Scott Snyder: Batman Royalty

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February 28, 2017

There’s a reason that DC Comics had to have a Rebirth. They had a universe-wide problem, it was called New 52. From 2011-2015 the company struggled to keep a creative team together for a long period of time, and one that consistently sold well (after initial launch). Neither of those apply to Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. Their Batman run was the only title to remain throughout all of New 52, and without changing creative teams (give or take a few issues).

Before getting to that masterwork, writer Scott Snyder first wrote Detective Comics #871-881, better known as The Black Mirror. Teaming up with his future Wytches collaborator, Jock, our first taste of Snyder with Batman is at the end of Dick’s Grayson’s tenure. The story involves the return of James Gordon Jr. to Gotham City as a cold, clever killer. Snyder introduces readers to his love of Batman lore, along with his firm grasp on the dark elements and horror that make Gotham so compelling.

After that debut arc, Scott Snyder teamed up with artist Greg Capullo to bring Bruce Wayne into the New 52, with Batman. Beginning with the The Court Of Owls story, the two quickly sunk their hooks into readers. Capullo’s art complimented Snyder’s scripts in a way that many creative duos don’t achieve over entire runs. The story was big, bold, and most importantly didn’t feel the need to launch with a new origin.

A character creation of their own, the Court proved that Batman doesn’t know Gotham as intimately as he thought. Fans and creators alike have been obsessed with The Court Of Owls ever since. The characters were quickly being incorporated into other books, movies, and shows.

From there the duo earned the trust and admiration of readers with The City Of Owls, Death Of The Family, and Zero Year. Rein-visioning origins, creating new characters, and drenching Gotham in an overall horror theme; Snyder’s brand of Bat quickly became an instant-classic. Shifting The Joker from a criminally insane anarchist, to a criminally insane boogeyman in Death Of The Family solidified his taste for evolution. Understanding and acknowledging the legacy of these characters, he continued their growth and shepherded them into the modern world.

Already 35-issues into their blockbuster run, Snyder and Capullo turned to The Joker again for Endgame. A love letter to both Batman and his most deadly villain, this arc showed Bruce Wayne making the ultimate sacrifice and somehow made a comic book trope feel fresh. Snyder digs deep into what they mean to each other and exposes his deep admiration for the characters as if they were his own.

With Gotham feeling Batman’s absence, Jim Gordon stepped into the role as a police-sanctioned dark knight. A bold direction, Snyder cements himself in Bat-Creator history with the “Gordon-Bat” era. Superheavy and Bloom presents readers with two arcs worth of the former-Commissioner Gordon facing an entirely new threat in Mr. Bloom. A creative and entertaining ten issues that proves Snyder can take his Gotham tales anywhere; creating timeless characters and stories within any boundary.

As New 52 drew to a close, the dynamic Snyder and Capullo duo released their heartfelt sendoff in Batman #51. “Gotham Is” ends a legendary run on a touching note, sharing with readers a most intimate recap of what they’ve accomplished and what Batman means to them. It’s rare that a Batman issue can speak right to a comic book reader’s soul, and force raw emotion about something so silly on the surface.

From 2014-2015 Snyder was also contributing (along with James Tynion IV, Ray Fawkes, Kyle Higgins, Tim Seeley, and John Layman), in the weekly series Batman Eternal. The weekly series provided Scott with an opportunity to work alongside other talented writers and tell stories about characters and themes he didn’t get to explore on Batman.

When DC Rebirth launched, All-Star Batman launched along with it. Collaborating with the likes of John Romita Jr, Jock, and Tula Lotay to explore the many rogues of Batman. Currently seven issues into the run, it’s been a tour of chaos. Snyder lives up to the “All-Star” status and exercises the creative freedom he’s given to explore uncharted territory. He once again reinvents the Bat and shows readers a side of him we’ve never seen before.

In just six short years, Scott Snyder has earned the trust of fans and solidified himself among the great scribes of Batman. As DC has moved on from their New 52 era, at least they got Batman out of it.

