The great mechanism that is the universe is treating us to a supermoon! You see, the lunar orbit isn’t a perfect circle like most images of it want us to believe. Every once in a while the moon is in a spot that makes it look colossal up in the sky. This is known as a supermoon and NASA explains it best here. In fact, this supermoon is the biggest one in 70 years!
As you step out throughout these nights to watch our one and only natural satellite look bigger and more mesmerizing than ever, keep these werewolf movies playing on the TV.
The Howling – 1981
The Howling is a series of werewolf-themed horror movies that started in the early 80s and pumped out sequels all the way until 2011 with Howling Reborn. Although not a horror-comedy, Joe Dante’s The Howling features a lot of clever jokes for horror fanatics, particularly those into the werewolf genre of old. Jokes aside, The Howling is creepy, scary, bloody, and features some cool transformation effects sequences.
Wolfen – 1981
1981 was a busy year for were-movies. Along with The Howling, Return of the Wolfman, and American Werewolf In London, theater goers were prowled by Wolfen. Smarter than your average genre film, Wolfen centers around a team of investigators trying to track down a serial killer. Little do they know that the murderer is a supernatural force that’s beyond imagination. A tense detective story unfolds before a cryptic ending leaves viewers looking over their shoulders.
Ginger Snaps – 2000
Werewolves are typically an expression of the inner beast, and many stories present it from a male perspective. Ginger Snaps uses lycanthropy as a metaphor for puberty in a film with two strong female leads. Brigitte and Ginger Fitzgerald are teenage sisters fascinated with death. Mortality takes on new meaning as one sister fights to save the other who is now a blood-thirsty monster.
Dog Soldiers – 2002
A British film and the debut of director Neil Marshall, Dog Soldiers, is gritty werewolf action that does a lot with a simple story and setting. Dog Soldiers takes a group of fearless soldiers into the heart of a forest that’s unknowingly run by werewolves. The soldiers fight for their lives while mostly holed up inside a home. But werewolves are persistent when they’re hungry, and the soldiers might not make it until sunrise.
Wer – 2013
A rare mix of character drama and were-horror, Wer centers on an attorney whose client may or may not be a werewolf. While the gimmick doesn’t last for long, Wer’s devolution into an action movie isn’t a bad thing. The film goes from creepy and tense to hectic and heart-pumping in the blink of an eye.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXxYZ4VsOV0
WolfCop – 2014
“Destined for cult glory” is what Bloody Disgusting said about WolfCop It’s fairly self-explanatory, but just in case, I’ll explain. WolfCop follows Sergeant Lou Garou, an alcoholic, lazy cop who turns into a werewolf via occult means. Able to retain his human intelligence while in wolf form, Lou Garou (French for werewolf, btw) fights the mob in this action-comedy written and directed by Lowell Dean.
Marvel Studios and 20th Century Fox appear to have a cordial relationship.
According to the Deadpool writers, both sides were able to swap certain Marvel characters between each other’s movies.
During a Q&A, Rhett Rheese and Paul Wernick said Marvel and Fox came to terms over the use of Negasonic Teenage Warhead in Deadpool. While the character is a Marvel property, the Fox incarnation has different powers from the comic version. Reese and Wernick love the character and lobbied to include her. As part of the deal, Fox had to alter her abilities in the film.
As James Whitbrook reports, “Kurt Russell’s (character) in the new Guardians movie was the character that Fox swapped with Marvel to (change) Negasonic Teenage Warhead’s powers.”
In exchange for Negasonic, Marvel got to borrow Ego the Living Planet for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Fans may recall Marvel once made a similar offer to Fox, in which the latter could extend their Daredevil film rights in exchange for Galactus.
I wonder if we’ll see a glimpse of Ego’s planetary form in the Guardians sequel.
Fox’s ownership of Ego is an interesting fact, because his first appearance is in Thor #132. He is not a Fantastic Four villain, but he’s a recurring foe of the Silver Surfer. Presumably, this is why Ego is under Fox’s ownership, as part of the 1990s purchase of the Fantastic Four film rights.
Although the X-Men aren’t joining the MCU, this could be a sign of good things to come. Perhaps there is no bad blood between Marvel and Fox at all. In fact, Kevin Feige got his start on the first X-Men movie, so it is possible both sides are on good terms.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is coming out on May 2, 2017. A Deadpool sequel is aiming for a 2018 release.
Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight is a beautiful heartbreaking exploration of identity that is both masterfully told and exquisitely shot. And it’sa character driven film that’s surprisingly artistic as well. It’s one of those rare times a movie sticks with you long after you’ve left the theater. Moonlight tackles a myriad of themes (identity, sexuality, family, and being a man) but doesn’t preach.
The film is divided into three chapters- “Little,” “Chiron,” and “Black.” These are the names our main character is referred to as he goes through childhood to being a grown up. Throughout his life, Chiron is struggling to find out what it means to be “masculine” and ultimately a man.
We begin the film, and see Chiron as a boy or as he called by other kids “Little” (Alex Hibbert). We see Little being chased into a boarded up Miami apartment complex by kids who want to beat him senseless. Little is followed into the apartment complex by Juan (Mahershala Ali), a local thug/drug dealer. Juan develops a quick connection with the boy, takes him out to eat, and even introduces him to his girlfriend, Teresa. Little is left speechless by the kindness shown by these two as his home life is the embodiment of hell. His mom Paula (Naomie Harris) is a crack addict and is more concerned about getting her next fix than taking care of her son for more than five minutes. Juan wants to make Chiron’s life better because he feels guilty being indirectly involved in the very thing that’s ruining his life.
The film moves to Chiron as a teenager, and he’s dealing with non stop teasing and questions of his sexuality. Chiron (Ashton Sanders) is struggling to find who he is in a pubescent world teeming with sex. His home life is far worse. His mother is gone for days at a time. He has nothing. Even his friendship with Kevin(Jharrel Jerome) seemingly comes with conditions. Eventually, he breaks and lashes out the only way he can, with violence.
The film concludes with Chiron as a man (Trevante Rhodes). Kevin (Andre Holland) contacts Chiron and wishes to atone for past mistakes he’s made. In a sense, Moonlight is a coming of age film for not only Chiron but for all the principle characters. Juan goes from street thug to caring parental figure. Kevin grows from a pubescent boy to a man seeking to atone for the past. The only who hasn’t figured it all out yet is Chiron. Chiron morphs from a confused boy to stringy looking middle schooler who is destined for college to a ripped street thug named “Black” who deals just like Juan did. These aren’t who Chiron truly are but who he had to be to survive, and that’s what makes Moonlight so incredibly sad.
One of the highlights of the film was the incredible job that was done to cast all three actors that played Chiron. Each performance was its unique interpretation of who he was at that point in his life. While each portrayal showed Chiron had grown, it showed where Chiron had flaws as well. What’s remarkable is the fluidity of the film. It’s easy for a movie to seem choppy when it’s divided into three acts like this one but Jenkins manages to balance each act into a remarkable ensemble piece that’s equally powerful and poignant.
The settings play a major role in the film. The beaches around Miami serve as an escape for Chiron from his violent home/personal lives. It even acts as a backdrop for one of the most important scenes in the film between Chiron and Kevin. It seems that when they are surrounded by the sound of the water crashing into the shore that they can truly be themselves and not what the world wants them to be.
Jenkins does tremendous work in adapting this narrative from its source material (It’s based on a play entitled ‘In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue’). While there are certainly memorable moments of dialogue, it was the moments of silence that stood out. Sometimes a look of astonishment as your mother spirals down a drug induced wormhole or a glance between two young men who are scared of who they are is incredibly powerful.
At its core, Moonlight is a sad window into a part of our society that feel the most pressure to conform to what some would call “societal” norms. For example, in all three acts, the question of being a “man” comes up. In the first act, “Little” doesn’t fit in with the other kids and play sports the way they do. Kevin comes up to “Little” and whispers to him that he needs to get into a fight with him so that the other kids will accept him more. He doesn’t want to do this but goes along with it. In the second act “Chiron,” he’s facing pressures to conform to the overtly sexual world that is Middle School by telling everyone that he has “been” with a woman, which is a lie. Still facing teasing from the other kids, he reverts to the only thing that he thinks will make him seem “manly” and that’s violence. In the last act, “Black,” Chiron transforms himself to a “ripped” thug who can intimidate other just by his appearance. However, he doesn’t become a “man” till he starts being true to himself.
100 Streets tells the story of a formal UK soccer star whose life appears to be unraveling around him. Idris Elba is the star, and this trailer highlights what looks to devolve into a standoff situation on his balcony.
Here goes:
The synopsis is short and to the point: “Three people, three extraordinary stories. All lived out within a hundred London streets.” So there you have it. All of this satellite stories feel like they will somehow make their way back to Idris Elba’s Max storyline.
