The official Power RangersFacebook page has released a new image of Elizabeth Banks as Rita Repulsa.
The caption read:
“After eons locked away, she’s taken over Power Rangers Movie! You can bet we’re monitoring all further developments, Ranger Nation! ⚡️#RepulsaTakesOver“
Additionally, the Power RangersInstagram released another image of the character.
“Saban’s Power Rangers follows five ordinary teens who must become something extraordinary when they learn that their small town of Angel Grove – and the world – is on the verge of being obliterated by an alien threat. Chosen by destiny, our heroes quickly discoverer they are the only ones who save the planet. But to do so, they will have to overcome their real-life issues and before it’s too late, band together as the Power Rangers.”
Archie Comics has given us a first look at the new CW show Riverdale. You can check out the promo below.
https://youtu.be/NMcrvok-7r0
Riverdale will be written by Archie Comics Chief Creative Officer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, known for the breakout hit title Afterlife With Archie. It produced by Warner Brothers Studios and Berlanti Productions (Supergirl/Arrow/The Flash/Legends of Tomorrow). The show’s description is
a subversive take on the classic Archie mythos. The live-action series offers a bold, compelling take on Archie, Betty, Veronica, and their friends, exploring small-town life and the darkness and weirdness bubbling beneath Riverdale’s wholesome facade. The show will focus on the eternal love triangle of Archie Andrews, girl-next-door Betty Cooper, and rich socialite Veronica Lodge, and will include the entire cast of characters from the comic books—including Archie’s rival, Reggie Mantle, and his best friend, Jughead Jones.
The show will debut on the CW January 26, 2017. It stars KJ Apa as Archie Andrews, Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper, Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge, Ashleigh Murray as Josie McCoy, Luke Perry as Fred Andrews, Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones, Madelaine Petsch as Cheryl Blossom, Ross Butler as Reggie Mantle, Casey Cott as Kevin Keller, Mädchen Amick as Alice Cooper, and Marisol Nichols as Hermione Lodge.
“Will this horrible year never end?” There are many reasons that the earlier season of The Simpsons are fondly remembered and often viewed as timeless. Yet, given the type of year we’ve had, for “The Trouble with Trillions” to begin with such a lament makes it more apt than it was when it first aired on April 4th, 1998. Casual viewers and Simpsons fanatics will no doubt remember this episode as the one where Mr. Burns was found to have stolen a trillion-dollar bill from the American government. They will also recall this episode as the one featuring Homer’s hilarious, albeit short, meeting with the late former-President of Cuba; Fidel Castro. It goes without saying that Mr. Castro had a powerful impact on world affairs as the one of the last remaining Cold War strongmen. He survived over 600 assassination attempts and reigned over Cuba during an embargo that lasted nearly 60 years, decimating much of the country’s economy. Mr. Castro was a complex figure, revered and reviled in equal parts. This is not the forum for an evaluation of his character or policies, but rather to mark the enduring persona that was Fidel Castro and the one time he made us all laugh.
The looming figure of Castro was no stranger to Springfield. Years earlier, in the seminal “Bart vs. Australia”, he had a “blink and you’ll miss it” cameo poking fun at the CIA’s never-ending attempts to have him killed. By the time that Homer, Mr. Burns and Smithers arrived in Cuba, a pop cultural zeitgeist had emerged around the Cuban leader and his relationship with the US. Those American hoping to visit Cuba must have been there for one of two reason; to smuggle cigars or assassinate El Presidente. Much like those tourists that became enamored with the facade that Cuba presented, our band of misfits splurged themselves on donkey meat and reveled in the classic motif of an island frozen in time. Unsurprisingly, Homer and Burns are eager to remain in their “socialist paradise” even if the poster using Che Guevara to advertise Duff beer hints that it may be more capitalist than it let on.
