The first promotional video Attack on Titan season two has been released. Watch it below!
The video highlights new characters, titans, and heroes, but also includes a few familiar faces.
The second season of Attack on Titan will be released in April 2017. As more information becomes released we will have it covered.
The Simpsons was started with a Christmas special back in 1989 and has been going strong ever since. Many consider the first few seasons to be the show’s peak, so I’ve decided to take a look at the episode that started it all: Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire. Does it hold up?
The short answer is yes.
What the episode does brilliantly is establishing the setting, characters and overall atmosphere of the show. It’s not a standout in terms of comedy or story, but its set up for the show’s future is what makes it great.
The animation is dated, but it still has that Simpsons aesthetic that many viewers have grown accustomed to. I love the classic art style.
Homer is looked at as a drunk, but the episode makes very clear his true intentions. While he is a dope, he also cares about family deeply – this aspect of the show is what makes it more family friendly than other shows it’s often compared to: South Park, American Dad, and Futurama are among the competition.
Additionally, this episode introduces the family’s dog, Santa’s Little Helper. It’s interesting that the show devoted the episode to rescuing the dog, as this makes him more of a character when there is potential conflict.
Overall, Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire holds up very well. Although dated in various ways, the characters and simply story make it a classic that every fan of the franchise should watch at this time of year.
Jon Bernthal (Frank Castle) recently discussed his initial interest in portraying the character, via gq.com.
“I’m working on The Punisher now. You know, this whole superhero-comic-book thing is something I had zero interest in being a part of. The guys that I really, really respect as actors seem to have kind of purposely stayed away from that. I don’t mean that I’m above that or anything, just that it was not for me. But then when I got to know a little bit about this character… He ain’t got a f**king cape. He ain’t got any superpowers. He’s a f**king tortured, angry father and husband who’s living in this unbelievable world of darkness and loss and torment. Frank Castle resonates with me. And comic-book fans are the greatest fans on earth. It’s not like their insane fervor isn’t based on anything. This is a super-intelligent fan base, because reading a comic book requires you to do a lot of work. You’ve got to fill in all these f**king gaps. I’m respectful of that. These characters exist in their minds and hearts.”
Like Bernthal states, Punisher is not your average super hero or villain. He’s a mentally unstable killer who has a firm belief in his ideology of taking criminals off the streets.
The character made his first Marvel Cinematic Universe appearance in Netflix’s Daredevil series, and The Punisher show will hit the streaming service next year.
Merry Christmas to all! Well, actually, it is a little early for all that, but not for a Christmas film list, or excessive amounts of Egg Nog. That being said, another part of many Yuletide celebrations is Christmas films, and everyone has one. There is a lot of traditional films, both really old, really new, and somewhere in between. This is not your typical list. Unorthodox, bizarre, occasionally based an old timey classic, and sometimes creept, bur here is 11 films you shoulder consider every Christmas.
1) A Christmas story
Classics are classics, whether they be a song or film, overplayed or never heard, nothing changes the fact. A Christmas Story is like most classics, but also carries those cult classic, memorable one-liners as well. Some are sick and tired of this classic, and DVD have probably tanked since the television station TBS started their 24 hours of A Christmas Story marathon, but it still remains an important classic. Albeit, sometimes, a bit overplayed.
2) Tales from the crypt: All Through The Houses
There are two adaptation of this EC Comics story, if you did not know. A 1960s Amicus film anthology, which was also entitled Tales from the Crypt, and utilized as its first story, All Through the House. The ’90s Horror Comedy Tales From The Crypt, that most people are aware of, has the Larry Drake mental Santa Claus. Both versions are quite good and worth watching. It just all depends on what mood you’re looking for, Horror Comedy or Horror Terror, and what accent…
3) Twilight Zone: Night of the Meek
Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone is known for its dark and Science Fiction subjects, but every now and then, its creator threw in some light-hearted ensembles. Night of the Meek was A Twilight Zone Christmas aka Christmas in the fifth dimension. Do not be turned away by its sentimentality, as it is, and all Serling written pieces are, quite well written and thought-provoking.
4) Tales from the Darkside: Seasons of Belief
Tales from the Darkside was occasionally hit or miss in quality, but this one isn’t a complete miss. E.G. Marshall, of Night Gallery and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation fame, leads a far less recognizable cast. The Tale of Grither, an evil Christmas creature that returns when you say is name multiple times, and his story, and his song are told, is the plot of this quick little episode of terror. The talents of Michael McDowell are seen here, prior to his other Horror related, named based terror…Beetlejuice.
