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‘Suicide Squad #43’ (review)

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Written by Rob Williams
Illustrated by Phillips Briones,
and Hugo Petrus

Published by DC Comics

 

This issue opens with Deadshot and Batman in a car going up against a big large snake mutant.

You have to laugh a bit at the concepts Rob Williams comes up with. Then, they are flanked by some Kobra soldiers! That leaves Batman to fight the big snake mutant thing.

At that point I said “oh, why not?” and enjoyed the silly yet entertaining ride.

Then, after that fight, Deadshot antagonizes Batman. And they fight. It’s a hell of a fight too for two guys who were working together up until now.

It feels a little forced but again, why not?

The adrenaline is high and at least it’s not boring.

After these two fight, the rest of the Suicide Squad shows up to stop these two. And another fight ensues! Batman and Deadshot are just trying to get to Floyd Lawton’s daughter. But Kobra’s high command is turning her into the deadliest Kobra agent of all.

And it looks like she’s getting ready to fight her father and maybe everyone else who happens to show up in this book.

That’s pretty much the whole issue. It ends on a cliffhanger. And it’s nuts. But again, why not? Williams keeps the adrenaline high throughout and there’s sort of a perverse enjoyment in reading this book.

The artwork flows from that two artists on this issue. Everyone is nuts but at least it’s readable and clean. I look forward to this title now. I never know what to expect issue to issue. But I always know that it will be completely bananas.

RATING: A

 


FOG! Chats With Charles Soule, Author of ‘The Oracle Year’

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Charles Soule is a very busy guy. 

A musician, attorney and the New York Times bestselling author of numerous comics titles for Marvel, DC, Image and other publishers, with over 2.2 million individual comics sold in 2017 alone, Soule decided to expand into prose with his first novel, The Oracle Year.

Knowledge is power. So when an unassuming Manhattan bassist named Will Dando awakens from a dream one morning with 108 predictions about the future in his head, he rapidly finds himself the most powerful man in the world. Protecting his anonymity by calling himself the Oracle, he sets up a heavily guarded Web site with the help of his friend Hamza to selectively announce his revelations. In no time, global corporations are offering him millions for exclusive access, eager to profit from his prophecies.

He’s also making a lot of high-powered enemies, from the President of the United States and a nationally prominent televangelist to a warlord with a nuclear missile and an assassin grandmother. Legions of cyber spies are unleashed to hack the Site—as it’s come to be called—and the best manhunters money can buy are deployed not only to unmask the Oracle but to take him out of the game entirely. With only a handful of people he can trust—including a beautiful journalist—it’s all Will can do to simply survive, elude exposure, and protect those he loves long enough to use his knowledge to save the world.

Charles took time out of his very busy schedule to discuss the book, his influences and what he has coming up.

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FOG!: What was the genesis of The Oracle Year?

Charles Soule: Ultimately, it was rooted in a question from my earliest days of trying to create a career for myself as a professional writer. I was putting a ton of effort in that direction, alongside many, many other commitments, and I had no guarantees that it would ever work out. No one does, right? I would have given a great deal to be able to ask an Oracle-type individual with knowledge of the future just one question: “Will this ever work out for me?” I figured many people probably have a question like that, their one big question, and it seemed, to me, like it might make a good seed for a novel. And here we are!

For those unfamiliar with your work, before you started writing comics, you worked (and continue to work) as an attorney and you’re also a musician. Now, you’ve had your first novel published.  How are you able to find the time to do everything (including write several comics a month) and if you could only have time to do one thing, which would you choose?

It’s more than several comics – I’m currently working on seven major projects, some announced, some not. That will be reduced a bit soon (seven is too much), but yes, I stay very busy. I just get the work done – there’s no big secret to it. For example, today’s Saturday as I type this, and I worked for a few hours this morning, took a break to see a movie, and now I’m working again in the afternoon. I do try to balance my time to some degree, because I think constant work is unhealthy, but I also really enjoy it. I like the work, I like telling stories. That makes it easier. If I could do one thing at a high level of success and income? It’d probably be music, which I still do a lot… but writing hit first, and it’s not like that’s a bad thing, right?

 I loved The Oracle Year. What was one of the more interesting facts that you discovered during research?

I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I’ve been truly thrilled and amazed with the reaction to the book. It seems to be having this great word-of-mouth buzz, which is fantastic, because it’s translating into sales, which means I’ll get to do another one, and hopefully another, and another…

As far as an interesting research fact, oh, there are tons. Researching a novel is a constant, endless cascade of facts, some of which make it into the book and many more of which do not. I did learn quite a bit about the Deep and Dark Webs and software security – which can be boiled down to the essential fact that we don’t really have much software security. It’s a scary old world out there, depending on what rocks you decided to look beneath.

One of the book’s most interesting characters is The Coach, a ruthless fixer and grandmother type.  Are there any plans to revisit Will Dando or The Coach in another story?

I don’t know if I’ll do a sequel to The Oracle Year. It depends on interest, sales, etc. I will say that the book was designed from the beginning not to answer every question readers might have, but also be a complete experience despite that fact. I do have a sequel idea, and it does involve the Coach (and Will, the Oracle of the title who gets a hundred and eight specific visions of the future and has to decide how or if he’ll release them to the world), but I also don’t know if it ever needs to be told. We’ll see. I’ve got lots of stories to tell – my next book relates to an entirely different subject.

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

Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore, Neal Stephenson, China Mieville, Dan Simmons, Brad Meltzer, Stephen King and more. I think those folks are all just breathtakingly good, and I hope someday I write a book that gets even a little close to what they’ve been able to do.

What else do you have coming up?

Lots of additional work for Marvel Comics, including returning Wolverine to life (after killing him with the amazing Steve McNiven back in 2014), Star Wars stories, the next novel, my creator-owned series Curse Words with artist/partner Ryan Browne for Image Comics, and much more. As you noted, I don’t take a lot of time off.

In your comics work, you’ve written Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Swamp Thing, The X-Men, Wolverine, The Inhumans, Lando Calrissian, Darth Vader, She-Hulk, and Daredevil.  Which character that you haven’t written yet would you love to take a chance at?

Oh, I don’t really think about that too much. Maybe Luke Skywalker, Captain America or Wonder Woman. I also have a fun Hourman story. Honestly, though, I’m lucky that I get to do the work I do.

What are you currently geeking out over?

I just read N.K. Jemisin’s Shattered Sky trilogy and really enjoyed it. The Three-Body Problem trilogy by Liu Cixin is stunning. I’ve been playing Subnautica when I get a spare minute, and I really enjoyed the RBG film, a documentary about Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Legion is great, as is Westworld. There’s a ton, though. It’s a great time for thoughtful, interesting entertainment.

The Oracle Year is now available in print, digital and audio editions

 

‘Tag’ (review)

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Produced by Todd Garner, Mark Steilen
Screenplay by Rob McKittrick, Mark Steilen
Story by Mark Steilen
Based on It Takes Planning, Caution to
Avoid Being It by Russell Adams

Directed by Jeff Tomsic
Starring Ed Helms, Jake Johnson,
Annabelle Wallis, Hannibal Buress,
Isla Fisher, Rashida Jones, Jon Hamm,
Leslie Bibb, Jeremy Renner

 

The idea of playing kids games as adults has seen a resurgence in recent years.

It’s now common to see company softball leagues share field time in the summer season with equally competitive grown-up kickball leagues.

But a group of friends from Spokane, Washington were ahead of the trend when they were profiled in a 2013 Wall Street Journal article detailing their 23 year long tradition of playing tag over a month-long period, inspiring the script from Rob McKittrick and Mark Steilen.

As a movie, Tag is surprisingly similar to the game: amusing for a while with many high-spirited moments, goes on a little too long after the fun has stopped for nearly everyone else, and is somehow more entertaining than anything this straightforward should really be.

Best friends Hoagie (Ed Helms), Sable (Hannibal Buress), Callahan (Jon Hamm), and Chilli (Jake Johnson) have been playing tag for 30 years, but all have yet to catch Jerry (Jeremy Renner), the untaggable champion of their game. As he plans to retire after his wedding, the guys work together for their last chance to make sure Jerry doesn’t go out undefeated.

Each star is incredibly comfortable in the archetype they are given, so there is no stretch for the audience to believe that Ed Helms is the overly emotional and attached guy, or that the continuously deadpan Hannibal Buress is simply going along with the whole thing because there is nothing else to do. He and Jon Hamm easily deliver the two strongest performances on the team, but only because Renner’s highly competitive fitness/martial arts guru character is in a class all his own.

Jerry is what would happen if Jason Bourne played kid’s games and had a mean girl streak.

The entire cast is having a great deal of fun throughout, but he seems to be most enjoying the ride. Whenever the film switches to slo-mo so that he can dissect his opponents actions via internal monologue and respond in kind, it feels like the movie itself is smirking at you. Or it could just be Jerry deciding for the 100th time that mentally and physically messing with his friends is much better than actually engaging with them, like when he invites Chilli and Callahan’s old flame (Rashida Jones) just to cause conflict at the rehearsal dinner.

