If the first trailer for M. Night Shyamalan’s Split didn’t get you excited, perhaps this new one will do the trick.
Split looks like a completely irresponsible take on multiple-personality disorder, with James McAvoy playing Kevin, a nut job with 23 different personalities who kidnaps a trio of young girls for… something. There’s sure to be a surprise or two along the way.
This new trailer, however, leans into the supernatural element of the story. What happens when Kevin realizes his full craziness potential? Apparently he unleashes some sort of creature. Check this out:
This looks awesome. It seems like M. Night has finally tried to get rid of that self-seriousness that began plaguing his work after Signs and all the way up to the decent little thriller The Visit last year. I like this new Shyamalan.
And anyone who’s pissed off about the depiction of mental illness in an M. Night Shyamalan horror movie needs to go be offended elsewhere. If you’re looking for clinical accuracy here, it’s you who has the problem.
Split debuted at Fantastic Fest last month and got some positive early reviews. It opens wide January 20.
Doctor Strange himself, Benedict Cumberbatch, is scheduled to host Saturday Night Live on the weekend the film opens, reports Newsarama. The musical guest will be Solange. The appearance was confirmed on SNL’s Twitter. This will also be SNL’s final episode before the presidential election which is on Tuesday, November 8th.
Doctor Strange tells the story of neurosurgeon Stephen Strange whose life takes a tragic turn after a horrific car accident damages his hands. When medicine fails him, he is forced to look for healing in a mysterious place known as Kamar-Taj. There he learns that this is not just a place for healing but also the sight of a magical battle to save the world. Soon Doctor Strange must choose to return to his normal life or leave it all behind and take his new place as the world’s Sorcerer Supreme.
Doctor Strange stars Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, Star Into Darkness, ), Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Rachel McAdams (True Detective Season 2), Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man), Mads Mikkelsen (Valhalla Riding/Hannibal) and Tilda Swinton (The Grand Budapest Hotel). It is directed by Scott Derrickson and written by Derrickson, Jon Spaihts (Prometheus), and C. Robert Cargill (Sinister). It opens November 4, 2017, in theaters nationwide.
The “Robert Langdon” series is one of those series that Hollywood is desperate to make into a success – getting talents like Tom Hanks and Ron Howard involved. However, it has been a case of diminishing returns: the first movie The Da VinciCode was a big hit but only has a Rotten Tomatoes of 25% and the sequel Angels & Demons made half as much as money as its predecessor, although it had a better critical response. Now after a seven-year break Hanks is back as Langdon, traveling across Europe to stop a megalomaniac.
Robert Langdon awakes in hospital in Florence, Italy, after being shot in the head and has no memory of the last 48 hours. After being attacked by an assassin posing as a police officer, Langdon and his genius doctor Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones) have to go on the run, finding out that a mad billionaire Bertrand Zobrist (Ben Foster) plans to release a virus that can kill half the world’s population in a radical bid to save the planet. Fortunately for Langdon, there have been clues left behind regarding the virus’ location hidden in artifacts related to the famous medieval poem Inferno by Dante Alighieri.
The Da Vinci Code was a publishing sensation back in 2003, selling 80 million copies by 2009, and been translated into 44 languages – a huge achievement considering the book wasn’t that good, filled with illogical plotting, an unbelievable storyline, having an author showing off how much research he has done instead of entertaining and if the world did find out that Jesus did have a family, the public’s reaction would have been ‘that’s interesting’ and then they would move on with their lives. Darren Brown follow-up books haven’t been as successful. Inferno follows many of the story beats and ideas that were set out in The Da Vinci Code – both movies are historical mysteries that require international travel to famous locations involving famous artefacts in Christian art and history, there are numerous double and triple crosses on their journey and like The Da Vinci Code Langdon has to team up with another attractive lady and to solve the mystery while avoiding the law. The stories even have the same story beat where Langdon and his partner trick the authorities into going to the wrong location.
As a writer, Brown does not let logic get in the way of telling a story. Inferno moves at such a fast pace that it does not let you think about the plotholes that appear throughout the movie – any attempt to dissect the story would result in it falling like a house of cards. Even the basic premise is faulty – why would there be clues to the location of the virus, when the plan of the villains is revealed it results in thoughts about everything that could have gone wrong and everything is just overly complicated. There are red herrings to distract the audience, including a diversion to the wrong city, and bombards you with historical facts.
