortals here on Planet Earth.

So what would be his favourite game? Perhaps something like blackjack, where his analytical mind could be a weapon against the dealer. Superman could rapidly calculate the odds of winning and losing to help him make a decision over whether to stick or twist.

Dr Robert L Custer came up with six different types of gambler when he studied this area and the one that seems to fit Superman the best would be a relief and escape gambler.

Superman has so much going on in his life, not least having to keep his true self a secret from people every single day, that a bet or two may be some form of release for him.

At the end of the day, though, Superman is really just too busy to get too involved with gambling.

 

Wonder Woman

Another superhero not from our planet, Wonder Woman is an interesting case study here.

Princess Diana of Themyscira – or Diana Prince to her friends – normally has her hands full protecting her home planet, as well as the rest of the world.

Many men assume that women do not like to gamble but this is not necessarily the case. Indeed, that would be sexist as there is no reason why women cannot be successful gamblers.

Consider poker players such as the Briton, Victoria Coren, who made history when she became the first player to win two European Poker Tour Main Events.

Poker does not seem like it would be Wonder Woman’s choice of game, however. She seems more like she would be a casual social gambler, having a bet in an attempt to fit in.

 

Black Panther

The biggest film of 2018 so far is Black Panther, but how would T’Challa fare as a gambler?

King of the technologically-advanced African nation of Wakanda, it stands to reason that T’Challa – who was played by Chadwick Boseman in the $1 billion-grossing movie – would have more than a few tricks up his sleeve.

Perhaps on Wakanda they could have their own types of gambling that we would not recognise.

Unsurprisingly, as superhero comic books are generally aimed at children, Marvel has not really explored this angle in the Black Panther stories so far.

But it is certainly fun to think about. We’re imagining some sort of 3D slots game for Wakanda.

Have we whet your appetite? Visit this page if you want to try out top slot games featuring some of the best superheroes.

 

Spider-Man

Last but not least is Spider-Man, who has always been a favourite of the younger audience. As a high-school student in the United States, Spider-Man is really too young to be gambling.

But anyone who has followed Peter Parker over the years knows very well that he just cannot help himself from breaking the rules from time to time.

The web-slinger has a strong moral code, though, so he would definitely not be the sort of gamblers who resorts to cheating in a desperate attempt to come out on top in the game. After all, with great power comes great responsibility and Spider-Man takes his responsibilities more seriously than perhaps any of the other big-name superheroes out there.

We think Spider-Man would have the potential to become a serious social gambler. This means that he spends a lot of his spare time – Spider-Man never seems to have a lot of friends, does he? – gambling online on games like poker, roulette and maybe even some online slots too.

Spider-Man does not have a lot of spare income however, so it is unlikely he would be able to spend too much money on his gambling habit.

 

Legendary Creator Frank Miller Signs Five-Project Deal With DC

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Industry icon Frank Miller continues his long-standing relationship with DC as a five-project deal is announced today by DC Publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee.

Amongst the planned releases from the legendary writer/artist is a forthcoming graphic novel starring Carrie Kelley, whom Miller created for the genre-defining series BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS. Marking Miller’s first-ever foray into storytelling for young readers, the new graphic novel will feature illustrations by artist Ben Caldwell (PREZ).

This new project will join the previously announced DC Black Label prestige series SUPERMAN: YEAR ONE, featuring art by John Romita Jr., as part of Miller’s multi-project deal.

“Frank is a creative force in this industry, not just with a transformative take on iconic characters like Superman and Batman, but also by tackling the young reader genre,” says DC Publisher Dan DiDio. “He is an icon. As a publisher, I’m thrilled—as a fan, I’m even more excited.”

“Frank Miller is an absolute visionary,” says DC Publisher Jim Lee. “He continues to push the boundaries of storytelling, and I can’t wait for a new generation of fans to meet Carrie Kelley. Joining Frank as collaborator on Carrie Kelley is one of my favorite artists–Ben Caldwell, a singular talent who brings his stylized, clean line and rock solid, playful storytelling to this project. We couldn’t ask for a better creative team.”

In addition to the above two books, Miller will pen three additional upcoming projects yet to be announced.

“I am psyched to continue my partnership with DC,” explains Miller. “Developing the Carrie Kelley project and SUPERMAN: YEAR ONE with Dan and Jim has been a dream. It’s thrilling to have Carrie Kelley take center stage for the first time, and the energy that Ben is bringing to her is new and different—it’s incredible to see. It’s also a lot of fun working alongside John on SUPERMAN: YEAR ONE, this project is a childhood dream come true for me.”

Sequential Snark: The Justice League Does Not Fight Black Panther, Cave Carson Has a Podcast, Bat Rogues Bash Coney Island & More!

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In the words of someone small and blue “Gotta go fast!”

We have books going to so many sites and doing so many things in the sparse 20-something pages given to them.

Whether it’s the globe trotting insanity of Deathbed, the smaller scale fights and rescues of Harley Quinn, or the everywhere all at once in Justice League there’s literally enough action to go around.

 

Batman Sins of the Father #2
Words – Christos Gage
Pictures – Raffaele Ienco, Guy Major, Josh Reed

We have a mid-story chapter here.

There’s a lot of chasing of people and leads.

The answers escape only all the characters in this book, and the readers who are unfamiliar with the Batman universe.

This comic funnily assumes though that the reader has played Telltale’s action visual novel and gives no explanation for parts that are game-only. (Like Regina, and how she’s so much of a raging hose beast with final say control over Wayne Enterprises.)

More Arkham related people become dead and Bruce is feeling the pressure on both sides of his identity.

To crack the case he might have to attempt something… crazy.

 

Batwoman #13
Words – Marguerite Bennett
Pictures – Fernando Blanco, John Rauch, Deron Bennett

Speaking of video games, this chapter felt like one.

It has the pacing and the creepy moodiness of a great horror level. But we’ve seen this team prove itself with excellence in setting a scene (the cover has a wonderful “Hammer Horror” feel to it).

Kate knows she’s been lied to, is being lied to and what’s most important to her (Beth) has been taken from her.

If there was something to punch it would be sooo much easier, but she flies as fast as possible to her only clue with held breath.

For someone who hates conspiracies, Kate sure seems to fall into them a lot.

 

Cave Carson Has an Interstellar Eye #1
Words – Jon Riverea
Pictures – Michael Avon Oeming, Nick Filardi, Clem Robins, Paul Maybury

What do you do once you’ve saved the world from a heavily meta secret organization’s conquest plans?

Take your daughter to meet a rock legend- in space!

“Star Adam” met Cave and Mazra (and an alternate version of Bartow – it’s complicated) and shared awesome drugs with him on the night Star realized he was extraterrestrial.

Now he’s called Cave to his home in a moment of personal need.

Chloe learns Star is more fabulous than she knew, but is also a fully real person. Star needs no introduction for her, he’s an avid watcher of their podcast.

What podcast you ask?

The backup story drawn by Paul Maybury: Cave Carson Has an Educational Podcast #001.

Both parts of this issue work, and work well together. They’re sweetly done (though the backup does have more smirk-able moments with fan questions read and I hope they’re real “Why would Wild Dog and I ship ourselves anywhere?”).

Nicely done people, please keep it up!

 

Deathbed #2
By – Joshua Williamson, Riley Rossmo
Colors – Ivan Plascencia
Letters – Deron Bennett

Luna and Valentine continue on their breakneck world-trekking chase to track down all the people who meant enough to Luna to end up dead.

Their stop in France lets Valentine know:

(A) Not all were Luna’s friends and

(B) Being here for these crazy events might put her in similar peril.

What is the price of an insanely interesting life?

Not all those costs come at the efforts of assassinating mummy ninjas. Antonio Luna’s ego put him where he is in life, making him more caricature than an actual person. (don’t go for obvious joke about his rampant nudity – darn it though, it is relative to the point)

Will Valentine survive to write this book?

Will the effort of staying beside this old be-muscled man-child make it not worth the effort?

You’ll find out right along side of me.

 

Green Lanterns #43
Words – Tim Seeley
Pictures – V. Ken Marion, Sandu Florea, Dinei Ribeiro, Dave Sharpe

Last chapter of the Superhuman Trafficking arc.

The devices the church put in their “steeds” heads looks like a teeny ship, which only makes it a bit confusing when it’s a story set in space and it’s the first shot of the chapter. (the more you know)

Continuing tangential story fragment that hints of the social/romantic compatibility of Jess and Simon continues.

It’s feeling very sitcom at this point and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was only resolved at their last issue or just before one of the character’s dramatic deaths.

This book is once again serviceable story, writing, and art-wise but that means it’s not going to surprise you much. (Though Jess does have the apartment of someone whose “just holding it all together” I’ll give you realism points for that).

Next arc prove me wrong and knock it out of the park!

 

Harley Quinn #40
Words – Frank Tieri
Pictures – John Timms, Moritat, Alex Sinclair, Jeremiah Skipper, Dave Sharpe

Coach was caught last issue and gets dumped in a room with the real Frank Frank!

False Face has been playing him for a bit, I guess it’s nice they didn’t kill him in the meantime?

And speaking of actions that carried over from last month – Croc and Freeze are still bashing Coney Island into oblivion but turn their efforts on each other.

Neither are inclined to share, but if they continue will there be anything left?

There’s too many amusing bits here to even mention (someone really had a soft spot for Egghead) and it’s obvious the arc will wrap soon, leaving only one mystery unsolved – where did everyone’s snoots go pages 17-20?

Only guest artist Moritat knows for sure.

 

Justice League #41
Words – Priest
Pictures – Philippe Briones, Jeromy Cox, Willie Schu

Remember folks, red-suited African kitty man who wants the Justice League out of his country is not a cypher for another cat-themed hero now in theaters; there’s only a tradition of this going back and forth for decades between the two big companies.

Page one in space with the Green Lanterns, two on a rooftop with Slade, three onto the fallout of the Watchtower falling into a hostile nation.

Each scene change comes with a title card and I’d thought that a style choice but I see it’s now a necessity to keep the audience abreast.

I wonder if the arc has gotten away from this creative team.

They’ve spread the threads so far that in addressing the points (and goodness help them, adding more) it’s feeling like a clip show. I hope that at some point they can pull it all back together – but we’ll see.

 

Nightwing #41
Words – Sam Humphries
Pictures – Bernard Chang, Jamal Campbell, Marcelo Maiolo, Carlos M. Mangual

How do you prove someone you despise wrong?