It is fitting that the fictional Cuba reflects its real-life counterpart in its economic woes as Castro begrudgingly admits their nation would have to abandon their Communist “mumbo-jumbo” in the wake of embedding bankruptcy. The fictional Castro didn’t take his failed assassinations to heart, willing to concede defeat to Washington, even if he was less than pleased with his namesake. Using their trillion dollar bill as leverage, would-be Springfield oligarchs manage to gain an audience with Castro. True to form, Mr. Burns was unaware of that Batista had been, in fact, been overthrown and instead settled for negotiations with El Comandant himself. Even Castro himself is taken aback by their desire to remain in Cuba, knowing the mask it wears on the international plain. As always, a fool and his money are quickly parted when Burns, urged by an all-too trusting Homer, relinquishes the bill. Like Vladimir Putin’s response to accusations that he stole Robert Kraft’s super-bowl ring, Castro’s reaction to being asked to return the trillion-dollar bill is classic strongman. “Give what back?”
The Simpsons, at its best, is an extremely clever show that can be enjoyed on many levels. Its not just that the show pokes fun at capitalist culture by having Burns be given the trillion-dollar bill on the assumption that his wealth made him trustworthy. Its not just the shows ability to capture an absurd, but accurate facsimile of political leaders past and present. Its the confidence in which he switches from family comedy to dry satire that has made it endure over its nearly thirty years lifespan. Its political humour often flies above many heads, but its understanding of the cultural perception towards Cuban-American relations, when pitched to the right audience made for one of its finer moments. Of course, if anyone ever asks, I think you can trust the President of Cuba.
Dark Knight Rises, unlike its critically acclaimed predecessor, received mixed reviews that occasionally leaned toward the negative. Still, many fans of the trilogy really enjoyed it. However, there was one scene that you may not have notice, or you have and this only reminds you of a painfully awkward moment in the Dark Knight Rises. Marion Cotillard, who played Talia Al Ghul, is character that stands out for many people, but not in the way she may have wanted. Four years later, and her final scene is still remembered as “clunky” and “awkward.”
Cotillard addressed the issue while promoting her new film, according to Comicbook.
“We’re all in the same boat, and if sometimes it gets out of control, then everyone is involved,Sometimes there are failures, and when you see this on-screen, you’re thinking: ‘Why? Why did they keep that take?’ But either you blame everyone or nobody. But I thought people overreacted, because it was tough to be identified just with this scene. When I’m doing the best I can to find the authenticity in every character that I’m playing, it’s tough to be known just for this scene.”
Dark Knight Rises may have appeared in theaters four years ago, but unfortunately for Cotillard, a humorous rap battle invoked the dreaded scene with her opponent rapping “The only thing worse than your rap is your death in Batman.” During her discussion of the infamous Dark Knight Rises scene, a clip of this rap battle was played, so she just laughed it off.
“Yes, it’s important to know how to laugh about this, and also, there are worse things in life. Even if there are things that can hurt you. But I wasn’t really affected by this. I just though the reaction was disproportionate, and it helps to laugh about it.”
It’s fair to say that some fans of the Batman film likely didn’t even notice, and others likely enjoyed her role in Inception, amongst her many films. So, Marion Cotillard seems to have every right to laugh it off.
You want a new Wes Anderson short film, right? Of course you do. Why wouldn’t you, especially when it involves Christmas, trains and Adrien Brody vested with a conductor hat and mustache on his person? Well, there’s no reason to keep you waiting. Thanks to the fine people over at H&M, we’ve been gifted early this holiday season. Audiences get the chance to see a brief, if never-less-than-joyous and quite marvelous, sliver of what the American auteur does best. After this tumultuous year, it’s not only the present we needed; it’s the gift we deserved to receive.
Entitled Come Together, it follows a train conductor (Brody) forced to come up with a makeshift holiday brunch when their train is delayed 11 1/2 hours from its planned destination. At a little less than four minutes, it’s silly to go into extensive detail here. Like most Anderson productions, it’s best to absorb it all in the moment, relishing in its minutiae details and always-exquisite attention to detail. There’s only one Wes Anderson for a reason. Much like his memorable American Express commercial from nearly 12 years ago, it’s undoubtably from his unique vision. The results are as warm, inviting, friendly and bristling with wit and care as per usual from Anderson.
