Don't Breathe is a intense and claustrophobic thriller that showcases Stephen Lang's amazing acting abilities
Morgan is an underwhelming sci-fi thriller that we've seen done better many times before
Kubo and the Two Strings is a beautiful stop-motion Japanese folktale that offers a great story, gorgeous visuals, and a lot of heart for all viewers
What you won't expect from Hell or High Water is how two bank robbers and two U.S. Marshals will all warm your heart as it builds to the inevitable showdown
Suicide Squad might not be a perfect movie, but it is definitely the best in the DC Extended Universe so far. Hopefully this will be the start of a new, better direction
I have recently been added as a contributor to a movie review website. Because of this shift you can find all of my content there. I am also still posting video reviews via YouTube, so by subscribing to my channel you'll still get my latest reviews. You can also still follow my Facebook page and Twitter to get directly links to everything that I am posting.
Thank you everyone that has supported me thus far. I'm really excited to see what the future holds and I hope that you all stick around to see the amazing things that are happening.
I was recently listening to Talking Comics Podcast, one of the many podcasts that I listen to, and a listener brought up a question that I thought was very insightful. The question, although worded slightly differently, was basically why comic book readers, and by the same token all geeks, tend to shun non-geeks even though they may have felt shunned in their own past. Before I listened to the responses from the members of the podcast, I decided I first wanted to get my own thoughts down.
Going forward I’m going to use nerd and geek both interchangeably. I understand that to many there is a difference, but in order to not segregate either group I am choosing to use each word where I think makes my article flow better rather than what is more right.
Growing up, I would have never considered myself to be a geek or nerd. I didn’t read comic books, I didn’t play Dungeon & Dragons, and I didn’t participate in many other activities that are stereotypical to nerd culture. The most I can relate to geek culture is that I grew up watching Star Trek with my father (mainly Voyager and TNG) and I was an active member in my high school band. Being so limited in my youth geek experience, I personally was not bullied very much, and thus I can’t relate entirely to how many felt growing up in geek culture surround by non-geeks. However, now being much more engaged in geek culture, I can definitely see how the paradigm has shifted and sometimes geeks can be the instigators of bullying rather than the victims.
The Mind of a Bully
There are many different kinds of bullies out there, so understanding all of them is something that I think will be difficult to do. However, one thing that is constant throughout all bullies is a feeling of self-entitlement and pride. Bullies tend to pick on those who are “less than them.” So a sports jock may pick on a robotics club member because football is cool and robotics club members just can’t hack it on the field. Or someone who has money and dresses well will make fun of the someone else that has to come to school wearing the same clothes for the second time in a week.
Bullying can also stem from the fear of something different. These types of bullies choose to lessen anything or anyone that doesn’t hold the same ideals as them. The best examples of these can be seen in politics or many Facebook threads. Two people going back and forth trying to prove that the other side is wrong.
No matter what kind of bully a person is, the point of a bully is always to further their own personal agenda and beliefs by stomping out anyone that gets in their way .
The Internet: The First Paradigm Shift
The internet is a great tool. It provides a variety of information, but what the internet also gives is a level of anonymity. Someone, even me, can express opinions from the safety of a home knowing that no one can hurt me directly. However, it also gives others the same anonymity to react to my opinions with their own opinions. This back and forth reaction can create escalated opinions resulting in the hateful internet we are familiar with today.
The fear that many geeks face has always been the physical presence of their bullies. A bully tends to be physically imposing in some sense, whether that is in size, strength, or even the number of friends. However, on the internet, the physical threat is completely eradicated. Suddenly both nerd and bully are placed on the same playing field.
Not only has the playing field been altered, but it’s also been specified. A comic book nerd has the ability to avoid any website that has to do with sports. So anyone that enters a comic book nerds playing field is subject to the thoughts and opinions of any other comic book nerd that participates in the same website.
The Casual Nerd: The Second Paradigm Shift
Over the past few years, nerd culture has come to the forefront of everyday life. With the introduction of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, DC’s Extended Universe, and both of their growing TV presence, suddenly everyone has become a casual nerd. Football jocks that never would have dared speak the name of Captain America, are suddenly rooting for him to take down Hydra, well-dressed girls are now swooning over Thor’s abs and large groups of people that have never even heard of the Suicide Squad have opinions as to the either success or failure of its premise.
