A brand new clip from Justice League Dark has been released, highlighting the character of Etrigan The Demon. Watch it below.
About the character:“Etrigan is a demon prince of Hell, son of the Archduke Belial and the Serpent Queen, Ra Va Daath. During the Age of King Arthur, the wizard Merlin – Etrigan’s half brother – used a binding ritual to permanently attach the demon to the soul of a mortal man, Jason Blood. They have walked the Earth (and the depths of Hell) together as both comrades and enemies for over a millennium.”
Justice League Dark – plot synopsis:“When innocent civilians begin committing unthinkable crimes across Metropolis, Gotham City and beyond, Batman must call upon mystical counterparts to eradicate this demonic threat to the planet. Enter Justice League Dark, reluctantly led by the Hellblazer himself, John Constantine. Like Batman, Constantine is a cunning, often cynical loner who is the best at his chosen profession – but quickly realizes the sinister forces plaguing the planet will require help from other supernatural alliances. Forming a new “league” with sorceress Zatanna, otherworldly Deadman, and Jason Blood and his powerful alter ego Etrigan the Demon, this team of Dark Arts specialists must unravel the mystery of Earth’s supernatural plague and contend with the rising, powerful villainous forces behind the siege – before it’s too late for all of mankind.”
This movie is the second DC animated flick to receive an R rating, following last year’s Batman: The Killing Joke. The cast includes Rosario Dawson as Wonder Woman, Matt Ryan as Constantine, Jeremy Davies as Ritchie Simpson, Jerry O’Connel as Superman, Jason O’Mara as Batman, Alfred Molina as Destiny, and others. For the full cast list, click here.
Will you be checking out Justice League Dark? It’s available on Digital HD starting January 24, and then comes to Blu-Ray and DVD on February 7.
In a recent interview with Short List Magazine, Peter Parker actor Tom Holland discussed Michael Keaton’s Vulture character in this summer’s highly anticipated Spider-Man: Homecoming.
“Pretty cool. He’s a badass. We have a fight in the movie and I punch him. He turns around and says [in a deep voice], ‘I’m Batman.’ He kept doing Batman quotes on set.”
Also included in the interview was Holland commenting on the dynamic of Flash Thompson and Parker. He talked about how the bullying dealt with in the film is more about class and wealth, rather than being about the physicality of it all.
“American high schools are so different to British ones.Bullying wasn’t really a thing, so when they cast Flash Thompson they knew they didn’t need a 6ft 5in jock to beat Peter Parker up. They needed a rich, smug kid commenting on how bad his trainers were. And I did it to practice my American accent.”
What are your thoughts on Holland’s comments? Did you enjoy the first trailer for Spider-Man: Homecoming? Be sure to leave us your thoughts in the comments section down below.
Plot synopsis: “Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, young Peter Parker (Tom Holland) returns home to live with his Aunt May. Under the watchful eye of mentor Tony Stark, Parker starts to embrace his newfound identity as Spider-Man. He also tries to return to his normal daily routine — distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just a friendly neighborhood superhero. Peter must soon put his powers to the test when the evil Vulture emerges to threaten everything that he holds dear.”
Joining Holland and Keaton in Spider-Man: Homecoming is Tony Revolori, Zendaya, Marisa Tomei, Robert Downey Jr., Donald Glover, Kenneth Choi, Bokheem Woodbine, Jacob Batalon, and Laura Harrier.
When you have a chance to see two knights star in a superbly written play, you take it. And, if those two knights are Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Patrick Stewart, you hang on every word they say. As a fan of the two illustrious performers, and absurdist theatre to boot, I jumped at the chance to see Sir Ian and Sir Patrick two years ago in their Broadway run of Harold Pinter‘s No Man’s Land. At the time, No Man’s Land accompanied performances of Samuel Beckett‘s Waiting for Godot.Sean Mathias directed both plays superbly.
Having enjoyed these productions so much in the past, I was skeptical about whether or not I would enjoy seeing Sir Ian and Sir Patrick star in No Man’s Land again under slightly different circumstances, i.e. in National Theatre Live‘s broadcast of the play from Wyndham’s Theatre to select movie theatres around the world. That was foolish of me.
No Man’s Land – New Faces
When I saw No Man’s Land previously, Billy Crudup and Shuler Hensley joined Sir Ian and Sir Patrick onstage. Crudup played the role of Foster, and Hensley played Briggs. Though most audience members were probably in attendance to see the two knights, Crudup and Hensley performed admirably. But, for whatever reason (likely scheduling and geographical conflicts), the roles of Foster and Briggs were re-cast for this most recent production. Instead, Foster was played by Damien Molony, and Briggs by Owen Teale, who’s probably most recognizable as Alliser Thorne in Game of Thrones.