Come Together was put together while Anderson is hard at work on his latest feature film, another stop-motion animated project featuring the voice talents of Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum, Bob Balaban and, of course, Bill Murray. The untitled feature, supposedly centered around dogs, will come in 2018.
So please, after delaying you for far too long, please check out the short below. Of course, don’t be afraid let us know what you think in the comment section below.
Film composer, and fellow School of Visual Arts alum, Michael Giacchino only had four weeks to churn out a score for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, according to Entertainment Weekly. Giacchino’s past scores include Jurassic World, Inside/Out, Dr. Strange, and the rebooted Star Trek series.
In the interview, Giacchino states:
“…literally the last thing I expected I’d be doing this month would be this. I mean we were literally planning a vacation when I got the call asking if I could come and talk to them about it. At the time, it left me with literally four and a half weeks to write. So it was one of those decisions where you’re like, okay, well… And I was talking to my brother about it. He goes, ‘Oh, come on. You’ve been writing this score since you were 10! You can do this.'”
It is typical for film composers to have several months to write the music for a film. To meet such a tight deadline, Giacchino stuck to a schedule:
“…I mapped it out and I thought, okay, if I do this much a day and I get this done that will leave me time to go back and improve if I need to before having to orchestrate.”
Of course, scoring a Star Wars movie has its baggage. The legendary John Williams is responsible for the series’ most recognizable themes. It’s only customary to include a few throwback notes to Williams. On this, Giacchino says:
“I think absolutely there are a couple of times when you want to hit upon something that was from the past. For me, even as a fan, it was about going, ‘Oh, this particular idea would be great if we did it here. I would want to see that if I were watching a Star Wars movie.’ As a kid who grew up with John’s music and who was catapulted in this direction because of what he did, I had a very specific idea of what I wanted to use and how I wanted to use it. That being said, I’d say the score is 95 percent original but with little moments [of Williams’ classic score] here or there to accent. If I were sitting in that seat and I heard that, it would totally raise the hairs on my neck.”
Unless you live under a rock, you know the basic plot of Rogue One. If you are a rock-dweller, here’s a primer: a band of Rebels set out to steal the blueprints for the Death Star.
One of Giacchino’s current projects is writing the score for Spider-Man: Homecoming. Spidey’s reboot hits theaters on July 7, 2017.
His score for Rogue One can be heard on December 16, 2016 when the film hits theaters. If you like it, buy the soundtrack.
The competition is open to podcasters worldwide who have less than 2,500 plays or downloads per episode and the podcast must be English speaking. The podcast episode you submit must be from 2016.
Each podcast will be judged on a weighted scale: 50% content, 40% sound, and 10% production value. Each entry will receive his or her personal score.
The winner will receive a $250 American Express Gift Card and year-long social and digital media push from Monkeys Fighting Robots ($2,000 value). Second place will receive a year-long social and digital media push to expand your audience. Third place will have a rotating ad unit on Monkeys Fighting Robots in the FRIENDS section.
The winner will be announced during the Lady Gaga half-time show of Super Bowl LI on Sunday, February 5, 2017, via social media. The deadline for entry is midnight on December 31, 2016.
2debate is a brand new podcast, bringing Oxford-style debating to a 12-minute format. Listen to Sebastian who is actually French but living in Switzerland and Dirk who is from Germany debating current topics. It is not only about the topics but also about the art of debating and the audience can participate. 2debate turns podcasting into a safe debating space, no matter how controversial the debated motions may be and indeed is fun.
