Ok, this has to be the most exciting TV news I have seen in a while. A just-released trailer from Hulu and Bad Robot teases a new show that takes place in Castle Rock, the small town where many of Stephen King’s television, cinematic, and literary horrors have taken place. The Dead Zone, ‘Salem’s Lot, IT, Cujo, Needful Things, The Dark Half, and The Body (Stand by Me) are just a few of the stories that take place in and around the town. Check out the trailer:
The master of horror has already tied his works together through his magnum opus The Dark Tower, but using the town of Castle Rock just opens up so many possibilities. JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot and Hulu already had one previous Stephen King adaptation become a hit with 11.22.63, so honestly, this is actually a no-brainer.
Are you guys as excited as I am for this? Comment below and share your thoughts!
Reeves, who directed Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, was set to replace Affleck.
In January, the actor decided he didn’t want to direct and star in the film. Affleck has been working on a script with DC Films executive Geoff Johns.
Reeves is currently in post production on War for the Planet of the Apes for 20th Century Fox.
Prior to Reeves, Warner Bros. was reportedly considering Ridley Scott and Fede Alvarez to direct.
The report notes that talks with Reeves could resume once “heads cool.”
Other DC/Warner Bros. movie projects have undergone director changes.
Michelle MacLaren was attached to Wonder Woman before exiting over creative difference. Warner Bros. later hired Patty Jenkins. The Flash standalone movie went through Seth Grahame-Smith and Dope director Rick Famuyiwa, who exited because of creative differences.
So what do you think? Who should Warner Bros. get to direct The Batman?
Let us know in the comments section.
Ben Affleck and Geoff Johns co-wrote The Batman. Affleck and Johns are both producing.
The film stars Affleck as Brue Wayne/Batman, J.K. Simmons as Commissioner James Gordon, Joe Manganiello as Slade Wilson, Deathstroke, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth.
Sadly, Steve doesn’t get as many answers as he had hoped. Instead, the audience gets a full serving of emotion. It becomes a very somber episode as Steven finally takes the time to let out the anger which was building up inside of him.
After Steven watches Connie worry when her mom isn’t on time to pick her up, Steven can no longer distract himself from wanting answers to the big questions. He heads into his room in the Temple and it allows him to create a version of his mom. After a few cute moments and a blatant Charlie Brown joke, Steven is given the brutal reminder the room just shows him what he wants and doesn’t have the power to allow him to interact with his real mother.
It’s here the episode takes the leap and goes into the mature territory which has made it such an acclaimed series. Steven lets out his anger, questions his mom’s actions, and even questions his own birth and if he was a mistake. The episode goes as deep as it ever has and leaves a sting of drama which may resonate with members of the audience who have ever had their own issues with a parent. It’s not a light watch but sometimes the best moments of Steven Universe are when they tap into deep emotion and don’t let up.
The episode takes the time to does with some of the issues Steven has with his mother but still doesn’t let him know why she did some of the things in her past. Still, he’s rewarded for his troubles with a pizza and a reminder he does have a family who cares for him deeply. All things considered, he had a pretty good day and so did the audience after what they just saw.
Coming out of the shadows like an Old One itself is the trailer for The Void, the latest release from Canadian production company Astron-6, known for producing low-budget, 80’s-influenced, independent movies that often brilliantly combine comedy and horror. Just check out their website and you will see what I mean.
Judging from this trailer, though, this one seems more on the pure cosmic terror side. Check out the creepy and gory teaser below and tell us what you think in the comments.
The Void comes from the minds of Jeremy Gillespie and Steven Kostanski (Father’s Day, Manborg), and received positive reactions at the last Fantastic Fest.
The film is scheduled to be released in select cinemas on March 31, 2017, and DVD and Digital HD on April 24, 2017.
In true craft beer fashion, the Double Trouble Brewing Company currently has no brewing facilities to call their own. Their website states that their “underground fortress” is currently being updated. So, instead they operate out of Wellington Brewery, a giant of the independent Canadian beer scene, based in Guelph.
