Today we celebrate Civil Rights Leader Doctor Martin Luther King. I can do no justice to Dr. King’s career with a sentence or two in an intro. Suffice it to say; King played the lead role in the 1950s and 60s helping African-Americans make a giant leap towards equal rights. King’s famous “I have a dream” speech is the stuff of legend. Martin Luther King not only led a movement but changed the course of history for an entire genre of humans.
In honor of Martin Luther King here are seven great films with civil rights as a unifying theme.
If Rotten Tomato scores mean anything to you, then Selma’s 99% should mean a lot. Director Ava DuVernay crafted an elegant film based on a script by Paul Webb. The inspiration radiated by Martin Luther King enriches this movie. At the same time, the film allows the specter of the truth — how far we’ve got to go — haunt us from reality. Selma won Best Picture at the Oscars and is must-watch for fans of historical dramas.
Thanks for the dream, Dr. Martin Luther King.
We’ll keep working at making it more real.
Last month we heard rumors that the final Logan trailer would be coming at some point in January. Now, Trailer-Track is reporting that said trailer is coming soon, on Thursday, January 19.
Additionally, 20th Century Fox of Taiwan has posted an update on their Facebook page. After translating, the post read:
“The Wolf of the wolves this time, how much? 1/19 will the new trailer be disclosed more? Ah, it is so hard to wait. 3/3 goodbye wolf global sync perfect Leading Notice: https://goo.gl/GwW8R0 #Those always stay with our golden steel wolf #Xmen#Logan#Wolverine#x#marvel“
While admittedly not the greatest translation to English, we do seemingly get confirmation of the new trailer’s release in the middle of the post.
Additionally, Trailer-Track claims the trailer should be released at 6 a.m. PST, which is 2 p.m. in the UK.
The first footage from this film got everyone ecstatic. Showing tones of a classic western mixed in with a comic-book movie filled with our favorite characters, Logan made its mark with one of the best trailers of 2016. The question is, will this new one be better than the first?
What could be shown in this final trailer? Do you have any guesses? Let us know in the comments section down below.
“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.”
Logan stars Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/ Logan, Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier, Dafnee Keen as Laura Kinney/X-23, Boyd Holbrook as Donald Pierce, Doris Morgado as Maria, Richard E. Grant as Dr. Zander Rice, Stephen Merchant as Caliban, Elizabeth Rodriguez as Gabriela, and others. Click here for the full cast list.
Three new photos from The Defenders have been released by Netflix, via Comicbook.com. Check them out below.
In the first image we see Iron Fist dealing with a gas-masked criminal; the second photo highlights Jessica Jones and Trish Walker enjoying a stroll in New York City; and the third image gives us a look at the team’s primary antagonist, played by Sigourney Weaver.
The latest Netflix original series may be billed as unfortunate, but it hardly feels unfortunate to watch. A Series of Unfortunate Events, based off the popular books by Lemony Snicket, have gotten a second chance on screen. It’s a fairly good adaptation, and certainly an amusing one. It often feels repetitive, as each story tends to follow the same formula. However, each one is done well enough to feel compelling nonetheless.
A Series of Unfortunate Events follows the events of the Baudelaire children, who become orphans early into the series. At first, the children are dropped at the doorstep of their very removed relative, the villainous Count Olaf. The series, containing many unfortunate events, follows the children desperately trying to escape the crazy Count’s clutches. Several family members seek to intervene, and all the adventures are narrated by the author himself (as played by Patrick Warburton).
The series is an interesting blend of creepy and funny. The series frequently juxtaposes bright, beautiful colors with the dull, bleak tones that Count Olaf brings with him. It feels like Wes Anderson and Tim Burton worked together for the project. A Series of Unfortunate Events juggles several tones, and does so with high marks. Oftentimes, the reliance on tone makes the substance feel a bit weaker. But it is nice to see a series show enough finesse of what makes it unique.