Snyder injected a dark sense of humor into the character while maintaining a no-nonsense attitude. The element that makes his work stand out the most are his character relationships. Bruce Wayne and Batman’s connection and relation to Gotham and the people within it ground the man, somehow making him relate-able. This makes all his super hero accomplishments carry that much more weight.

It was recently announced that Snyder would be reuniting with Greg Capullo for a major DC Rebirth event. Even if it’s not strictly a Batman story, having the dream-team back together is something to get excited about.

What are your favorite Scott Snyder stories? Where does he rank in your favorite Batman writers? Let us know in the comments!

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Oscar Predictions Analysis: How did we do?

By

Eric Morales

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February 27, 2017

For those who don’t spend an egregious amount of time on mostly pointless award shows, the 89th Academy Awards were last night. In the week leading up, I attempted to use statistical analyses to create an Oscar predictions system to see who would take home a statue. Now that we know who really walked away with a win (including the most surprising award in Academy Awards history), it’s time to see if it was all worth it. Did you do better than our prediction system? Let’s find out!

The Record

First off, calling “the prediction system” was getting pretty boring, so I decided to name it after the director of the Best Picture 2017 winner: Jenkins.

Using data from guild and critic awards from the past 25 years, Jenkins was able to predict 21 of the total 24 awards. The remaining three, Best Documentary, Live-Action, and Animated Short, were predicted off the cuff. I disagreed with three of Jenkins’ predictions, for Best Picture, Sound Editing, and Adapted Screenplay.

Jenkins successfully predicted 62% of the awards, failing on: Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Adapted Screenplay, Sound Mixing, Production Design, Costume Design, and Film Editing.

So why did Jenkins fail?

There are very few groups that have awards for Costume Design, Production Design, and Sound Mixing, so there’s not much data to process here. For Film Editing, Arrival and Hacksaw Ridge had equal scores, so it was a coin toss. Arrival had the best Adapted Screenplay score, but that’s because Moonlight won best original screenplay awards due to the strange categorization this year. I can give Jenkins a pass in all of these categories.

Jenkins was convinced that Isabelle Huppert would win Best Actress, though the margin between her and Emma Stone was small. Huppert took the predictive critics awards (London, Boston, LA, and Florida) and the Golden Globe in drama, but Stone took the SAG and the BAFTA. Here I think the loss stems from the weight of who is voting: while Huppert may have been the choice of critic’s societies, Stone was the favorite among actors, who makeup the largest block of the Academy.

I can’t blame Jenkins for failing to predict Best Actor. While there was not a consensus on whether Denzel Washington would take home the win, it seemed incredibly likely given his SAG award. Since 2000, only three actors have lost the SAG but won the Oscar: Russel Crowe, Adrien Brody, Sean Penn, and ironically, Denzel Washington. The problem here may lie with the weight given to the SAG: if they take it, Jenkins gives them the win. Next year I may add a weight for first-time winners, since only nine actors in the history of the awards have won Best Actor more than once.

This brings us to the final category, Best Picture. La La Land was Jenkins’ favorite by a mile, to no one’s surprise. When you have a predictive system based on other awards, and a film wins almost all of those awards, they are going to be the lead.

And therein lies the drawback to solely using statistics, past performance, and other awards to predict the Oscar winners. Jenkins doesn’t take other variables into account, like changing demographics, progressive ideological shifts in the consumer base, external pressure, etc. And that’s when you have to rely on your gut.

So was it all worth it?

This is up for debate. Ignoring Jenkins on the two categories I felt most strongly that he would be wrong on netted me 67% accuracy. Not bad at all, and in theory, better than guessing at random. Here’s how Jenkins and I compared to others:

My Oscar Pool: Average 46% correct

Golden Derby Public: 67% correct

Golden Derby Experts: 67% correct

Vanity Fair: 75% correct

So basically, good not great.