Winning the 2016 Podcast Championships would bring awareness to this labor of love being our podcast and blog, we have a group of co-hosts that enjoy time spent with each other that can be heard with each episode, and helping those to become aware/appreciate the greatest decade if they are not already. We are just good people, trying to have a good time and sucking the marrow out of the good and the bad of that super awesome decade and putting something out for others to hopefully enjoy.
A Lil Bit O Anime is a podcast that walks the line that it’s detailed enough for hard core fans but keep simple enough for the new or casual anime viewer. Monica Robinson (Voice Actor and sound engineer at Psychometric Interactive Studios) and Elijah Bailey (professional podcasters, producer, business owner) sit down to talk about the wonderful world of anime from industry talk to general knowledge about anime. I think we deserve to win the 2016 amateur podcast championship because this podcast focusing on not being the authority of anime but yet a forum in which to expose people to new anime experiences. This show is unique from the sponsorship, commercials, segments and interaction between the hosts and fans.
A Night of Horror, Episode 3 – Girls Weekend should win the 2016 Amateur Podcast Championships. Our horror drama podcasts leave you quivering in fear as you can’t close your eyes to hide from the spooks, you have to keep listening! We love making these podcasts and lots of work has gone in over the last year with music, artwork and the production of the pieces so it would be great to have a few more people out there hear what we do and if they enjoy it then we’ve done what we have set out to do!
Each podcast we make is a short horror drama following a different spooky story. Produced by Kathleen Kidd and made in Scotland.
Afternoon Yap: with Chunk and Dinger should win the 2016 Amateur Podcast Chanpionships because our show is funny, fresh and informative. Chunk and Dinger Yap weekly about vintage video games as well as current titles. We break up our segments with zany, fake advertisements for products no one would ever want. Give us a listen and vote for us. A vote for Yap is a vote for laughs.
ALL EARS WITH NOMI & SPARKS EPISODE 150K: HE LEFT HIS FINGER IN THERE
Sparks and I (Nomi) have been doing radio for 8+ years… When we started this podcast we wanted to prove we can entertain and start a fun conversation with listeners without the help of our media companies. This was made for people who truly want to have fun, listen to conversation as well as be involved in one, get caught up with what’s happening in today’s world but also escape from their lives or make great days even better. Winning this will confirm our passion and show that we’re going in the right direction.
Armchair Ninja Podcast
Richard Carroll
The Armchair Ninja Podcast should win the Amateur Podcast Championships because I believe that we represent everything that makes podcasts so great.
We started with zero existing audience, no online presence to leverage, and no connections of any kind. In just over a year, our podcast has become an integral and respected part of the American Ninja Warrior (and OCR) community.
We have met our heroes, both online and in person. They have joined us on the show, reached out to us for assistance, and continue to inspire us every week, as we work to inspire and entertain others as well.
We have focused on improving the quality of our show, investing time in our performance and learning how to maximize the audio quality as well. There is a dramatic difference between our early episodes and now, which we will continue to improve upon to the best of our ability.
We have worked to promote other podcasts on our show (ex: Final Stage Podcast), collaborated with them on multiple occasions (ex: Wolfpack Ninja Podcast), and were featured as guests on still others (ex: Profitcast). We love being part of the podcast community and helping to spread the word about podcasting in general.
Our topic is a bit niche, so I know the content itself doesn’t appeal to everyone. But I hope that our enthusiasm shines through and that you will give us a chance. Listen to two guys who have never met in real life, who are in different countries and on opposite coasts, but who share a passion for this sport and related television shows.
Those two guys have, most importantly, become good friends over the past year and look forward to recording every single week. That’s what podcasting is all about.
G’day and Good Morrow!! The Aussie and The Pom show’s main aim each week is to give you an Eargasm from our sultry tones and conversation.
On a serious note, we are two mates separated by 9,442 miles (we did the maths) – one of us in Melbourne, Australia, and the other from Bromsgrove, England. We started up around 5 weeks ago, meaning we are still in our infant stage within the Podcasting world, but we are having an absolute blast doing this and we are looking forward to getting any advice and feedback about our show! We are growing our Twitter followers @Aussie_ThePom so come at us with your tweets and feedback.