Like their predecessors, Teale and Molony performed admirably. I give a special nod to Teale who was able to reconcile the often contradictory ways that his character Briggs comports himself. Sometimes gruff and sometimes caring, Teale was able to portray Briggs as, basically, a mysterious brigand. Although other actors may concentrate on one part of Briggs’s character, Teale understood that Briggs is complex, not just a beefy housekeeper.
No Man’s Land – A New Perspective
Although the tightness of some shots during the National Theatre Live broadcast prevented the audience from seeing the entire stage, these tight shots also served to highlight the superb expressions Sir Ian and Sir Patrick make use of. In the first balcony of The Cort Theatre on Broadway, I was able to see some details of the show, but others were lost.
However, even though the tightness of some shots revealed more about the actors’ performances, they weren’t perfect. Instead of the audience having control over where to look during the performance, we were at the mercy of National Theatre Live’s cinematographers. And, though the cinematography was good, I often found myself wondering how the out-of-shot actors might be reacting during their fellow actors’ speeches.
No Man’s Land – The Demands of Live Theatre
There were no noticeable textual errors during either of the performances I saw of No Man’s Land. But, there was at least one noticeable slip up in this one. Specifically, Sir Patrick accidentally dumped coffee on himself during a scene he shared with Sir Ian. Although the two veteran actors continued the scene without much of a stop, the gaffe seemed to temporarily get the better of Sir Patrick who, during the post-show Q&A, admitted that after it happened he couldn’t help but smile at his longtime friend and scene partner.
Sir Patrick remarked that he was so happy that he and Sir Ian were able to continue the scene without stopping that he couldn’t help but smile. Sean Mathias, the director, provided a different take on the gaffe during the Q&A: “Patrick was corpsing.”
Either way because of the nervous tension and myriad pauses that No Man’s Land trades in, I don’t imagine that many audience members picked up on the mistake—I didn’t and I’ve seen the play twice now.
It’s been long-standing pop culture knowledge that studios use January as a “dump month.” The first 31 days of the year is a flood of all the movies studios greenlit and then thought “Eh, why’d we do that?” So, they roll these movies out quietly in January and hope that they make a little money back, before vanishing quietly into the cinematic night. But every once in a while, something magical happens, and a hit is born.
The prolific director released two great films in January!
Broadway Danny Rose • 1984
Woody Allen is Danny Rose, a hapless talent manager takes on a client and ends up in a love triangle that involves Mia Farrow and the mob. Broadway received two Oscar nominations, and while it’s not in the top ten Woody Allen movies, it’s a fun one if you like the director’s work.
Radio Days • 1987
Several stories commingle in another Woody Allen treasure about the golden age of radio. Like Broadway Danny Rose, the film starred Mia Farrow and earned two Oscar nominations. Radio Days is another brilliant piece of comedy and dramatic storytelling from one of the best to ever do it.
No one will argue that Netflix has been feeding us some of the best original programming in ANY format. House of Cards, Daredevil, Arrested Development, and the list goes on and on. We can now add Santa Clarita Diet to that list. The new series, starring Drew Barrymore and Tymothy Olyphant, seems to be a very inventive twist on zombies and the undead; with a touch of Weedsinspired suburban parody. The trailer also showcases a great supporting cast that includes Patton Oswalt and Nathan Fillion. Check out the trailer below and tell us what you think!
Justice League director Zack Snyder took to social media today and released a new look at Batman’s updated cowl. Released on the director’s Vero account the image shows the back of Batman’s head with the cowl and cape visible.
Fans have become accustomed to Batman’s costumes changing from film to film, but it seems like Ben Affleck’s interpretation of the character will have the biggest line of bat-suits yet. We’re only two movies in and we already have three costumes.
Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.
Directed by Zack Snyder, Justice League stars Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Ray Fisher, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Diane Lane, Amy Adams, Jeremy Irons, Amber Heard, J.K. Simmons, Willem Dafoe, Connie Nielsen, and Jesse Eisenberg.
Justice League will land in theaters on November 16, 2017.
While the Shazam! movie was announced years ago, there has been very little development beyond the casting of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Black Adam, until recently. Early last week Johnson used social media to share his excitement after a big meeting at DC Comics and now we know exactly what that meeting was about.
The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Dwayne Johnson will star in a solo Black Adam movie, as well as the previously mentioned Shazam! film. This would be a major addition to the DC Extended Universe and opens a lot of cosmic doors. The decision to have a solo movie starring The Rock also raises a lot of questions about the storyline and characterisation of this villain.
To execs, it made no sense to have a man of Johnson’s stature be just a villain and a supporting character in an expensive tentpole. Thus a decision was made to spin Black Adam into his own film.
In recent comics, Black Adam has become more of an anti-hero than a plain villain. While still being “technically” evil, the character can be found relatable with because he is fighting against those who enslave his people.
The Shazam! film is still without an official release date and director, but the script is being worked by Henry Gayden says THR. Let us know if you’re excited to see a solo Black Adam movie in the comments section below.