The season is eight episodes long, covering four of Snicket’s books. The action moves at a reasonable clip, feeling more like several seasons crammed into one. It’s surprising to imagine how much material is covered over the course of the show’s first season. Each two-episode arc feels a lot like a movie – an rather identical ones at that. They’re all written structurally well, and have nice humor associated with each new alliterative adventure. The series also tries to apply Snicket’s stories to the modern day. It makes for some one-off amusing jokes, but it does upset the reality the show seems intent on applying. It’s not the greatest television ever, but it is consistently delightful.
Neil Patrick Harris, who plays the villainous Count Olaf, is full of personality. Olaf spends the series scheming, switching costumes, and a great deal of singing. The performance is a much better take on the character than Jim Carrey’s take in the 2004 film. As talented and humorous as Harris is, however, his performance leaves a bit to be desired. The performance shows off Harris’ skills as an actor, but doesn’t make Count Olaf feel all that sinister. Olaf isn’t evil enough to feel like a serious villain, but rather an antagonist more in line with his henchmen. It may not be as grating as Carrey’s Olaf, but it still feels like Barney Stinson’s back in old man make-up (and seeing Robin running around doesn’t help).
While the humor of the series softens Olaf, it makes the surrounding cast delightful. Patrick Warburton, who plays the stoic Lemony Snicket, narrates the children’s struggles with their lives. A Series of Unfortunate Events pulls several phenomenal performers to fill out the Baudelaire lineage. The cast of side characters includes many talented actors, including Joan Cusack, Aasif Mandvi, Alfre Woodard, and Rhys Darby. Not to mention the surprising reveal of cameos at the end of episode one. It’s a shame that each side character only gets so much screen time, but that’s what happens with lives as chaotic as the Baudelaire children.
The performances of the child actors, playing said Baudelaire sibling, also impress. While Klaus and Sunny are played by new actors, Violet (Malina Weissman) may be familiar to some as young Supergirl on the CW, and she does a great job leading the siblings as the eldest daughter.Violet and Klaus (Louis Hynes) are compelling leads, though still have some room to grow. It’s a bit harder to judge the performance of literal baby, but the choice of subtitles, along with frequent CG-moments, is off-putting. It’s nice to see appropriately aged actors for the parts. It makes the series feel reminiscent of early Harry Potter films. It will be interesting to see how these children evolve in the series, depending on how many more unfortunate events they have to go through.
Overall, the series does a good job at building its world, creating just enough intrigue to keep viewers invested. Each story may feel like much of the same, but consistency isn’t all that bad. A Series of Unfortunate Events could use a bit more variation, relying less on repetitive jokes and singing (yes, Neil Patrick Harris sings a lot in this too). But it’s demonstrated a strong grasp on its style and tone, along with compelling mysteries. It will be interesting to see how the series builds off the intrigue it’s already build up, and see exactly how the story goes from here.
STAND-OUT PERFORMANCES: Patrick Warburton,Malina Weissman, K. Todd Freeman, Usman Ally, Joan Cusack
STAND-OUT STORY ARC: “The Bad Beginning: Parts 1 and 2”
After two seasons, ABC canceled Agent Carter last year.
The news upset many fans who started petitions to get the series renewed.
Agent Carter, a 1940s-set drama, starred Hayley Atwell as fan-favorite Peggy Carter.
Since the cancellation, Atwell and Marvel TV head Jeph Loeb have talked about continuing the series in another format.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Loeb explained why Agent Carter wasn’t renewed.
“Unlike the movie studio they can say, ‘In 2019 we’re making Captain Marvel,’ the television division doesn’t have that ability,” Loeb said. “We are, at the end of the day, beholden to the network that we’re on. So for all you Agent Carter fans out there, we didn’t cancel the show.”
It seems ABC made the final call to ax the show.
The network also passed on picking up Agents of SHIELD spinoff Marvel’s Most Wanted, which would have followed the adventures of Mockingbird and Lance Hunter.