Here’s what I’ll say: don’t spend 5 years trying to put together a predictive system. It is a good way to have a foundation, but in the end there’s too many variables to get much better than ~70%. It’s just not worth it.

Well, until I build an even better Jenkins 2.0 next year, that is.

How did you do with your predictions? Let us know if you beat Jenkins, and your thoughts on the 89th Academy Awards!

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What Storylines Could The DCEU Nightwing Film Adapt?

By

Jonathan Bruce

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February 27, 2017

Yes, Nightwing is coming to the DC Extended Universe. Last Thursday, Warner Brothers announced Chris McKay will direct the film with Bill Dubuque on script duty.

As it stands, the film is in development, according to The Hollywood Reporter. No start date is in the works. Nor is there a projected release date.

This brings to mind one question- what DC storylines will the DCEU adapt?

Here are a few possibilities.

5Nightwing: Year One

A good place to start would be Nightwing: Year One. The story covers Dick’s last crusades as Robin and how he fell out with Bruce. Upon leaving Wayne Manor, he tries to find his way in the world. Realizing he has grown up, Dick takes on the mantle of Nightwing.

4A Knight In Bludhaven

Chuck Dixon’s run on the Nightwing series is one of the character’s best. In the first story arc, Dick moves to Bludhaven to investigate a murder. From there, he decides to rid the city of crime. This would make a great film trilogy.

3Officer Grayson

This story arc would make for a compelling film. Dick decides to root out corruption by joining the police force. The idea of Nightwing being a cop is interesting, because he would be fighting a war on two fronts.

2Nightwing VS The Court Of Owls

In this storyline, Nightwing discovers the Court is aiming to make him a member. Their plan has been in the works since he was performing in the circus. The Court goes to great lengths, such as threatening to kill Damian Wayne. Later, Dick does join the Parliament of Owls to bring them down from the outside.

1Battle For The Cowl

If Ben Affleck steps down in the future, it would be interesting to see Dick don the mantle of Batman. In the comics, Bruce is though to be dead, and a void is left in Gotham City. Nightwing steps up to claim his place, but he has to face Jason Todd, who’s also aiming to take over.

What Nightwing storyline do want to see adapted to the big screen? Comment below.

The Wesvolution #1: Yes Internet, It’s Academy Award Winner ‘Suicide Squad’

By

Wesley Messer

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February 27, 2017

Yes Internet, Suicide Squad won an Academy Award for Best Hair and Makeup. I think it is a deserving win as a lot of work went into Suicide Squad. Congratulations to that team as they did a great job. For some people having to say that Suicide Squad won an Oscar blows their minds. In reading the responses to the win I saw about every reaction you could imagine. The ones who hated Suicide Squad let their flag fly last night in multiple ways. On the other hand the people who were happy about were vocal too. Then there were those who expected this mixed reaction like myself. So what prompts such strong reactions either good or bad? It’s easy and not easy to explain at the same time, so on with the show.

Yes I am pulling a Yes Virginia with Suicide Squad. Roll with it.

Now in my personal opinion, I like Suicide Squad. It’s not a perfect film, it’s a messy movie but at the end of the day I enjoyed the movie. The thing I’ve learned with this movie is the people who hate it, really hate it. Heck it popped up in I Hate Everything’s Search for the Worst series on YouTube. I like to keep informed and I kept up with the reactions good or bad with Suicide Squad. The Oscars surged up those feelings of rage once more for this movie. As I noted in the first paragraph here, I expected some legitimate rage if Suicide Squad won. The reactions to this lived up to all my expectations and more.

Even though Suicide Squad won an Oscar for Best Hair and Makeup, it still sets people off. It’s all in the land of having to hear that this movie is an Academy Award Winner and let the boiling rage begin. As everyone has already been saying, “It only won for Best Hair and Makeup” but that the fact remains, yes it won an Oscar. If you like or have no real opinion on it in general, then like me you’re cool with the whole thing. For those that hate the movie, an Oscar win brings up how much they disliked that film the first time around. Now the film that left fans divided won an Oscar and that’s made our pop culture universe that much weirder.