Everything that a nerd has loved and longed for is coming true, but at what price? If everyone is getting introduced into nerd culture, where can nerds turn? Where can they go to be understood and accepted? Suddenly, geeks and nerds are feeling invaded by an outside force much like when they were bullied in their youth. So the only thing they feel they can do is differentiate and defend.
The True Nerd: A Nerd’s Defense
A True Nerd: someone who has been a nerd since before it became “cool.” Before Iron Man flew across the screen. Before everyone was looking forward to a Wonder Woman movie. Someone that truly understands the characters, what they stand for and what they mean to true fans. This is where geeks have decided to take a stand.
When a person walks up to a true nerd and says “Oh man, Batman v Superman was so cool. I loved when Batman took out all those guys in the warehouse.” The true nerd responds with, “Yeah, it was kind of cool. Except that Batman would never do that. Batman has one rule, never kill, and he broke that rule several time it the movie. The movie was just not true to the source material. It should have been better.”
In order to feel special again, the geek will cling on comic books, source material, original series, and facts of minutia then argue them to the death to anyone that thinks differently. This is the exact kind of thinking that has created bullies in the past and allows them to thrive in the future. The feeling that they know more or understand more than others. The feeling of entitlement and pride in something that others don’t understand. This is the first step to becoming a bully.
The Geek Bully: The Last Paradigm Shift
The true nerds have just taken a step that they thought they would never take. Rather than accepting the casual nerd into the group and taking delight in the new comradery, the true nerd chooses to take a different road and prove how they are more entitled than the casual nerd since they have been a nerd for longer.
This has been evident with some recent news with the rumored casting of Mary-Jane Watson in Spider-Man: Homecoming. The unconfirmed rumor states that Zendaya, a mixed race actress (if this is not the correct term, I do apologize), has been cast as the previously white and red-headed Mary-Jane. Fans immediately took to the forums, Facebook and Twitter to express their anger at casting someone that isn’t white and doesn’t have red hair. This anger quickly turned into online bullying as others came to the studio’s aid by stating that the race doesn’t matter. The truth or correctness of this matter aside, this type of thinking and acting is what leads a geek to become a bully.
This, and many other actions, are how a geek has become that which they have always hated. A geek that used to be beaten up is now the one beating down other’s thoughts and opinions. The geek that wanted nothing else than to see Deadshot on the big screen is suddenly the one telling others how they are wrong for liking the actors portrayal. This is how the bullied has become the bully.
Geekceptance: Moving Forward Together
From Star Wars to Star Trek, Marvel to DC, or D&D to LARPing, there have always been different kinds of nerds and different levels. When a group of geeks gather together at a Comic Con, no one is looked down on for cosplaying as a Stormtrooper instead of a Starfleet Officer. Someone wearing a Doctor Who shirt does not make fun of the guy dressed as Iron Man. Instead everyone loves and accepts other’s passions no matter how strong they may be. Just because it is now more widely accepted, does not mean anything needs to change.
So instead of fighting about our differences, let’s come together and express joy in knowing geek culture is now common in every home, that everyone can find joy in watching a Marvel movie or that Star Wars is once again back and as good as ever. Let’s move away from differentiating a true nerd from a casual movie watcher. Let’s have geekceptance for young and old, original and new, casual and hardcore. Let’s have geekceptance for all!
What you won't expect from Hell or High Water is how two bank robbers and two U.S. Marshals will warm your heart as it builds to the inevitable showdown.
I first restarted this blog after I saw Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. I wanted to get my opinions out for others to see. However, first I wanted to discuss my thoughts on why critics and fans sometimes differ so much in their opinions on movies. I called my initial post Critics v Fans: Dawn of Opposition.
Now with Suicide Squad just hitting theaters, the critics and fans are at it again with their wildly different opinions. Currently Suicide Squad has a rotten tomatoes score of a lowly 26% with 235 critic reviews and 75% with with 6,592 audience reviews. I also saw the movie and have my own personal thoughts that you can check out on my YouTube channel.
So let's try to break down why critics and fans disagree so much on Suicide Squad.
Differing Questions
This is where we get into the nitty-gritty of how critics and fans can differ so greatly. It all comes down to expectations and the questions they ask.
The best way to describe this is to look at a hypothetical scenario. Let's say that I just saw a movie and two different people are interviewing me, one is a movie critic and the other is a hardcore fan of the comic book franchise the movie was based off of. Let's see the kinds of questions the two would probably ask me and how I would respond to them.