At one point, Netflix was looking into taking on Agent Carter, but ultimately passed on it.
ABC and Marvel TV are moving forward with Inhumans, which is set to debut this fall.
On January 24th, there’s a good chance that cinephiles across the world will be letting a collective gasp in horror as Deadpool is nominated for Best Picture at the 2017 Oscars. As ridiculous as this might appear to be, the film’s star Ryan Reynolds has embraced this possibility and tweeted out this FYC video.
So before the deluge of tweets start pouring that read “So What! It’s just a video any anyone can make one”, Let’s take a look at the facts.
1. Deadpool is getting massive attention from the award guilds.
While some might be dismissive of awards guilds, they often serve as a pretty good indicator for how the Academy nominations will look when they are announced at the end of January.
a) The Writers Guild of America nominated Deadpool for Best Adaptive Screenplay. The WGA giving attention to a superhero film isn’t that unheard of because in 2015 Guardians of the Galaxy was nominated in the same category. So now some might think “What’s the big deal?” Well, the big deal is that many of the WGA also are Academy voters as well. This means that its at least being discussed among the voters. Now, if Deadpool only received this nomination, then this would be a dead issue, but that hasn’t been the case.
b) The Directors Guild of America nominated Tim Miller (the guy who directed Deadpool) for best direction in their first feature film. He’s going up against Garth Davis (Lion) and Kelly Fremon Craig (The Edge of Seventeen) who both directed films that stand a real shot at being in the Best Picture category around Oscar time. This means that members of the DGA are grouping these films together. It’s also worth noting that some DGA members are members of the Academy. As shocking as this was it doesn’t compare to the final nomination.
c) The Producer Guild of America nominated Deadpool as one of its ten best films of 2016. This one is a big one as the PGA carries the most weight with Oscar voters and this announcement happened right in the middle of the voting process as well. Often the PGA nominations are a direct reflection of the Oscar nominations as well. It’s no accident that a day or so after that announcement, Ryan Reynolds tweeted out that video.
2. Deadpool was a game changer
Deadpool was a game changer for not only rated “R” superhero films, but it also made those films mainstream. Audience members are no longer needed to have some degree in comics 101 to understand the story. Deadpool’s narrative was as simplistic as it gets. Here are your good guys and let’s watch the one who’s a real smart-ass in a skin-tight red suit mess up these bad guys. It also approached this genre with a lighter tone that related well with the public.
3. What’s good for one film is good for another
If the Academy is going to acknowledge films like Moonlight that redefine our perception of masculinity and homosexual relationships, then they have to at the very least consider what Deadpool has done for people’s perception of the superhero genre.
4. If the Academy nominate ten films for Best Picture, then how does it not make the cut?
If you sat there (and I have) and wrote down who you think will be in the Academy’s Top 10 films for this year, it’s hard to exclude Deadpool. You would have to think that these are the films that already have a nomination locked in
Moonlight, Manchester By The Sea, Lion, La La Land, Arrival, Fences, Hell or High Water, Hidden Figures
That’s eight films, who would you put in for the other two? Nocturnal Animals? Captain Fantastic? Silence? Personally, I feel that Scorsese’s latest deserves the 9th slot, but after that, it’s a toss up. If the Academy makes Deadpool the 10th nominated film, it can claim that it’s indeed recognizing a diverse group of films.
In a recent chat with ET Online, Spider-Man: Homecoming actor Michael Keaton talked about Marvel and praised his co-star Tom Holland.
“[It’s] pretty amazing once you step into that. I hadn’t done a Marvel movie and they are so good at how they run things. It’s impressive.”
“He [Holland] is a really good guy. I just worked with Dylan O’Brien [on the upcoming thriller American Assassin] and they are around the same age, I would say, and they are both such good guys to work with. Tommy is a good kid.”
There’s not much in the comments, but it’s great to see Keaton’s enthusiasm for the Marvel brand. Are you looking forward to his portrayal of Vulture in the film? Let us know in the comments.