Dwayne Johnson may have just proved to be a big enough draw to which the Black Adam will get a stand-alone film, with another film for Captain Marvel (Shazam), according to Deadline.
Not much has been revealed about the project, Johnson went to Facebook with his excitement about the potential film last week.
Thursday afternoon Dark Horse and 20th Century Fox wished Buffy Summers a happy birthday when they announced a third volume of “Buffy: The High School Years.”
In Parental Parasite, Buffy struggles to deal with her mother Joyce’s sudden interest in spending quality time with her. Balancing this new development with her schoolwork, her friends, and her regular vampire-slaying duties proves to be a challenge. However, when Joyce becomes hypnotized by a childlike demon that craves motherly care, Buffy experiences a new kind of sibling rivalry—except in Buffy’s case, her “sibling” is actually a monster!
Joss Whedon is the executive producer of the series, written by Kel McDonald (Misfits of Avalon), with art by Yishan Li (Buffy: The High School Years—Freaks and Geeks).
Set in Season 1 of the hit show, Buffy: The High School Years—Parental Parasite goes on sale June 28, 2017.
Buffy: The High School Years—Freaks and Geeks was released in June of 2016, with the follow-up Buffy: The High School Years—Glutton for Punishment released later that year in November.
How will you celebrate Buffy’s birthday? Comment below.
On the surface, Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders offers up camp and cheese for miles, just as one might expect it to. It’s a nostalgic romp that pulls out all the stops to look and feel like the classic ’66 series.
But look a little closer and you’ll find the creators of this homage having a little sly fun with the material, too.
Does it all work? No, and even at 78 minutes it feels too long. Even the cleverest spin on material that was already knowingly silly can wear thin if dragged on ad nauseum.
But there is enough groovy fun to make it worth watching, especially for Adam West fans.
What’s it about?
Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders starts with the Dynamic Duo’s deadliest foes — Joker, Riddler, Penguin, and Catwoman — teaming up once again to terrorize Gotham. They take over a TV variety show in order to draw out our heroes, then lure them into yet another deathtrap sure to cook their costumed gooses.
You know what happens next. “To the Batmobile!” says Bruce Wayne, and they’re off in that forever-cool supercar, ready to put the bad guys behind bars once again.
But the trap and its aftermath are just the beginning of the caper. Catwoman has her own plans for Batman, while her villainous cohorts aim to steal a weapon of unbelievable power to help them each rule Gotham City. And in the midst of all that, a new enemy emerges, one our heroes never imagined having to face.
What follows tests not only their mettle, but also their very partnership. Could it really be the end for Batman and Robin? Tune in next week! Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel!
(Sorry. Couldn’t resist.)
Bam! Whiff! Pow!
The way-over-the-top charm of Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders starts with the script. Writers Michael Jelenic and James Tucker, each veteran contributors to Warner Bros. Home Entertainment’s line of DC Original Animated movies, pour their obvious love of the original material into a screenplay full of winks and nods to classic episodes and tropes.
Ridiculously convoluted plot in need of endless exposition? Check. The show’s supporting characters (except Alfred) wholly inept and helpless without our heroes? Check. Batman such a Goody Two-Bat-shoes that his every word feels like an after-school lesson? Check … at least, at first. If you can, watch a few of those old TV episodes before rolling with this new installment to heighten the sense of nostalgia.
But along with all that reverence there’s a little subversive spirit, too. It’s as though the writers asked themselves, “What were the silliest elements of the show?” and then figured out a way to confront them without breaking the fourth wall.
That effort to add a layer of self-parody comes with a cost – the feature’s plot goes way off the rails about midway and never really recovers. Though there are plenty of chuckle-worthy moments along the way, by the end you may wonder if all that hard work at cleverness was worth it.
West, Ward still got it
Regardless, Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders does provide the opportunity to enjoy Adam West and Burt Ward in their most famous roles one last time.
Remarkably, they manage to sound like very little time has passed, especially Ward. West’s voice sounds a little thinner than it did back in the day, but he still nails Batman’s pedantic cadence perfectly.
Julie Newmar’s turn as Catwoman suffers the most in terms of the transition from live action to animation. Though Newmar brings her classic purr to the feline temptress’s voice, her playful physicality gets lost, and her line reads feel stiff rather than slinky.
Worth seeing?
Does all that add up to Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders not being worth an hour and 18 minutes of your time? Of course not, especially if you have fond memories of the material that inspired it.
Just keep this in mind: if you’re a believer that a little corniness and cheese goes a long way, best stow that belief before giving this a spin. Instead, just enjoy the groaners, knowing full well they were crafted out of love.
Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders
Starring the voices of Adam West, Burt Ward, and Julie Newmar. Directed by Rick Morales.
Running Time: 78 minutes
Rated PG for action, suggestive material and rude humor.