5) Gremlins 1
The first Gremlins film does not have a numerical value, but it is the first one, so it helps to differentiate. Gremlin 2 wasn’t a bad film, but the first is always best, and it felt like a heavier dose of the season was on display. If you’re looking for horror and terror in a yuletide stocking, and a little Gizmo cuteness, you have chosen the right stocking stuffer.
6) Scrooged
For some reason, it seems that you either love or hate the dark Christmas dramedy Scrooged. Bill Murray stars in a modern depiction of the Charles Dickinson classic A Christmas Carol. Murray really pulls off the modern Scrooge, while still bringing his fans the same comedy they have come to expect from the master comedic actor. The ending is a little too much like PSA of sentimental claptraps, but you expect this from Dickinsonian style films. Scrooged is still filled with memorable characters, actors, scenes, and lines. Ignore the Scroogy critics, check it out.
7) The Santa Clause
It takes some time to become a classic, but some films are just very memorable within your own family, and become familial classics. Case in point, The Santa Clause is one such film for this writer. Tim Allen’s The Santa Clause was a refreshing change from the typical tired tropes of past Christmas films, and it is really quite humorous. Tim Allen was truly “on point” back then, or whatever it is they say these days.
8) The original …Grinch Stole Christmas
One must say “the original” because Ron Howard chose to make a live-action redoing with mixed success. The original, to add to the horror of The Grinch, and if you did not know, was voiced by Boris Karloff. Ironically, only the narration is. The timeless classic of the old, green miser turning his miniature heart from pea to Titantic by seeing that Christmas was more than just presents and consumerism, never ceases to thrill all ages.
9) Batman Returns
Batman and Christmas might not seem like they go together, unless it is some silly children’s animated special, but Tim Burton, Batman, and Christmas do. Perhaps, some don’t remember, but it was Christmas time in Tim Burton’s epic, Batman Returns. Even the famous Max Shreck ball was a Christmas party. It may not carry the timeless classic Christmas story or characters, but for Batman aficionados it is their Christmas classic, and just maybe some underlying philosophy to be taken from it for the season.
10) Home Alone 1 & 2
It may be odd to group them, but it is essentially, a two-part story. Well, sort of. The timeless John Hughes tale of Kevin McCallister, his cartoonish villains and clever means of defense, never gets old. Who didn’t want to live both of Kevin’s vacation from his family?
11) It’s a Wonderful Life
It might seem cliche at this point, but this last, but never least, classic is just that an immortal classic. It is true that it carries the A-typical A Christmas Carol tropes about a man reflecting back on his life, but George Bailey is no Scrooge, he just needed to be reminded of what he had. It’s a Wonderful Life is a timeless story that works for any decade or century, and Director Frank Capra and Actor Jimmy Stewart are still some of the best that Hollywood ever brought to the world’s attention.
Hopefully, you had a little nostaliga, terror, excitement, and a few more flicks and TV shows to add your Christmas list. Enjoy.
[Images Via Their Respective Films/Production Companies]
With the end of the year right around the corner, it’s time to look back at worst Anime titles which came out in 2016. It should be noted these animes are more disappointing than absolutely terrible. Still considering how much other media is available watching something which isn’t satisfying is almost a worst crime. The time spent watching these shows could have been used to help expand the upcoming best of list from five entries to a full ten. Time is a precious thing and it shouldn’t be spent watching shows of less than average quality. Without further ado, here are the five worst animes of 2016.
It should be noted if you have no other way of watching Gundam Unicorn, then by all means check out this series. It is one of the best Gundam shows to come out in a while which wasn’t being self-referential (Gundam build Fighters) or without having to introduce another timeline (Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron blooded Orphans). Unfortunately these facts aside this is just a repackaging of an already released series with little to no additional additional scenes. Essentially it’s a clip show for anyone who has seen the original Gundam Unicorn and a glorified clip show easily fits onto this list.
Remember SoulTaker? No? Then maybe you caught its OVA, Nurse Witch Komugi where they spun off a character and made her into a magical girl. Still nothing? Doesn’t matter as this series is supposed to be a reintroduction and reinvention of the characters. Unfortunately this series doesn’t exactly know what it wants to do. Sometimes it wants to be an idol show complete with a song and dance number almost every episode, other times it’s trying for comedy and deconstructing aspects of the magical girl genre, and a few times it seems like it’s actually trying to be a legitimate magical girl series. Unfortunately most of the time the jokes aren’t funny, the new magical girls are cookie cutter (A Magical Maid and Magical Sister are introduced) and the songs aren’t even close to being as catchy as those featured in Love Live. If this show had tried to stop being other shows and instead had dedicated itself to one idea, it might have been worthwhile instead of easily forgotten.