Please keep in mind that when it comes to Suicide Squad I am not completely a fan. Also I am no where near a full fledged movie critic. So while I do personally agree with the responses to these questions, some of the deeper answers are borrowed from other's reviews and thoughts that I read or overheard.
Fan's Questions
Was it fun? Yes, the movie started off fun and had enough sprinkled throughout to make it overall enjoyable.
Were the characters fun and good interpretations of the comics? Yes, although Warner Bros. took some liberty in the characterization of The Joker, Harley Quinn, and Deadshot, they still had enough to see the connection to the comics.
What was the best part? Whenever the characters were interacting with each other. It was just fun to see them all together.
Was it as good as the trailer? Yes, you can tell that a lot of the fun that was shown in the trailer is present in the actual movie.
Are you happy you saw it? Yes, seeing these iconic characters come together in the movie was overall just a good time.
Would you see it again? I think I will. There were a lot of things that happened very quickly that I would like to get a second look at. Also, there are some things that I'm not sure whether I liked it or not and I'd like to see it again to determine my feelings.
For all of these reasons, fans are perfectly justified in giving Suicide Squad the praise they have and the praise that will continue to come.
Critic's Questions
Does the story follow a typical 3 act style? If so, does each act move the story forward well? It does, but after the first act the story really slows down and the tone changed. Then the third act becomes a typical light and CG show typical of many modern blockbusters.
How is the acting used to enhance the story? Most of the actors do a good job portraying their characters. However, some of characters have no reason to even be present in the story.
Were the character arcs realized? Most of the characters end at the same point where they started. By the end the squad doesn't work any more as a cohesive team than at the beginning.
Was the script unique or interesting? Although their are a few funny moments, most of the script is very predictable or awkward.
Did the director elevate the script and screenwriting? David Ayer is known for his characters with a dark and twisted back story. While this is hinted at throughout the movie, the humor in the movie often overshadows much of the darker parts Ayer is known for.
Was the editing used effectively to depict the story? The editing is often choppy and sometimes confusing by using too many flashbacks.
Was the score or music recognizable or appropriate? No, while trying to be interesting overall it simply adds to the choppy editing and randomness.
As you can tell by how I would respond to these questions it is very easy to see why a critic would give it a lower grade.
Conclusion
I know it is frustrating to see a movie you liked, or hoped to like, get a low critic score. Instead of having a knee-jerk negative reaction, remember that the critics are asked to critique on a vastly different set of standards than your buddy in the next cubicle. Instead, find and stick to reviewers that look for what is important to you and go from there. Dollars speak louder than angry tweets and petitions in pushing studios to make more of what we like.
While Suicide Squad might have many, MANY flaws, the great characters and added humor make it the the most enjoyable movie of the DC Extended Universe yet. Hopefully this will be the start of a new, better direction.
The next, and possibly the last bit of news I'll mention out of Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) came from Paramount and CBS. So without further adieu... I'll leave you to it.
Star Trek: Discovery
This is the new teaser trailer for Star Trek: Discover that was released at SDCC. There were only two other pieces of information released during the event that I could find:
- A Director has been hired for the pilot episode. With Star Trek: Discovery coming out in January of next year, it was only a matter of time until directors started to be hired for the series.
- Discovery will take place in the prime timeline set by the original series. The Star Trek movies established by J. J. Abrams introduced an alternate time line that followed beside the original series, but weren't bound by that timeline. This alternate reality has since been dubbed the "Kelvin" timeline. Well Paramount has officially stated that Discovery will not share that alternate timeline but will instead be part of the same timeline of The Original Series, Next Generation, Voyager, Deep Space Nine, and Enterprise.
- I don't believe they have announced what century Discovery will take place in, but seeing how Enterprise took place before the original series and was panned by critics and fans, I'd assume that it will take place at least after then.
I am currently not a subscriber of CBS All Access, and do not plan to be one for a single show. But if I hear good buzz surrounding the show, I could see myself doing a free trial, binge watching all the episodes, and the canceling just to get my Star Trek needs satisfied.
Wrap-Up
What are your thoughts on Star Trek: Discovery? Leave your comments below and don't forget to keep it unpopped.
Matt Damon plays a European merchant in China during the Northern Song Dynasty (959–1126 AD) in the Chinese made, English speaking film The Great Wall.
Now, I admittedly am not up on my early Chinese history and I know much less about when Europeans (or any white person) first traveled to China. I tried to research a little and it seems there are sparse reports of a few European merchants making their way into China during this time period.