Our show is a weekly Podcast where we catch up with our lives from different continents: The Aussie is balancing his life as a husband and proud father whilst The Pom lives a fast paced life in Britain, with his poor girlfriend having to put up with him along the way! We have Entertainment News each week, hosted by The Aussie’s brother Dave, and then we have random chat about a subject of our choosing. Our famous Top 5 section, where we usually end up in an argument and The Aussie tries to find a way to get Wesley Snipes into the show, finishes the podcast each week.
But enough from us – check out our very first review on iTunes and no it wasn’t either of our Mothers’!
“Enjoyed these guys. You can tell they are friends outside podcasting and it’s nice to see a natural convo within a podcast recording. Sometimes you can tell personalities change when that record button is pressed, this is not the case here. Really enjoyed it and recommend!”
In the episode we have selected, we discuss the hottest topics in the beautiful game, have some holiday festivities, and interview FC Dallas midfielder Kellyn Acosta.
Balls & Boys should win the 2016 Amateur Podcast Championships because of our team chemistry, love for the game, and the depth of knowledge that creates an upbeat, engaging podcast. Our focus is bringing a soccer specific outlet to Dallas, Texas that allows listeners to have a proper soccer podcast produced in America. The three of us come from very different soccer backgrounds allowing us to be diverse in opinion on all subjects related to soccer. Each week, there are new questions to be asked, new stories to expand on, and new results to react to. Whether it’s the Premier League, Ligue 1, Chinese Super League or MLS, if it’s soccer related, we discuss it! We bring the best commentary that transforms into a fresh take on the game that doesn’t bore you or doesn’t go over your head!
Almost every week since The Walking Dead kicked off its seventh season, I’ve been saying the same thing. Since establishing who Negan’s victims were, the show has been all about set-up. Pieces have been moved into place, like The Hilltop, The Kingdom, and The Saviors’ home base. And I’ve bided my time, waiting to see the forces wage war, hoping the set-up will end. But this week, not only does The Walking Dead focus on more side-character adventures, but a whole new colony we’ll have to remember. The episode was enjoyable enough, but served as more time-wasting than anything else, and took away from its high points.
To the episode’s credit, Tara wasn’t the worst possible protagonist. “Swear” catches up with Tara and Heath, who’d gone on a scouting mission after the initial raid on Savior territory. Tara was a boring character all last season, functioning mostly as Denise’s mopey girlfriend. Tara comes back into her own this episode, acting more light-hearted and adorably clueless. Tara’s initial disposition returning is a welcome change of pace. It’s a shame that it only comes about following Denise’s demise, but it’s still a good development.
However, none of this distracts from this episode doing well-worn material. The build-up of this new colony is almost indistinguishable from either The Hilltop or Kingdom.We see the same development we’ve seen before – a colony, scared of Negan, closed off to any stranger who shows up. It makes sense there are more colonies controlled by The Saviors, but we can only care about so many. Aside from the Lady Mormont knockoff, there’s nothing new or enthralling we discover or become invested in from this latest location.
Likewise, it’s hard to be invested in Heath’s disappearance. Heath has only been significant in about three to four episodes, including this one. The character isn’t terrible, but it’s obvious he’s only cannon fodder for the show. Whether Heath survived the dock walkers, he’s going to die sooner or later. There have been arguments made about how The Walking Deadkills many of its black characters, and there’s truth to that. Additionally, however, Heath is not part of the main squad, and doesn’t matter enough to preserve. This tangential character repeating the Merle mystery isn’t relevant enough to waste investment in.