Suicide Squad: It won an Oscar and that’s okay.

Now I am curious as for our first edition of the Wesvolution, what do you all think of the Oscar win? You can even share your opinion love or hate of the Suicide Squad here. I’m open to any conversation for this one. Leave a comment below and let your voice be heard. I’m happy to talk with you no matter how the conversation flows.

Until our next time we meet in the Monkeys Fighting Robots Universe, thanks for reading. Until next time, the Wesvolution will not be televised.

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Forgotten Films Archive: ‘One False Move’ (1992), and The Crucial Humanity of Bill Paxton

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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February 27, 2017

Bill Paxton’s unexpected passing has people sifting through the diverse actors’ filmography, and many might not realize just how busy the guy was through his entire career. He did films both big and small, balancing work with titans like James Cameron, genre masters like Sam Raimi, and small indie filmmakers looking to make their own mark on Hollywood. One of the latter projects, Carl Franklin’s 1992 Neo Noir One False Move, was but one example of a movie made special by Paxton’s injection of earnest humanity.

One False Move crept along the undercurrent of early the 90s indie tidal wave, released sparsely throughout the country before critical praise and word of mouth helped expand its release nationwide. Critics and audiences were captivated by Franklin’s violent tale of a trio of killers fleeing Los Angeles, headed for Star City, Arkansas after ripping off drug dealers. The group is led by Pluto (Michael Beach) – a genius by any metric – and kept volatile by a dimwitted psychopath, Ray, played by a volcanic young Billy Bob Thornton. The third member is Fantasia (Cynda Williams, understated brilliance here), a reluctant criminal with deep-seated ties to their Arkansas destination.

Hot on the trail of the killers are a pair of jaded LA detectives, who must reach out to the Chief of Police in Star City, Bill Paxton’s Dale “Hurricane” Dixon. More than willing to cooperate, with dreams of becoming a real cop in a magical faraway land like Los Angeles, Dale eagerly welcomes these city suits to his small town and wags his tail in the presence of such polished policemen. And it is Paxton’s portrayal that is absolutely crucial to One False Move’s success.

Franklin’s film is a dark, nihilistic glimpse of violence and violent criminals. It is cynical and dark and steeped in the grim trappings of modern noir storytelling. Which is why Bill Paxton’s open-faced portrayal of Hurricane Dixon is the beacon of light in the midst of all this madness. His humanity allows the audience an inroad to the story; he wants nothing more than to please these two LA detectives, to help anywhere he can, so when he overhears them mocking his Southern hospitality in a diner, the hurt he shows cuts deep. It’s not only one of the more impactful emotional beats of the story, it’s at that moment we recognize Paxton’s ability to push this stock character beyond any cliche.

And when Dixon’s ties to Fantasia and the criminals comes to light in the film’s third act, we sympathize with his complicated relationship, stuck in the middle of the law and a secret that’s come back into his life. Bill Paxton’s ability to bring an urgent honesty to all of his roles pays off beautifully here.

One False Move flashed across the cinematic landscape in 1992 like a lone firecracker exploding against the night sky. It was spectacular, but fleeting, and it faded into the back of our collective unconscious as the indie film scene spread like wildfire over the next several years. Carl Franklin turned this film’s success into a series of uneven thrillers like Devil in A Blue Dress, Out of Time, and High Crimes, never quite capturing the streamlined greatness of this, his fourth and most significant feature. Like the film itself, Bill Paxton’s nuanced work here has often been overlooked in a career spanning films of all shapes, sizes, and impacts. It’s worth seeking out, especially now.