There is some inconsistency in the characters’ intelligence levels. The amnesia plot device is an excuse for Langdon to remember or forget important facts at convenient times, while Sienna is shown to be a child prodigy yet comes up with some suggestions that a woman with high intelligence wouldn’t have even humored. The world of Inferno also shows agents working for the World Health Organization are more like the CIA than a pan-national team of scientists. However, everyone in front of and behind the camera seems to be aware of the silliness, and it is reflected in how some of the dialogue was written and how it was delivered. Two examples are when Langdon showing off his knowledge and Sienna pointing out that he couldn’t remember the name of a hot brown beverage, and when Langdon says, he needs to read a copy of Dante’s Inferno, Sienna says she uses Google – possibly a reference to Angels & Demons where Langdon had to read a document in the Vatican archives. Sienna was so smart for most of the movie it leaves the question: why did she even need Langdon?
Each Robert Langdon film raises the stakes of the previous one – The Da Vinci Code was about personal survival and an issue that in all respects was minor for most people: Angels and Demons was about Langdon and his allies trying to stop a bomb destroying Rome and Inferno is about Langdon saving humanity. The idea of an eco-warrior billionaire wanting to kill off a large portion of the world’s population to save the planet has been explored before – it was the villain’s plan in Kingsman: The Secret Service and in Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six (the novel where Clancy jumped the shark). Inferno comes across as a cross of a Bond film and Assassin’s Creed – minus the action. Bertrand Zobrist is pretty much a Bond villain – his plan and circumstances are similar to villains from that series, and his ally is a private security company based on a yacht is a Bondesque idea. The whole story has the air of a ’60s or ’70s style Bond film, and the finale during a classical concert would have fitted perfectly for a spy adventure. The Connery/Moore era Bond film were travelogues as well as spy adventures – giving audiences a chance to see manmade and naturals wonders that they were unlikely ever to see in person and the Langdon series would have worked better if it had made in the 60s.
The Assassin’s Creed references come from the fact that the movie is set in the same cities that Ezio visited, it has a historical conspiracy and Irfan Khan’s Mr. Sims had blades coming out his wrists like the assassins in those games. The Assassin’s Creed references also come in some of the imagery of Langdon’s visions of hell and a battle. These senses were when Inferno was at its most visually inventive – replicating Sandro Botticelli’s Map of Hell [a visual representation of Dante’s Inferno] and the battle sequence was based on Giorgio Vasari’s painting The Battle of Marciano: a battle that happened in the 16th Century.
Inferno is the best movie in the Robert Langdon series so far, but considering the low standard of the previous flicks, it’s not much of an accomplishment. It looks pretty because of its locations and the more daring visuals due to Langdon visions; has a grander plot, fine music from Hans Zimmer and altogether a more epic plot. But the Langdon series cannot overcome its illogical plotting – being more a history lesson than entertainment.
The leaves are turning another color and October is almost at an end. It’s time to look at the geekiest shows, movies, and original programs Netflix has to offer in November. Take the time to look at these titles and plan what to watch after the turkey dinner and before Black Friday Shopping.
1. Candyman 2: Farewell To The Flesh (November 1st)
Need help say goodbye to Halloween? Try watching a bad horror movie and your feelings of nostalgia will disappear before you know it. This charmer has a 25% on RottenTomatoes.com and did some real damage by making sure Candyman 3 went straight to DVD.
2. Cujo (November 1st)
The original bad dog makes his way to Netflix. Consider this an alternative to the first entry. Not in the mood to give up the Halloween spirit so soon? Then watch as Cujo becomes rabid, turns from big cuddle fellow into a killing machine, and you’ll be able to keep the horror movie buzz alive.
3. The Jetsons: The Movie (November 1st)
With DC reintroducing Hanna-Barbera titles it might be best to give this movie a shot so you can get familiar with these classic characters just in case they make an appearance sooner or later. Or at least before the next straight to DVD special comes out where they meet the WWE. Yes. It’s happening. You don’t even have to go to google, trust me, it’s a thing.