Along with Elba, 100 Streets stars Gemma Arterton as his wife, Tom Cullen, Franz Drameh, and a number of prominent British actors. This looks to be a primarily Brit release and an overseas draw, especially since it takes place in London and Elba’s Max is a former footballer. But it’s still probably worth seeking out wherever you can if you’re stateside.
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, “Crossfire” (Nov. 7)
“Wait, is Mike my Tarzan?”
Supergirl spends a majority of the episode teaching “Mike” how to act like an Earth human. Mike then spends the episode slacking off, hooking up, and eating Twizzlers. Alex’s lady cop crush has been broken up with by her girlfriend, who we’d only JUST met at the end of last episode. It feels like a ham-fisted intro into their budding relationship, but thankfully, it’s a minor plot line. Meanwhile, the James/Winn dynamic is golden, as James tries his hand at crimefighting. Their arguments feel genuine and well motivated, and isn’t overwhelming the main action. It’s hard to fully trust Lena Luthor, but the mother reveal wraps her into the conflict. The Space Gun Bandits are entertaining villains, though they do mirror the Snart Bros in mannerisms. No one seems worried about the cop car now forever floating in space. A very solid episode, with a few weak points based around trope-heavy CW soap operas of days past.
SCORE: 8/10 Space Guns
The Flash did not have an episode this week. Perhaps Barry is running back in time to change the election results. Get ready for Flashpoint 2: HR Wells is a speedster, Iris is dating Wally, and Barry has another CCPD partner, played by Rupert Grint.
Arrow, “So It Begins” (Nov. 9)
Dolph Lundgren, doing his best to act like that turnip story makes any sense
Oliver starts focusing on Prometheus, dealing with an odd cypher-puzzle of murders. The idea that Prometheus is a haunting figure from Oliver’s past is intriguing, though it doesn’t quite work this episode. What works beautifully is the A-Team dynamics, notably with actually funny Felicity dialogue. It’s telling that one of the strongest episodes this season sidelines the B-Team. The B-Team whining feels silly and overdone. That being said, the work done in characterizing Artemis this episode is phenomenal. Often times, CW seems to let their sidekicks – particularly ladies – go ignored outside of an episode or two. Artemis’s storyline doesn’t take over the episode, but is just enough to make her feel like a real person in the show. There’s no way Quentin is Prometheus, especially if he’s still a drunkard, but it sets up a great idea of roping in all of Oliver’s past to haunt him. The episode is a good balance of Oliver-centric action with good character dynamics, bringing the strengths of the CW superhero trailblazer to the front.
SCORE: 8.5/10 Old Arrowheads
WEEKLY WIN TALLY:
Arrow: 2.5 Weeks
Supergirl: 1.5 Weeks
The Flash: 1 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!
I don’t know how great Jackie truly is without seeing it with my own eyes, but if the previous teaser and now this full trailer are any indication, Natalie Portman has solidified her entire career.
Check this out:
How is this one not going to be one of the best of the year? Most who have seen it are in step with this claim, and this trailer only enforces those early returns. It’s rare for so many emotions to leak through in a trailer, so when it happens it’s noticeable.
What should be so fascinating about Jackie, beyond that horrific day in Dallas (the shot of the Secret Service agent riding on the back of the car to the hospital is just incredible), is seeing the former First Lady dealing with the aftermath. She’s clearly battling her lot in life now that the man who got her where she is now dead. There is so much to work with in this story.
The trailer promises balance in this tale, and the Best Actress Oscar is Natalie Portman’s to lose at this point. I’m convinced of it.
The IMAX poster for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is now available, thanks exclusively to sources at USA Today.
Its artwork features the Rebels in a trickle-down, stalactite configuration, which itself is comprised of X-Wing and U-Wing Fighters. Looming ominously behind everything is the Death Star.
Much of the overall plot of Rogue One is unknown. What is known is that the story centers around Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) leading a team from the Rebel Alliance to steal the blueprints for the Death Star. The events of this movie take place between the Star Wars movies Revenge of the Sith and the movie that began everything, A New Hope.
Other casting includes Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, Forest Whitaker as Saw Gerrera, Mads Mikkelsen as Galen Erso, Jiang Wen as Baze Malbus, Donnie Yen as Chirrut Imwe, and Alan Tudyk as the droid K-2SO.
Gareth Edwards directs from a screenplay written by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy, from a story by John Knoll and Gary Whitta.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story hits theaters December 16, 2016.