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Other Films in The Archive:

Dead Calm (1989)

Bringing Out the Dead (1999)

Judgment Night (1993)

Shoot to Kill (1988)

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REVIEW: ‘The Walking Dead’ S7 Ep 11 “Hostiles and Calamities” [SPOILERS]

By

Jon Barr - TV Editor

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The Walking Dead has really gotten lucky with Negan. As the show’s new antagonist, the zombie drama has gotten a lot of mileage from his band of Saviors. “Hostiles and Calamities” focuses more on life as a Negan minion, rather than the big boss. It’s an interesting exploration, and plays on the hopelessness Negan represents. While not every Savior is as compelling as Negan, The Walking Dead uses its new villain’s hype to its advantage.

The most interesting character The Walking Dead follows this week is Eugene. If you had told me I’d be this invested in Eugene last year, I would’ve laughed. Now, I am enthralled by what can only be described as Level Three Eugene. He’s not the normal verbose coward he’s been in the past. He’s better described as a coward confident in his skills and place in the world.His jump from Macgruber-like inventor to nasty Negan sympathizer is a well-paced transformation. It plays off Eugene’s history well, having been a coward and a subject of disdain by the rest of the group. Now, given the chance to take what he wants, he has no problem living in the fantasy world Negan has created.

While Eugene takes a turn for the bad, Dwight takes a turn for the… something. He’s still in a moral gray area, taking Negan’s commands, but not his mindset. Dwight has constantly been torn on his motivations, mostly due to the people in his life. His hatred of Daryl, and fear of Negan, has been somewhat cancelled out by the love for his wife. However, now that she’s gone, it seems he may be committed to Negan once more. It’s odd to feel somewhat sorry for a character that’s been so nasty for two seasons. Maybe this motivation of his lost love will compel him to follow her example. But it likely won’t come to pass until the end of S7 at the earliest.

Focusing more on Negan’s henchemen and wives made for a more interesting episode. Negan’s interactions with Eugene and Dwight are nothing new. We’ve seen Negan play with Daryl and Carl in the same way, albeit with different result. It feels weak when Negan tells Eugene how lucky he is to be brought into the fold. Seems like any person from Alexandria would be extended the same courtesy (except maybe Rosita). But on exploring what life under Negan looks like, we see more than just profanity and bat-swinging. The idea that more Alexandrians could be turned into Saviors is more interesting than just watching Negan beat on survivors.

“Hostiles and Calamities” isn’t exactly a filler episode, but it doesn’t propel any specific plot point further. Eugene was kidnapped specifically to make bullets, and now… he’s going to do that. He’ll be more keen on doing so, mind you, but his fear made that inevitable. The metal Walkers may also be “badass,” but Rick tangled with a similar creature just last week. Dwight’s wife may have left, but it seems likely she’ll fall in with one of the many allied colonies. The exact impact of last night’s The Walking Dead likely won’t take full effect until later in the season. At the very least, we know it’ll be a hard fought battle between both sides. Eugene’s here to make bullets and eat pickles. Let’s hope he doesn’t run out of either, for his sake.

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‘American Horror Story’ Rumors: Is Sarah Paulson The Villain Of Election Season?

By

EJ Moreno

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February 27, 2017

American Horror Story Doesn’t Have A Name But The Rumor Mill Is Rolling

We know ‘American Horror Story‘ season 7 is about an election but Ryan Murphy is being sparse on any other details. Thankfully at the Publicists Guild Awards luncheon, the mastermind behind the madness let out more details! Murphy clarified his comments from ‘Watch What Happens Live‘, where he made the season 7 announcement.

Said Murphy:

“The themes of American Horror Story have always been allegories. You will not see Trump and Clinton as characters on the show.”

Very sad there won’t be a Ryan Murphy satire of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. That would be amazing but it’s better he stays with “inspired by”. His work in re-telling of true events works in ‘The People vs OJ Simpson‘ but ‘AHS‘ isn’t that type of show. Sticking with inspirations from the election allows for more creative freedom and could lead to one of the best seasons of the long-running series.