It is possible to have an adaptation be so faithful it actually hinders itself. This is the case with the anime adaptation of Phoenix Wright. The anime takes the first two video games stories and so accurately represents them in-motion they come off kind of boring. Who was the show even for? The fans? They have already played the games so they know what is going to happen. A newcomer? The show assumes you are already a fan and will appreciate the nuances which went into the animation. In the end you’re left with the series which is below average and not really much fun for anyone.
As many studios keep trying to relaunch old shows for a new generation there was a lot of promise behind this series which was one of Tatsunoko Studios more iconic franchises. Unfortunately this new installment of Time Bokan is so formulaic you can time out how each episode will play out nearly to the second. The series isn’t helped by overwhelming need to present a more comedic atmosphere. The good guys travel back in time to discover “true history” such as the Wright brothers being one guy or Cleopatra being a two-person comedy act. Meanwhile, the villains are actually trying to keep things the same so they don’t have to change the textbooks they produce which really makes it feel like these roles should be reversed. It’s underwhelming and is intended just really to sell the robots featured in the show to kids. Considering how well other shows can do this and still present an entertaining promise, this one just runs out of time.
Man this one hurt. After waiting 18 years for another Berserk series to expand upon the atrocious stopping point of the first one, a continuation finally arrived. Unfortunately, it’s not very good. The art is literally painful to look at at times as the studio preferred to wait for the final renders to be available with the blu-ray releases which is becoming far too common a practice. The story is a bit underwhelming as this arc moves slower than previous ones and introduces one of the most annoying characters in all of anime. Seriously, the Nina character whined so much she got trained executions, whose job is to ignore the complaining of others to stop. Considering how many Berserk fan there are in the world and how much they were looking forward to this series it almost feels like a slap in the face. The original manga is known for having gorgeous art, being deep and emotional at times, and is considered one of the best fantasy mangas of all time. This series just felt rushed and quickly ran out of steam in a very bad way. Hopefully the studio will learn its lesson and the next season in 2017 will at least look a little better. They’ll already have to win back the audience who were disappointed after watching this 12 episode trainwreck.
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All of these titles are streaming at Crunchyroll. What was your most hated Anime title of 2016? Leave a comment below and let us know.
And so the fourth arc of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure comes to an end. It’s amazing how despite these characters knowing how dangerous an individual Kira is they still allow him to move about and it once again causes a citizen to get caught up in battle. Of course it shows the act of how desperate he is as he’s not exactly at his best after the punishment he received in the previous battle. It’s hard to talk about this episode without spoiling it but know it was one of the better ending to a storyline in recent memory.
The entire cast shows back up and each of them gets a cute moment in the spotlight. Also, it turns out despite an initial assumption, the theory of Josuke being the person who saved his younger self didn’t come to pass. It was just some other guy who had pompadour and looked like he had just come from a final battle. Considering Deadly Queen had the ability to mess with time, it seemed like a very possible scenario of Josuke getting sent back to the past and being the individual who saved himself and his mom in the flashback near the start of the series..
There will be a more descriptive breakdown of this series by the end of the month with a full review of this season. Overall this is a nice wrap up to what was a very entertaining installment of this series. There is now a gap every Friday where a new episode of one of the most over the top and bizarre series once stood. Hopefully something just as entertaining will appear in winter 2017 to fill this void. It would be a shame if fans would have to wait the entire year for the next arc, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Vento Aureo because there wasn’t any other good anime released.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable is streaming on Crunchyroll.
Carrie Fisher suffered a massive heart attack Friday on a flight from London to LAX when she went into cardiac arrest, people on board were administering CPR, according to TMZ.
According to TMZ’s source, the heart attack occurred 15 minutes before the plane landed in Los Angeles. An unidentified EMT on the plane administered CPR as the flight landed at LAX. The plane landed just after noon and paramedics rushed Fisher to a nearby hospital.
We will update this story as news becomes available.
Actress Anna Akana was on the flight as well, she was one the first people to report the situation.