With all of the genuinely idiotic yet hilarious moments in the movie, it’s never completely coherent.

We simply jump from funny moment to funny moment without much tying it all together except for a few questions from the Wall Street Journal reporter (Annabelle Wallis) every so often, and the manic drive of a truly gifted Isla Fisher as Hoagie’s wife who is possibly the most competitive of them all. The saving grace is that the funny moments are plentiful, and tied close enough together that the flimsy frame propping up a touching real life story is less noticeable in its flaws.

The mantra of the movie is “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing”. Is it that awful to grow up a little bit, especially when playing a game with the same rules as children could have real life consequences such as ruining someone’s wedding? Tag wavers on whether it’s a full endorsement or knows how completely insane this premise is.

But if you need to indulge your inner man-boy, Tag will certainly put you in the mood to wrestle with that question.

 

 

 

‘Mrs. Hyde’ (review)

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Produced by David Thion, Jean-Yves Roubin,
Cassandre Warnauts, Olivier Père

Written and Directed by Serge Bozon
Starring Isabelle Huppert, Romain Duris,
Patricia Barzyk, José Garcia, Adda Senani

 

Isabelle Huppert stars as the titular character and her very timid alter-ego, a put-upon school teacher named Marie Gequil. She has been teaching for thirty years, yet not only has zero command in the classroom, she’s openly derided and disrespected by her students, if they’re acknowledging her at all.

The school’s principal is an odd duck who looks at her as a mildly embarrassing failure, and her loving-but-clueless stay-at-home husband offers her only well-meaning but ultimately worthless advice.

She’s desperate to get through to her students, especially handicapped Malik, who shows potential but little genuine interest in school.

One night while working on an experiment, Marie is struck by lightning.

Soon, she is summoning heretofore untapped confidence, whipping her students into shape, earning their attention and respect and even forcing them to think for themselves.

Oh, she also starts receiving creepy messages from “Mrs. Hyde” and eventually starts referring to herself as such and starts sleepwalking after her entire body glows like a light stick. Oh, and she can set things on fire by touching them.

Man this movie is weird. I just wish its levels of quality and coherence matched its level of oddness.

First off, the majority of the film is a fairly straightforward drama about a veteran teacher’s late life crisis in realizing she’s not reaching her students. That’s all well and good, but if you’re calling your movie Mrs. Hyde, it would be great if the movie explored the two sides of this woman with even a little bit of depth or insight.

Also, the scenes that focus on Glowbaby Hyde don’t illuminate (sorry) the themes much. In fact, other than a critique of the French educational system, I’m not at all sure what themes the film is attempting to get across.
And the film’s editing honestly appears like the filmmakers played a scene out in post-production, then arbitrarily would freeze an image and decide to cut away at that spot. Many – if not most – scenes in the film just end, or wither away, making absolutely no impact.

Furthermore, this movie is sloooooow. It’s never outright dull, but it comes rather close. There’s really one element that keeps this film from turning into snoozeville, and that leads us to the positive.

I consider the film actually worth seeing if only for Huppert’s performance. It’s hardly her best but it feels wholly uncharacteristic for her and she still nails it. While the script is so muddled that it never really convinces us of Marie’s – or her students’ – personality changes, Huppert almost does.

Another thing I liked is that the film does take its time to allow Marie to teach certain tenets and specific brain-teaser problems in real time, allowing the audience to learn along with the students.

Still, this one’s a tough sell. It’s not an interesting variation on the Robert Louis Stevenson classic, though the film is officially based on the book. It’s not an especially insightful character study.

What it apparently is – to many critics who have praised the film – is an often hilarious satire about modern French society. I’m frankly not at all well-versed in things modern France, so I imagine a lot of those references and observations went over my head.

Even so, I’m shocked this is considered a comedy, let alone a hilarious one. I chuckled a few times at what I thought was very sporadic comic relief, but this never had the feel of a comedy of any stripe to me, even a failed one.

Still, feel free to judge for yourselves, then you can clue me in to what I missed.

 

Mrs. Hyde arrives On Demand on June 19th

 

DC Reveals Tom King and Clay Mann’s Top Secret Project, ‘Heroes in Crisis’

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Seven-Issue September Miniseries Offers King’s Unprecedented Vision of the DC Universe

Introduces Sanctuary, A Crisis Center for DC Super Heroes That Combines Superman’s Kryptonian Technology, Wonder Woman’s Amazonian Mysticism and Is Powered by Batman’s Financial Empire

There’s a crisis headed toward DC’s greatest heroes, but it isn’t coming from outer space or another dimension—this time, the threat is homegrown. DC proudly presents a new seven-issue miniseries debuting in September by Tom King and his BATMAN collaborator/artist Clay Mann, titled HEROES IN CRISIS.

A former counterterrorism operations officer with the CIA, King’s bestselling, critically acclaimed comics—including THE SHERIFF OF BABYLON, THE OMEGA MEN, BATMAN, MISTER MIRACLE—have often grappled with war and conflict, and a hero’s struggle to put their war and their trauma behind them. This new series will explore similar themes against the backdrop of a murder mystery involving Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn, Booster Gold, and the rest of the World’s Greatest Super Heroes.

“I feel like I’m part of a rolling generation of people who spent their twenties overseas fighting terrorism,” explained King. “Millions of people cycle through that machine and come home to America. And I think that sort of experience of violence is shaping who we are as a culture, and as a country. And I want to talk about that. I want to talk about that experience, the experience of what violence can do to a person, to a community, to a nation, to a world.”

These pressures and internal conflicts can impact superheroes just as hard, if not more. To that end, King created a sanctuary within the pages of the comics he’s writing—a crisis center for superheroes who spend their lives fighting villainy and protecting others.

HEROES IN CRISIS is not a tale of universes colliding and dying. Instead this is a story centering on the humans and superhumans under the mask; this is about what allows them to get up and fight when it appears they can’t ever get up and fight again. When it’s too much, and it’s often too much, heroes go to Sanctuary—created by Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman—to find a moment of safety before returning to a universe of violence. HEROES IN CRISIS is also about what happens when Sanctuary fails, resulting in catastrophic consequences for the DCU.

“If I could do anything to the DCU,” concluded King, “it would be to bring a sense of community of superheroes and people. I feel a duty to talk about what violence does to a society through the comics I’m creating.”

The premiere issue of HEROES IN CRISIS, written by Tom King with art by Clay Mann and Tomeu Morey, lettered by Clayton Cowles, and edited by Jamie S. Rich and Brittany Holzherr, will reach comic book stores and be available digitally on September 26.

 

‘Life of the Party’ on Blu-ray Combo and DVD Arrives on August 7; Digital HD 7/24!

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Watch as a newly divorced mother resets her life and navigates the world of college when “Life of the Party” arrives on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital.

 When her husband suddenly dumps her, longtime dedicated housewife Deanna (Melissa McCarthy) turns regret into reset by going back to college…landing in the same class and school as her daughter, who’s not entirely sold on the idea. Plunging headlong into the campus experience, the increasingly outspoken Deanna—now Dee Rock—embraces freedom, fun and frat boys on her own terms, finding her true self in a senior year no one ever expected.

Life of the Party” is directed by Ben Falcone (“Tammy,” “The Boss”). Alongside McCarthy, the film also stars Gillian Jacobs (“Don’t Think Twice,” TV’s “Love,” TV’s “Community”), Maya Rudolph (“Bridesmaids,” “Sisters”), Julie Bowen (TV’s “Modern Family”), Matt Walsh (TV’s “Veep,” “Ghostbusters”), Molly Gordon (“Love the Coopers,” TV’s “Animal Kingdom”), Stephen Root (“Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates”), Oscar nominee Jacki Weaver (“Silver Linings Playbook,” “Animal Kingdom”), Jessie Ennis (TV’s “Better Call Saul”), Adria Arjona (TV’s “True Detective,” TV’s “Emerald City”), Debby Ryan (TV’s “Jessie”) and Jimmy O. Yang (TV’s “Silicon Valley”).

Falcone’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Julio Macat (“The Boss,” “Horrible Bosses 2,” “Daddy’s Home”), production designer Rusty Smith (“The Boss”), editor Brian Olds (“Central Intelligence”), and costume designer Louise Mingenbach (the “The Hangover” franchise) with music by Fil Eisler (“How to Be Single,” TV’s “Empire”). A New Line Cinema production, “Life of the Party” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

McCarthy and Falcone co-wrote the screenplay and produced through their production company, On the Day Production. Chris Henchy is also producing the film, with David Siegel serving as executive producer.

Life of the Party” will be available on Blu-ray Combo Pack for $35.99 and DVD for $28.98. The Blu-ray Combo Pack features a Blu-ray disc with the film and special features in high definition, a DVD with the film in standard definition and a Digital version of the movie.