Sadly, the hopes for Kathy Bates to play Trump are now dashed.

But the biggest piece of gossip to come from Ryan Murphy’s comments at the luncheon has to be what he said in regards to actress Sarah Paulson.

“Now as I look over at Sarah Paulson, I think of Kellyanne Conway. I don’t know! I might be rewriting!”

It’s being reported Murphy said the comment in jest BUT there could be something more to it. Seeing Paulson in a Conway-like role would instantly make her one of the “baddies” of the season…something she does very well. I think this comment shouldn’t be slept on.

The seventh season begins filming this June so expect more news soon. Sarah Paulson is confirmed for the new season, along with Evan Peters. The two actors have appeared on the show since the first season so expect great things.

What do you think of the upcoming ‘American Horror Story‘ season?

Let me know in the comments below!

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Five Things We Can Take Away From The 2017 Oscars

By

Dewey Singleton - Film Critic

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February 27, 2017

The 2017 Oscars was a mixture of predictability and staggering moments. La La Land’s record-tying 14 nominations didn’t foretell as much as we thought, candy fell from the rafters, and an envelope stole the show. Here are five things we can take away from Hollywood’s biggest night.

1Envelope Gate Told Us A Great Deal

ENT_OSCARS_BestPicture_InLine_01.jpg (818×600)

Unfortunately, the only thing people are going to remember is a mistake made while announcing Best Picture. Good thing this singular moment revealed a great deal.

We now know that it wasn’t a mistake on Warren Beatty’s part, but it was an unforgivable error on the part of the accounting firm Pricewater House.
Being that Pricewaterhouse admitted it was their mistake, they are going to need to be replaced with another firm ASAP.
La La Land producer Jordan Horowitz will be remembered as the hero of the evening for taking charge of an unfortunate situation and making sure that Barry Jenkins and his team from Moonlight got their moment in the sun.
Moonlight’s win was historic as they are the first film with an all-black cast to win Best Picture.
Moonlight also was the first LGBTQ film to win Best Picture.

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This Final ‘Kong: Skull Island’ Trailer is Somehow Better Than All the Others

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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February 27, 2017

Kong: Skull Island has been marketed to the hilt ahead of its March 10 release, and each trailer is increasingly more awesome than the last. This final trailer keeps up that tradition, because it is somehow the best we’ve gotten so far.

This trailer shows us part of the cast away from the island, and has the kickass addition of The Animals singing “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” on the soundtrack. Feast your eyes:

It’s 1971, a team of explorers with a company of soldiers are following myth, legend in the Pacific amindst runors of an island where creatures both prehistoric and monstrous are supposed to live. Soon they come across Skull Island , the very island of lore and legend. The creatures they soon come across make the soldiers and explorers running for their very lives. Soon Kong shows up to let all know that He is King of Skull Island and top of the food chain. Will they survive to tell their story? Will beauty win the heart of the beast?

Yep, looks pretty awesome doesn’t it?

Kong: Skull Island stars Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, John Goodman, Samuel L. Jackson, John C. Reilly, and Corey Hawkins, and is directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts. March 10 isn’t far away now.

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David Ayer’s ‘Bright’ Trailer Has Been Released

By

Manuel Gomez

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February 27, 2017

The trailer for David Ayer‘s (Suicide Squad/Fury/End of Watch) next film, Bright, premiered last night during the Academy Awards broadcast. Another in the ever increasing roster of Netflix originals, Bright stands out do its star power (Will Smith) and obvious huge budget.

The story seems to start as inner city cop drama, before diving head first into some hardcore fantasy. At the very least it looks interesting.

This will be the second collaboration for Ayer and Smith after Suicide Squad. Although that film was mostly ill received, Ayer has made some pretty good films before, both End of Watch and Fury are solid, and his script for Training Day is considered a classic.

Bright is scheduled to premiere on the streaming site in December of 2017.

Check out the teaser below and tell us what you think in the comments.

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