Even if you’re smart enough to figure it out (the Bat-family is known for their brain muscles) can you get out of your own way to pull it off?

First off dear readers, we get more Guppy, always a delight but I’m not sure if he gets to stay past this arc so let’s enjoy the time together we have.

Nightwing is at his most single-minded determined here, the pressure and guilt (and near regular murder attempts) have gotten to him and he just about yells “No one dies tonight!”

But Dick please remember that does include you too, and your blood pressure has got to be through the roof. Might be a good time to use your advantage that The Judge is severely lacking.

 

The Brave and the Bold: Batman and Wonder Woman #2
By  Liam Sharp
Colors – Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Letterer – Troy Peteri

The Irish Quarter of Gotham is still caught in a trance – including Batman!

But luckily Alfred’s in Bruce’s ear to help guide him out of the illusion like a most helpful (and un-annoying) Navi.

Compliments on the panel border design corresponding to Bruce’s frame of mind as he forces himself back to “reality” from scraped to jagged to straightening back out.

Patrick O’Schull is having none of that trouble and continues on a normal day of trying to open a gateway to the fair folk.

I wonder if he even knows what’s happening outside his encampment, would it have made a difference?

As for Wonder Woman, she’s where Patrick wants to be trying to solve a murder and keep the peace among a group of mythic folk suffering from centuries of cabin fever, she might need some help.

 

 

Graphic Breakdown: Iconic Heroes Get Highest Marks For ‘Aquaman’, ‘Batman’, and ‘Superman’

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Welcome back to Graphic Breakdown!

This has been a great week for comics!

Let’s get started!

 

Aquaman #34
Written by Dan Abnett
Illustrated by Mirko Colak

This is a great issue!

In case you were wondering how King Rath became the delightful villain that he is, Dan Abnett has written an origin story! And it’s an extremely compelling one!

The story is called “King Rath: Secret Origin.” After King Rath is defeated, he goes off to sulk! And in his sulking, we found out how he came to be. Abnett writes a winner here and it’s sure to be a classic.

The art by Colak is great. I think Colak may indeed be turning into a star. Pick this up as it’s one of the better DC issues of the year. Thumbs up for sure.

RATING: A

 

Batman #43
Written by Tom King 
Illustrated by Mikel Janin

It is the third part of the storyline “Everyone Loves Ivy!”

Tom King writes another fine issue here. His version of Poison Ivy is one of the best interpretations of the character. It’s stellar.

Poison ivy is after world domination. And she will stop at nothing to accomplish that! This issue is the showdown between Batman and Ivy.

What will happen?

Will the world go to hell? Found out here!

The art by Janin is just excellent. It’s so great to see how far he has come.

Pick this up. I’m loving where this is headed. It’s a treat to read with every new issue that hits the stands!

RATING: A

 

Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #5
Written by James Tynion IV and Ryan Ferrier
Illustrated by Freddie Williams II
Published by DC Comics and IDW Publishing

We are in a place of absolute lunacy in this book now.

And hey! That’s just fine with me.

But is it too much?

James Tynion IV explores that with his writing here and it shows. (And if you like the dialogue, thank former FOG! writer turned comic’s pro Ryan Ferrier!)

In this issue, Donatello is infected with Venom! He’s going crazy! He’s fighting the Foot Clan alone with rage! It’s up to Batman to stop him and get him back to who he is.

Splinter, meanwhile is headed towards an encounter with the Lazarus Pit. All this and they have to stop Bane!

The story is just nuts. The art is a beautiful thing. Freddie Williams II needs to draw more of the Turtles and of Batman. But with a better writer. Still, this is just fun. Enjoy it at your leisure.

RATING: B

 

Bombshells United #14
Written by Marguerite Bennett
Illustrated by David Hahn

This book is very good.

Marguerite Bennett writes these characters with ease. Every character in this book is so well developed.

It makes the stories pop more and increases the stakes.
There is something afoul on the islands!

A mysterious radio signal turns anyone who hears it into a malevolent mutation! Danger is everywhere!

And it’s up to the Bombshells to stop it!

The art is very strong for this book as well. I think a major storyline would really help get this book out there more. And it should be. It’s very well done and I have been liking it every month.

RATING: B+

 

Future Quest Presents #8
Written by Jeff Parker
Illustrated by Steve Lieber

This is another fine issue of this series that nobody that I know is talking about!

I have been loving what Jeff Parker and gang are doing here. It’s a hell of a lot of fun and well done.

There is an alien fleet headed toward earth.

They want to persuade the humans to join them!

But we all know that isn’t happening! So it’s starting to look like all out war!

Hadji and Johnny Quest guest star here.

It’s a good chance to see how Lieber handles them as an artist. He does great. The story works well with the art. Pick this up. It’s pretty awesome.

RATING: B+

 

Superman #43
Written by Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason
Illustrated by Patrick Gleason

This is a great book.

Part two of the “BOYzarro” storyline really picks up.

Tomasi and Gleason are great storytellers and here they prove themselves again. The storyline is strong and awesome.

Superboy and Kathy are trying to keep BOYzarro under wraps.

The problem is that BOYzarro won’t be kept down! He’s wrecking havoc everywhere! And Bizarro and Superman aren’t going to be pleased once they catch up to their kids.

The art by Gleason is something else. He’s one of the best artists working today. He’s come a long way too. Good for him. He deserves all of the accolades he gets.

I’ll miss him and Tomasi on this title.

RATING: A

 

Deadman #5
Written and Illustrated by Neal Adams

Neal Adams has done a lot for comic books.

And comic books as a whole have benefited. That’s why it’s so sad that this book isn’t very good. The story is trite and a slog to get through.

Deadman is on his way to Nanda Parbat.

This leads to secrets being revealed!

Mysteries being solved!

And you won’t care about any of them!

It just doesn’t work.

On the plus side is the art. You have to admire Adams. He is still doing it. He’s not the artist he was but he’s more than capable of drawing incredibly.

He just needs a writer these days.

RATING: D

 

Injustice 2 #22
Written by Tom Taylor
Illustrated by Bruce Redondo

Well, this is just a damn good time.

Tom Taylor kicks some serious butt writing this title. The stories are sharp and the characters are strong. I never quite know where it’s going.

There’s a rebellion going on in Gorilla City.

Ra’s al Ghul has a mission and it’s in jeopardy! The Suicide Squad has been charged with getting him out.

Meanwhile, Amazo is out to cause destruction. But he should be careful. Why?

Because Superman might be on the case!

I’m enjoying the sheer bravery of this comic. It takes some of the old staples we know and puts a fresh shine on them.

The art is pretty spiffy too. Give it a shot!

RATING: B+

 

Damage #3
Written by Robert Venditti
Illustrated by Tony S. Daniel

This has been an enjoyable experience thus far. I’m not sure that this title has much of a future beyond twelve issues though.

It’s fun at the moment but I’m not sure where it can really go.

Right now the story is lively but how long can it last?

This issue features Wonder Woman versus Damage. The two characters tussle and it leads to a lot of…well, damage!

Then, Wonder Woman uses the Lasso Of Truth on him. And guess what happens? Read it to find out!

The art by Tony S. Daniel is awesome! He is doing the work of his career on this. Give it a shot! It’s an enjoyable thrill ride at the moment!

RATING: B

 

Super Sons #14
Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Illustrated by Carlo Barberi
Published by DC Comics

This has been a great little series that is coming to an end. I love what Tomasi did here. It’s time to enjoy the last few moments of the book.

This book is about Talia al Ghul coming back into Damian’s life.

And it’s looking like Superboy is caught in the middle. Can Superboy forgive Damian’s past? And what’s going to happen to the Super Sons as a team?

The writing is strong. Tomasi knows the characters and he excels at writing them. The art is decent enough.

Pick this up and read the series before it ends!

RATING: B

 

 

‘Too Cold To Swim’ (review)

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Produced by Peter Bolte, Oliver Henzler,
Francesco Saviano, D.W. Young

Written and Directed by D.W. Young
Starring Oliver Henzler, Michael Rabe,
Sophie Simpson, Pierre Shrady

 

There is a lot going on in this film. Be prepared.

At first that can seem strange in a story that more or less only has four characters. In Too Cold to Swim we have four stories.

Oscar, who is riding his bike across the country. Oscar’s father in Germany. Gary and Adele, a brother and sister who wind up as unlikely friends to Oscar as his journey takes an unexpected hiccup.

This story is about loss, pain, healing and moving forward.

The problem is there is very little understanding of why the characters are in pain. Why are they suffering? Why are they trying to heal?

We know Oscar and his father are estranged, but we don’t know why and when they talk they make a point of avoiding the conflict. I guess you can make the argument that it is irrelevant, but I think it is.

Gary & Adele have gone through personal trauma, but why are they stuck?

It’s clear Oscar is running away and we know why, but we get no visibility into the extreme Forrest Gump-like path he chooses. The film is good enough for me to care about the characters, but doesn’t go deep enough for me to really get invested.

D.W. Young has 42 film editing credits in IMDB. So if we can assume anything, it’s that he knows his way around a cutting room. The challenge here is the film is only 76 minutes long (not counting credits).

There was time. 14-20 minutes to go deeper. Let’s say he spent 5 extra minutes on each one of the 4 primary characters developing their depth and intersection? 4 to 5 minutes per character is an ETERNITY on film. There was time to spend teaching us why each one of these people was worth caring about. He could have taught us about their pain, their desires and why they were on the paths they were on. Instead, he cut and cut deep, leaving me wanting more.

The performances are reasonably solid, if unspectacular.

Oliver Henzler plays Oscar like a journeyman. Oliver doesn’t seem to have a lot of emotional range and there are moments in this film that call for emotions that he didn’t or couldn’t give us. You could chalk it up to him playing a German, but I found the performance stiff versus stoic. Michael Rabe as Oscar’s unlikely friend delivers a solid and believable performance. Michael Rabe is very likable and I expect to see a lot more of him. Sophie Simpson has been on screen since she was a child commercial star. She is very natural in her delivery and her years of experience come through in her performance.

Lastly Pierre, Shrady shows up via Skype as Oscar’s estranged father. Shrady is very believable and sympathetic, but the script sells him short and it shows up in the interactions with Henzler.

This is a watchable film for a variety of reasons. If you like emotional conflict dramas, you will like this. If you like stories about adult children being estranged from their parents there is something here for you as well, but in the end it doesn’t give the viewer enough to really love the characters, even though they may all be worth the investment.