Life of the Party” will also be available on Movies Anywhere. Using the free Movies Anywhere app and website, consumers can access all their eligible movies by connecting their Movies Anywhere account with their participating digital retailer accounts.

Fans can also own “Life of the Party via purchase from digital retailers beginning July 24.

BLU-RAY AND DVD ELEMENTS

Life of the Party Blu-ray Combo Pack contain the following special features:

  • 80s Party
  • Mom Sandwich
  • Line-O-Rama
  • Bill Hate-O-Rama
  • Gag Reel
  • Deleted Scenes

 

 Life of the Party Standard Definition DVD contain the following special features:

  • ’80s Party

For more details, visit Facebook.com/LifeOfThePartyMovie

‘Rifftrax: Space Mutiny’ (review)

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If you have ever been a fan of MST3K then you know that one of the best episodes of the entire series was their riffing of the 1988 “classic” Space Mutiny.

All of the railing deaths, the incoherent plot, the editing that makes things more confusing, the industrial plant being asked to pass for a space ship, the fake beard on Cameron Mitchell, the stolen Battlestar Galactica footage and of course the amazing Reb Brown. Fans have made this episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 one of the most loved of it’s entire run and oddly flung Reb Brown into cult stardom more than any of his impressive body of work ever did.

We are not here to talk about how Mystery Science Theater 3000 roasted Space Mutiny though… we are hear to see if RiffTrax can up the ante.

The film itself is something of a wonder and with it being a modern signpost of mockery we have to wonder just how such a mess was allowed to be released.

In 1988 prolific director, producer and dance choreographer (I am not kidding) David Winters was set to direct the film we know as Space Mutiny. Debates rage on as to how much of the film Winters actually directed as he states he was called away due to a death in the family before shooting began and first AD Neal Sundstrom actually shot the entire movie with Winters attempting to remove his own name from the project after the fact.

This account is contradicted by some cast and crew who claim Winters indeed directed the bulk of the movie. I personally believe Winters did indeed direct the film as it has his trademarks all over it. If you have ever seen a David Winters film before (or those he made after) Space Mutiny fits comfortably into his filmography.

Conversely when it comes to Neal Sundstrom and his body of work he has proven himself far more resourceful and with a steadier hand so I wager the issues at hand are Winters. Regardless though Winters is solely to blame for the structure and framework incompetence as it was his screenplay, under the pseudonym Maria Dante, which laid the groundwork for everything that would follow. The Winters as Dante script was a disjointed mess and no one could have made this into anything of merit without a complete rewrite.

Shot in South Africa during apartheid by the direct to video AIP (Action International Pictures), Space Mutiny was never meant to be anything more than a product with no regard to quality whatsoever.

And this shows in the release version.

While Space Mutiny was a flawed picture from the very get go it was not unsavable although with Winters at the helm (sic) there was never a real chance. The movie tried to pretend it had more production value than it did and yet was completely unaware of it’s many inherent flaws. Many years after the fact, and after the picture was one of the most mocked movies of all time, star Cisse Cameron claimed the movie was always a satire and was meant to lampoon “Space Operas”.

Since this is how all of the “Worst films ever made” attempt to divert attention from their issues I tend to not believe this as the movie is played too straight to have ever been a satire and AIP did not make satires… they made and released low budget action sci-fi garbage meant to appeal to the lowest discernment of it’s viewer.

While Space Mutiny itself was a disaster when one watches Mike and the Bots you realize they could only have wished for a film such as this (and yes, I am one of the few who had seen this film on it’s own prior to MST3K launching it into the popular consciousness). Movies the likes of Space Mutiny don’t just come along every day and there is a reason fans gravitated towards it as a favorite episode.

That all said, Space Mutiny is the newest RiffTrax Live event from Fathom Events and since the RiffTrax crew are the same ones that riffed said movie on Mystery Science Theater 3000 the question is raised… just why the hell should anyone want to pay good money to see a rehashed version of a nearly two decades old MST3K?

The answer is because it’s not a rehash.

Sure the movie has been done before and by these very same riffers, but the RiffTrax guys went into Space Mutiny with a mission, to revisit the film and not repeat any of the jokes from the previous Satellite Of Love iteration. In essence you are getting a brand new RiffTrax with a hint of the classic MST3K. The actual live showing has now passed but there is an encore on June 19th and since I just left the live screening I recommend this very much. It was hilarious and they are showing a version of the film itself that you had not seen previously.

When MST3K got ahold of films they had to edit out nudity and things such as that but they also edited out non-objectionable content as well to make time for the host segments. So this Space Mutiny is the full film with the 10 or so minutes that MST3K removed and the boobs (kind of… you have to see for yourself).

As with most Fathom Events and with RiffTrax Live especially you get a little extra for your money and this is no exception. Besides some funny placeholder “trivia” cards before the show they also riff a short film about a magic shop by HG Wells himself (they even note how odd this feels). The short is bizarre and fits will into the Rifftrax library.

Check out the replay on the 19th. It’s worth it.

 

For more information visit FathomEvents.com/events/rifftrax-live-space-mutiny

 

Will ‘Ozark’ Be Emmy’s Sleeper Nom?

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With the influx of literally dozens of networks, there’s never been a time with as much talent making interesting and often times, brilliant television.  While the networks and cable stations have long been the source of the most recognition, streaming has become a powerhouse of content, releasing such award worth shows as Stranger Things, The Crown, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, GLOW, Jessica Jones, Black Mirror, Bojack Horseman, and Mindhunter.

One of my favorite series of the year, most deserving of Emmy recognition is the Netflix series, Ozark.

Created by Bill Dubuque (The Accountant, The Judge), Ozark stars Jason Bateman as Marty Byrde, a financial planner who relocates his family from Chicago to the Ozarks summer resort community in Missouri to escape a drug lord, Del (Esai Morales), after a money-laundering scheme goes wrong.  Forced to pay off the substantial debt owed to Del in order to keep his family safe, Marty, his wife Wendy (Laura Linney) and their two kids find their once fractured family reconnecting under the most dire of circumstances from a situation which they have no control.

For almost four decades, Jason Bateman has been a fixture on television, starring on such series as It’s Your Move, Valerie/The Hogan Family, Silver Spoons and Arrested Development.  But it’s his work on Ozark that shows off his skills as an actor (and a director, helming four episodes of ten episodes of the first season).  Although his character is smug, his performance is nuanced, Marty is in full survival mode, trying to save himself and his family through a tense, emotionally charged situation.

The supporting cast also deserves major accolades, in particular Linney as Wendy Byrde, preserving her broken marriage for survival and revealing her own grifting skills.  Also fantastic is Julie Garner as Ruth Langmore, a trailer park criminal who finds herself closely tied to the Byrde family.

The early predictions say that Ozark has somewhere around the middle-of-the-pack odds to win. Bookies won’t have actual bets on the event yet but they do closer to September.

Definitely check this list before placing a bet on a betting site you can see who will have a variety of props listed. I’ve seen a few articles campaigning for Bateman to get the recognition he deserves. The dark horse element is pretty tempting but seeing what won last year, I’m not sure anything Ozark is the smartest bet to make.

Only ten episodes long, Ozark found an audience, but never became the obsession that it deserved to be. Hopefully, with Emmy nominated recognition the series will find the itself a larger audience for the upcoming second season.

 


Behold, the Nerdy Man Who Dances Like a Sexy Lady, Because Why Not?

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On Monday, my legs were shot. Like, no energy in them at all when I walked, or moved them in any way. Stuck in molasses.

“Oh yeah,” I thought to myself. “You did do some heavy dancing five days straight last week.”

That’s right: Zumba on Tuesday night, Zumba on Wednesday morning and night, Zumba Thursday night, dancing Friday and Saturday nights.

I can’t stop dancing!

Image via Avarty Studios

And, as you can tell from that rundown of my week, I am Zumba Man.

Yes, Zumba Man! While my true superpowers are navigating mass transit systems and finding a restroom, it turns out Zumba may be another superpower.

It amuses me sometimes how things have turned out with all this dancing. There was a time in my life when I never thought this dancing fool could be me, though. For the longest time growing up, I didn’t think I could dance all that well. I didn’t think I knew how, first off.

Also, that fit all the better with the nerd identity I had known or had thrust upon me. Because nerds can’t dance!

That’s what we were told, right?

Think of the wild gesticulations and gyrations of Farmer Ted in Sixteen Candles or Crispin Glover in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter. (For the record, I was friends with a nerdy guy in high school who danced with similar high-energy flair.)

Or, even when nerds are good at dancing, it’s a joke. Poindexter in Revenge of the Nerds finds his groove to “Thriller,” but the close-up of his pelvic thrusts to the beat are supposed to win the biggest laugh.

The chief set piece of Napoleon Dynamite is rooted in marveling at this most awkward geek’s fluid, sensual dance moves to Jamiroquai’s modern disco jam. The comedy comes in how Napoleon’s dancing seems the complete opposite of everything we’ve known about him through the movie.