Double Trouble’s website describes how owners “Claude and Nathan” had an idea of the kind of brew they wanted to sell, and how Ontario craft beer legend Paul Dickey, Double Trouble’s Brewer, turned their idea into a beer. I won’t be reviewing their flagship brew Hops & Robbers Extra Delicious IPA here. Instead, I’ll be trying their French Press Vanilla Stout. Oui, une stout à la vanille.
Double Trouble Brewing Company: French Press Vanilla Stout – First Sip
French Press Vanilla Stout pours a dark brown, almost black, colour with a thick layer of foam that slowly dissipates after my multi-stage pour. I smell the sugary aroma of, you guessed it, vanilla as I take my first sip. Its taste matches the smell, but, rather than tasting overpoweringly of vanilla, this brew has a roast-y quality that allows the lightness of the vanilla to augment its rich and malty base. Like other stouts, this one has a watery mouthfeel, which matches its other qualities well.
Double Trouble Brewing Company: French Press Vanilla Stout – Last Sip
In the spirit of transparency, I admit that I’ve had a soft spot for vanilla-flavoured things since Coca-Cola Vanilla came out. But beyond just tasting like vanilla, this is a complex stout.
With its roast-y backbone and delicate vanilla flavour, this goes well with mixed nuts, dark chocolate, and anything salty. I don’t generally have more than one or two stouts in a sitting. And even though this is a nice one with a relatively low alcohol percentage, especially for a stout – 4.8% ABV – it’s a bit too rich for me. I suggest enjoying this brew to start off your night, or as a sugary winter warmer.
For fans of Doctor Who, speculation is already running rampant about who the next Doctor will be, but upcoming showrunner Chris Chibnall tried to persuade Peter Capaldi to stay on. This is according to an interview Stephen Moffat recently did with Broadcast.
“It took Peter a long time to make up his mind,” says Moffat. “Chris tried to persuade him to stay.” Most actors in the role of the Doctor for stay about 3 years or seasons. That goes back to the first Doctor, William Hartnell. The longest Doctor was Tom Baker, who appeared for seven years through the seventies and early eighties.
The interview also reveals that Moffat nearly left at the end of Capaldi’s second season. “But there really wasn’t anybody else in place, so I sort of accidentally went on longer than I meant to.” Moffat has also been busy with his popular Sherlock reboot. He also felt out of control during the show’s third season and considered leaving then, but decided to stay on. He tried to convince 11th Doctor Matt Smith to stay on for one more season, but he wanted to leave.
Chris Chibnall is set to take over as showrunner in late 2018. He previously wrote for both Doctor Who and Torchwood. Doctor Who returns to television in April. Moffat and Capaldi’s last episode will air at Christmas this year.
How do you feel about Stephen Moffat’s Doctor Who run? Are you excited for the upcoming season? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think.
‘Logan’ is a fantastic superhero film, transcending the genre supporting its style with substantive storytelling and highlighted by dazzling performances from Hugh Jackman and Dafne Keen.
4Final Thoughts
To just refer to Logan as a great superhero movie is a tad bit rudimentary. Logan is a fantastic, compelling film. The performances from Jackman and Keen are rich and nuanced. The writing in the movie is balanced and hits all the right notes. This is James Mangold’s finest directorial work since Walk the Line. I could go on and on about various parts of this film, but that would spoil the experience for everyone. My advice is to go ahead and preorder your tickets now.
After ‘Logan’, No Other X-Men Film Could Ever Come Close!
No superhero film has moved me like this in quite some time. Sure, I’ve proclaimed my love for ‘Batman v Superman‘ but even that doesn’t touch the near perfection that is ‘Logan‘. I don’t even see how the X-Men franchise can continue.
First, a big shoutout to Hugh Jackman for his 16-plus years as Wolverine! He’s come a long way since 2000’s ‘X-Men‘ and that journey is perfectly finished here. Everything before has led up to this moment. I can honestly say I don’t remember a Hugh Jackman performance with this much heart. Not to take away from his work within this franchise and other films BUT the magic he captured in ‘Logan‘ is breathtaking.