The thing I liked least about this film was the ending. I won’t spoil it for anyone really interested, but suffice it to say it uses some really cliche religious imagery that was so obvious and incongruous with the character it stood out, like a crucifix hood ornament on a 1971 Volkswagen Beetle. It looked cheap and didn’t belong there.

2 out of 5 stars

Too Cold To Swim is now available on Digital HD.

 

FOG! Chats With ‘Umami’ Creator Ken Niimura!

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International Manga Award-winning and Eisner Award-nominated Ken Niimura is so far best known in the United States for illustrating the comic book series, I Kill Giants with writer Joe Kelley.

His latest project, Umami, a webcomic which he’s both writing and illustrating focuses on two friends, Uma and Ami, who manage to save an entire kingdom in a world of warriors, dragons, and beasts as they cook their way through adventures, using food to feed people, sure, but also to repair a building, replace a wheel, and even as a bridge!

Last week saw both the release of Umami #5 and the film adaptation of I Kill Giants and Ken was generous enough to take some time to chat with Forces of Geek!

* * * * *

FOG!: What was the genesis of Umami?

Ken Niimura: I’m really into all things fantasy-related, from table-top role playing games (RPGs) to video games — the whole pack!

I’ve been wanting to make a high-fantasy comic forever, but couldn’t find the right angle – there’s something in the usual party members (the warrior, elf…) that I’m not too much into. I just can’t identify with that “main-character” type of character. I’m so much more into all of the others, those that aren’t usually under the spotlight: underdogs. And to me, cooks are the long-forgotten characters in RPGs and others, where they’re usually just there to feed the main characters while they’re traveling to attain their objective.

What if we could take the cooks on a journey for once? What if they could be the ones to save the world? What if they did it using only cooking as their weapon?

This is your first long form story that you’ve both written and illustrated.  Has that been challenging?  Is Umami an ongoing or limited series?

It’s been quite a challenge, but if it’s not, where’s the fun? After having worked on short format stories, I felt it was time to make the leap!

I Kill Giants was actually the first time I ever worked on a long comic, and I honestly wasn’t sure I’d be able to pull it off. I was lucky enough to have Joe Kelly’s guidance and help, not to mention his amazing script.

This time though, I’m in charge of both, and there are so many other things to take care of. I’ve done three different versions over three years to find the right form to tell this story.

However, in order to make sure we’re on the right track, I work along with producer Yun M. Watanabe, who’s in charge of general coordination, but also plotting and research, and editor Yumetaro Toyoda, who helps editing the story.

It’s a small team, but we’re committed to offering the best Umami we can.

Why a cooking comic?  What would be your perfect meal?

Because food is something everyone gets. And because cooking comics are becoming more and more popular, I wanted to rethink some of these ideas we take for granted in them.

Umami is about cooking and food, but we’re trying to think outside the box and go beyond a cooking manual, or a story about the memories associated with food, while using it to tell the simple story of two girls finding their place in the world.

My perfect meal?

One thing I’ve started doing lately is whenever I’m on a trip visiting a new city, instead of buying souvenirs, I just buy food and products from the region. If I’m staying where there’s a kitchen, we then do a huge meal with all of the treasures we’ve found. I like not only getting to know a city through its monuments, but also through its flavor.

Who or what have been the been the biggest influences on your work?

Certainly Hayao Miyazaki, whose movies I’ve been watching since I was a kid. Also, European artists like Quentin Blake or Sempé, as well as any kind of anime you could think of.

Arriving this week is the film adaptation of your series, I Kill Giants, that you collaborated on with writer Joe Kelly.  Why do you think Barbara’s story resonates so deeply with readers, and hopefully, audiences?

Because she’s an outcast, who’s deeply flawed, and in that sense she’s very similar to so many of us – she’s very human! Also, she has a huge hammer. And she kills giants, so she’s cool.

In addition to Umami, do you have any other projects in the works?

Joe and I have recently worked on a short story based on Osamu Tezuka’s Black Jack, that will be coming out in a Japanese magazine in April! We’re also working on what will be our next long project together. More on that soon!

What are you currently geeking out over?

I know I’m too late to the game, but I just can’t stop playing Fire Emblem on my Nintendo 3DS, it’s such a great game!

And Asghar Farhadi movies, I can’t get enough of them.

And Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Buried Giant.

And Raina Telgemeier’s comics!

Umami #5 is now available digitally via Panel Syndicate

I Kill Giants is now playing and is available on Digital HD and On Demand

 

WonderCon 2018: ‘Lost In Space’ Readies for Launch

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“Danger, Will Robinson!”

Once again, the iconic robotic cry for help will return to airwaves as the Neil Marshall helmed reboot readies for its Netflix premiere.

Starring Toby Stephens, Molly Parker, Mina Sundwall, Max Jenkins and Taylor Russell as the Robinson clan and Parker Posey as Dr. Smith, Lost in Space, the big-budget space frolic took, its first episode to a sci-fi loving audience at WonderCon 2018. At the panel, the cast and crew answered questions from fans and talked about the experience and how they stepped into these seminal characters.

“The thing I liked about playing John is that he has faults. He’s not a perfect parent, but he’s trying to be. He’s struggling to be better,” said Stephens. “I think one of the things that made me connect with him was the parenting stuff. Just wanting to be the ideal parent, or just trying to be the ideal parent.”

Parker also shared her take on the new and improved Maureen Robinson, now a mathematician and genius in her own right.

“I love the original Maureen, but that was a different time…and gender dynamic,” said Parker. “Now, she can do whatever the men can do.”

“Because the show takes place 30 years in the future, a lot of the reality is imagined be at a place we’d like to be. Hopefully we are in a place where we are good with class and race and gender.”

When quizzed about the original show, the youngest Robinson stated that he prepped for the part.

At the panel, the young actor was asked if he knew about show and the iconic line uttered by the Class B-9-M-3 General Utility Non-Theorizing Environmental Control Robot.

“I have heard it…on Family Guy,” laughed Jenkins.

“We all have really big shoes to fill, but we are taking our own spin on it,” he continued. “I got to meet Bill Mumy…we bonded over Pete Seeger and comic books.”

Sundwall also explored the character of Penny, a middle child book lover who is trying to find her place in a family of scientists.

“I think of Penny with two sides: On one side, she is a sarcastic middle child, never treated as the youngest one and never treated as the responsible one. She’s stuck right in the middle. But she is also this romantic soul literature buff in the middle of this science family. In the beginning, you can see she feels out of place,” said Sundwall. “I definitely think that throughout the season, she becomes for comfortable with her place and her self.”

As the eldest Robinson child, Russell was quick to point out how Judy inspired her to step up her game.

“Having somebody written the way Judy is written, you have to rise up for the occasion in a lot of ways. She’s much stronger than me. It’s an honor for me to be represented in the way she is. I have nothing but admiration and love for the character.” said Russell.

And as the Robinson fremeny, Parker was thrilled with the new updates to the good “doctor.”

“I love Doctor Smith so much and I was touched to be offered this role,” said Parker. “As a five or six year old girl, I would wake up at 6 am and watch the static on the TV turn to color and watch Lost in Space,” said Parker. “When I heard they were going to offer me the part of Doctor Smith, since I loved it so much as a kid, I was really touched.”

“I loved this. We all had a great time and it’s so nice to share it.”

Netflix’s Lost in Space premieres on April 13.

 

 


Win ‘Ichi The Killer’ on Blu-ray!

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Takashi Miike’s ICHI THE KILLER has endured as one of the most influential pieces of genre filmmaking of the last two decades, and now it returns in a stunning all-new digitally restored special edition approved by Miike himself. This visceral, bloody, and often hilarious film follows Kakihara (Tadanobu Asano), a notoriously sadistic yakuza enforcer whose search for his boss’ killer brings him into the orbit of a demented costumed assassin known as Ichi (Nao Ohmori).

And we’re giving away five copies!

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

Tadanobu Asano, who plays Kakihara in Ichi The Killer,
has portrayed this Asgardian hero in Marvel’s Thor trilogy?

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 April 8th, 2018.

 

The Top Five Films I Saw At SXSW 2018

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The 2018 South-by-Southwest Film Festival featured 130+ movies over the course of nine days, making it literally impossible for anyone to see more than a fraction of the premieres and festival favorites available for review.

For strategic reasons, then, I skipped the high-profile, jam-packed A-list screenings of Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs, Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One, and John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place (which I’ll be able to see at theaters near me starting 3/23, 3/29, and 4/6, respectively).

Plus, as it turned out, I didn’t wind up seeing this year’s narrative feature grand jury winner (Thunder Road, directed by Jim Cummings) or the SXSW documentary feature winner, People’s Republic of Desire, directed by Hao Wu).

But in addition to the titles above, here are five more films to watch out for, representing the tippity-top of SXSW’s 2018 cinematic iceberg:

 

1. WOBBLE PALACE

The premise is (relatively) simple: a young L.A. couple experiments with “opening” their quasi-monogamous relationship in hopes that new sexual partners will either spice up their stagnant love life or push them to finally break up for good.

The plan is that each will have 24 hours alone in the house they share over the course of a tumultuous Halloween weekend to sow what oats they can, leading to a chronologically bifurcated narrative with two very different protagonists.

First up is director and co-writer Eugene Kotlyarenko, whose compellingly off-kilter charisma electrifies the whole movie with natural comic star power. Dismissed by one character as a mere “goofball man,” the would-be lothario also exhibits a love-starved vulnerability (especially in a painful texting scene on par with Jon Favreau’s answering machine disaster in 1996’s Swingers) which helps to explain why living or breaking up with him are both equally difficult options for his girlfriend (Wobble‘s co-writer, Dasha Nekrasova, who seems destined to play Carey Mulligan’s funnier, flintier kid sister in some future family drama).

And though Kotlyarenko is a tough act to follow, Nekrasova slips effortlessly into the spotlight for the second half of the film, bringing appropriate feminine balance to this fresh, bitingly funny take on relationships and individual identity in our toxic alt-right, swipe-left modern era.

For more information about where to watch Wobble Palace, Twitter follow @eugeugeug and/or @nobody_stop_me

 

2. SCIENCE FAIR

Competition documentaries are a tried-and-true formula: first, pick an interesting event requiring a specialized skill set (like a spelling bee, a karaoke competition — or, in this case, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair), then profile a diverse group of participants, add some ticking clock deadline pressure, and let the drama of their various fates unfold.