And being black and nerdy didn’t make it any better, either, growing up in the ‘90s heyday of Steve Urkel and Carlton Banks. The “Do the Urkel” dance was based in how corny Urkel was, as he aped his own mannerisms.

And Carlton’s arm-swinging bop, while not terribly wack on its own, was set to Tom Jones’ “It’s Not Unusual,” ensuring it was wack forever.

In real life, who wants to be laughed at when they’re dancing?

The overall practice of dancing already can look so ridiculous on its face. However, because it is a form of self-expression, a seriousness and bearing of the true self remains.

Add to this how, among black people, you can be laughed off the floor by showing poor dance skills.

If you didn’t know this judgmental aspect of life within the race, now you do. The reason many non-black people think we all can dance is because those of who can’t, don’t. They got shamed out of dancing by their own family and friends long ago, and stopped altogether! White supremacy is the ability to dance poorly in public, and no one really cares.

This happened to me, when I was 10, at my uncle’s wedding reception, with my own family! Thought I was busting a serious move, but those Temptations step-and-slides with a reverse speed bag didn’t go over too well. I’m lucky that you only see a part of me in a corner of the frame on the wedding video.

For real, I dance just fine now, and have for a long while. I grew up, I got in shape, I learned how to move my body in space better. I’m good. Really. I don’t think I get judged harshly on the floor these days.

In fact, I’ve been told I’m rather good at this dancing thing, even though I don’t think I’m that good. I look at people who do this for real, and I still don’t think that is me. I’m regular.

Yet even as I tell you this, it’s true I’ve gotten pulled up to the front of the Zumba class during routines. I am told I move with proper timing. I try to go all out, especially when the choreo gets in my system. (I even know the real hoofers call it “choreo.”) I like to end each routine with some kind of flourish, because why not? The Zumba ladies high-five me for that as much as my loud-ass tights.

I’ve won some amateur, pull-from-the-crowd, dance contests from Brooklyn to Jamaica (the island, not Queens). In fact, I won one just this past week at a burlesque show. The bottle of Pinot Noir is on the kitchen counter right now.

I’ve been told I am a “dance god.” What do I do with that? I don’t feel it, but I’ll take it, right?

Part of this discomfort for me is how this works as another reckoning with life while black. My people have a reputation for dancing, and dancing well. And, among non-black audiences, I’m happy to receive the compliments on my dancing, while in the back of my mind I’m wondering whether my dance ability is bolstered by my race. If you think I can dance by looking at me, does anything I do look good?

The whiter the crowd on the dance floor, the greater the reaction. That’s often when the circle forms, and I gotta get out of the middle! Or I get asked to help teach somebody, usually a white woman, how to dance. Or they downplay their own dancing in deference to mine, as if we’re competing or I’m supposed to be paired off with some other, superior dancer. Please.

Among other black people, I return to the middle of the pack and can toil away in obscurity while the flashier folks draw the shine. I can’t move with great fluidity and connection of all my parts in the way folks who are actually good at this can. No flips, dips and splits for me, either.

If it’s Latin and Caribbean folks, then I really step back.

At least the expectations are low enough for this old-school American Negro that the little I can do garners some respect. Zumba helped a lot in this regard, especially now that I have been going 3-4 times a week. A salsa step side to side, or a hip-turning soca march, gets a nod of acknowledgment. “That’s cool, he learned some of our stuff.”

My five-plus years of Zumba have been an eye-opening lens into masculinity as well. As I often say, I’ve spent more than five years learning to dance like a sexy lady.

Why do I say that? The calculation is simple.

I am often the only or one of a few men in any Zumba class I’ve attended. Altogether, in all that time, I’ve done Zumba with maybe 10 other men, and that includes three male instructors. Therefore, much of the dancing is geared toward women, given that the classes are nearly all women, and nearly all of the instructors are women.

Then, with Zumba being based in Latin and Caribbean dances, a lot of it is sexy stuff – hip shaking, booty popping, body rolling. Stuff that’s not exactly seen as heteronormatively masculine, which are the categories I live as. Sure, we’ve had a lot of male hip-swivelers and pneumatic gyrators in our times, but they’re not exactly doing Shakira hip drops and rolls.

But I am, and it’s great. Glorious, even. Because, why not?

Why not learn how to use my body in as many ways as possible? Why shouldn’t I wear those colorful Lu La Roe tights? Why not use allllll of my arms? Why not do it all with a smile, or with a shout when it’s time to get dowwwnnn.

Why not twerk and vogue?

I’m playing with my friends. I do what I want, in my free-range masculinity. Life’s too short not to try living beyond options A, B and C, and try getting all the way to whatever your Z is.

And that includes your body! Why not move my body to full, well-rounded effect, while I still can?

All the better to steal your girl on the dance floor because I move like she does, if not better.

 

 

Win ‘Paradox’ on Blu-ray Combo Pack!

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When his daughter goes missing in Thailand, a Hong Kong cop (Louis Koo) teams with local police (Tony Jaa, Wu Yue) to find her, but instead finds himself embroiled in a web of corruption and violence in this explosive thriller from famed action director Wilson Yip (Ip Man Trilogy, SPL: Kill Zone).

And we’re giving away three copies!

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

Paradox co-stars Tony Jaa, who became a star with his performance as Tien, in this 2003 film?

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 June 25th, 2018

WBHE Announces ‘The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Eleventh Season’

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In its eleventh season, The Big Bang Theory garnered an audience of nearly 19 million Weekly Viewers, solidifying its spot as one of the top sitcoms, and broadcast programs in general, across all demographics. Now, ahead of the much-anticipated twelfth season premiere this fall, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is set to release The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Eleventh Season on Blu-ray ($49.99 SRP) and DVD ($44.98 SRP) September 11, 2018. The release will also delight fans with three all-new bonus featurettes, and a hilarious gag reel. Blu-ray release will also include the 2017 Comic-Con cast panel. The eleventh season of The Big Bang Theory is also currently available to own via purchase from digital retailers.

Leonard and Sheldon are brilliant physicists – geniuses in the laboratory but socially challenged everywhere else. Insert beautiful, street-smart neighbor Penny, who endeavors to teach them a thing or two about the “real” world. Despite their on-again, off-again relationship history, Leonard and Penny have tied the knot. Even Sheldon has entered into a “Relationship Agreement” with neurobiologist Amy, and he recently took their relationship to the next level by proposing marriage. Will the possibility of domestic bliss alter the chemistry between these two extreme achievers? Will Leonard prove to be a brilliant writer? Will Raj’s search for new love rival his search for new stars in the cosmos? Will Howard and Bernadette’s growing family reach critical mass? Quantum comedy continues to converge in all 24 Season Eleven episodes of this laugh-out-loud megahit.

With Blu-Ray’s unsurpassed picture and sound, The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Eleventh Season Blu-Ray release will include 1080p Full HD Video with DTS-HD Master Audio for English 5.1. The 2-disc Blu-Ray also includes a digital copy of all 24 episodes from Season Eleven.

 

Includes All-New Special Features:        

  • The Maturation Imperative (NEW Featurette)
  • The Big Bang Theory: The Blueprint of Comedy (NEW Featurette)
  • A BBT History of Time (NEW Featurette)
  • Gag Reel
  • The Big Bang Theory: 2017 Comic-Con Panel (Exclusive to Blu-ray)

 

Etheria Film Night Honors Helmer Rachel Talalay

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Actress Lori Petty with honored guest, director Rachel Talalay / Image via @loripetty

Director Rachel Talalay has comes a long way from her start as John Waters production assistant on 1981’s Polyester. Fresh out of Yale, the still green recent grad got a crash course in filmmaking  under the tutelage of the Pope of Trash so many years.

Since then, Talalay has racked up a pretty impressive resume over the years, including credits on Doctor Who, Sherlock, Freddy’s Dead and the cult hit Tank Girl.

Now over 25 years later, Talalay receives the Inspiration Award at the Etheria FIlm Night at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood.

The Etheria Film Night, which focuses on female directors of genre films, created to Inspiration Award to honor industry vets who women filmmakers. Past recipients for the award have included B-movie queen Jackie Kong, Hugo Award winner Jane Espenson, helmer Lexi Alexander and Roger Corman protege Stephanie Rothman.

On hand to present the award was Tank Girl herself, Lori Petty.

“We are here to honor the director of Tank Girl, Rachel Talalay. She is also the director of a zillion movies and television shows, from Freddy’s Dead to Sherlock to Doctor Who to that one movie…that classic movie…the one with the pretty girl,” joked Petty.

“Now, in 1995, not a lot of people got it. But guess what? Rachel made a lot of people sit up. She got it. I got it. You got it. So that is all the people that we needed in 1995. But now it is called a called a cult classic, but just called it a motherfucker before it’s time. Which if you are an artist, that is what you are…period.”