Spider-Man: Homecoming hits theaters on July 7, 2017.
It’s been about a year since I reviewed Lake of Bays Brewing Company‘s Top Shelf Classic Lager, the official beer of the NHLAA. And, though Top Shelf Classic Lager is a great beer to drink while watching a game, lagers aren’t generally my style. I prefer the bitterness of a well-hopped IPA. So, I was happy to find that Lake of Bays also brews a 10 Point English IPA. I picked up a 473-mL tall can from my local LCBO, and, though I don’t hunt, I look forward to downing this 10 pointer.
Lake of Bays Brewing Company: 10 Point English IPA – First Sip
10 Point English IPA pours a transparent amber colour with a thin layer of foam at the top of my pint glass. I smell a pleasant aroma of citrus as I take my first sip, and enjoy the fizzy mouthfeel that this brew’s lively bubbles provides. There are malty undertones to this beer’s otherwise crisp and hoppy flavour. Rather than overpowering me with its intense hops flavour, though, this beer manages to retain a refreshing and thirst-quenching quality. This brew doesn’t change much from initial flavour to aftertaste. Instead, its flavour is upfront, revealing itself immediately rather than evolving over time.
Lake of Bays Brewing Company: 10 Point English IPA – Last Sip
This is a tasty beer, but at 6% ABV in 473-mL cans, this is a relatively strong beer. Crisp and refreshing as it is, this is a great brew for a barbecue on a hot day. But, with its malty undertones, 10 Point English IPA also makes a good winter warmer.
I know I say it a lot, but, this is a great beer to drink while enjoying some salty pub food. Its bitter flavour stacks up well beside savoury foods. Also, if you’re not generally an IPA drinker, this is a good one to try. Unlike a brew such as Flying Monkeys Brewing Company’s Smashbomb Atomic IPA, this brew’s flavour is subtle rather than in-your-face.
We all went into shock when Laurel met her untimely death in the last season. No one expected her to go out, by the hands of Damien Darhk none the less. Since the breaking news of her return, fans are even more confused. Should we be happy about Laurel being alive, and coming back from the dead?
According to my source, executive producer Guggenheim decides to spill a nugget of information about the midseason premiere, and what seems like is going to happen with Laurel this season.
“The episode ends with laying a very specific seed with a very specific game plan on our part that we hope to see come to fruition”
Well, If that wasn’t vague enough for you, I don’t know what is.
Coming back from the dead on ‘Arrow’ is never a kosher deal. Best example by far has been the one of Sara Lance. Brought back to life by the Lazarus Pit, brought back Sara in the flesh, but not in the mind.
This also happened to Thea, as we see she is still dealing with the effects of the pit.
Honestly, does anyone really want Laurel to have to deal with that since we have seen the dark sides?
Midseason premiere synopsis:
OLIVER WANTS JUSTICE; FELICITY WANTS REVENGE — Worried that Prometheus is right and he is truly a killer at heart, Oliver (Stephen Amell) looks for any ray of hope and finds it in what seems to be the miraculous return of Laurel Lance (guest star Katie Cassidy).
However, Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards), still reeling from Detective Malone’s murder, is bent on revenge – she wants to stop Prometheus at any cost. While in prison, Diggle (David Ramsey) fights for his life.
Gregory Smith directed the episode written by Ben Sokolowski & Brian Ford Sullivan.
‘Arrow’ will be back with fresh episodes on January 25, 2017 at 8/7c on The CW.
Entertainment Weekly has got their hands on a slew of behind-the-scenes photos from The Defenders. Check them all out in the gallery below.
“Marvel’s The Defenders” follows Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist. A quartet of singular heroes with one common goal – to save New York City. This is the story of four solitary figures, burdened with their own personal challenges, who realize they just might be stronger when teamed together.”
The Defenders gets released on Netflix sometime this summer.