Yet, while the format of this feature debut by directors Cristina Costantini and Darren Foster is familiar, the end result is a flat-out charm bomb and a well-timed, feel-good love letter to science, humanity, and the power of youthful ideals. Over the course of the film’s fast-pace running time, we meet a talented bunch of teens from a variety of backgrounds (including a shy Muslim girl from a football-obsessed South Dakota town, a pair of Brazilian students battling Zika virus in their poverty-stricken community, and a misfit hacker teaching his computer to rap like Kanye West), along with a tough, dedicated teacher who’s single-handedly transformed her Long Island high school into a science fair powerhouse.

As they all move closer to the final round of judging (while battling mono, disciplinary reviews, and the fact that “the better you are at science fair, the worse you are at dancing”), viewers may find themselves rooting for different kids to snag the top prize. But as one of the judges notes, regardless of outcome, it’s easy to see each of the smart, hard-working individuals in this inspirational doc as winners.

Where to watch it: T.B.A.

 

3. BEING FRANK: THE CHRIS SIEVEY STORY

Speaking of hard work, British rocker Chris Sievey was so manically determined to make a go of his music career that he once tricked industry VIPs into attending a fake promotional event for his band, the Freshies, via a stolen sheet of Stiff Records letterhead, plus he basically invented the concept of computer promos for one of his singles way back in 1981.

But despite all that ambition, hard work, and genuine talent, Sievey never achieved anything close to real fame until he created his own obsessive number one fan in the form of a bulbous-headed alter ego named Frank Sidebottom.

The gimmick worked and the character took off as a local celebrity, simultaneously eclipsing and unleashing his creator in the process. Speculation about the man behind the mask eventually culminated in director Lenny Abrahamson’s surrealist 2014 fantasia, Frank (cowritten by Sidebottom’s one-time sideman Jon Ronson) — while Steve Sullivan’s 2018 rock-doc about the real Sievey plays more like a raucous Behind the Music rise-and-fall legend, jamming 100 minutes of tragedy, redemption, and glorious eccentricity into a big, weird papier-mâché ball of memorable entertainment.

For information on release dates, visit BeingFrankMovie.com

 

4. EIGHTH GRADE

The story’s as familiar as it is universal: an awkward adolescent yearns for an unattainable hottie who barely knows they’re alive, withstanding the casual cruelty of the popular crowd while ignoring the obvious infatuation of a fellow misfit and recoiling from the advice and concern of a well-meaning but desperately uncool parent.

For Generation X, that teen protagonist was unquestionably Molly Ringwald (in Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink), for Millennials it was (arguably) Lindsay Lohan in Mean Girls, and Elsie Fisher seems like a worthy Gen-Z inheritor of the Clearasil crown as Kayla in this new coming-of-age dramedy from comedian-slash-writer/director Bo Burnham.

Though not without flaws (like a particularly ill-timed and unfunny set piece about school shooting drills), Burnham’s feature debut effectively captures the myriad ways in which social media amplifies the pre-existing pain and confusion of puberty, while Fisher’s performance as an achingly vulnerable, often unlikable teen strikes closer to the unvarnished realities of adolescence than any cinematic character since Heather Matarazzo’s Dawn Wiener in Welcome to the Dollhouse). Yet while Todd Solondz’s 1995 black comedy was relentlessly, hilariously bleak, Eighth Grade offers at least glimmers of hope thanks to the dorky-sweet unconditional love of Kayla’s father (Josh Hamilton) and its stubborn glass-half-full hope that imperfect people of all ages can somehow evolve into better future selves.

Where to watch it: currently scheduled for 7/13/18 theatrical release

 

5. ALI & CAVETT: THE TALE OF THE TAPES

The ongoing controversies about head trauma in the NFL, Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the National Anthem, and whether athletes/entertainers should weigh in on political topics add fresh life and relevance to the familiar story of Olympic gold medalist and three-time world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali.

Born Cassius Clay, the sports icon drew national ire for changing his name as a convert to (and advocate for) the Nation of Islam while decrying racism in one of the loudest voices of the Civil Rights era. Later, his refusal to serve in the Vietnam War cost him the prime of his career thanks to a three-year suspension of his boxing license (along with the ever-looming threat of jail time) before his eventual comeback in 1970.

And all during those years of controversy, the “Black Superman” shared his side of the story via more than a dozen appearances opposite the whitest of talk show hosts, Dick Cavett, who verbally sparred with the champ yet also provided one of the few national outlets for non-white and counterculture voices in the establishment-dominated ’60s and ’70s media landscape.

Packed with memorable moments drawn from their decades of personal and professional encounters (like tense on-air showdowns with Joe Frazier and Georgia Governor Lester Maddox), Robert Bader’s documentary works best as an examination of the unlikely friendship that developed between Ali and Cavett and as a testament to the way people from different worlds can find common ground through the simple art of honest conversation.

Where to watch it: T.B.A.

 

The Class of 1993: 25 Years Later – Phase II

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The year that was 1993 was a monumental year for the movies.

This was the year when newfangled digital visual effects were finally good enough—and, more crucially, photorealistic enough—for audiences to suspend disbelief for an entire feature film and accept pixelated monsters as flesh-and-blood creatures.

The only genre lacking a clear-cut standout classic in 1993 is horror, but I’ve managed to pick one that, despite its limitations, still packs a potent punch all these years later.

Last time I looked at Action/Adventure and Sci-Fi Fantasy.

So, pop some corn, pull up a seat, and let’s take a multi-phased trip down memory lane.

 

HORROR

The year 1993 saw the release of several horror films, but I dare say nary a one endures as a true genre-defining (or even genre-bending) classic. That said, and because I feel obliged to pick at least one title that registers as “Best In Class,” there is a small picture that, despite its faults and limitations, manages to pack an eerie punch and still sends shivers down my spine.

Best In Class

Body Snatchers

Abel Ferrara’s scrappy and sporadically effective remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers is the third film adaptation of the Jack Finney sci-fi novel, but unlike its predecessors the film doesn’t aspire to the same social and political undertones.

The first film (Don Siegel’s 1956 black and white version, set in generic small-town Americana) still stands as a thinly veiled screed against the spread of communism and the reactionary dread of McCarthyism.

The second version (Philip Kaufman’s 1978 version, set in San Francisco) merged the paranoia of Finney’s tale of identity lost with modern hippy counterculture.

For this third iteration, the story uses as a springboard for Finney’s cautionary ideas the hierarchy of the military and its inherent dissolution of self-identity. Most sequels and remakes tend to expand the canvas and “go bigger,” so not only does this narrower focus keep the film from rising to the same globe-threatening heights of its forbearers, the very notion that service in the armed forces kills individuality makes the many transformations of humans into “pod people” seem downright negligible.

The lack of marquee names doesn’t help—the leads are one of the vampire gang from The Lost Boys and the ingénue who tangoed with Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman, with only Forest Whitaker and Meg Tilly providing limited star-power wattage in what amounts to glorified cameos. Still, for a low-budget affair, the practical effects are quite good—the gelatinous pod tendrils that slither into victims’ orifices are particularly creepy—and the film deploys signature visual and auditory elements of the Siegel and Kaufman versions to great effect.

That the film holds up today owes more to the enduring relevance of Finney’s source material than for the sum of the movie’s parts, but it is admittedly light years better than the ensuing fourth version The Invasion from 2007.

Compare To
Carnosaur; Cronos; Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday; Leprechaun; Needful Things; Return of the Living Dead III

Fewer Will Remember
The Dark Half; Ghost in the Machine

 

MYSTERY/SUSPENSE/THRILLER

Best In Class

In the Line of Fire

It’s a rare event when Clint Eastwood stars in movie directed by somebody else—here, the reigns are held by Wolfgang Petersen of Das Boot, The Neverending Story, and Enemy Mine fame—so this sleek and suspenseful thriller really allows the squinty one to shine in his most humane role to date.

As an aging Secret Service agent who failed to protect President Kennedy in 1963 (but who will get a shot at redemption here), he’s rueful, charming, and funny in equal measure…and, of course, tough as nails as demanded. Nicely paired off with Rene Russo (object of mutual flirtation) and Dylan McDermott (doomed partner), and pitted against John Malkovich (slippery psychotic villain), the film remains Clint’s finest contemporary thriller.

 

Romeo Is Bleeding

Though criticized for its convoluted plot involving corrupt cops and the mob, Peter Medak’s modern noir holds up quite well today for its technical aspects—notably its moody ambient score and shadowy cinematography—but most especially for its superb all-star supporting cast, bolstered by a sensational scenery-devouring turn from Lena Olin.

Now that Gary Oldman has won his first Oscar, more people will undoubtedly want to check out his earlier work, and his shady anti-hero performance here is every bit as good as his flashier sinister roles in Leon: The Professional and The Fifth Element.

Compare To
Body of Evidence; Guilty as Sin; Judgment Night; The Pelican Brief; Sliver

Fewer Will Remember
The Good Son; Malice; The Temp; The Vanishing

 

DRAMA

Best In Class
In a year remembered for the Oscar love shown to Steven Spielberg’s monumental Holocaust film Schindler’s List, there were more than the usual number of superb dramas that tower above other releases and remain influential today.

Carlito’s Way

Anchored by Al Pacino’s restrained performance as a contemplative ex-crook just out of prison but drawn back into crime to help his best friend (Sean Penn, unhinged and amazing), Brian De Palma’s gangster saga is a time-capsule tale of the Harlem underworld during the mid-’70s. Brimming with wonderful period detail, chock full of memorable supporting players, punctuated with visceral camerawork, white-knuckle suspense sequences and shocking violence, and topped off with a vibrant disco-tinged soundtrack, the film remains a high-point for everyone involved.

 

The Remains of the Day 

Unrequited romance has never before, and not-yet-since, played as lovingly and lingered as hauntingly as in this achingly beautiful Merchant/Ivory period drama. Boasting superlative work from Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson, and featuring a nice supporting turn by Christopher Reeve in a film role not requiring a cape and tights.