Jackman does well on his own but pair him with seasoned pro Patrick Stewart and newcomer Dafne Keen…you’ve got a recipe for a good time. For me, the bond between Logan and these two characters is the biggest takeaway. Stewart and Jackman have always worked well together; their odd father/son bickering is notable and used here with such sad irony. When they are funny, it’s great but when it’s dark, wow. They don’t pull any punches and it really gives their relationship weight.
Then you get to see Wolverine be a father figure when the mutant Laura crashes into his life. Dafne Keen gets the “introducing” credit in the intro but you’d never guess by her performance and screen presence. Keen just burns in action but can deliver a punchline when needed. She may not speak much during the film but it doesn’t stop her from building a relationship with old man Logan.
“Nature made me a freak. Man made me a weapon. And God made it last too long.”
-Logan (Hugh Jackman)
There’s a beauty in the pain of this film. ‘Logan‘ does a great job of telling a morose and grounded story without making it feel too dry or boring. In the land of superhero films being massive productions, this feels so stripped back. The way everything feels different to its peers is why this is a winner. If you compare this to others in the franchise, it loses that “plastic/cartoony” feeling and gives something grittier. When you compare it to other films in the genre, this is a more mature piece.
That maturity gets help from the R-rating. There’s been tons of talk about the MPAA rating of this film and the influence last year’s ‘Deadpool‘ had on it. Wether you believe that film is the reason we got this or not, ‘Logan‘ EARNED its R-rating way better. The violence in ‘Deadpool‘ compared to this doesn’t match up. There’s some cool moments but anytime there’s blood in ‘Logan‘, it means something! The style of kills lends itself to the insane gore but it never once feels gratuitous. Even when the young Laura is dishing out the kills, it feels needed and not wanted.
Major credit to director James Mangold for bringing everything together masterfully. Mangold said earlier that he took inspiration from films like ‘The Wrestler‘ and ‘The Cowboys‘ and that’s apparent throughout. Those inspirations can be felt in the color palette of the film, as well as the shot composition. The camera never felt like it was trying to re-create comic book scenes but instead tell a very specific kind of story. James Mangold also handles taking iconic X-Men characters and giving them a darker makeover with ease.
Final Thoughts:
Without any doubt, I don’t think there’s an X-Men film better than ‘Logan‘. Other franchises have tried to take superheroes and set them in different genres but this successfully becomes as Western as a John Wayne film. That’s also backed by a spectacular chase movie; it never stop rolling and there’s always a feeling of being hunted.
The movie pushes the limits by delivering some shocking blows but everything feels so right. No moments are wasted in telling this tragically beautiful tale.
Synopsis: In the near future, a weary Logan cares for an ailing Professor X in a hide out on the Mexican border. But Logan’s attempts to hide from the world and his legacy are up-ended when a young mutant arrives, being pursued by dark forces.
[FoxMovies.com]
Genre: Superhero (Western/Drama) Country: USA Directed By: James Mangold Starring: Hugh Jackman, Dafne Keen, Patrick Stewart, and Donald Pierce
‘Logan’ has just created two scenarios for the 2017 film year. Either 2017 will go down as the greatest year in superhero films, or ‘Logan’ is the best superhero film of 2017.
James Mangold and Hugh Jackman put together an amazing movie with appropriate use of the R-rating when it comes to violence and dialogue. EJ puts this film in his top three, and Matt put ‘Logan’ in his top 5 superhero films of all-time edging out ‘Guardians of the Galaxy.’
This is a spoiler free review of ‘Logan.’ On the first half of the show, the duo takes a look at Matt Damon’s ‘The Great Wall’ – not good, not bad, but lots of wasted potential.
Strap yourself in buckaroos! Episode 111 of the Monkeys Fighting Robots podcast is here.
