2016 Best New Netflix Show: ‘Stranger Things’

By

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December 6, 2016

We all have had one major obsession this year, obviously, ‘Stranger Things’.

Hawkins, Indiana is the home to a group of kids who love D&D. Sadly, one of the boys goes missing, and weird stuff happens all over town. Introducing a waffle-loving telekinetic girl, a badass older brother who wants nothing more than to get his brother back (while slightly being a creep) and Barb. YASSSS BARB. This is only the beginning. While High school kids have high school problems, there are secret underground government agencies, and kids kicking ass and taking names. Seems like all we need in a Netflix winner.

First of all, this cast is an amazing range of actors. The kids, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, and Noah Schapp are honestly really impressive as the main cast. They can hold our attention, kept us interested, and we found ourselves getting emotionally attached to all of them, even Eleven.

Starting off the adult cast, we have Matthew Modine, David Harbour, Charlie Heaton, and Cara Buono. The wonderful Winona Ryder who was perfectly cast as Joyce Byers, the slightly crazy mother of missing Will (played by Noah Schnapp)

The essential 80s mystery turns into a Sci-Fi a who done it, while capturing everything we love about the time period in the best way possible. Every awkward conversation, the hair, the clothes, and the amazing music.

Right after this premiere date, obviously, the internet blew up with love for ‘Stranger Things.\

Before Stranger Things, I used to go out

— Jack Barakat (@JackAllTimeLow) July 29, 2016

In a world full of Nancys…be a Barb. #StrangerThings

— ♡ A L E X I S ♡ (@sassyblackdiva) July 17, 2016

Everyone loves This show. It’s been renewed for another season, and Conventions welcomed ‘Stranger Things’ with open arms. The cast recognized for the best reasons. Also, most of the internet is Team Barb, which all of us wet blankets can rejoice in.

The world has spoken, therefore ‘Stranger Things’ rules. In addition to ‘Stranger Things’, what was your favorite Netflix show of 2016?

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Vin Diesel: “Write it Down,” Hulk and Groot Will Battle Soon

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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December 6, 2016

Vin Diesel was talking to the folks over at Screen Junkies about Guardians of The Galaxy, Vol. 2, and he dropped a little guarantee for fans:

“I know that somewhere in the universe you’re going to see Groot and Hulk battle, I know it! Write it down somewhere, you’re going to see that posted: Groot versus Hulk.”

Since the Guardians will obviously team up with The Avengers to battle Thanos in the next phase of Marvel’s universe, it makes sense that he would butt heads with Hulk after he gets done with Thor in Ragnarok/Planet Hulk. Of course, he’s going to have to get a little bigger than he is in Guardians Vol. 2.

That shouldn’t be a problem once Avengers: Infinity War opens. In the meantime, we’ll see tiny adorable trouble-making Baby Groot in Guardians of The Galaxy, Vol. 2 on May 5 next year.

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Official ‘Transformers: The Last Knight’ Trailer Released

By

Manuel Gomez

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December 6, 2016

And here it is. The first trailer for Transformers: The Last Knight has been released. Michael Bay continues to pump out this crowd-pleasing series. And although not beloved by critics, this is now the FIFTH entry in this franchise, so people are watching. So feast your eyes on mayhem, slow motion, waving flags and robots. And this one has some Anthony Hopkins narration too. You can watch the trailer below.

Transformers: The Last Knight is directed by Michael Bay. The movie stars Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Isabela Moner, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Liam Garrigan, Jerrod Carmichael, Mitch Pileggi, Laura Haddock, Santiago Cabrera, and Anthony Hopkins.

Transformers: The Last Knight is scheduled for release June 23, 2017.

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Artist Spotlight: John Waters, The Filthiest Filmmaker Ever

By

EJ Moreno

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December 5, 2016

“Pope Of Trash.” “Prince Of Puke.” John Waters Has Tons Of Names But Many Just Call Him The Best!