 

Rudy

Fans of inspirational sports dramas tend to name as their favorite either 1986’s Hoosiers or this true-life story of a pint-sized Notre Dame student who never gives up on his dream of playing for their legendary football team. It’s a close call for me, and no wonder when you realize both films were directed by the same guy. Sean Astin will always be loved for his contributions to The Goonies and The Lord of the Rings, but his earnest performance here is one for the Hollywood Hall of Fame. If Jerry Goldsmith’s gushy score doesn’t put a lump in your throat or a tear in your eye, you’re simply made of stone.

Schindler’s List

Steven Spielberg abandoned his frequent directorial trappings—swooping crane and dolly shots, widescreen aspect ratio, color, grand visual effects, a bombastic orchestral score—all the better to let the solemn tale of a conscientious Nazi who spent his fortune to save the lives of his Jewish factory workers during the Holocaust speak for itself. The film remains a haunting monument to courage, dignity, and sacrifice in the face of man’s inhumanity towards man, and even though it’s not the sort of film “entertainment” that beckons viewers to revisit it again and again, its towering technical achievements equal anything produced in its wake and warrant ongoing dissection and analysis.

 

True Romance

Star-making turns by Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette. A rogues’ gallery of insanely good supporting performers (Gary Oldman, Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, Val Kilmer, Brad Pitt, Bronson Pinchot, James Gandolfini, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Sizemore, Chris Penn). Brisk direction by the late great Tony Scott. A wildly inventive and endlessly quotable screenplay by Quentin Tarantino, before he became a cliché of himself. An eclectic score of rock songs plus a lilting Hans Zimmer theme. Any one of these assets alone would be enough to make True Romance a cut above other dramas in 1993; combined they make for a modern-day classic the likes of which Hollywood has yet to equal in the quarter century since. It may not be an “Oscar” movie in the same vein as other prestigious and award-winning pictures—its level of brutality is what likely turned off Academy viewers—but chances are folks revisit this flick more often than any other title I’ve chosen as “Best In Class.”

Compare To
The Age of Innocence; Blood In, Blood Out: Bound by Honor; A Bronx Tale; Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story; Ethan Frome; Falling Down; Fearless; The Firm; In the Name of the Father; Indecent Proposal; Indian Summer; The Joy Luck Club; Kalifornia; King of the Hill; Menace II Society; A Perfect World; Philadelphia; The Piano; Poetic Justice; Red Rock West; Rising Sun; Searching for Bobby Fischer; Short Cuts; Six Degrees of Separation; Sommersby; The Thing Called Love; This Boy’s Life; What’s Eating Gilbert Grape; What’s Love Got to Do with It; The Young Americans

Fewer Will Remember
Bopha!; Boxing Helena; Calendar Girl; Faraway, So Close!; Flesh and Bone; Geronimo: An American Legend; Gettysburg; Golden Gate; Heaven & Earth; A Home of Our Own; Jack the Bear; Little Buddha; M. Butterfly; Money for Nothing; Mr. Jones; Mr. Wonderful; My Life; Posse; Shadowlands; Sugar Hill; Swing Kids; Untamed Heart; Wrestling Ernest Hemingway

 

Tune in next time for the finale, The Class of 1993: 25 Years Later – Phase III.

 

‘Isle of Dogs’ (review)

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Produced by Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin,
Steven Rales, Jeremy Dawson

Screenplay by Wes Anderson
Story by Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola,
Jason Schwartzman, Kunichi Nomura
Directed by Wes Anderson
Starring Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton,
Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Bob Balaban,
Kunichi Nomura, Ken Watanabe,
Greta Gerwig, Frances McDormand,
Fisher Stevens, Nijiro Murakami,
Harvey Keitel, Koyu Rankin, Liev Schreiber,
Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Akira Ito,
Akira Takayama, F. Murray Abraham,
Yojiro Noda, Mari Natsuki,
Yoko Ono, Frank Wood

Narrated by Courtney B. Vance

 

Maaaaan… white people ruin everything.

That is what I thought walking into the ninth and latest films by Wes Anderson.

You would think I may be referring to the fact that I was about to see a film set in a fictional future Japan, made by a white Texan, starring white people as dogs. You may think that however you would be so very wrong.

I thought that because my social media feeds had recently exploded about “cultural appropriation” and “”whitewashing” and all the other “trigger” words you would expect to in the wake of another film about another culture is made by some white dude.

Well, I wasn’t going to let that spoil my viewing of this stop motion animated film. So, I went into this screening with a relatively clean slate, once I cleared the vitriol of others from my head and let the story speak for itself.

And I am glad I did.

What I watched was a visually gorgeous love letter to Japanese culture.

Isle of Dogs tells the quasi fantastical tale in a futuristic, fictional Japan.

A young boy, Atari, voiced by Koyu Rankin, sets off on a mission to save his beloved dog and bodyguard, Spots, voiced by Liev Schreiber. Along with all the other pooches, Spots has been exiled to “Trash Island”, an abandoned island off the Japanese archipelago. Due to an overpopulation of canines and the diseases they have developed and spread throughout Megasaki City in Japan, Mayor Kobayashi, voiced by Japanese radio personality and co-writer of the movie, Kunichi Nomura, has decreed that all dogs must be eradicated. Through Atari’s journey we discover the why, how, and what has happened to these abandoned house pets as they scrounge for a living in a junk wasteland.

The dogs, all played by slew of Anderson alumni, are brilliant.

Newcomer to the Wes Anderson troupe, Bryan Cranston voices, “Chief”, the leader of the pack of dogs set to help the young boy with a mission, is excellent. He is teamed with Ed Norton, Bob Balaban, Bill Murray, and Jeff Goldblum as they traverse the toxic Island to complete the boy’s mission. In her first Wes Anderson film is Scarlett Johansson as “Chief’s” possible love interest and misunderstood bitch “Nutmeg”. Also popping up as various pups are Harvey Keitel, F. Murray Abraham, Tilda Swinton, Fisher Stevens, Roman Coppola, Anjelica Huston. Rounding out the cast is Courtney B. Vance as “The Narrator”.

What was really refreshing about this ode to Japanese culture is Anderson’s appreciation of Japan’s rich history and story telling. Steeped in a love of Japanese films, the influence of Akira Kurosawa and Seijun Suzuki can be felt throughout the film. Their art and prose can be felt from the opening shot to the end credits. The care and detail he has added to this beautiful film as well as his use of a bevy of Japanese artistic story telling techniques enhance the viewers enjoyment of the story; from wood cuts to manga and anime.

From Kabuki Theater to television dramas. This gives the film a depth and breadth most other filmmakers would either miss or not care about in their films. I think that Anderson’s painstaking attention and dedication to detail that is inherent in all his films, is almost second nature here and thus adds such a lovely patina to the movie.

It stands to reason that if you are not a fan of Wes Anderson films then you will not like this one.

It has been said that if you have seen one Wes Anderson film, you have seen EVERY Wes Anderson film, and this is true. I personally don’t see a problem with this as I love Wes Anderson films and all their quirky repetition. I love his symmetry, the whip pans, the zooms, all the wide deep focus shots, and the terrible but sympathetically tragic weirdos that populate the worlds he creates.

It was both stunning and refreshing, for me, to see him perfectly capture his vision in his first foray into stop motion with the sublime and wonderful The Fantastic Mr. Fox. That he was a able to wholly recreate his live action style and brand of film making in an animated film so well was… well, fantastic. He does so again with aplomb with Isle of Dogs and the meticulousness inherent in stop motion animation lends itself to his style of film making.

As I mentioned earlier all the canines are voiced by English speaking actors. Additionally, all the Japanese human characters in this film are played by Japanese actors and actresses.

The Mayor’s right hand man, and person “pulling the strings”, Major Domo, is voiced by Akira Takayama. Professor Watanabe, the scientist determined to cure the “Dog virus” is voiced by Akira Ito. His assistant, Assistant Scientist Yoko-Ono is brilliantly voiced by… you guessed it, Yoko Ono. The only two non-Japanese actors playing humans are Academy Award Winner and Anderson alum, Francis McDormand as the English interpreter and Greta Gerwig, the American exchange student, Tracy.

In the world of the aforementioned Hollywood “whitewashing” and “cultural appropriation” it was so excellent hearing and seeing Japanese characters being portrayed by Japanese actors and actresses.

Almost entirely in Japanese with little to no subtitles, only bits and pieces necessary to the plot are translated to English by the English to Japanese translator, Interpreter Nelson (McDormand). During the course of the film, translations are used sparsely where it makes sense via television news reports or during political rallies and meetings. There is very little use of English subtitles throughout the film. Almost none of the Japanese is translated to English so like the dogs in the film, the non- Japanese speaking audience is forced to watch and go along as the story unfolds. It is a brilliant bit of filmmaking here by Anderson and his co-writers.

By forcing the audience to pay attention to every detail of the action it is up you to not miss out on what is about to happen. As I speak little to no Japanese I liken it to watching The Seven Samurai without subtitles (how I first watched the movie when I was a kid) where the film became an intricate pantomime. Except in this movie the few small nuggets of English are just enough to help me understand what is actually going on.

I suppose the only real trope that happens in this film is the old “great white hope” idea in that it is the American exchange student who rallies with her fellow Japanese student dissidents to help take down the corrupt Mayor and his cabal of anti-canine pundits. Even this idea is kind of turned on its head and she doesn’t become the “savior” figure so much as the loud mouthed American who won’t shut up and basically bulldozes her way into leadership of the student opposition.

In the end, isn’t the bitter truth that that is kind of what we do as Americans? Rush in where angels fear to tread. If you don’t think so, then you may actually be part of the problem.

This film has heart in abundance.

The emotions I felt while viewing overwhelmed me. The pain of Atari’s love for his bodyguard/pet to the loyalty and determination of the dogs to help Atari on his mission. I was truly invested in this boy’s unfaltering focus. The humor was spot on and I guffawed as much as I “awww’d”. There were more serious moments then the usual Anderson films the restraint and subtly actually did more to enhance the the emotion and elation I felt throughout.

The more I ruminated on this I realized that that may have been the intention all along. By having Kunichi Nomura join him along his traditional co-writers Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore) not only was the film able to be respectful to the culture and people it represents but the storytelling itself was reigned in and the usual overtness of some of Anderson’s personal film tropes were subdued as well as a result. All in al this film was a treat.

I love Isle of Dogs and I highly recommend people see it. I hope they enjoy it as much as I did. To paraphrase the other Asian film reviewer at the screening I went to who said, “I have not seen a film that embraces and appreciates the Japanese culture, like this, in a very long time.” and I agree.