“I have never worked on a film where I had that much fun as I had on that movie,” continued Petty. “In the freezer. In the heat. In the desert. With burning tires. Falling off the tires and getting run over. Jumping off the semi because they didn’t tell me it was rigged and I thought we were going to go off the cliff. But she had my back every single fucking day. And that’s what you need to need to make art.”

Then in a special surprise message, John Water’s himself appeared on the bigscreen in a special message to Talalay to congratulated the helmer on a job well done.

Image via @rtalalay

“The Etheria Film Festival…Any event that has Girls & Corpses Magazine as a sponsor seems prestigous to me,” said Waters. “This event is described as  ‘Only Hell Has Better Movies,’ well, let me be the first to plunge down and worship.”

Tank Girl really proved Rachel’s directorial chops. This riot grrrl can kick ass! She clawed her way up from New Line and ended up producing my Hairspray movie and still had the nerve to whisper to me after a take that I was acting to nilly playing an evil psychiatrist…in MY OWN FILM!,” yelled Waters. “She followed that by producing my first big budget film Cry Baby for Imagine Films and survived Johnny Depp’s insane groupies, Joey Heatherton talking to her purse like it was a real person and a publicist from the studio who got busted for heroin in the middle of a shoot.”

“She’s kicked the glass ceiling in TV and film right from the beginning. Rachel Talalay. She’s my Wonder Woman. The computer nerd who was definitely was heard. A budget buster who can make a dollar holler.”

After much praise, Talalay took to the stage to accept the award and talk about the industry and creating genre films.

Image via Erin Maxwell

“I love genre and what women do with it.  Because it is absolute subversiveness. It is subverting the narrative and radicalizing it. It’s ripping the guts out of the cliches. It’s telling the stories we are told not to tell and doing it in the the most perverse ways by the most creative ways. In short, it’s amazing,” said Talalay.  “And dammit, women rock it. Because we have a lot of establishment to bite.”

“There it a lot that needs changing. Women of genre understand that our filmmaking is one way to do that. We can get in there and tack the old boys club and the tropes and the cliches. We can talk control of our own stories.

‘The Walking Dead: The Complete Eighth Season’ Arrives on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital August 21

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Worlds collide as “All Out War” breaks out between the factions when AMC’s blockbuster hit series “The Walking Dead”: The Complete Eighth Season arrives on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital August 21 from Lionsgate. The explosive eighth season bridges the stories between “The Walking Dead” and its spinoff, “Fear the Walking Dead,” leading to a thrilling battle for freedom paved with casualties and tragedy. “The Walking Dead”: The Complete Eighth Season features an all-star cast and fan favorites, including:

  • Andrew Lincoln (Love Actually, Heartbreaker, TV’s “Strike Back”)
  • Norman Reedus (The Boondock Saints, Triple 9, Blade II)
  • Chandler Riggs (Get Low, Mercy)
  • Melissa McBride (The Mist, The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys)
  • Lauren Cohen (All Eyez On Me, The Boy)
  • Danai Gurira (Black Panther, All Eyez On Me)
  • Lennie James (Snatch, Lockout, Colombiana)
  • Alanna Masterson (TV’s “Mistresses” and “Grey’s Anatomy”)
  • Josh McDermitt (TV’s “Twin Peaks” and “Mad Men”)
  • Seth Gilliam (Starship Troopers, TV’s “Teen Wolf”)
  • Christian Serratos (The Twlight Saga, Flight 7500)
  • Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen, TV’s “The Good Wife” and “Grey’s Anatomy”)
  • Khary Payton (TV’s “Young Justice” and “The Lion Guard”)

Together with the Hilltop and the Kingdom, Rick and the Alexandrians bring “All Out War” to Negan and his forces. The Saviors are larger, better equipped, and ruthless, but Rick and the unified communities are fighting for the promise of a brighter future. The battle lines are drawn as they launch into a kinetic, action-packed offensive.

Take home “The Walking Dead”: The Complete Eighth Season and go behind the scenes with three audio commentaries (on episodes 803, 804, and 816) and three featurettes exclusive to the home entertainment release, offering an in-depth look at the making of the gripping eighth season. The home entertainment release also includes six extended episodes not seen in the original broadcast. The Blu-ray and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $80.99 and $70.98, respectively.

BLU-RAY / DVD SPECIAL FEATURES

  • Audio Commentaries
    • Episode 803 Commentary: Executive Producer Scott Gimple and Writer Matt Negrete
    • Episode 804 Commentary: Executive Producer Scott Gimple and Director Dan Liu
    • Episode 816 Commentary: Executive Producer Scott Gimple and Writer Angela Kang
  • “Carl Grimes: Leaving a Legacy” Featurette
  • “In Memoriam” Featurette
  • “The Price of War” Featurette

For more details, visit Facebook.com/TheWalkingDeadAMC

 

Mulberrys Garment Care: A Guide To Cleaning Super-Hero Stains

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Here’s a question: How would superheroes clean their costumes?

Avengers: Infinity War has made over $2 billion worldwide box office gross and is on track to be one of the highest earning movies of all time. But, without giving away spoilers, all of that fighting The Avengers have done has to not only take a toll on their bodies, but their costumes as well. These superheroes may have a plethora of powers and technology at their disposal, but I don’t think that laundry and tailoring are among them. So, how should they clean and mend their costumes?

Mulberrys Garment Care, a dry cleaning and tailoring business, decided they would help out. In a series of graphics that look exactly like comic book pages, the superheroes are faced with a dilemma based on their costume and their powers. The Stain Expert then offers a custom solution to the problem.

Let’s take a look at a few of them:

Captain America’s uniform has the unique problem of having been encased in ice for decades. Not a common problem. So, if the uniform were to be preserved and displayed, how would it need to be cleaned? The quick answer is very gently. It should be hand washed and gently spot treated.

Black Panther’s suit can absorb energy and then discharge it at a later time. All of that built up energy could cause quite a problem if he wanted to throw it in the laundry after a long day of superheroing. This fix is pretty easy — just don’t put it in the dryer. Lay it out flat after washing.

Dr. Strange would have perhaps the most interesting of all the superheroes. How would you clean a garment that is imbued with magical properties and has a mind of its own? Well, the expert recommends a garment bag. For a cloak with its own mind, perhaps keeping it confined is the best way to clean it, even if the cloak may not like it.

The Incredible Hulk may have one of the most amusing problems. How many pairs of pants must he go through in a week? Sure, it would depend on how anger-inducing the week was for him, but his pants budget must be way above average. The expert did have a few tips for him. First, the pant seams could be reinforced and some elastic could be installed. Then, he should probably carry an emergency sewing kit in case things get carried away.

Superheroes live very different lives than the citizens they fight for and protect. So, while they would have laundry and tailoring problems like the average person, the challenges they would face when trying to clean or mend their costumes would not be average. Their superpowers present unique challenges and specific ways of cleaning. These beautiful graphics offer some humorous problems and solutions for those challenges.

 

Say Her Name: ‘Octopussy’ Turns 35

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At the tail end of the 1981 James Bond film For Your Eyes Only, audiences were teased with the title for the next 007 movie—”James Bond Will Return in Octopussy.

Say what?

After our initial reflexive, latently adolescent giggles, we were all probably thinking the same thing: There’s no way the MPAA will let the producers get away with using that title. Right?

Not so fast.

Since author Ian Fleming himself had long before used the title for a collection of James Bond short stories without too much literary outcry, the risqué moniker was permitted to be used for the movie. This circumnavigation of any controversy over the perceived indecency of the movie’s title is but one of the miraculous feats of the thirteenth Bond movie, which was released in theaters 35 years ago this month.

Octopussy is one of the more schizophrenic James Bond pictures, a mix of old-style 007 escapist globe-trotting fantasy and camp with a more serious and very timely real-world plot device (fanatical Russian general—Stephen Berkoff, mad as a hatter—wants to detonate a nuke on a foreign U.S. base to instigate a global disarmament that would allow his troops to take over the world). The atomic bomb plot somehow ties into a counterfeit jewelry scheme run by the mysterious leader of a female cult with a name that makes men titter (Octopussy is played by Maud Adams, the first actress to play two big parts in two different Bond movies).

Add in one exiled Afghan prince (the slippery suave Louis Jourdan), his built-like-a-brick-wall Sikh henchman, the largest role yet for our man “Q,” Bond donning more disguises than ever before—including an alligator, a gorilla, and, most notoriously, a circus clown—and a certain little title creature that dispatches a bad guy most gruesomely, and you’ve got the makings of one of 007’s wildest rides. It’s unlike anything the 007 producers have given us before and yet it fits totally and comfortably within the tried and true 007 formula.

It very well could have been a complete train wreck. Beyond the superstition of it being the 13th movie in the series, 007 had quite an uphill battle with Octopussy.