John Waters is a filmmaker and author from Baltimore, Maryland. He has over 10 films in his filmography but he is best known for 1988’s ‘Hairspray‘. But long before he made a family movie that’s still being remade, he made shocking movies!

Past:

Earliest exposure to entertainment for Waters came in his youth where he says he ran a successful puppet show business. He performed at children’s birthday parties until he was 12 when John Waters said he started to want to be “cool”. Later on, Waters would start to make 8mm films, most inspired by Bergman or Fellini.

John Waters first serious efforts towards filmmaking can be traced back to ‘Hag in a Black Leather Jacket‘ from 1964, which was only shown once in a beatnik coffee house in his hometown. Then came two more short films titled ‘Roman Candles‘ and ‘Eat Your Makeup‘. The latter featured drag legend Divine playing Jackie Kennedy; they even reenact the Kennedy assassination only 5 years after.

After making these obscure shorts, Waters was finally ready to move to feature films. First up was ‘Mondo Trasho‘. It’s nonsensical and bizarre, even featuring Divine pleading to The Virgin Mary to teach her divine ways. This was still John Waters figuring out how to make films. He traded any sort of film schooling for real-world experience. It wasn’t until ‘Multiple Maniacs‘ that Waters finally started to figure out how his unique narrative style. This piece is about an perverted exhibit of fetishes and obscenities called “The Cavalcade of Perversion” run by Lady Divine. The twisted ways of Lady Divine catches up with her and the National Guard takes her down. While it has a better narrative, it’s still a tale of insanity.

“Kill everyone now! Condone first degree murder! Advocate cannibalism! Eat shit! Filth is my politics! Filth is my life!”
-Babs Johnson (Divine) in Pink Flamingos

The next film in John Waters’ filmography is probably his most infamous, ‘Pink Flamingos‘. Shot on a budget on $10,000, the crew of The Dreamlanders were on board for most wild ride ever. In an attempt to out-shock one another, Divine playing Babs Johnson feuds with Connie Marble (Mink Stole) over the title of “Filthiest Person Alive”. Nothing is like ‘Pink Flamingos‘. Truly one of a kind, Waters even finishes the film off with Divine eating actual dog feces! He would take the film around to different cities screening at any place that allowed him. This is a move he’d take from infamous film producer Kroger Babb.

Next is one of the most focused and possibly best film from John Waters. Film critic Rex Reed saw ‘Female Trouble’ and said in his review, “Where do these people come from? Where do they go when the sun goes down? Isn’t there a law or something?”. You can’t pay for publicity like that! What makes ‘Female Trouble‘ so amazing is that the movie is so far ahead of its time. This dives into the sociology of fame and how far someone will go for infamy. Also, this is the last time we’d see Divine play a character this dirty. Divine wouldn’t appear in the next John Waters movie but the next two would see Waters and Divine stretch themselves.

“This filthy world. It’s a beautiful place, isn’t it?”
–John Waters

John Waters followed ‘Female Trouble‘ with another trash chic film called ‘Desperate Living‘. Following the story of a lesbian duo being exiled into a horrible shantytown run by an evil queen, this feels like one of the most obscure Waters movies ever. Using less of his usual casting choices and an inspired story made this really standout. Not many will call this their favorite John Waters film but it does have a very vocal fanbase.

Next up is the satirical look at suburban life, ‘Polyester‘. Divine is back in the lead role and places a housewife struggling to find herself. This plays like a vintage soap opera and features Old Hollywood heartthrob Tab Hunter. Waters also introduced “Odorama”, a scratch and sniff card that went along with the film. This was an obvious callback to the king of gimmick, William Castle.

After that, John Waters would make what is now his biggest hit of all time. It’s a little film by the name of ‘Hairspray‘. The film spawned a Broadway play, a musical film remake, and now an upcoming TV live special. No other movie from Waters has made this kind of global impact. It’s not as a filthy but pushes boundaries with its story of racial segregation and acceptance. This is sadly time John Waters and Divine would work together as Divine would pass away weeks after the film’s release. Waters has said that he’s happy at least Divine got to see all the great reviews about his iconic performance.