4. World of Winx (November 4th)
In need of a little girl power? Look no further than this Italian created magic girls series. In their new spinoff series, they are going to come to Earth in an effort to look for individuals who are blessed with talent which is being stolen by a villain known as the Talent Thief.
5. Danger Mouse: Season 2 (November 9th)
The second season of the Netflix original series which helped to breath new life in the world’s greatest animated secret agent returns. If you didn’t treat yourself to this series back when it first debuted, take this opportunity to catch up before season two starts. Don’t worry, the episodes aren’t very long. You’ll binge it in no time.
6. Tales From The Darkside: The Movie (November 11th)
Haven’t hear of this horror anthology? If you call yourself a true horror fan than you owe it to yourself to check it out. One of the stories in this movie was based on a Stephen King short story and brought to life by George A. Romero (Night of The Living Dead). If this doesn’t sound appealing to you than you should really rethink if you are truly a horror fan or not.
7. The 100: Season 3 (November 16th)
While it had a slow gathering at first, it seemed sometime after the second season and into the third, this show finally got the following it deserved. Watch as survivors from a space station work to stay alive in an unforgiving world they aren’t prepared for. Also, the show has been renewed for a fourth season so best to catch up now.
8. Burn After Reading (November 16th)
Need something a bit out there? Check out this movie from the Coen Brothers (Fargo and Big Lebowski) which features government secrets, adultery, and murder but presented in a very entertaining and comical fashion. Also, Brad Pitt is just nuts in this movie.
9. Paddington (November 16th)
An adaptation many didn’t think would be as good as it turned out to be. Watch as the talking bear from the deepest part of Peru comes to civilization and discovers a fondness for marmalade. It was so good, a sequel will becoming out next year. It looks like the perfect film to watch with the family after Thanksgiving dinner.
10. The Jungle Book (2016) (November 30th)
The new live action adaptation of The Jungle Book took many by surprise with just how good it was. Now you can check it out for yourself and see if it’s really worthwhile. If you need convincing, you can listen to the hosts of our podcast discuss it if you need more convincing to check it out.
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What movies and shows are you looking forward to coming to Netflix in November? Leave a comment below and let us know.
The season premiere of AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’ was Sunday night and fans found out who died at the hands of Negan. To keep the reveal secretive AMC filmed everyone getting killed at the hands of Negan and the death scene of Maggie leaked on to the internet this evening.
Jeff Dean Morgan had this to say about filming all the different death scenes of main characters.
“Look, that whole episode was hard, and also because I did go through and smack everybody with Lucille at a certain point. Everybody took a hit. All of that was hard,” said Morgan to Interview Magazine.
Watch the death of Maggie while it is still up.
https://youtu.be/m8gIFaTZRew
The seventh season of ‘The Walking Dead’ airs Sunday nights on AMC.
ABOUT SEASON SEVEN:
Up until this point, the survivors have lived through conflicts… Disease, hunger, scores of the undead, tragedy, betrayal, and unthinkable loss. Through this, they’ve become formidable. Powerful. Unstoppable.
To start Season 7, that power is taken away. They had found safety and stability. They had created a home. They thought the world was theirs. They thought they knew the world. They were wrong.
The first half of Season 7 sees the group fractured, broken, bereaved, and picking up the pieces while living under the thumb of oppression. Negan will have successfully brought the survivors under his control, brutally convincing them to live under his rules with a deadly and horrific example of what happens if they don’t.
Other characters are unaware of what’s happened, but have become separated from the group either by incident or choice — they will learn that they can’t escape this new turn of their world, either. This half season is about these characters starting over.
The overall theme of the season is beginning again. The world isn’t what they thought it was. It’s bigger and it’s even more dangerous.
In a spoiler-filled (you’ve been warned!) bit of news, Benedict Cumberbatch is playing a second role in Doctor Strange, confirms ComicBook.com. Cumberbatch also did a bit of motion capture to play the demon Dormammu, a long-standing Doctor Strange villain, now known to be in the film. Cumberbatch does not, however, voice the character. Director Scott Derrickson, in speaking to IGN, said:
We knew it was an all CG character, but as we were in production Benedict brought it up as an idea. He said, ‘What would you think about me doing it?’ I said, ‘Let me think about it, you know. It’s an interesting idea, because I did fancy the idea that as this other-dimensional being he’s not moving through the Dark Dimension, with a countenance, with eyes and a face, eyes and a mouth, and a human visage – why would he? He takes that form on to communicate with Strange. The more I thought about it the more I liked the idea. Because no one understood Dormammu better than Benedict did. I also wrote that role to be a kind of ultra-inflated version of Strange. He is an ego run amok; he is this cosmic conqueror where everything, where literally everything in the multi-verse is about him.There’s something interesting about this confrontation of this little, tiny guy who has this power of time and this monstrous conqueror who is trapped by a clever gambit. There’s something about that worked well, and I didn’t think anybody to interact with Benedict than he, himself.