As of yesterday, winter has officially returned to the northern hemisphere. Many aren’t thrilled at the prospect of having to trudge through the slush for the next three or four months. But, at least we can look forward to the aromatic return of winter beers. And, to mark the beginning of winter, I picked up a 750-mL bottle of Great Lakes Brewery’s Winter Ale. I’ve previously written reviews for two of Great Lakes Brewery’s other beers. Check them out here and here for information on them and the brewery.
For now, change your tires, strap on your snowshoes, put on your heavy coats, and grab your shovel: it’s Winter (Ale) time.
Winter Ale pours an amber-hued golden colour with an inch or so of foam that dissipates slowly. This beer has a smooth mouthfeel and relatively lively bubbles. Winter Ale’s orange-peel smell mixes well with a cinnamon flavour that gives way to a ginger-y aftertaste.
This is a sweet and aromatic brew, almost like a shandy. And, at 6.2% ABV in a 750-mL bottle, one is enough, especially if you’re enjoying it after previously drinking a 473-mL can of Bolshevik Bastard.
The obvious benefit of feeling tiny while drinking from a 750-mL beer bottle aside, you’re only hurting yourself by drinking this one without a glass. This is a brew you should smell as well as taste.
Winter Ale reminds me of thick apple cider, so I suggest enjoying it alongside a sausage on a bun. But, with its rich flavours, it’ll also go well with a savoury turkey dinner. For seasonal seekers who look for thick, rich, and spicy beers in the spring and summer, this brew will also go well with barbecued chicken and vegetables.
As we close out 2016, it’s time to reflect on the good, the bad, and the surprises of the film year that was. What was your favorite film from 2016?
EJ’s List
Best: The Handmaiden
Worst: Captain America: Civil War
Surprise: Arrival
Most Enjoyed: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Matt’s List
Best: Hell or High Water – Arrival
Worst: Batman: The Killing Joke
Surprise: The Accountant
Most Enjoyed: Hello My Name Is Doris
Strap yourself in buckaroos! Episode 105 of the Monkeys Fighting Robots podcast is here.
Do you want to be our SUPER-FAN of the week? All you have to do is comment on this podcast to be eligible.
Do you have a question that you would like answered during the show? Email your questions to matt@popaxiom.com.
About the Monkeys Fighting Robots Podcast:
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’s 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 of filmmaking to become a movie critic for MonkeysFightingRobots.com.
Places you can find the show:
iTunes
Blog Talk Radio
Stitcher
Reviews are greatly appreciated – How to Rate and Review a Podcast in iTunes
Thank you for listening!
As five-foot snowbanks become increasingly common in Ontario, many leave their ice-cold beers in the fridge. Instead, they reach for full-bodied wines and hot toddies. After a day of shoveling snow, it’s nice to drink something that sticks to your ribs, and warms you up. That’s why this week I picked up a 473 mL tall can of Nickel Brook Brewing Company’s Bolshevik Bastard Imperial Stout. I previously reviewed two other beers from Nickel Brook, so check those out for information on them and the brewery.
I imagine snow removal in the Mongolian People’s Republic, on the opposite side of the northern hemisphere from my location, creates the same problems there as it does here. But, I doubt, bolshevik though they may be, that you would find anyone drinking Bolshevik Bastard Imperial Stout there. Unfortunately for my Mongolian comrades, Nickel Brook brews are only available in Ontario. And, not to rub it in, I’m going to try one now. Erüül mendiin tölöö!
Bolshevik Bastard pours a solid black with a relatively thin layer of foam. This stout is far less heady than Guinness, and I pour the entire contents of the can into a tulip-shaped pint glass without having to tilt the glass or pour in stages. I smell chocolate and roasted nuts as I take my first sip. The chocolate aroma turns into a chocolate flavour, well supported by this brew’s velvety mouthfeel. Bolshevik Bastard’s chocolatey flavour gives way to a well-balanced bitterness, likely a product of its “aggressive hopping” and high alcohol content.
Much like the Bolsheviks this brew is named for, it’s not to be messed with. Weighing in at a significantly high 9% ABV, you should probably limit your intake to one. This makes Bolshevik Bastard a great beer to start with, especially if you’re coming in out of the cold.
With its heavy chocolatey flavour, I suggest enjoying this brew with something savoury. Luckily, the holiday season is a time for all kinds of foods, not just sweet ones. This is as full-bodied, and about as alcoholic, as any wine. So, if you feel like drinking something with dinner, try this revolutionary beer alongside your turkey, ham, latkes, jerk chicken, or whatever else you’re going to stuff your face with.