Present:

After 2000, there has only been 2 Waters movies released. The first one being the hilarious cinema satire ‘Cecil B. Demented‘.

The most recent John Waters movie was 2004’s ‘A Dirty Shame‘, a black comedy about sex starring Tracy Ullman and Johnny Knoxville.

These days, John Waters is touring the nation with his one-man show. He’s also written some interesting novels recently. The latest book from Waters called ‘Carsick‘ is a collection of fictional and real stories about him hitchhiking across the country. This and his previous novel ‘Role Models‘ form a bizarre memoir of a filthy man. Expect more books from him in the future as he is a known bibliophile.

Waters is also about to start an 18-city tour around the US with his new show called “A John Waters Christmas“. He’s still spreading his message to be the pride of your oddity and the glory of bad taste.

Let’s hope before he retires that we get one more film from the Sultan of Sleaze.

What do you think of John Waters and this artist spotlight?

Let me know in the comments below!

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While You Wait For ‘Rogue One’, Feast Your Eyes On The Fan Film ‘Hoshino’

By

Kris Solberg

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December 5, 2016

The release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is mere weeks away. While you wait for one of the most anticipated films of the year to hit the big screen, feast your eyes on the fan film Hoshino. The short film reveals how a blind Jedi master lost her sight through interesting flashbacks. For a brief YouTube film, the movie has strong cinematography, good writing, and decent acting. It should warm those taste buds until the new blockbuster hits the big screen on December 16th.

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A Look Back at Animation in 2016: From ‘Gravity Falls’ to ‘Moana’

By

Ryan Malik

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December 5, 2016

The assignment: list my decisions for noteworthy animation for 2016. Honestly, it sent me into a panic. Despite loving cartoons, I tend to overlook a lot of the animated movies. When compared to the trailer, the movie is usually a disappointment.

That isn’t the case this year. With the exception of one highly hyped movie, most of these animated films will eventually be classics.

Here are the ones I believe to be most noteworthy. The only rule: I actually had to see it; no going off of critics’ opinions. Hence why Kubo and the Two Strings is missing.

5) FINDING DORY

Disney and Pixar know how to make terrific sequels. Just look at Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3. But Finding Dory is a disappointment.

Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) deserves her own movie; just not this one. Part of what makes Dory a great character is her partnership with Marlin (Albert Brooks). He’s the straight guy to her crazy person. Here, Marlin is barely a supporting character. Instead, Dory teams up with a cavalcade of new, quirky characters. Among these new creations, Hank the Septopus (Ed O’Neill) is the only one worth mentioning. Even so, he’s essentially Marlin with seven legs.

The memory jolts Dory experiences are a clunky, awkward device. Where were they in the first movie? They’re just thrown in so there’s something to build the story around.

Despite these hindrances, the voice actors are tremendous! It’s a real treat to have DeGeneres back. The best gag comes in the form of Sigourney Weaver as the voice of the aquarium tour. She constantly refers to herself, which provides fodder for Dory. For that, it’s worth a look-see.

4) THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS

The trailer was hysterical! A head-banging poodle?! Yes, please! It looked like Toy Story with pets.

But it wasn’t.

Instead of seeing the machinations of dog odd couple Max (Louie CK) and Duke (Eric Stonestreet) forced to co-habitate in the same apartment, we’re given a “journey home” story.

At this point, the only really interesting character is Snowball, a psychotic rabbit who leads a gang of discarded animals known as “The Flushed Pets”. As Snowball, Kevin Hart is a tour de force or homicidal rage, delusion, and grandiosity.

A sequel is in the works. Hopefully it will be contained to the apartment building. There were so many missed opportunities.

3) ZOOTOPIA

If Law & Order producer Dick Wolf ever tried his hand at animation, this would be the result. Zootopia is a well-plotted procedural that speaks about accepting those who are different.