Firstly, though the previous film For Your Eyes Only has since gained the respect of fans and critics for going back to basics, jettisoning the gizmos, and making Bond a flesh-and-blood character (as opposed to the comic book creation he resembled while in outer space having laser battles in Moonraker), the smaller-scale “soft reboot” aspects of For Your Eyes Only make the movie suffer in comparison to the grand scale ludicrosity of Moonraker.

Octopussy needed to be bigger and more Bondian.

Secondly, Octopussy made it to the silver screen first, but the whole planet knew Sean Connery was making his own renegade James Bond film (the Thunderball remake Never Say Never Again) and the movie-going world prepared for a showdown of 007s unlike any we had ever witnessed before.

If these two reasons weren’t enough of a motivation for the producers EON to pull out all the stops for Octopussy, there was another factor that simply could not be ignored: the Indiana Jones effect. Octopussy is the first Bond movie that was conceived in the wake of Raiders of the Lost Ark, and there is a conscious effort on the part of the Bond producers to not only one-up previous 007 films, but also to compete with the increased quantity and heightened level of action sequences and stratified cliffhangers audiences were now accustomed to seeing in a grand-scale adventure. There is more action and more suspense in Octopussy than in the past few 007 flicks combined—there’s literally a cliffhanger where Bond saves Octopussy from falling off the edge of a tall cliff—and returning director John Glen handles the physical stunts and practical effects with aplomb.

Against all odds, and with a touch of the exotic, a bevy of alluring Bond Girls and background beauties, delightful gadgets, broad humor (maybe a bit too broad—we’re looking at you, Tarzan yell), and one of Roger Moore’s most assured and debonair turns as 007, Octopussy manages to succeed as rollicking popcorn escapist entertainment.

Formulaic, yes; a bit too convoluted for its own good, granted; but never ordinary, never dull, never complacent—merely the producers delivering two-plus-hours of what feels like the most vital element in the James Bond franchise that has allowed the 007 series to endure: FUN.


‘Stranger Things’ Comes To Dark Horse

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Dark Horse and Netflix are excited to announce a strange, new partnership of a multi-year publishing line based on the hit Netflix Original series, Stranger Things! Set to debut in September 2018, the officially licensed publishing program will give fans of the beloved show an opportunity to explore the mysterious world of Hawkins, Indiana. Dark Horse will publish a line of comics and young adult graphic novels expanding the world of Hawkins and its many inhabitants.

“Dark Horse is known for championing stories and storytellers,” explained Dark Horse President and Founder Mike Richardson. “We are so excited to work with Netflix to bring the world of Stranger Things to comics.”

Award-winning writer Jody Houser (Faith, Orphan Black, Mother Panic), penciller Stefano Martino (Legs Weaver, Nathan Never), inker Keith Champagne (JSA, Superboy), colorist Lauren Affe (Rebels, Five Ghosts), and letterer Nate Piekos (Briggs Land, Green Arrow) unite to bring the nostalgia igniting of the Netflix original series to comic shelves in the first installment of Dark Horse’s publishing program.

Stranger Things #1 (of 4-issues) follows Will Byers as he enters a dimension of decay and destruction where he must use his wits and resolve to dodge the pursuit of the Demogorgon and escape the Upside Down. Stranger Things #1 features a cover by artist Aleksi Briclot (New Avengers, Maskemane) with three variant covers from Rafael Albuquerque (American Vampire, Blue Beetle), visual artist Kyle Lambert, and a photo-variant cover designed by Patrick Satterfield and Netflix.

Stranger Things #1 goes on sale September 26, 2018, and is available for preorder at your local comic shop. Dark Horse will release more information about the publishing program in the coming months.

 

A Look at the Highlights From E3 2018

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As many of you know, in previous posts regarding E3 I’ve been somewhat of a downer, I even wrote a piece explaining why the event was no longer relevant. Yet, this year my impression has changed. There were plenty of pleasing updates, lots of new games unveiled and plenty of unexpected moments.

Overall, E3 2018 has fired me up and rekindled my love of gaming because if I’m honest, during the last few years my passion for gaming has dwindled (The Legend Of Zelda: Breath of The Wild and Fallout 4 are exceptions to this of course), it’s not that I’ve fallen out of love with games completely because I always be a gamer but rather my priorities have changed, leaving me very little time to indulge in them like I used to.

This years convention awakened the excitement I used to feel, many of the announcements had me giddy with childlike glee and genuinely wondering how I can fit in all this time to game in the near future, especially as many of the games on show were available immediately or relatively soon.

Here are a selection of my highlights from this years event:

 

Bethesda

Bethesda did an absolutely stellar job this year, though in fairness they always seem to put on a good show (ever since their first presentation in 2015 when they surprised fans by announcing Fallout 4 only to subsequently reveal to eager fans that they only had to wait until November of the same year for the games release).

Fallout 76

First up, the game that was on everyone’s mind was Fallout 76, after the original announcement a few weeks ago. The anticipation for a full length trailer, some gameplay and more details was palpable, with many fans and gaming sites speculating about it. As a huge fan of the franchise I was definitely more hyped than some but overall, I was left wanting because it turns out Fallout 76 will be an online only game.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing of course, there is the option to play solo but there is a strong emphasis on traversing the Wasteland with your friends. An interesting addition will be various nuclear reactor sites dotted around the map. If you (or you and your friends) find enough access codes, you can fire a nuke anywhere on the map you like. Bethesda is keen to see what players might do with this option but let’s face it, the map will be obliterated almost immediately because I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but humans are destructive assholes.

On the plus side, it is due for release this November and the map is said to be four times larger than Fallout 4. Oh, and the limited collector’s edition includes a wearable, working power armour helmet!

 

Wolfenstein: Youngblood

This upcoming installment of first person shooter classic, Wolfenstein will feature the ability to co-op game as a pair of female twins fighting Nazis in an alternate timeline of Paris in the 80s. I am extremely excited for this release because I miss co-op gaming so badly and it’s been neglected for too long by many AAA titles. I want to play games with my husband again, not have to take turns or work out a schedule for our games console.

Also, I know I already mentioned it but two female protagonists…fighting Nazis…in Paris! It’s as if Bethesda understands me, I’m also hoping that the twins will be Jewish because that would be amazing!

Bethesda also announced a Wolfenstein sequel for the Switch as well as a VR version title in 2019.

 

Elder Scrolls VI

Not very much was shown in this teaser but it has finally been confirmed that Bethesda is working on the next Elder Scrolls installment. During the reveal, we saw some sprawling landscapes followed by the games title.

Despite the lack of…anything, this had a huge reaction from the audience at the presentation as well as an enormous response on social media (including me)! I suspect we might be waiting on this for a while though, perhaps we’ll see it on the next gen consoles?

 

Starfield

Yes, something that isn’t a sequel or a reboot of an existing franchise! I could hardly believe it myself and although very little was revealed, it will be interesting to see Bethesda take a game to space.

This was a teaser trailer at best but the idea of Bethesda working on something new which is also a sci-fi has me pretty hyped. Seriously this is getting weird now, is Bethesda Inception-ing my dreams when I sleep?!

 

Ubisoft

There was a dancing panda (seriously), an appearance from Joseph Gordon-Levitt and a wonderful moment where Shigeru Miyamoto was surprised and given a gift (the whole thing was rather cute). There were some big announcements and an even bigger surprise during the trailer for upcoming game Starlink.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Perhaps the biggest announcement of the presentation but also to be expected after some reveals earlier this month. Plenty of new details were dropped including a glorious trailer showing off the beautiful landscape of Ancient Greece and the new characters, Kassandra and Alexios in the franchises largest game yet.

A new feature in this installment will be dialogue choices affecting the story outcomes with over 30 hours of storytelling. The philosophy graduate in me squealed when some footage was shown of Kassandra in dialogue with father of Western philosophy, Socrates (Sokrates). Fans will also be able to play as a female character for the entirety of the game for the first time too and she is a badass Spartan woman called Kassandra – who I am already obsessed with by the way.

I adore ancient history so Ubisoft have outdone themselves, with ancient Egypt last year and now ancient Greece! I can’t wait to explore this map in October and I’m really hoping they’ll include an educational mode much like the one seen in Assassin’s Creed Origins.

 

Starlink

Ubisoft showcased an intriguing trailer for upcoming toys-to-life game, Starlink: Battle For Atlas only to shock the audience immediately after with a second part which revealed Nintendo fan favourite Star Fox will feature in this title.

This led to surprise appearance from Shigeru Miyamoto who had been sitting amongst the crowd. It was wonderfully endearing as Ubisoft’s Laurent Malville presented him with a replica of the Starlink ship, prompting a charming response from Miyamoto (who seemed genuinely touched) in French with “trés bien” and “merci”.

 

Beyond Good and Evil 2

This title is one I’ve been anticipating since I completed the first game because I adored it, however this announcement was mostly Ubisoft announcing their Space Monkey Program after teaming up with Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s company [HitRECord].