I made arrangements to view the film again at the second press on Monday. The children in the second viewing of the movie, with an audience, were mesmerized and loved it. They were transfixed on the story and even with the lack of subtitles they were fully invested and cheered, laughed and cried. The idea that kids will not understand a film that they either have to read subtitles in or isn’t in their primary language is a bunch of bull because the kids at this showing loved every minute of it and talked about it and the finer details on their way out.

The only other film I have ever gone to a second screening was Kubo and The Two Strings, another stop-motion film, produced by Laika Studios, that is a wonderful appreciation of Asian fables. Not quite the tear jerker that Kubo is, Isle of Dogs, however, does not fall into the old Hollywood pitfall of under representing the culture it so loves and honors that that film did.

 

 

Online Casino Games With Skills

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The online casino industry is currently enjoying an explosion of growth and new customers. Gamers are taking advantage of the convenience of gambling on their favorite slot machines from the comfort of their own homes. Avoiding large crowds that make it hard to find a good machine, or long lines at the cashier’s desk are just a few of the reasons why so many are turning to online gambling instead of the bricks are mortar casinos.

One of the latest trends in online casino gambling is skill based games, also known as online casino games with skills.

What are online casino games with skills?

Skill slots are different than traditional slot machines. Regular slots only require you to select the bet and hit the spin button. Skill slots are more inline with arcade games that involve using skills to achieve your objective. Most include amazing graphics which make them even more exciting and get your adrenaline pumping. Some allow options for building your skill, improving your score or even playing against other users. This is an attractive option for users who enjoy a higher level of interaction with the game.

The design is the most appealing for those who are either competitive with others or like to see what they are capable of accomplishing with practice. While this type of slot machine is still difficult to find, online casinos are recognizing their value to consumers and are incorporating them as an option for online gamers who enjoy a good challenge.

Is this the wave of the future?

Skill based games are not the preference of every player, but they are becoming a more popular option that is currently in demand. Just how many skill based slot games that you see will depend on whether the trend continues to rise or if it remains the passion of a minority of casino goers. These games are available in both online slot casinos as well as bricks and mortar establishments.

We’re seeing a movement in casinos towards skill based games over the traditional ones. There will always be a demand for the traditional slot machines that users have become fond of playing, so the trend is not likely to result in the removal of all regular slot game offerings. Casinos are always looking for ways to give their users the kind of gaming experience that they are looking for. Skill based gambling games are making an appearance that has been welcomed by excited patrons. This doesn’t mean that they will be the dominant feature of either online or physical casinos. The reality is likely to be that they will exist as an option for gaming but will not become the dominant presence.

Where to find skill based online slots

Wintingo online slots offers both skill based and traditional slot games in an online environment. Enjoy quick payout processes along with a range of high quality slot games. Weekly promotional opportunities offer more ways to earn and play. Real money betting is also a featured highlight of Wintingo’s offerings. Join today and start playing the new skill based slots.

 

 

 

‘Gravity Falls: The Complete Series’ Arrives on Blu-ray and DVD From Shout! Factory 7/24!

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This summer, pack your bags and get ready to join Dipper and Mabel on their adventures in the enigmatic town of Gravity Falls! On July 24th, 2018, Shout! Factory will release Gravity Falls: The Complete Series, featuring all 40 episodes of Disney’s hit Emmy Award-winning series available for the first time in a complete series box set.

Created by Alex Hirsch, Gravity Falls airs on Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series stars Hirsch, Jason Ritter (Kevin (Probably) Saves the World), Kristen Schaal (Bob’s Burgers, The Last Man on Earth) and Linda Cardellini (Bloodline, Freaks and Geeks), along with a plethora of celebrity guest stars, including Mark Hamill, J.K Simmons, Will Forte, Nick Offerman, Chelsea Peretti, and Nathan Fillion. Adored by critics and fans alike, Gravity Falls has developed a passionate fan base for its quirky yet endearing portrayal of the wonder and magic of childhood adventures.

Available on Blu-ray and DVD, the complete series will be available in two editions. The Collector’s Edition will be a seven-disc box set that includes an entire disc of bonus features, including brand-new bonus content created specifically for this release. There will also be a six-disc retail edition that includes all 40 episodes of the series, but does not include the bonus feature disc. Bonus features are in progress and will be announced at a future date. Fans of the series can pre-order their copies now by visiting ShoutFactory.com

Inspired by Hirsch’s real-life adventures with his twin sister, “Gravity Falls” follows twin brother and sister Dipper and Mabel Pines on an adventure of a lifetime when they spend the summer with their great uncle, Grunkle Stan, in the mysterious town of Gravity Falls, Oregon.

But there may be more to Gravity Falls than meets the eye as Dipper and Mabel encounter strange occurrences and weird creatures. When Dipper stumbles upon a mysterious book, he discovers it is the answer to uncovering the town’s mysterious happenings. Soon, Dipper and Mabel realize they must rely on each other to navigate this unfamiliar place. Meanwhile, Grunkle Stan guards a secret of his own—one that just might hold the key to unlocking the deeper mystery that is Gravity Falls.

 

‘Doomsday Clock’ #4 (review – spoilers within)

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Doomsday Clock #4
Written by Geoff Johns
Illustrated by Gary Frank
Published by DC Comics
In stores March 28, 2018 / $4.99

 

Geoff Johns and Gary Frank deliver the best issue of Doomsday Clock so far by delving into the origins of the new Rorschach.

As it happens, it’s Reggie Long, son of Dr. Malcolm Long, the prison psychiatrist in the original Watchmen. Dr. Long attempted, in vain, to ingratiate himself to Walter Kovacs, just as an Arkham doctor attempts to do with Rorschach the second.

It doesn’t work.

As for the revelation, it works out.

Reggie survived Adrian Veidt’s attack on New York, but suffered not only survivor’s guilt–his parents died–but also severe hallucinations.

This detail lends to the dreamlike nature of this issue, setting Reggie up as an unreliable narrator, while allowing Gary Frank to play around as much as possible with layout and pencils. (All the same, it would have been nicer to see them take this into a more bizarre direction.)

Until now, Johns’ story has felt like “Watchmen fan-service” with DCU characters thrown in. This issue almost falls into that trap, with the further reveal that Reggie befriended former Minuteman, the Mothman, in an institution shortly after Veidt’s original gambit. On the other hand, the relationship between the two is handled with grace. It’s touching and sad, perhaps a little too treacly to have been included in the original Watchmen, but somehow it works here. (The backmatter focusing on Mothman’s fractured relationship with his family adds an extra layer of tragedy.)

Perhaps then, the biggest takeaway from this issue is the acceptance that, for all its stylistic nods and stabs at the depth of the original series, Doomsday Clock will never really be Watchmen, or anywhere close to it. Johns really isn’t that kind of writer. His style is far more direct than Moore’s denser, yet more elegant approach. The closest parallel is to Walter’s back and forth with Dr. Long in the original series. There, Moore used Dr. Long’s point of view to reveal much about Walter through a different lens, helping to paint a thorough picture. Here, we just get a story of Reggie going through a similar situation, but without the narrative gymnastics and an extra helping of sentimentality Moore might have refrained from using.

On the other hand, freed from the constraint of telling a more straightforward story, Johns and Frank are able to craft what may by the closest take on Watchmen yet. Johns’ strongest writing on this series comes as he plays around with both time and Reggie’s sanity.

It helps that Gary Frank delivers some of his best work on this issue, taking what he’s learned from Dave Gibbons and putting his own stamp on it. His facial expressions are some of the best in the business, but he applies recurring motifs and transitions as well. We only see Adrian in flashback this issue, but he looms large over the story, so his face becomes a recurring theme, particularly in the form of an Ozymandias jigsaw puzzle. (Johns’ dialogue may be too on the nose in these spots, however: “I’m trying to put it together, but something’s missing.”)

Perhaps the biggest disappointment, plot-wise, is the twist that Batman has engineered Reggie’s current predicament in an effort to draw more information, even disguising himself as Reggie’s therapist. The irony is that Reggie likely would have volunteered this information himself had Batman not believed him too crazy to do otherwise. Johns’ Batman remains forever a jerk.

My biggest complaint is that we still don’t have a sense of what this story really is, four issues in. Ostensibly, it’s about the search for Dr. Manhattan, but Johns has been taking so much time with setup that the plot has barely moved. Doomsday Clock #4 is more wheel-spinning, but at least it’s better wheel-spinning than before. Even though it feels like a take on something Alan Moore did more effectively the first time, it’s probably Johns and Frank’s best take on it yet.

 

 


SXSW 2018: The Rest of The Fest

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I recently shared my Top Five favorite films of the 2018 South-by-Southwest festival, but what about the other screenings I attended? What didn’t quite make the list (and why)?

Well, let’s start with the…

CLOSE CALLS

MORE HUMAN THAN HUMAN

While arts reporting is hardly a science, artificial intelligence research most definitely is, despite the ethical complexities and potentially alarming dangers that could result from unleashing a technology without fully understanding it first.  And indeed, the burgeoning field and its implications are so fascinating that this documentary by Tommy Pallotta and Femke Wolting only missed a spot in my Top Five because the ambitious subjects of my favorite left-brain doc of the festival (Science Fair) were mostly adorable, idealistic teenagers who might actually save the word.

But More Human Than Human is nevertheless a fascinating deep dive into the possibilities and perils of near future AI technology, from intuitive neural control of prosthetic limbs and inexhaustible companions for dementia patients to the socioeconomic impact of diminishing employment for actual humans and our eventual enslavement by evil robot overlords.

 

THE BILL MURRAY STORIES: LIFE LESSONS LEARNED FROM A MYTHICAL MAN

Bill Murray has become the modern hipster Bigfoot, inspiring countless urban legends about unexpected sightings of the comic icon reciting poetry to construction workers, washing dishes in the kitchen of random college parties, popping up as a bartender during SXSW, etc.

Yet, while Sasquatch sightings are notoriously difficult to document, director Tommy Avallone has compiled a feature’s worth of interviews and charming Murray clips (both from his onscreen filmography and offscreen encounters with random civilians) to answer not terribly mystifying questions about the actor’s motives for popping up in unexpected places and why people love it when he does.

And if the foregoing description sounds one-note and weightless as meringue, well, “it just doesn’t matter” (in the words of Meatballs‘ head counselor “Trip” Harrison) when the overall cinematic experience is so relentlessly enjoyable.