It’s foolish to think we’ll see much more of this colony in the future. Inevitably, Alexandria will try to join forces, in an attempt to drum up reinforcements. This development probably won’t happen, however, until we’ve forgotten every character we’ve met there. The Walking Dead fails to add relevance to this episode, making it a one-off filler episode. Tara may matter again, but only through the beginning and end of this episode. This could’ve been tacked onto “Service” and been equally satisfying. Until the show stops meandering with boring world-building, the show wont’ reach its potential. And maybe next week will be the week that changes – but I’m not on it.
If you’re a Star Wars fan aching to see Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and NOT in Los Angeles, it sucks to be you. There’s an exclusive poster only available in the City of Angels, according to the L.A. Times
The first 1,000 patrons at the El Capitan Theatre (home of Jimmy Kimmel Live) receive an exclusive Rogue One: A Star Wars Story “Hope” poster. It’s a simple, yet captivating image: The word “hope” in red set against a plain black background. The images of the Rebels, the film’s heroes, appear in the lettering, on their way to do battle with the insidious Empire. For those of you not in LA, you may as well stop reading now, fire up eBay, and throw a going-away party for your money. Check out the poster below.
Rogue One is a stand-on-its-own Star Wars film that bridges the gap between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. The story centers around Jyn Erso (played by Felicity Jones) as she leads a consortium of Rebels to steal the blueprints for the Death Star. Erso and many of the other characters are brand new to the series. Sorry fanboys, but your theory that Jones and Daisy Ridley’s character from The Force Awakens are related because of their British accents is unsubstantiated.
Unless it’s an epic misdirect orchestrated by Disney and Lucasfilms. Wouldn’t put anything past ’em.
Other Rogue One cast members include Mads Mikkelsen, Diego Luna, Forest Whitaker, Jimmy Smits, Genevieve O’Reilly, Ben Mendelsohn, Alan Tudyk, Riz Ahmed, Donnie Yen, and the incomparable James Earl Jones back as the voice of Darth Vader.
Gareth Edwards directs from a screenplay written by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story opens in theaters December 16, 2016. Tickets are on sale – well, hot damn – right now.
From the opening credits, set to the quirky off-kilter sounds of Teenage Fanclub and De La Soul’s “Fallin'”, Stephen Hopkins’ Judgment Night sets itself up to be more than its familiar premise suggests: four yuppies take a wrong turn, wind up on the wrong side of town, and get caught up in a cat-and-mouse game of survival against a murderous drug dealer and his crew. Any simple explanation makes Judgment Night out to be a propaganda film for the benefits of white flight, but Hopkins and screenwriter Lewis Colick deftly subvert expectations every step of the way.
The four yuppies are of varying degrees of social status when we meet them in the afternoon of a trip to a boxing match. Our de facto leader of the friends is Frank, played by Emilio Estevez. Frank is a comfortable suburbanite, a new father and a restless family man who, according to his playfully scolding wife, needs to ditch his college buddies who haven’t grown up at the same rate. His closest friend is Mike (Cuba Gooding, Jr.), forever a bachelor in his red corvette. Jeremy Piven plays Ray, a silver-tongued, incredibly overconfident businessman who shows up with the nights’ transportation: a posh RV he talked off the lot.
Then there is John (Stephen Dorff), Frank’s younger brother, a fill in for a cancellation and bit of a train wreck with his fingerless gloves and short fuse. The quartet set off for the boxing match full of booze and bravado, macho posturing set up high enough to be systematically broken down once things go wrong.
And things go wrong almost immediately. After a road-rage exchange in the middle of freeway traffic, Ray decides to back the RV out of this mess and take a shortcut to the arena. Only the shortcut takes them to the predictably dangerous Other Side of The Tracks. Trash blows across the screen, bums gather around a barrel fire, and before long the quartet of men find themselves in the middle of stolen money and a score to settle.
They hit a kid, and it turns out that kid is trying to get away from Fallon, a low-rent drug dealer played to absolute perfection by Denis Leary. When Fallon kills the kid in front of Frank and his pals – trapped in a crashed RV at this point – his intends to follow through with his most important rule: “no witnesses.”