Accordingly to Gordon-Levitt, “[HitRECord] is a place where people all over the world work together on short films or music or art — all kinds of projects” and Ubisoft are inviting the community to create content for Beyond Good and Evil 2 in the form of music and artwork.

This was met with outrage on social media initially until Gordon-Levitt responded on Twitter that fans will be compensated and that this won’t be a case of artists working purely for exposure.

 

Microsoft

This was definitely one of Microsoft’s stronger E3 presentations in over a decade with a record number of games being showcased. Microsoft boasted 52 games, 18 exclusives,15 world premieres and talk of their next-gen console currently in development.

Halo Infinite

Microsoft teased fans initially with a short trailer for a new Halo title featuring fan favourite Master Chief. Naturally, not much was shown by 343 Industries upcoming title other than some very pretty visuals and Chief’s familiar helmet but it definitely caused a storm on social media and had fans excited.

 

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Yay! *Brand new game klaxon alert* A new Japanese themed action RPG from Software (who brought us the Dark Souls franchise) due for release in 2019. As much as I turn into a fangirl whenever a game series I like announces a sequel, nothing makes me happier than seeing brand new AAA titles at E3.

I can’t wait to see more on this game and I don’t know if you know this, but Japan is my jam!

 

Gears Of War 5

The biggest news for this franchise is that players will adopt the role of Kait Diaz, who in the trailer ignores the chain of command to take on a mission of her own. Marcus Fenix will still be present in the game, seemingly as an NPC, though I’m sure more on that will be revealed in time as the game is due for release next year.

I hope The Coalition will take a leap and give us something new, rather than a carbon copy of the previous four games. I’m glad we’re seeing more female fronted titles this year, God knows I’ve played through endless stories entered around grizzly, stubbled men in my lifetime.

 

Devil May Cry 5

Considering Devil May Cry 4 was released in 2008 (I’m ignoring the DmC reboot from 2013 here, as that was based in an alternate timeline), I’m surprised it’s taken decade to announce the fifth game in the series! Capcom fans have long adored this franchise and personally, I have such fond memories for the second and third games.

Developer Hideaki Itsuno, who has helmed the franchise since the second game came onto the stage during the Microsoft press conference and gave an incredibly sincere speech about how much the series means to him and how long he’s spent working on the game. He also showcased the new trailer as well as showing fans some actual gameplay. Nero’s look has changed slightly but the thing everyone was waiting for was revealed at the end…and yes, Dante is back!

 

Cyberpunk 2077

CD Projekt Red’s Kyle Rowley explained to fans that this long awaited title, first announced six years ago, is not a first person shooter. Rowley affirmed that it is an RPG with some shooter elements.

Players can choose between a male or female customisable character called V and despite the fact there is a class system in the game, you don’t choose it right away like you do in similar titles.

Overall the game sounds intriguing and the trailer revealed bright, vibrant visuals and a sprawling city full of futuristic tech and brute violence amidst a stylised punk aesthetic. There’s no release date as yet but hopefully we’re not waiting another six years!

 

Sony

Considerably less on show than Microsoft but size isn’t everything with Sony showcasing arguably some of the most anticipated titles in gaming!

The Last of Us Part II

Originally announced at PlayStation Experience in December 2016 with a few trailers last year, fans have been waiting patiently to see more and Sony’s E3 presentation did not disappoint as they kicked off with a look at Naughty Dog’s upcoming game.

A cinematic cutscene showed fans Ellie, living life like a relatively normal teen, enjoying a festival, dancing and sharing a kiss with her girlfriend Dina, this passionate kiss cuts back and forth between a stealth scene where Ellie is rather brutally slitting an enemies throat.

Regarding the kiss, it looked visually stunning and I’ve not seen any other game that has been able to capture a kiss so perfectly. I’m looking at you BioWare…learn to animate kisses, damn it!

This series is all about story so it’s unsurprising that the snippet showcased was brief. One thing’s for sure, Naughty Dog proved with the games predecessor that they know how to make outstanding character-driven survival exploration games and I can’t wait for this!

 

Death Stranding

Talk about hype, this upcoming project from the bizarre, ethereal mind of Hideo Kojima looks bat-shit crazy and I am living for it! After some initial trailer shots, fans were shown some actual gameplay! It appears that Sam (Norman Reedus’ character) is a delivery man of sorts, unlike the trained fighters or elite specialists we come to associate with gaming protagonists. This means gameplay will be incredibly different to anything else out there.

Very little could be ascertained about the story but Sam appears to traverse multiple difficult terrains in bad weather conditions in order to make deliveries. One of these seems to be a baby in a synthetic womb that at one point Sam wears like a backpack. He also appears to be saving people who have been taken hostage by some kind of mysterious entity or force. Overall, I feel like I know even less than I did before but I’m all aboard the hype-train.

The only real downside for me is that Kojima-san himself wasn’t there to showcase the game. Though, he’s probably off somewhere taking more beautiful photographs of Mads Mikkelson.

 

Kingdom Hearts 3

This was also showcased during Square Enix’s presentation (which I gleaned very little from) who also revealed the games release date of January 2019 a few days earlier and it’s about damn time!

This game has been in the works for 12 long years. It was revealed that two of the new worlds to explore in the game will be Disney’s Frozen and Pirate’s Of The Caribbean.

Not much was revealed about story but then, The Kingdom Hearts games are known for their convoluted plots and out of the ordinary Disney mash-ups. Personally, I’m intrigued to find out more as I’m definitely a fan of Sora and co.

 

Nintendo

 

With many of their games already announced before E3 at their own conferences, Nintendo didn’t have much to report but kudos to them for the level of detail they went into for one particular title, even if it did seem to take up the bulk of their presentation.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

I really enjoy the Smash Bros. series and I’m all for having a decent amount of characters to choose from but the majority of Nintendo’s keynote E3 presentation felt like a roll call of every single character at Nintendo’s disposal. There are 65 characters in total and Nintendo spent far too long on each one in my opinion.

Perhaps it was due to a lack of announcements like, oh I don’t know, Animal Crossing? Where on Earth is this game, Nintendo? Either way, I shouldn’t be complaining about an in-depth analysis of each character and their signature moves at a convention where very little is usually shown, but it felt unnecessarily long and if you watch the footage of the show I’m sure you’ll understand where I’m coming from.

Metroid villain Ridley was teased at the veeeery end in a cool cutscene and while that might be exciting for some fans, I was more concerned that he appeared to kill Mario. Seriously, did no one else notice?

 

Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu!/Pokémon Let’s Go Eevee!

This is Nintendo’s attempt to incorporate Niantic’s incredibly successful app, Pokemon Go into a Switch compatible game and while this isn’t really aimed at my demographic, I really like the concept. I was a bit disappointed that Nintendo didn’t really show us anything we hadn’t seen last month at the Pokémon 2018 Video Game Press Conference.

However, I included it in my round up because I’m 100% jealous of those children who will get to use an actual pokéball to play the game with legendary Pokémon Mew as a starter because that’s insanely cool.

 

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

I’ve never played a Fire Emblem game and I’m not quite sure why because everything about this series appeals to me. The reveal trailer showcased some new features including the ability to zoom in to ground battles and to start them in a top-down strategy game mode. There also appeared to be an emphasis on free-roam style exploration.

My main takeaway from the trailer however was just how beautiful the game looked, of course the game is graphically superior to its predecessor but the combat sequences shown in the trailer appear to draw on the same animation style that can be seen in the cutscenes. The game is due for release in spring 2019 – a period in which, I will no doubt be living in poverty unless some of the games revealed at E3 push back their releases!

 

So, that’s my round-up of this year’s E3 which involved plenty of surprises alongside some expected reveals and for the first time, a plethora of female protagonists! What were your favourite presentations and what games are you most excited for? Let me know in the comments section below.

 

Sting Channels Constantine to Celebrate 30th Anniversary of ‘Hellblazer’

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In a special video, worldwide music icon Sting reveals he will pen the foreword to the CONSTANTINE, HELLBLAZER: 30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION commemorative collection. Sting’s foreword will take on the perspective of the Golden Boy, Constantine’s alternate-universe twin, touching on his relationship with the occult detective over the years.

In the video, which he took time to film while preparing for his upcoming 44/876 tour with Shaggy, Sting captures the resemblance between himself and the character while wearing the recognizable Constantine trench coat. The musician’s inclusion in the HELLBLAZER celebration is a nod to the fact that he inspired the antihero’s signature look.

Starting with his first appearance, a debut penned by legendary writer Alan Moore (WATCHMEN), Constantine has served as an enduring and controversial pop culture character—an exorcist and demonologist, master of the dark arts, and the lead of DC Vertigo’s longest-running and most successful title.

The commemorative collection will explore the complete history of the series with four one-page essays written by HELLBLAZER author Rich Handley. It will also include a comprehensive timeline of Constantine’s life and three one-page stories featured in JOHN CONSTANTINE: HELLBLAZER issues #1, 2 and 4. Memorable stories from Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Garth Ennis, Brian Azzarello, Paul Jenkins, Jamie Delano and others reflect the best of the long-lasting series, including HELLBLAZER issues #11, 27, 41, 63, 120, 146, 229 and 240 and SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING #37, where the character was officially introduced.