 

DAMSEL

A long time ago in the West, a hapless alcoholic greenhorn with a tragic past (David Zellner) heads out to the frontier in hopes of reinventing his life, only to encounter a grizzled preacher (Robert Forster, in a memorable cameo) who warns that instead of finding a bright future on the outskirts of civilized society, “Things are gonna be shitty in new and fascinating ways.”

Sure enough, the greenhorn soon finds himself roped into a deadly misadventure involving Robert Pattinson, Mia Wasikowska, and a tiny little horse in this revisionist take on the genre well-timed for the #MeToo/#TimesUp era. Like previous films by indie stalwarts Zellner (and his brother, co-writer/director Nathan) including Goliath and Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter, Damsel‘s meandering pace requires patience, but may hit the sweet spot for viewers in tune with its humorously deadpan wavelength of modern ennui recast in period drag.

 

SUPPORT THE GIRLS

Or, if you prefer your indie dramedies more naturalistic, big-hearted and hopeful, be on the lookout for this latest feature by Andrew Bujalski (the “mumblecore” auteur behind Funny Ha-Ha, Results, and his metaphysical masterpiece, Computer Chess).

Set in a gimmicky Hooters-style “breastaurant’ called Double Whammies, the film tracks a day in the life of a working-class hero named Lisa (Regina Hall) who divides her time between den mothering the various personal dramas of her (generally younger) waitstaff, managing her own beleaguered personal life, and keeping the peace with rowdy customers and her misanthropic boss (James LeGros).

Small victories and disasters accrue over the course of the film’s leisurely 94-minute running time (with many of the best scenes stolen by Haley Lu Richardson and Shayna McHayle as servers with diametrically opposed yet complementary approaches to their jobs and Lea DeLaria as the establishment’s favorite customer), but Support the Girls works best as a portrait of a female endurance and friendship on the rocky road to empowerment.

 

NEAR MISSES

WILD HONEY PIE!

Jemima Kirke.

Some love the former Girls co-star, while others…do not. A lot. And if you’re one of the people in the latter category, then by all means skip ahead to the next listing, because writer/director Jamie Adams’s chatty relationship comedy is pretty much nothing but undiluted, straight-up Kirke as a mordant, romantically selfish/self-destructive Jessa-esque playwright named Gillian wreaking havoc on the tender heartstrings of a sweet-natured, mildly befuddled bear of a husband (Richard Elis).

That said, though, even those who are fans of both Kirke and whimsical British romantic comedy in general may find themselves wondering if they’re watching a complete feature film or bingeing the mid-season episodes of an affable, shaggily enjoyable BBC sitcom given Wild Honey Pie!‘s relatively shapeless, low-stakes narrative structure.

 

CHEF FLYNN

And speaking of Girls, there’s a strong flavor of Lena Dunham-style talent soured by myopic defensiveness regarding (fully justified) charges of entitlement in the story of “Chef Flynn” McGarry, a culinary prodigy who came to national prominence after a childhood spent whipping up gourmet dishes in a bedroom outfitted with state-of-the-art cooking equipment and the finest ingredients his parents’ money could buy.

To be fair, it’s definitely intriguing to see how and why a 10-year-old became so obsessed with fresh truffles and molecular gastronomy that he began preparing multi-course meals for neighbors, friends of friends, and eventually the elites of East and West Coast eats — and there’s clear artistry in the food porn creations lovingly chronicled throughout Cameron Yates’s documentary (augmented by years of behind-the-scenes home video footage and commentary by the wunderkind’s supportive, neurotic “momager”, Meg).

But when the young celebrity cook complains (as he does quite a bit in the second half of the film) that he should be judged solely on his talent and not by the advantages that brought him to national prominence, it’s unfortunate that Yates’s surface-level film doesn’t give voice to any dissenting chefs who paid their dues the old-fashioned way (or even some of the full-grown, multi-ethnic kitchen commandos we see getting barked at by the privileged young white boy in their midst).

 

GHOST STORIES

This cinematic adaptation of a play by Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson (who also co-directed) has a great premise as a celebrity debunker of spiritual phenomena (Nyman) is challenged to disprove three scarifying cases of supernatural shenanigans.

The cast (including the ever-reliable Martin Freeman and Alex Lawther, riveting as a traumatized teen) is also solid, yet despite some decent jump scares, chilling atmospherics, and a couple of unexpected twists, the overly episodic narrative ultimately fails to amount to more than the sum of its parts, with an undercooked story that wraps up far too neatly to provoke the lingering unease or existential dread of a truly memorable ghost story.

And finally…

 

MY LEAST FAVORITE FILM OF SXSW 2018

AGAVE: THE SPIRIT OF A NATION

No offense to the nation in question, agave, or the hard-working people who transform the eponymous monocot into delicious mezcal and tequila, but this snoozy, self-serious, and overly general documentary by Nicholas Kovaciv and Matthew Riggieri plays more like an overlong promotional informercial for the tourism boards of Oaxaca and Jalisco than an engaging exploration of its subject.

Despite beautiful cinematography and potentially interesting subject matter about the challenges facing the industry in question (like the threat of global warming and a shrinking workforce of people willing to engage in the labor-intensive task of agave cultivation), most of the film’s themes and insights are stated rather than dramatized in compelling ways.

Likewise, except for a sweet interlude about a domesticated fawn living on the property of one interview subject who nursed the animal back to health, there’s not much in the way of humor, unexpected detail, or compelling subplots to hook us into the lives and personalities of the participants in what often feels like a fairly generic travelogue.

‘Los Angeles Overnight’ (review)

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Produced By Michael Chrisoulakis,
Camilla Jackson, Guy J. Jackson,
Kate Rees Davies, Kimmie Yan
Written By Guy J. Jackson
Directed By Michael Chrisoulakis
Starring Arielle Brachfeld, Azim Rizk,
Peter Bogdanovich, Lin Shaye, Sally Kirkland,
Julian Bane, Camilla Jackson, Ruben Pla,
Ashley Park, JamieLee Ackerman,
Dan Balcaban, Carey Fox, DuJuan Johnson

 

A struggling L.A. waitress, desperate to keep her stalling career afloat winds up being hunted by local organized crime after she and her boyfriend steal some of their money.

It’s a fairly interesting premise. A fairly reasonable premise.

Everything that happens beyond the “heist” is ridiculous. There is quite a bit before the heist that’s ridiculous too.

To say this movie is derivative and all over the place is doing a disservice to derivatives.

The title Los Angeles Overnight is as un-creative and hackneyed as the script and execution. It’s a clear play on L.A. Noir, but saying it falls short is an understatement. I am more than willing to suspend disbelief and welcome any premise the filmmaker wants to throw at me, but I can not and will not give up reason.

There is a foot chase in the middle of this movie that is so ridiculous, so implausible, so idiotic that if I hadn’t promised the editor of this site I would review this movie I would have turned it off right there. Without going into too much detail a henchman who weighs 250+ pounds and had recently been severely beaten into unconsciousness by his boss runs down a younger, thinner, uninjured man and the sequence ends when the 25 year old has a HEART ATTACK in the middle of the extended chase. I will believe zombies have arisen, aliens have invaded, and radioactive spiders gave Peter Parker superpowers, but there is no chance on planet Earth the concussed chubby henchman runs down the kid, to death. No. No. No. I mean, how lazy can the writer be? They couldn’t come up with anything more plausible? No one on the set said, “Umm… are you sure you want to go this way?” Was the budget so stretched they couldn’t afford to shoot a car vs pedestrian accident?

Peter Bogdanovich plays a hypnotherapist who intermittently shows up and goes on these overacted over-written existential rants. I swear the producers cast him because he was Lorraine Bracco’s therapist in The Sopranos and they were hoping his gangster cred would hold up. I assume they shot all of his scenes in a couple of hours and he was never on set with the rest of the cast. He probably never read anything but the scenes he was doing. It’s his only excuse for participating in this at all.

The lead, Priscilla, is played by Arielle Brachfeld. She actually pulls off the wannabe struggling actress pretty well. However there are moments when she is supposed to be this Machiavellian manipulator and they seemingly come from no where. Her character is incongruous. When the main character in your film doesn’t inspire strong emotion, either positively or negatively, you’ve failed as a film maker.

I could keep taking this movie apart for 5000 words, but instead I’ll leave you with a positive.

Ashley Park. She plays the head baddie’s wife and she steals her scenes. She’s really captivating. First, her delivery is super smooth and comfortable. Second, she is shockingly beautiful. It’s hard to look at anything else when she’s on the screen. I’d be interested to see her in a role that was well written, where she wasn’t relegated to the background.

The plot is weak. The writing is weak. The ending is silly and unbelievable. Hard Pass.

.5 out of 5 stars

 

Win ‘Tales from the Sea of Thieves’ From Titan Books!

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Narrated by three unique pirate captains the book will take a look at the world through their eyes. From laughable pirate suspicions to the towns and islands these hardened seafarers call home, they’ll introduce and explore the fantastical Sea of Thieves, home to krakens, mermaids and buried treasure.

Including sea shanties, illustrations and sketches by the pirates and their crew, and much more, the book will immerse you in the world of Sea of Thieves. As an artifact fished straight from within the game universe, it features all the wear and tear expected from a grog-swilling pirate’s life.

Sea of Thieves is an open world pirate adventure, where you can join a crew of friends online to sail the high seas, fight other ships and see where the tide takes you.

And we’re giving away three copies!

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

Who is your favorite fictional pirate?

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 April 8th, 2018.

 

Step into The Insane With FX’s The ‘Legion’ Experience

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“Enter the mind of a sane man in an insane world.”

FX’s Legion is returning for a second season, and to usher in the insanity, FX and Uproxx are offering folks a chance to step into the Legion Chamber, an interactive art experience from Marco Brambilla Studios.

The exhibit opens to fans on March 20 thru to April 1 at Goya Studios.

Titled “Fracture”, the experience is a 360-degree micro-theater that will allow fans to enter the mind of Legion’s David Haller (Dan Stevens) where they will question their own reality.

 

For Legion’s legion, here are the details:

HOURS

  • Friday, March 30th – 11AM – 7PM
  • Saturday, March 31st – 11AM – 7PM
  • Sunday, April 1st – 10AM – 6PM

LOCATION

Goya Studios, Stage C
1541 N. Cahuenga Blvd
Los Angeles, Ca 90028

The installation is the latest trend in large cities that are offering fans and audiences the chance to experience key parts of their favorite TV shows and movies. Past experiences have included a walk through the Nesbit house for horror hit It and fans of Ready Player One can trudge through The Stacks, now conveniently located in Hollywood Blvd.