But why make a Chinese movie with a white actor? With the movie taking place during this time period and being set in China, why not have the entire cast be Chinese? If Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ($128 million domestic) taught us anything, it's that an American audience will watch a foreign film if the release is wide enough and the movie is good enough.
Well, the answer is probably a lot more boring and simple than you may want. Chinese production company, China Film Group Corporation, wants the movie to do well internationally. At $135 million, The Great Wall is the current record holder for the highest budget movie to come out of China. With a budget like that, they simply need to gross more than what they can pull within their own borders. So rather than have the movie entirely have Chinese actors that are speaking Chinese, it will be in English with some leading American actors.
American production companies do this all the time as well. For example, the Michael Bay film Transformers: Age of Extinction has it's entire 3rd act take place in China. The majority of Now You See Me 2 takes place in China. Having a movie take place, at least partially, in China has proven to increase ticket sales not only in China but in other Asian countries as well.
So just like American companies are continually pandering to the Chinese market, China is finally attempting to pander to us. Now, while they could have chosen a well known Asian-American actor like Henry Cho (Star Trek Beyond), Rick Yune (Netflix's Marco Polo), Ki Hong Lee (The Maze Runner), or Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead), they instead tried to do what the rest of Hollywood is already doing and gave the role to a well known white actor.
The Great Wall opens in the US on February 17, 2016.
Those are my thoughts on the trailer for The Great Wall. What did you think? Leave your comments below and remember to always keep it unpopped!
Next up for a news round-up from Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) is my personal favorite! Let's dive in.
Marvel Studios
Just like almost everyone else, I have always enjoyed Marvel Studios' films. Even the worst ones are better than other director's best films of all time. So any news that comes out of SDCC about Marvel Studios I was sure to be all over.
Captain Marvel
This has been a long awaited announcement. Back in 2014 it was announced that Captain Marvel was going to fly onto the big screen. It was even reported that it was in the initial plans to have Captain Marvel appear near the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron during the final fight sequence. However, having not cast Captain Marvel at the time, the role was switched to be War Machine instead.
The expected introduction of Captain Marvel was then set for Avengers: Infinity War. Additionally, the last few month there have been rumors swirling of an offer being extended to a particular high profile actress. So with filming beginning near the end of this year, SDCC was a perfect time to finally make the announcement.
And they did!! After much anticipation Brie Larson has finally been announced as Captain Marvel! She recently secured an Oscar win for her portrayal as a kidnapped and abused woman in the critically acclaimed Room. Being one of my favorite movies last year, I believed anything she was going to do next was going to be great, but being Captain Marvel is just awesome!
Below you can see a mock up done of what Brie Larson may look like as Captain Marvel. Only time will tell of how it will turn out, but I'm sure it will be great!
This is probably the biggest news that came out of Marvel Studios this week. Guardians of the Galaxy's success has led to a huge following and even bigger anticipation for Vol. 2. At the announcement there was a trailer shown. However, it has not yet been publicly released, so anything I say is only based on other reports that I have read. Here is a rundown of some of the biggest information that came out of SDCC:
- Kurt Russell as Ego and... Star-Lord's dad! This one is kind of odd... let me explain why. Here are two pictures:
-This one was taken at SDCC and is Kurt Russell's costume as Ego. That seems normal enough right... right?? Well, let me now show you the next picture:
-This is Ego... he's a living planet! He is quite literally the size of a planet! So how does that huge head of a thing become the human shaped man that can fit inside of that costume? Well, all description say that it is explained in the trailer. It states that Ego (the giant head) created a human like form and thus was able to have Star-Lord as a son. I don't believe that has been a characteristic of Ego in the past, but as long as we see a giant Kurt Russell shaped planet, I'll honestly forgive anything. As far as learning more about Ego, I personally plan to read up on some Ego centered comics and I'll come back with a list of comics to get you familiar as well.
- Sylvester Stallone confirmed. This has been rumored for a few weeks now, but we finally have confirmation that he is in fact in the movie. However, his identity has not yet been revealed. Those that saw the trailer said that he was in Yondu's presence and had a similar constume as his crew, but cleaner. With this very basic and vague description there are currently two possibilities: 1) he is a member of Yondu's crew as a Ravager. 2) He is a member of the Nova Corps (see picture below). Of those two possibilities, the Nova Corps is more exciting and is the one I'm hoping for, but honestly a Ravager makes more sense.