Judgment Night then becomes a chase across one of the most bleak and borderline dystopian late-night lands of the forgotten, urban Chicago, as Frank and his friends try and outsmart and outrun Fallon and his gun-toting goons. It all sounds so familiar, and perhaps the plot itself is; but this story makes sure to upend a few expectations. Of course, anyone who knows anything about genre thriller has Piven’s Ray justifiably pinned as the first one to die. But these four dudes out of their element aren’t simply checking off traits on a list. Each of them are broken down, and the way they rebuild themselves in the face of true danger shows us who they truly are.
What is so refreshing, even for a movie released 23 years ago, is its reluctance to tread along the same old conventional, racist lines when it comes to heroes and villains. The baddies from the inner city aren’t African-American gang bangers, but a group of (mostly) Irish thugs. As Frank’s foursome traverse the train yards, slums, and sewers to try and escape, they become the ones upsetting this very volatile world, even taking shelter in a black woman’s apartment, therein causing all manner of hell for the tenants of the projects when Fallon and his crew learn of their presence. Its refreshing to see a genre thriller with such standard bones subverting expectations, especially from Hopkins, whose portrayal of Jamaicans in Predator 2 is pretty problematic.
Beyond any social constructs, Judgment Night absolutely sings as a thriller. Hopkins utilizes every nook and cranny of the inner city with the aforementioned slums and sewers and, in an unnerving early scene, a train yard full of eager hobos. As the events of the night unfold, these four men, confident in the masculinity they’ve carefully crafted in their own safe world, find out what it means to fight. All of the big talk and machismo they use to posture themselves within their own inner circle means nothing when Leary’s Fallon comes calling.
Judgment Night, despite the terrific energy and lean direction of Hopkins, came and went without much fanfare. It made just over half of its budget back in October of 1993, and little was heard from it again. In fact, the soundtrack – collaborative rock/rap songs from some of the most 90s of 90s artists – was more popular than the film. But it deserves another look, because it works on so many levels as a genre film and a fresh perspective on things we’ve seen so many times over the years. Seek it out.
⚡️#RepulsaTakesOver“
The looming figure of Castro was no stranger to Springfield. Years earlier, in the seminal “Bart vs. Australia”, he had a “blink and you’ll miss it” cameo poking fun at the CIA’s never-ending attempts to have him killed. By the time that Homer, Mr. Burns and Smithers arrived in Cuba, a pop cultural zeitgeist had emerged around the Cuban leader and his relationship with the US. Those American hoping to visit Cuba must have been there for one of two reason; to smuggle cigars or assassinate El Presidente. Much like those tourists that became enamored with the facade that Cuba presented, our band of misfits splurged themselves on donkey meat and reveled in the classic motif of an island frozen in time. Unsurprisingly, Homer and Burns are eager to remain in their “socialist paradise” even if the poster using Che Guevara to advertise Duff beer hints that it may be more capitalist than it let on.
The Simpsons, at its best, is an extremely clever show that can be enjoyed on many levels. Its not just that the show pokes fun at capitalist culture by having Burns be given the trillion-dollar bill on the assumption that his wealth made him trustworthy. Its not just the shows ability to capture an absurd, but accurate facsimile of political leaders past and present. Its the confidence in which he switches from family comedy to dry satire that has made it endure over its nearly thirty years lifespan. Its political humour often flies above many heads, but its understanding of the cultural perception towards Cuban-American relations, when pitched to the right audience made for one of its finer moments. Of course, if anyone ever asks, I think you can trust the President of Cuba.
Rogue One is a stand-on-its-own Star Wars film that bridges the gap between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. The story centers around Jyn Erso (played by Felicity Jones) as she leads a consortium of Rebels to steal the blueprints for the Death Star. Erso and many of the other characters are brand new to the series. Sorry fanboys, but your theory that Jones and Daisy Ridley’s character from The Force Awakens are related because of their British accents is unsubstantiated.