Fans of Hawkeye can now rest: Jeremy Renner confirms his character will be returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for Avengers: Infinity War, according to Comicbookmovie.com and Collider.
That means that Tom Cruise might have to recast or create a new character for the next Mission: Impossible movie. Because Avengers is a two-parter being filmed back-to-back, that may interfere with scheduling for the sixth movie in the spy franchise.
Here’s what Renner says:
“I’m not sure what’s happening! I know that they’re really wanting to get it going, and I haven’t spoken to Tom about ultimately where it’s at. I know that there might be some conflict with schedules, so I’m not sure what’s going to happen. Avengers is going to eat up a lot of next year - gladly but I certainly hope that won’t get in the way of Tom and I and the gang getting back together, because I’d love to.”
The plot of Avengers: Infinity War is said to be an adaptation of the six-part Infinity Gauntlet storyline published by Marvel Comics in 1991. Previous MCU movies introduced the Infinity Stones. Thanos, the movie’s villain, desperately wants to obtain them.
Besides Renner, the cast includes Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johanssen, and Robert Downey, Jr. among others.
Joe and Anthony Russo will direct from a screenplay written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. The first part of Avengers: Infinity War will hit theaters May 4, 2018
Then we want you to enter the 2016 Amateur Podcast Championships; because we want to promote your podcast, give you feedback if needed, and quite possibly crown you the 2016 CHAMPION! 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 (EST) on December 31, 2016.
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.
All entered podcasts will be embedded on the Amateur Podcast Championships 2016 competition page for the whole world to listen to, with links back to the original website. Official Rules are located at the bottom of this page.
To submit an entry, fill in the form below and submit the entry fee of $10 via PayPal. Good luck!
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Amateur Podcast Championships 2016 (the Contest) is open to authors around the globe who are at least eighteen (18) years old at the time of entry. Employees of Popaxiom, LLC and other companies associated with the promotion of the Contest, and their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates and advertising and promotion agencies as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings, and children) and household members of each such employee are not eligible. The Contest is subject to federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Eligible podcasts must have an average of fewer than 2,500 plays or downloads per episode. Limit one episode per podcast.
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One episode of one podcast per entry. Entry fee is $10 per entry. Entry fee must be paid via PayPal (submit $10 payment via PayPal to matt@popaxiom.com).
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On February 5, 2017, the Sponsor will announce the winner. The Sponsor will attempt to notify the potential winner via email on or about February 3, 2017. If the potential winner cannot be contacted within five (5) days after the date of the first attempt to contact him/her, the Sponsor may select an alternate potential winner in his/her place from the remaining eligible entries.
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The winner will a $250 American Express Gift Card and a year long (February 2017 – January 2018) social and digital media push from Monkeys Fighting Robots (value $2,000).
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Patriots Day had a brief teaser a few weeks back, and now it has a full-blown American trailer. Mark Wahlberg leads another impressive cast in another Peter Berg story of American heroism, and this trailer highlights both the patriotic elements of the story, and the thriller second half.
Check it out:
An account of Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis’s actions in the events leading up to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the aftermath, which includes the city-wide manhunt to find the terrorists behind it.
It looks like a rousing crowd-pleaser, but I’m also interested in how they handle the very sticky racial and religious aspects of this story. Especially now. That interrogation scene is especially tense in that regard.
Patriots Day stars Wahlberg, John Goodman, Michelle Monaghan, and J.K. Simmons, and it is squarely in Peter Berg’s wheelhouse as a filmmaker. It will get a limited December 21 release date before going wide January 13.
We begin the film, and see Chiron as a boy or as he called by other kids “Little” (Alex Hibbert). We see Little being chased into a boarded up Miami apartment complex by kids who want to beat him senseless. Little is followed into the apartment complex by Juan (Mahershala Ali), a local thug/drug dealer. Juan develops a quick connection with the boy, takes him out to eat, and even introduces him to his girlfriend, Teresa. Little is left speechless by the kindness shown by these two as his home life is the embodiment of hell. His mom Paula (Naomie Harris) is a crack addict and is more concerned about getting her next fix than taking care of her son for more than five minutes. Juan wants to make Chiron’s life better because he feels guilty being indirectly involved in the very thing that’s ruining his life.
Its artwork features the Rebels in a trickle-down, stalactite configuration, which itself is comprised of X-Wing and U-Wing Fighters. Looming ominously behind everything is the Death Star.
Besides Renner, the cast includes Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johanssen, and Robert Downey, Jr. among others.