Netflix
Netflix and Marvel have a great relationship and will hopefully have one for many years to come. There are numerous videos and teasers that were release by Netflix about their upcoming shows, but I'll just bullet point some of the biggest news.
- Luke Cage. This is going to be Marvel's next Netflix show that is going to be released in November. The main plot is still unknown, but just seeing him again on the screen after his debut in Jessica Jones last year is a welcome sight.
- Iron Fist. Included in the announcements was a very quick teaser of Iron Fist. His origin is teased and he is shown doing punching out a wall. That pretty much sums up the trailer, but I'm sure more will be released as we get closer to its early 2017 release date.
- The Defenders. This hasn't officially started shooting yet, but the potential of having Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist all teaming up to defeat a larger threat is something that I know I'm excited for.
- Daredevil will get a season 3. With so many other Netflix/Marvel shows, it was unsure when we would get another season of Daredevil, and while we still don't know the exact answer, the fact that one is planned is at least comforting for many.
Wrap-Up
So those are my overall thoughts on all things Marvel Studios. What were some of your favorite announcements? Leave your comments below and remember to always keep it unpopped.
Batman: The Killing Joke somehow does the source material justice and changes it in horrific ways to both please and anger any fans of Alan Moore's graphic novel.
Now before I begin, I have to say that this movie is based on a graphic novel that is almost 30 years old, so my review will have minor spoilers. Most of the spoilers are from the source material and a very few of them are scenes and plot points that were added specifically for the movie. That being said, everything I'll say in my review I had already heard before going into the movie myself and it did not decrease my overall enjoyment of the movie. So even though there will be minor spoilers, it does not ruin the movie at all.
The Good:
Honoring the source material. This is hands down the best part of The Killing Joke. The first half of the movie is basically a prequel of events that leads to The Killing Joke. Now while I enjoyed this added material, it is nothing compared to the storyline that is featured during the last half of the movie. Once Batman walks into Arkham Asylum to talk to the Joker, the movie kicks into another gear and really becomes what every fan wanted to see. So regardless of what anyone says about the first half, the second half is a perfect adaptation of Alan Moore's critically acclaimed work and does it complete justice.
The amazing voice acting. I feel this was already going to be obvious because any time Kevin Conroy plays Batman or Mark Hamill plays The Joker it is always going to be voice acting perfection. And this time is no different.
The action. This is one part where the animation really shines. Throughout The Killing Joke there are multiple moments where Batman and Batgirl beat the crap out of bad guys, and every fight scene is expertly choreographed and even better drawn. It captures perfectly how Batman and Batgirl would fight.
The Ehh:
The animation. When the trailer was first released, one of the biggest criticisms was the stiff, slow animation. Now, while it is better than the trailer lets on, there are definitely moments where the animation isn't the best.
The ending. I'm going to be honest and say that I first read Batman: The Killing Joke earlier this year. I have since read it a total of 3 times, but I definitely would not call myself an expert on the graphic novel, but each time I read the story I felt that the ending was weird, abrupt, and completely out of place. Now, I'm not saying it is bad, just that I feel it could have been different and closed the story out a little neater. If you are fan of the graphic novel's ending, there's no need to fear, it wasn't changed a bit. In the movie adaptation The Joker tells his joke, the music cuts out, and Batman reacts exactly like he does in the source material. During this moment all you hear is laughing and rain, the camera zooms out, fades to black, the laughing dims, the credits begin, and all you can hear is rain hitting the ground. There is no music, no flourish, simply the sound of rain. I was in a theater with almost every seat filled and there was barely a sound that could be heard. And while that could have been out of awe, I feel it was more because of confusion and awkwardness. It was kind of a little disappointing than the typical big Batman ending we have become accustomed to.
The Ugh-ly:
The Romance. When early reports were coming out regarding the relationship between Batman and Batgirl, many fans were angry and appalled. Now, while I personally don't mind the direction they took their story, I do feel that if something like that was going to be added that it should be for a good reason and carry weight for the characters. Unfortunately, the entire romance plotline maybe encompasses 5 minutes of the story and doesn't add to Batman's motivation. So even without the romance, Batman would have reacted exactly the same. So although I'm not personally offended by the additional relationship, it definitely didn't add anything to the story and should have been left out.
Recommendation:
Overall, Batman: The Killing Joke is a worthy adaptation of Alan Moore's acclaimed graphic novel that will please most fans. The few things that aren't great about the movie can easily be overlooked and eventually forgotten. Since Batman: The Killing Joke was only in theaters for a single day and is currently only available for streaming download or Blu-Ray purchase I feel this requires a more atypical grading system. So since Batman: The Killing Joke does enough to please hardcore fans while also angering them, I say it is solid...