Judy Hopps (Gennifer Goodwin) is the first female cop on the Zootopia police force. Eager to prove herself, Judy stumbles upon a missing animal case and teams up with Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), a con-fox armed with slyness and snark. Their investigation uncovers a much more sinister plot: a conspiracy to rid Zootopia of all predatory animals.

Themes of race and bigotry permeate this movie. It’s the perfect allegory for our current heated, distrustful times.

2) GRAVITY FALLS

Probably the best cartoon on TV since The Fairly Oddparents and Animaniacs. If only every TV cartoon were this good. Then again, if they were, we wouldn’t appreciate them.

Gravity Falls is a Disney XD cartoon created by Alex Hirsch. It centers around Dipper (Jason Ritter) and Mabel Pines (Kristen Schaal) spending the summer with their Grunkle Stan (Hirsch) in Oregon. Stan owns The Mystery Shack, a tourist trap/museum to the town’s paranormal and supernatural occurrences.

What sets this series apart from others is that Hirsch planned it as a finite event:

“I always designed Gravity Falls to be a finite series about one epic summer – a series with a beginning, middle and end.”

It premiered on June 15, 2012. The series finale, “Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back the Falls” aired on February 15, 2016. This episode encapsulates everything that defines the series: humor, story, and memorable characters.

Of course Dipper and Mabel save the day, but it’s more than good triumphing over evil. It’s a coming-of-age story. An animated memory of how magical summers were when we were kids. When Dipper and Mabel leave for home, they take these memories with them.

And so do we.

1) MOANA

Disney is in its second Golden Age of animated movies, which began with Frozen. In Moana, a new Disney Princess joins the crowded court featuring Snow White, Belle, Jasmine, Anna, and Elsa.

Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) must return Te Fiti’s heart (an emerald stone), which was stolen thousands of years ago by the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson), in order to save her island village when resources grow scarce. She ventures forth to find Maui and his magical fish hook. After some shenanigans, they do return the stone, despite the lava monster Te Ká’s attempts stop them. Te Ká is actually Te Fiti without her heart. Once the stone is returned, Te Fiti rests again, Maui is free, and Moana returns to her village to lead them in search of new islands.

Ron Clements and John Musker direct this new classic. You might be familiar with them; they directed The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. It’s great having these two Disney legends at the helm again.

The music is outstanding! Especially the songs written by the genius Lin-Manuel Miranda. He brings the same pop/hip-hop aesthetic he applied in the musical Hamilton to Moana.
In a computer-generated movie, the spotlight is stolen by tradition 2-D animation in the form of Maui’s tattoos. The man responsible is Eric Goldberg, another Disney veteran. He was the lead animator for the character of Genie in Aladdin. Without uttering one word, Goldberg’s tattoos are their own storytelling device. Sad one minute, hilarious the next. It’s nice to see that traditional animation still has a place in film.

There you have it, folks! My decisions for 2016’s best in animation. What are some other cartoons you would include?

Looks like 2017 is going to have to step up if it wants to be anywhere near some of these animated films.

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Episode 102: Top 5 Films Based On Comic Books (Non Marvel Or DC)

By

Matthew Sardo

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December 5, 2016

What starts out as a review of the new film Office Downe ends up with a full blown discussion about the ‘Top 5’ comic book films not based on Marvel or DC Comics characters.

Honorable Mentions: Tank Girl, Spawn, Judge Dredd, The Mask

EJ’s List:
5. Scott Pilgrim vs the World – Edgar Wright (Graphic novel)
4. The Haunted World of El Superbeasto – Rob Zombie (Comic book series)
3. Dredd – Pete Travis (Comic book series)
2. Sin City – Robert Rodriguez (Graphic Novel)
1. Oldboy – Park Chan-wook (Based on a manga)

Matt’s List:
5. A History of Violence (2005)
4. The Rocketeer (1991)
3. The Losers (2010)
2. The Crow (1994)
1. 30 Days of Night (2007)

What is your favorite film?