The JOHN CONSTANTINE, HELLBLAZER: 30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION commemorative collection will be available everywhere books are sold on October 30. Sting’s 44/876 Tour with Shaggy starts on June 19th, please visit www.sting.com for more details.

‘Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom’ (review by Benn Robbins)

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Produced by Frank Marshall,
Patrick Crowley, Belén Atienza

Written by Colin Trevorrow, Derek Connolly
Based on Characters by Michael Crichton
Directed by J. A. Bayona
Starring Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard,
Rafe Spall, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda,
James Cromwell, Toby Jones, Ted Levine,
B. D. Wong, Isabella Sermon,
Geraldine Chaplin, Jeff Goldblum

 

“Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn’t stop to think if they should.”

– Dr. Ian Malcolm, Jurassic Park 1993

 

Prophetic words spoken a quarter century ago, more true today then when they were first uttered by chaotician, Dr. Ian Malcolm.

It has wrought, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

And oh, how the mighty have fallen.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is a bombastic, ridiculous, completely wacky, joyride of a terrible film that I think I love. It is in the cherished category of films so bad they come full circle back to brilliant.

I mean, It isn’t child defeating raptors with gymnastics, bad.

It isn’t even Velociraptor yelling, “Alan” ridiculous.

I mean, I guess the previous film, Jurassic World really set the bar with what would come next, what with the training dinosaur to obey your commands, Chris Pratt Starlord-ing with Blue on a dirt bike through the forest, and genetic splicing of T-Rex and Raptor DNA to make the dumbest creation the “Indominus Rex”.

So, I mean, they really had nowhere else to go from there but up!

And up they went!

Everything is bigger, more explode-y, scary, and intense.

The premise being that the dormant volcano on Isla Nublar has gone active again and the dinosaurs are in danger of going extinct… again. The only hope is to rescue a few select ones with the help of Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Owen (Chris Pratt). They are talked into going back for one last mission: To rescue Blue and a dozen or so other dinosaurs before the island is no more.

All, however, is not as it seems.

The seemingly concerned billionaire who contacted Claire and Owen actually has nefarious and evil ideas planned for these dinosaurs and that is where the plot twists because they weren’t saving them… they were hunting them to sell them.

While Blue is going to be used to create new and even more dangerous dino weapons, it is up to Claire, Owen and their companions to save the dinosaurs and expose the bad people for what they are.

By expose I mean eaten.

They have to be eaten for what they have done. I mean, It is a Jurassic Park film. If any of these films have taught us anything it is that the bad guys always get eaten.

Or stepped on.

I went into this film expecting an utterly ridiculous thriller ride with a small sprinkle of laughs. It is exactly what I got. I shut off my brain, didn’t think about anything other then dinosaurs, explosions, stunts and humor and I got exactly what I went in wanting and expecting. In that aspect it is a righteous success. I also expected this to be terrible, completely inane, and forehead creasing bad.

I got that as well. But that doesn’t make this a bad film.

It makes it exactly what it is; a fun summer, late June adventure thrill-ride that will make you jump when you are supposed to jump and holler when they want you to holler. It is a B-movie with an A-movie budget and stars. What more could you ask for?

They definitely cranked up the scare factor and the intensity in this one from the last Jurassic World so watch out for that with the kids. Though I suppose if your kids are watching tv, dinosaurs are no worse than the reality of students being gunned down in schools or being ripped away from their families and put in cages in real life. Jurassic World will give you the much needed escape from reality you asked for.

This is definitely the second film in the trilogy. It heavily relies on you seeing Jurassic World and it definitely expects there to be a Jurassic World: Dinotopian Future in a few years. I am imagining like post apocalyptic earth but instead of zombies, here are Pratt and Blue in a small caravan of people trying to survive in a world where dinosaurs have taken over the Earth and it has all gone to Hell; “A Boy and his Dino”.

So head to the theaters, grab some snacks, unhitch your brain, strap on your favorite The Land Before Time snuggy and go see Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. If you enjoy it half as much as the audience that I saw it with then you will have definitely gotten your money’s worth out of the 2 hours and 8 minutes of rip roaring ridiculousness.

 

‘Justice League #2’ (review)

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Written by Scott Snyder
Illustrated by Jorge Jimenez
Published by DC Comics

 

“Lex Luthor was not a man to put much stock in the truth. It had never gotten him very far, is how he saw it. But three months ago, in a town hall in Kansas, all of that changed…”

Well it’s issue #2 of the Justice League and the Legion of Doom, and the mayhem continues.

Call it a testament to how effectively Scott Snyder’s brought this off, but it’s growing on me.

Sure, the moon’s still broken.

One assumes.

But we’ve moved on to much more urgent matters by now.

There’s a large, partially formed Godhead in the Nevada desert with unfathomable power, and the League still doesn’t know quite enough about it.

Just that The Source Wall’s ‘Totality’ is wildly mutating anything that gets too close in.

Unpleasantly.

What’s a Justice League to do? Work a little Justice League magic that’s what.

One of Scott Snyder’s strengths is the ability to bring a fresh perspective to….everything. Liberally. That means the League and their colleagues are sure to have no shortage of inventive new ways to combine their strengths and get the job done. It’s pretty clear Mr. Snyder’s going to go too far with that at times – not every idea can be a winner, and restraint doesn’t seem to be in his vocabulary – but it’s just as clear that the idealization of teamwork and family regularly needed to manage the utterly fantastic lives of the League, is all in very good hands.

Which makes the tragedy that befalls Green Lantern John Stewart in this issue all the harder to watch unfold. But we’ve been hearing about the Ultraviolet Lanterns for months now. They can wait till next issue.

For now, I’ll keep the focus where it’s deserved. The story Scott Snyder seems most eager to tell: The New True History of Lex Luthor.

We don’t get too many answers, in this issue, to all the questions that have been piling up in Mr. Snyder’s universe since well before Justice League #1, much less then. True to his signature style however we do get a good many more clues, and a lot to chew on.

Seems there are new potentials accessible and abroad in the universe since The Source Wall’s been breached. Which we’ve heard before. But now, finally, we begin to see some method in the madness, with a window into exactly how grave the fallout of all this may be.

It seems that unseen and hidden forces, or hitherto unrealized ones at any rate, have been unleashed within our reality, and together they are the key to controlling the power of the Totality. Dark forces, equal in strength to those embodied and idealized by the League. (Which is pretty specific. And nicely balanced.)

So, how do we know this? Why, because of Lex of course. How does he know it? Good question.

Something – or someone – has been opening new doorways of understanding for Luthor, with brand new pathways of potential to exploit. What that something is remains unclear. What we do know is that on the other side of Lex’s magic doorknob is a tremendous trove of knowledge – knowledge which has transformed him from a man perhaps ruthless in his quest for power, into one with an almost maniacal certainty in his own glorious destiny.

There’s an edge of madness to it. It’s undeniably fun. And it works.

Traditionally, one of Luthor’s greatest strengths as a villain is that he’s always the Man with the Plan.

Now suddenly, for some reason, it appears he’s been given the Ultimate Edge, on the cusp of an Event seemingly sure to bestow undreamed of power to whomsoever has the conviction and the boldness to claim it all.

Luthor, true to form, means to be that man. It’s the perfect set up for the perfect evil master scheme, (because it sure does seem evil) and Luthor embraces it with the fervor of a man who seems to feel he simply cannot lose.

Probably there’s a good reason for that.

Fate has come knocking for Lex Luthor, and the result is the return of a version of a villain we haven’t seen for a good long while. It’s the version of Luthor we always know is there. The one we love to hate. Indeed, it’s a version that’s just possibly more unhinged, outrageous and psychotic then we’ve ever seen before. Which would be saying something.

And is exactly as it should be.

It’s a new day, and a grand big, bigger universe. What better way to reinstate Lex Luthor to his rightful place in the DCU as the premiere bad-guy villain that he is, and the one, true leader of a truly dangerous Legion of Doom? The very same way you up the ante on a Justice League who always, it seems, has the winning hand. By giving our heroes a challenge they just can’t afford to lose… with every card stacked against them.

Just as he did with the Joker in his run on Batman, Snyder seems set on using his time on the Justice League to plumb the dark depths of Luthor’s megalomaniacal soul. It’s an excellent take on a classic villain, with ramifications galore (one guesses) for everyone and everything.

God only knows how it’ll all turn out. But even with the Justice League on their A-game, it’s very clear by now that things aren’t going to go particularly according to plan

Unless you’re Scott Snyder that is.

Or Lex Luthor.

Good luck Justice League. You’re going to need it. *Cue evil laugh* The Man with the Plan is back.

Big Time.

Next Time: Ultraviolet Blues!

 

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