B+
So that's what I thought of Batman: The Killing Joke, what did you think? And what other Batman story line would you love to see adapted by WB animation? Leave your comments below, check out my YouTube channel "Unpopped Review," and remember to always keep it unpopped!
Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) is always the best place to get all the latest news on everything movie and nerd-culture related. I have been following the news extremely closely, and have decided to break down the biggest and most important news that I thought you would care about. Every few days I'll post a breakdown of another companies events and news. So let's get started.
Now with any change in the film industry there is always a slight delay. Movies can often be in development for multiple years. So even with the cementing of Geoff Johns, it was very unlikely we would see his complete influence until at least the movies being release in 2018. That means that we still have to wade through Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, and Justice League until a full directional change could have been realized.
DC's Commitment to Improvement
Back in July, DC Films and Zack Synder held a Justice League set visit to help increase buzz for the upcoming film and rebuild faith in the franchise. DC Films exclusively invited critics that were mixed to negative in their reviews. Everything I read was extremely positive and was able to instill faith in some of the most skeptical critics.
I personally didn't not write anything on the set visits, but one of the scenes that was shot on the day of the set visit was an interaction between Bruce Wayne (Batman) and Barry Allen (The Flash). The scene was said to be funny and enjoyable, two words that were not said about Batman v Superman.
So now with SDCC, DC Films had a chance to not only convince the critics, but the fans as well.
Wonder Woman
First up is Wonder Woman. Critics of Batman v Superman unanimously praised Gal Gadot as Diana Prince (Wonder Woman), so Wonder Woman was always going to be one of the most anticipated of DC Films.
As you can see in the trailer above, there is very little that can be easily determined. I haven't read very many Wonder Woman comics, I'm currently up to a whopping 3 with DC comics current Rebirth story line. So even though I'm probably not the best person to breakdown this trailer, here is everything that I was able to determine:
- Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) washing up on Themyscira, the island of the Amazons. This leads to Wonder Woman's first interaction with a man.
- As reported during the early development of the movie, the setting of Wonder Woman takes place during WWI.
- Wonder Woman is able to take on entire armies single handed... which is completely AWESOME!
- All the typical Wonder Woman weapons are present, including her Lasso of Truth. Now only if we get to "see" the Invisible Jet as well. That'd be pretty cool.
- The Amazons are going to war against an army on a beach. It may just be how it is cut, but I believe this may take place during the climax of the movie. I think that after Wonder Woman ventures out of Themyscira, others become interested in finding where she is from. This then will lead them straight to the island of the Amazons where an epic battle will take place. But I'm probably wrong... maybe not... maybe.
- Gal Gadot kicks some serious butt!
Honestly, I was already pretty hyped for Wonder Woman to come out next year, and the trailer did very little to increase those expectations. Not that it was bad, just that I was already excited and I just want to see it rather than wait almost a full year.
Justice League
Justice League has only been filming since March, so roughly 4 months. So I figured that we would be lucky if we got some set photos, a behind the scenes sizzle reel, or maybe an unfinished look at the scene that was described in the set visit. So when I heard there was an actual released trailer, I couldn't believe that Warner Bros. had one prepared. Then, after viewing the trailer I couldn't believe how finished many of the effects looked. Cyborg was the most obvious with his suit almost completely computer generated. So let's break this down and talk about my favorite parts:
- Batman recruiting the Justice League. The trailer shows multiple interactions of Bruce Wayne with every member of the Justice League. Most being comical which is a welcome change to BvS.
- The Flash as the comic relief. It is hard to not mention the similarities between the scene with Bruce Wayne and Barry Allen with the scene in Civil War with Tony Stark and Peter Parker. From the rich guy recruiting the young kid, to Barry's eagerness to join something bigger than himself. Now I wouldn't say this is a bad thing, because adding some levity to DC Films is exactly what is needed, and it appears that Ezra Miller has what it takes to do the job of being the funny one.
- Aquaman the drunk. This is a little bit of speculation, but I believe that Aquaman is going to be the kind of hero that doesn't want to be one. He's going to not only be reluctant, but angry about having to help the puny mortals. He'll eventually join, but only after drinking an untold amount of alcohol. Of course with this we'll just have to wait and see.