Legion is set to return to FX on April 3.

For more info on The Legion Chamber, please visit: facebook.com/legionfx

 

Mark Wensel’s Excellent Adventure: SXSW 2018 Edition

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It was the best of times, it was the…well, pretty much usually the best.

For 20 years, I’ve been volunteering for and enjoying the hell out of South By Southwest. This was my first time as just an attendee. That gave me a bit more time to see more movies, but it really weird to be kind of on the outside. Good, but weird.

Anyway, even with all of the changes over the last 21 years, I still love SXSW. Here’s what I did with my time.

 

A QUIET PLACE

John Krasinski is not a horror guy. He doesn’t like the, typically, and he damn sure didn’t really want to make one. But I’m glad he decided to, because his first foray into genre filmmaking is pretty great. A creature feature about monsters that attack the slightest sound, A Quiet Place is really about family and the way they interact with each other under duress.

He and real-life wife Emily Blunt are parents to two kiddos. The preteen boy (Noah Jupe) is understandably scared of just about everything while the teen girl (Millicent Simmonds from Wonderstruck) is rebellious and angry. They all just want to survive in an insane post-technology world.

Beautiful creature effects, characters we care about and organic jump scares to spare, A Quiet Place is a fun, well-made horror film that makes me hope that John decides to go back to the genre well soon.

 

THE WORLD BEFORE YOUR FEET

When you love a city, you want to see every square inch of it. Matt Green decided that it was time to walk every street, park, cemetery, walkable surface in all five buroughs of New York City. He takes pictures, meets people and researches everywhere he goes, blogging about his adventures as he goes. Because he doesn’t have an apartment and stay with people along the way, he’s able to do this as his daily activity instead of working at the engineering job that he left over ten years ago.

The movie doesn’t shy away from the fact that Matt is actually a pretty damaged person. He’s friendly and likable, but he has some issues that he definitely needs to work through. (Interviews with two of his ex-girlfriends bear this out.) It doesn’t take away from the enormity or the beauty of his mission. It makes me want to do the same thing in my own hometown…just without quitting my job and giving up all of my relationships.

 

FAST COLOR

Ruth (Gugu Mbatha-Raw from A Wrinkle In Time) is on the run because of her super powers. These powers were passed down from the women in her family. Eventually, she finds her way home with the government on her tail. But as strong as the government is, her family bond is stronger. Lorraine Toussaint (from Orange Is The New Black) and Saniyya Sidney (from Fences) are her mother and daughter and they’ve been learning to hone their powers while Ruth has been trying to subdue hers…mostly because hers involve devastating earthquakes.

A movie that started out as a story of women’s empowerment and the ways that they would use those powers, it ended up also being about women of color and their bonds. A sci-fi/superhero film for a new age. If A Wrinkle In Time was too preachy and saccharine for you, this is your film.

 

THE ATOMIC CAFE (1982)

The only revival film I saw this year, this might also be the most important film I saw. (It’s tied with On Her Shoulders…more on that, later.) A collage of government propaganda films strung together to tell the “official” history of nuclear warfare in America. It’s obvious that much of the information in the films is lie after lie (“Duck and Cover’? Really?) and that’s the whole point of the film. The government lied to us from the beginning of the nuclear era and, to this day, hasn’t stopped. It’s amazing how well the story comes across from hundreds of disparate sources across four decades. It really is a masterpiece of avant-garde documentary filmmaking.

After this film was made, the government took a look at its policies on allowing people to use propaganda films.

 

THE NEW ROMANTIC

Blake (Jessica Barden) is a super privileged white girl, even though she’s broke. She parties, barely studies (as far as the audience can tell) and just wants to be like Hunter S. Thompson…with no real inclination that Hunter, while a brilliant writer, was not a particularly good role model with issues upon issues upon issues.

When she accidentally picks up the wrong ID while buying booze, she entered a world of prostitution…I mean, “sugarbabies.” She becomes one to a professor and proceeds to write about it in her school newspaper, expecting everything to be ok because she changed the names.

The acting was decent, but that’s about as far as I’ll go for this one. It was frustrating because there don’t seem to be any consequences to any of Blake’s actions. Like…none. At all. Gonzo journalism is all well and good, but it doesn’t work so well in a small community like a college.

 

FAMILY

Juggalos have gotten a lot of press, lately, most of it surprisingly positive. Here, they nearly get their own movie! Taylor Schilling is a career driven young woman with no friends and a pretty estranged family. When her brother calls her out of the blue to watch her niece (Bryn Vale) for one night, her entire world gets turned upside down. And then there are Juggalos.

Definitely from the Judd Apatow school of comedy, this is a little movie with a silly premise and a big heart.

 

A VIGILANTE

Who will fight for the victims of domestic violence? Sadie (Olivia Wilde) will. After escaping her own abuse, she trained herself into a fighting machine, going from town to town beating the hell out of people who abuse their “loved” ones. Male or female, she doesn’t care. If they call, she goes. Not the “fun” vigilante film of old, this is modern day art film violence.

Every one of her “victims” deserves everything she gives them. Then, when her abuser shows up, things get really rough. Maybe not a great film, but certainly one that deserves a watch, giving a visceral thrill to see a woman go after terrible people.

 

THE DIRECTOR AND THE JEDI

A heartfelt documentary about the making of The Last Jedi, mostly focusing on the two folks in the title. We follow Rian Johnson from getting the job to the last day of shooting with some following of Mark Hamill on his first real outing as Luke since 1983.

The emotional roller coaster of starting off not liking this new portrayal of Luke, to seeing Yoda for the first time in 30 years, to eventually coming around to Rian’s vision is so much fun to watch. Definitely one of the better making-of docs I’ve seen in a long time.

 

WHAT KEEPS YOU ALIVE

A lesbian survival horror films? Sounds great! Unfortunately, logic problems prevail.

The story is good: The married couple go out to a house in the woods that one of them grew up in. Eventually, Jules (Brittany Allen) finds out that her wife, Jackie (Hannah Anderson) isn’t who she says she is. Then it becomes a cat and mouse game where the mouse probably should have died about 14 times. Or at least should have been smarter than she was.

The movie was beautifully shot and well acted and I really liked the premise. But the execution just didn’t add up to a good film.

 

WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?

It’s the year of Mr. Rogers! This is the second documentary about the man and it’s a doozie. Love and tears will flow as you see Fred Rogers give up the ministry to teach children how to deal with the everyday toils of life. Or as Lady Aberlin explains assassination to Daniel Striped-Tiger. Or as Mr. Rogers confronts the government to try to save PBS.

Mr. Rogers was such a huge part of so many kids’ lives and this documentary lives up to his legacy. Directed by Morgan Neville (20 Feet From Stardom and Best Of Enemies), this is a movie that everyone should see, if only to remind themselves that there are some truly decent people in this world.

 

VIRUS TROPICAL

This is a great little coming of age animated film about a young girl in Columbia. She’s the youngest girl of three and, while there are a lot of traditional Columbian aspects of their lives, the story is very universal.

My ONLY complaint is that the animation style is exactly like Persepolis, which was a much better film. This one may have more crossover appeal because of its lack of political commentary, and it’s still very good. But I couldn’t help thinking of Persepolis throughout.

 

ELIZABETH HARVEST

What a strange little film. Elizabeth is a newlywed who is brought to an opulent, secluded house that her new husband (Ciaran Hinds) tells her is all hers…except for one room that she’s not allowed to step into. Of course, her thumbprint opens all doors…including that one. When her curiosity gets the better of her (which doesn’t take long), what she sees explains a lot, but it also brings up far more questions.

Carla Gugino, Matthew Beard and Dylan Baker co-star in this question mark of a film that alternates between creepy romance, science-fiction and horror. It doesn’t always work, but it’s definitely worth a look if you’re into weird films.

 

BLAZE

Not a lot of people know about Blaze Foley, the Austin music legend who could write a song better than just about anybody, but couldn’t seem to keep his life together long enough to record an album. Bipolar and homeless for most of his life, he made a name for himself via infrequent live shows (often with friend and more well-known legend, Townes Van Zandt).

Ben Dickey brings Blaze to life in Ethan Hawke’s loving ode to the man. All of his sweetness and contradictory feelings make him a tragic figure who everyone who meets him loves, even if they don’t quite understand him. Charlie Sexton plays Townes nearly perfectly. It really helps to have musicians playing these people, because it makes the soundtrack incredibly good.

The movie is told from three different perspectives of time: the time that Blaze lived with his wife (Alia Shawkat) in a tree in the woods, the last night of his life, and an interview with Townes and his producer (Josh Hamilton) not long after Blaze’s death. These time periods are intercut together and it makes the film almost Rashomon like.

It’s a beautiful film and should be seen by anyone interested in music. Especially a time when Austin was a breeding ground for underground country/folk artists like Blaze and Townes.

 

MEOW WOLF: ORIGIN STORY

I love Meow Wolf. That place is amazing. You can get lost in it for hours and still keep finding new things to experience. (Not just see, but experience.)

This movie is the story of how it all came together, from the punk rock origins of the artists to the (soon to be) multi-location business that it’s become. It’s a great story with a lot of really interesting characters and amazing art. The documentary itself is far more interesting than it is good, but it’s absolutely worth seeking out. The aesthetic can be a little over the top, but forgive it that. The Meow Wolf artists are heroes.

 

ON HER SHOULDERS

An important film about the genocide of the Yazidi people of the Middle East.

They were nearly wiped out by ISIS and Nadia Murad was held hostage and repeatedly raped while her family was killed. She managed to escape and now, at 23, has become the voice of her people, telling her story to anyone who will listen. She travels the world speaking to government officials of every country and, finally, the UN, hoping that someone will do anything to stop the genocide.

Alexandria Bombach has made a film that not only teaches us about this horrific episode of world history, but also shows us how we, as the world community, treat the survivors of these episodes. So many governments have told Nadia and her people that they want to help…but they just can’t, for one reason or another.

Or they’ll tell her “someday.” Luckily, Amal Clooney is involved now and is actively pursuing a lawsuit against ISIS to bring this issue to the world courts.

On Her Shoulders is a bit dry at times, but it’s worth every harrowing minute. Nadia’s story must be heard.

 

 

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