Strap yourself in buckaroos! Episode 102 of the Monkeys Fighting Robots podcast is here.

Check out our new home at BlogTalkRadio:

Check out EJ’s review of ‘Officer Downe’ – The Perfect Kind Of Stylized Insanity

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.

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DC on CW: Week in Review – Alien Invasion Crossover!

By

Jon Barr - TV Editor

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December 5, 2016

This series will be a brief, semi-comedic review of the CW superhero shows. You can check out last week’s review post here, or see the tally of winners below. The only shows discussed will be ‘Arrow’, ‘Flash’, and ‘Supergirl’. There WILL be some spoilers discussed, so only look at the reviews you’re up to date on!

Supergirl, “Medusa” (Nov. 28)

This week’s Supergirl wasn’t as central to the crossover as the other CW shows. It’s not a weak episode, but it doesn’t feel as important, despite trying to tie up several big plot lines. The episode hits some of the same notes as last week’s episode, but not as strongly. The various mother-daughter relationships take center stage, to varying levels. The Lena Luthor double-cross was rather predictable, and the snide remarks that fly between the two Luthors quickly gets annoying. The Danvers duo has slightly better dialogue, but the mom might’ve hit the “gay isn’t normal but I’m cool with it” beat too long. There’s some standard good action, but nothing quite as amazing as we’ve seen before on Supergirl.

SCORE: 7.5/10 Alien Gas Bombs

The Flash, “Invasion!” (Nov. 29)

The first big episode in the CW crossover sees Flash call everyone together to fight the aliens known as “Dominators.” The majority of the episode is a rehash of this season’s “Barry made a timeline whoopsies” plot, but there’s now real anger behind it. Cisco legitimately has problems with Barry, and the other heroes that don’t know him well won’t follow his lead. The S.T.A.R Labs-owned Hall of Justice makes such little sense – why wouldn’t the team live there so HR can open his Tomorrowland? That being said, this episode featured some stellar action and inner-team conflict. Wally getting hurt in action adds a more interesting element to his storyline. The episode feels somewhat rushed, as they have to establish the team and threat, but all things considered, it does a good job.

SCORE: 8/10 Apparently Pointless Future Voice Memos

Arrow, “Invasion!” (Nov. 30)

Oliver running into the Ghosts of Sidekicks Past & Present

Oliver and the primary Arrow gang struggle to get out of the alien’s weird Matrix world. It’s hard to feel that there’s a real threat to Oliver in the world – the aliens didn’t make the world as enticing as you’d think they would. They gave him back his parents and one true love (who he was cheating on with her sister), but they also PUT A GREEN ARROW IN THE WORLD SO HE REMEMBERS REALITY! It feels like the episode wants to stress Oliver’ love for Laurel, to shut down any lingering Olicity fans. Unfortunately, they kept Laurel around so long on the show as a tertiary character that this no longer feels genuine. There was no real threat to the gang in the mind palace, but there is some phenomenal action with throwback villains. It’s not a perfectly reasoned episode, but it’s a nice tribute piece.

8/10 x10 Episodes (get it? Because this was Arrow’s 100th episode? Oh, whatever)

Legends of Tomorrow, “Invasion!” (Dec. 1)

The “DC on CW’s” first review of Legends of Tomorrow! Steel gets his new Iron Patriot suit, and quickly takes over as team leader. It’s unclear why the aliens hate Barry specifically for his time travel shenanigans. How do multiple timelines put the aliens at more risk? However, the resolution of Barry learning more about responsibility is nice. Arrow’s anger towards Supergirl makes very little sense, but it thankfully takes up little time. Cisco learning to forgive Barry through action is way better than an Iris/Caitlin pep talk. By the way, the Caitlin-Dr. Stein discussion of Stein’s new daughter is insufferable. There’s very little Legends character action, actually, outside of the awesome action sequence on the “not airport” helicopter bay, as the main focus is on the Big Three. But it’s an episode with great action and nice resolution, so it’s an important and lovely addition to the crossover.