- "I hear you talk to fish." This is a common misconception of Aquaman and one that Geoff Johns explicitly points out in his 2011 Aquaman and Justice League run. In the comics it is often used comically from people that don't know Aquaman and it is a nice touch to include this in the trailer. This is exactly the kind of humor that exists in DC Comics and it's nice to finally see it translated into DC Films.
As I already stated, I was more than excited to see the level of trailer that was released in such a short time. Now the question is if Zack Snyder can completely win over his hardest critics, but based on the trailer, I think we are all in good hands.
Wrap-Up
Those are my thoughts on DC Films Comic Con announcements. What did you think, and what are some other news items that you liked? Leave your comments below and remember to always keep it unpopped.
Ghostbusters definitely has a different tone than the 1984 original. Luckily, all involved bring enough uniqueness and laughter to the film so it can defy the haters and stand on its on as a good film.
The Secret Life of Pets is a great movie for the whole family, but lacks any emotional depth we have come to expect from animated features. It will win the box office, but won't be one families will revisit for years to come.
Despite the awful looking trailers, The Legend of Tarzan offers just enough acting, action, and story to make a movie that is a surprisingly good time.
Free State of Jones is a true story that features Matthew McConaughey as defected Confederate soldier Newt Knight who leads a group of rebels against the Confederate army.
Look Who's Back is a fish out of water story that features Adolf Hitler who suddenly wakes up in 2014 having no idea what has happened since his death. He then stumbles his way through modern society while attempting to gain the influence he once had.
Look Who's Back is a 2015 satirical comedy based on a German novel of the same name. Although the premise does seem a little off putting at first, the fish out of water story with Hitler being the focus was enjoyable, funny, and extremely though provoking.
Another thing that I think should be mentioned is that the film is entirely in German. That means that everyone in the movie speaks German and English subtitles are throughout the entire film.
The Good:
The Premise. The premise itself is so utterly bonkers that it at least deserves a look to see how it is handled.
Oliver Masucci as Adolf Hitler is absolutely perfect. Occasionally he will give speeches to people; sometimes it is one person, other times it is a whole crowd, and just like Adolf Hitler, his speeches are intense and captivating. It was truly incredible how perfect he was able to capture the charisma of Hitler.
The improv. Much like in Borat and other documentary style comedies, Look Who's Back has moments where Oliver Masucci is walking around Berlin in full character as Adolf Hitler. Actual people interact with him and ask him questions. The responses are completely improvised and are perfect. Most of the movie is scripted, but these little nuggets are some of the best part of the movie.
The comedy. As I mentioned, the story is utterly hilarious. The way Hitler reacts to certain modern situations had me actually laughing out loud, even though I was watching it alone.
The thought provoking message. I don't want to give anything away, but there is a definite message in Look Who's Back and it is something that one should definitely think about. It even has a certain correlation to the US Presidential Election of 2016... not that I'm directly insinuating anything of course... just observing.
The Ehh:
The middle. There were moments in the middle where the story did get a little boring. There were still enough nuggets of hilarity to make it worth it, but it doesn't compare to how good the beginning or end was.
The Ugh-ly:
Nothing. Look Who's Back is worth your time and attention.
Conclusion:
Look Who's Back is a funny and ingenious movie and is definitely worth your time. Just remember that this isn't a casual viewing since you will have to pay attention enough to actually read the subtitles.
What did you think of Look Who's Back? And what other historical figure do you think would make for a funny fish out of water story? Leave your comments below and don't forget to check out my YouTube channel (here) for weekly movie reviews. Remember to always keep it unpopped!
I honestly didn't think anything like this was possible, but Ars Technica has defied the impossible and has trained a computer to write a screenplay for a short film entitled Sunspring.
The way it accomplished the task was they had to first build an algorithm, which now calls itself Benjamin. They based it on text recognition and text prediction. Then they fed numerous sci-fi screenplays into the algorithm. After "learning" from the many different types of things that happen in a sci-fi movie, Benjamin was then given a few prompts to go on such as the title, a small scene, and an idea.
Then the impossible happens, Benjamin actually spits out a screenplay. The screenplay can be downloaded from Ars Technica's site (here).
Honestly what came out was exactly what one would expect from a text prediction algorithm. It is completely nonsensical and one of the worst things ever.
However, that isn't the most exciting part of this project because then a director and actors were hired to actually perform out the screenplay that was written by Benjamin. A lot of creative liberty had to be taken to make any sense of what was in the screenplay, but overall, the short film that was created is entirely based on what Benjamin created.