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A Gen Xer and a Millennial debate the latest topics in pop culture. One guy is a filmmaker and the other is a journalist, but both are nerds. We make your slowest days at work better. Hosts, Matthew Sardo and EJ Moreno.
Never heard of Matt Sardo?
For starters, he made the Kessel Run in less than 11 parsecs. Prior to that, he gave Doc Brown the idea for the flux capacitor and led the Resistance to victory over SkyNet – all while sipping a finely crafted IPA. As a radio host, he’s interviewed celebrities, athletes and everyone in between. He’s covered everything from the Super Bowl to Comic-Con.
Who is EJ Moreno?
Is he a trained physician? No. Is he a former Miss Universe contestant? Possibly. But what we know for sure is he’s a writer, filmmaker, and pop culture enthusiast. Since film school, EJ has written & directed several short films. He’s used his passion for filmmaking to become a movie critic for MonkeysFightingRobots.com.
1979 was an interesting year, besides the happenstance of my birth. The Cold War was still going strong, with the USSR invading Afghanistan. Jimmy Carter was coming to the end of his time in office. It was a time of transition and change.
And some great movies came out that year. I’ve actually never watched Alien or Moonraker, but these are five movies I have watched and loved.
5The Life of Brian
If you’ve never watched Monty Python, do yourself a favor. This is the movie Always Look on the Bright Side of Life is from. Banned in multiple countries for being sacrilegious, it was even promoted as such, for instance, as being “too funny for Norway.”
The plot is based around a case of mistaken identity. Brian is born in the stable next to Jesus Christ (which confuses the three wise men). As he grows up, he’s mistaken as the Messiah, despite his protestations. The more he protests, the less people believe him.
If you love comedy, definitely check out one of the greats.
4Apocalypse Now
You know how every action movie uses Ride of the Valkyries for that scene where the calvary comes swooping in? It’s because of this movie. Also why every Vietnam movie use The End.
This movie is almost as famous for it’s behind the scenes troubles as it’s classic filmmaking. Brando arrived overweight and unprepared. Lead actor Martin Sheen had a heart attack from the stress. Sets were destroyed and filming in the jungle made everything worse. Director Francis Ford Coppola had to go through hours and hours of footage to make a useable movie. A remake of the novella The Heart of Darkness, the production seemed intent on making the story’s point of how men eventually succumb to their primal state.
3Mad Max
This first Mad Max doesn’t take place after the apocalypse. It does have Mel Gibson, a kickass car and a lot of violence.
Max Rockatansky is a police officer after a gang of motorcycle toughs. After his wife and child are killed, things turn personal. It’s worth watching if for nothing else then a very young (and not yet crazy) Mel Gibson, and to see the movie that spawned a franchise. The director is George Miller, who returned to the franchise with Fury Road.
2Star Trek The Motion Picture
Besides the groovy uniforms, Star Trek the Motion Picture has a lot of (for the time) top special effects, which ballooned the budget and nearly capsized the production. But it had enough profit to green light The Wrath of Khan a few years later.
The original plan was to bring back Star Trek as a series, but when that fell through, they pushed out this movie. In the film, the intrepid crew investigates the sudden appearance of a giant alien presence calling itself V’ger. It’s often long and slow, but it’s still better then The Final Frontier.
1The Muppet Movie
This is, unashamedly, my all time favorite movie. It’s a happym positive movie that’s mostly stood the test of time, save some of the cameos and jokes are probably dated for anyone that doesn’t watch older movies.
The plot is simple enough. Kermit is discovered singing in his swamp and decides to head off to Hollywood in pursuit of his dream. Along the way he meets Fozzie, Gonzo, Miss Piggy, the Electric Mayhem band and a whole host of others. They are pursued by Doc Hopper, who wants to use Kermit for his frog legs franchise.
Ultimately the movie is about friendship and pursuing your dreams despite the obstacles, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Plus The Rainbow Connectionand other great songs.
Did I miss anything else? Do you love these too? Leave a comment below and let me know what you think!