SCORE: 8/10 Daughters

(But to be clear – when I hear “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes,” this is the only show I’m thinking of)

WEEKLY WIN TALLY:

Supergirl: 3 Weeks

Arrow: 3 Weeks

The Flash: 2 Week

Legends of Tomorrow: Is Here This Week

What show did you think won the week? Does Legends of Tomorrow take your vote? Do you think A.o.S. or Gotham outshines all the CW shows? Let us know in the comments below!

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Marvel Studios/Sony Pictures Release New ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ Title Logo

By

Ryan Malik

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December 5, 2016

An update on the Spider-Man: Homecoming title logo is out, according to sources at ComicBook.

While “Spider-Man” is similar to its previous design, “Homecoming” features a chalkboard-esque font with a little Spidey noggin thrown in. Check it out below:

Homecoming is the third reboot of the franchise. This time out, Tom Holland plays Spider-Man. Not much is known about the plot other than it takes the wall-crawler back to high school while tangling with the Vulture. This is Holland’s second appearance as Spider-Man. He first played the character in Captain America: Civil War in 2016.

In his first solo MCU outing, Spidey’s costume will receive an upgrade courtesy of Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). It’s a feature missing from every previous cinematic incarnation: the web-wings.

Joining Holland and Downey, Jr. in the cast are Michael Keaton, Zendaya, Tyne Daly, Bokeem Woodbine, Hannibal Buress, Donald Glover, Tony Revolori, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier, JJ Totah, and Marisa Tomei.

Speculation was rampant that Zendaya is playing long-time Peter Parker love interest Mary Jane Watson. The actress and pop singer recently put those rumors to rest.

Jon Watts directs from a screenplay written by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley.

Spider-Man: Homecoming premiers in theaters on July 7, 2017.

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George Lucas Shares His Thoughts Regarding ‘Rogue One’

By

Ryan Malik

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December 5, 2016

The verdict isn’t directly from Star Wars creator George Lucas, but from a phone call between him and Rogue One director Gareth Edwards, according to sources at Movieweb.

Disney recently held a press conference for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story where Edwards said Lucas liked the movie. Here’s what Edwards said:

“Two days ago we got to show George the movie, and we all had a phone call and I got to speak with him yesterday, and I don’t want to put words into his mouth, but I can honestly say that I can die happy now. He really liked the movie. It meant a lot. To be honest, and no offense to anyone here, it was the most important review to me. You know, you guys are important too, but he’s kind of god… I will take that conversation to my grave. His opinion means the world to me.”

Lucas had a tepid response to last year’s The Force Awakens, saying he would rather the story not gone so “retro”. Lucas himself submitted a screenplay for The Force Awakens, but Disney took a pass. Understandable considering many die hard Star Wars fans thought Lucas’ prequels subpar at best.

Rogue One centers around a battalion of Rebels led by Jyn Erso. Their plan: steal the blueprints for the Death Star. Events in this movie take place between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. It is the first Star Wars movie outside of the Skywalker storyline.

The movie stars Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, Forest Whitaker, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Alan Tudyk, and James Earl Jones returning to voice Darth Vader.

With a screenplay by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy, Rogue One A Star Wars Story will hit theaters December 16, 2016. Tickets are available now.

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“Pope Of Trash.” “Prince Of Puke.” John Waters Has Tons Of Names But Many Just Call Him The Best!

Past:

“Kill everyone now! Condone first degree murder! Advocate cannibalism! Eat shit! Filth is my politics! Filth is my life!” -Babs Johnson (Divine) in Pink Flamingos

“This filthy world. It’s a beautiful place, isn’t it?” –John Waters

Present:

“Kill everyone now! Condone first degree murder! Advocate cannibalism! Eat shit! Filth is my politics! Filth is my life!”
-Babs Johnson (Divine) in Pink Flamingos

“This filthy world. It’s a beautiful place, isn’t it?”
–John Waters