So without further adieu, I present to you the "Oscar caliber" short film adapted from the screenplay written by Benjamin the algorithm. Here is Sunspring.
That is the weirdest yet most interesting thing that I have ever seen, and I can't wait to see what else Benjamin can come up with.
I watched it a second time while reading the screenplay along with it, and it surprisingly made more sense that time. I'm still 100% confused, but the overarching story was a little more clear... if there is an overarching story. Anyways, so definitely give that a try as well.
So what do you think of Sunspring? Leave your comments below and remember to always keep it unpopped.
A little Hart teams up with a big Johnson to help protect America from a national threat. Do they have what it takes to uncover the conspiracy behind it all?
Well thank you America! The Conjuring 2 brought in a whopping $40 million domestically, Warcraft had $24 million, and Now You See Me 2 rounds out the top 3 with $23 million.
With Warcraft being a popular video game franchise, it was pretty much a sure thing that it would dominate at the box office, and worldwide, that definitely was the case. Internationally Warcraft pulled in $261 million. $144 million of that coming exclusively from China. In fact, Warcraft has officially become the fastest movie to reach 1 Billion Chinese Yuan, beating out Furious 7 by about six hours. This is nothing short of a huge accomplishment.
As many may have noticed from my Warcraft review (here), I didn't think Warcraft was a terrible movie, but I did find it a little boring and forgettable. Of the 3 movies being released last weekend, I can't praise The Conjuring 2 enough (review here). So even though I was pushing for The Conjuring 2 to win at the domestic box office, I was pretty sure that a horror movie didn't stand a chance against a video game movie with a massive following.
Next weekend, with Finding Dory coming out, I'm sure that both of these movies will drop off dramatically. At least for this week it is nice to see that America has chosen a horror movie to be the highest grossing movie of the weekend.
What did you think of The Conjuring 2 or Warcraft? Did you think that Warcraft deserved more love than it got? Leave your comments below and remember to always keep it unpopped.
2016 is filled with sequels that nobody asked for, and Now You See Me 2 is one of them. Does Daniel Radcliffe have what it takes to make an unwanted sequel better? The answer may surprise you.
The Conjuring 2 follows paranormal investigators Ed and Loraine Warren as they attempt to help a family in Northern London being haunted by an evil spirit.
11.22.63 is an eight part mini-series based on the novel by Stephen King. It features James Franco as an English teacher in 2016 that discovers the means to go back in time to the early '60s. So with this great power, what does he decide to do? Well, the only logical conclusion is to stop the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Will he be able to figure out the forces at play in time to save JFK, and will the past let him? Only time will tell.
The Good:
The thing that I liked most about the series is that when James Franco travels through the time hole, it always transports him to 1960. That means he has to spend 3 years following Lee Harvey Oswald and others attempting to find the best method of stopping the assassination. However, the more time he spends there, the more connected he gets to the people in the past.
The story was also really enjoyable and took many twists and turns that I wasn't expecting. Although Franco's main mission is to stop JFK's assassination, much of the story is dedicated to him meeting others. Since the series is broken up into eight parts, we get to spend a large amount of time with these characters, most of which are really enjoyable.
I also liked the time travel itself. The series establishes very clear rules for time travel early on, and throughout most of the story these rules are strictly adhered to. I feel this differs from other time travel stories since most of them have a difficult time sticking to the rules that were established, but 11.22.63 sticks with them the entire way.
The Ehh:
Unfortunately one of the biggest disappointment with 11.22.63 is James Franco's performance. He is refreshingly different from his other roles since he is playing a well-educated semi-serious role. However, even with his different performance, he overall just seems bland and uninterested in many things he encounters. There are times when he does break out of this and shows a large range of emotion, but most of the time it's pretty flat.
The Bad:
The best part of the series were the first 6 episodes. For some reason I found the last 2 to be the low point of the story. There are still interesting moments and seeing the story come to a close was still fulfilling, but compared to the 6 episodes that preceded, they just seemed a little less interesting.
Conclusion:
Even though 11.22.63 was my first Hulu original series, I was very pleased with the story that was told and I honestly can not recommend it highly enough.
What are your thoughts of 11.22.63, and what are some of your favorite time travel movies or TV shows? Let me know below, and remember to always keep it unpopped.
11.22.63 is rated TV Mature for language (a lot of f-bombs) and violence (it can get pretty brutal occasionally). All 8 episodes are available for streaming with a Hulu subscription.