Doctor Strange tells the story of neurosurgeon Stephen Strange whose life takes a tragic turn after a horrific car accident damages his hands. When medicine fails him, he is forced to look for healing in a mysterious place known as Kamar-Taj. There he learns that this is not just a place for healing but also the sight of a magical battle to save the world. Soon Doctor Strange must choose to return to his normal life or leave it all behind and take his new place as the world’s Sorcerer Supreme.
Doctor Strange stars Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, Star Into Darkness, ), Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Rachel McAdams (True Detective Season 2), Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man), Mads Mikkelsen (Valhalla Riding/Hannibal) and Tilda Swinton (The Grand Budapest Hotel). It is directed by Scott Derrickson and written by Derrickson, Jon Spaihts (Prometheus), and C. Robert Cargill (Sinister). It opens November 4, 2017, in theaters nationwide.
After years of plot drama, production delays, and studio trouble, the newest entry in the ‘Friday The 13th‘ franchise is heading in a positive direction.
The still unnamed thirteenth movie will begin shooting in Spring, 2017!
Platinum Dunes producers Brad Fuller and Andrew Form told Collider in an interview this about the upcoming movie:
“It will be eight years since we made the last one. I’m here to say that we found the location. We have found the lake, we have found the camp. We found an amazing script by Aaron Guzikowski. Breck Eisner is directing the movie. That movie is shooting in early Spring.”
It was starting to feel like fans of Jason Voorhees and ‘Friday The 13th‘ were never going to see another trip to Camp Crystal Lake. But this is great news coming from the men in charge.
The two men also opened up about the polarizing 2009 remake and the Jason Voorhees found-footage movie the studio wanted:
“In terms of fun, making [the 2009 film] was so fun. The cast was great, we were in a great setting, everyone got along. We had a lot of fun making that movie and we always wanted to go back to Crystal Lake and make another one. There were so many obstacles to surmount to get to where we are today. I’m not going to bore you with all of them but for a long time, there was a rights issue between Paramount and Warner Bros. Then there was an execution issue. At one point, the studio wanted us to make a found-footage version of that movie and that was deeply concerning to us because we didn’t think we could execute the movie in the right way if it was a found-footage movie.”
That’s a sigh of relief for some fans as the idea of found-footage seems a bit passé. But this still leaves questions on what the new ‘Friday The 13th‘ will be about.
Are you excited for the newest entry in the beloved franchise featuring Jason Voorhees? This will be lucky 13 for them and I hope it’s a stellar slasher movie.
The past three X-Men movies have without a doubt revitalized the franchise. This summer’s X-Men: Apocalypse continued the series new trend of firmly placing an entry in a new decade (in this case the 80s). With the next X-Men film set in the 90s according to producer, Simon Kinberg. Nothing is more 90s than Rob Liefeld’s X-Force, a title that influenced an entire generation of stories and characters. With that in mind, X-Force could be part of the next film as a spinoff has been in the works for some time. By using X-Force, a more proactive and darker team, the series could go in an entirely new direction. I thought it’d be fun to fan cast this paramilitary unit of mutants, and pick a director too. Here’s my dream cast for an 90s set X-Force movie.
Jeffery Dean Morgan as Cable
Jeffery Dean Morgan is already causing waves with his recent brutal portrayal of Negan on The Walking Dead. And he was no stranger to comics before then, having had starring roles in both The Losers and Watchmen. So it’s not a stretch to imagine the imposing Morgan playing Cable, X-Force’s defacto leader from the future. I can just see Morgan with the iconic metal arm and cybernetic eye, brandishing huge guns as he shoots his way through intense action scenes. The man would be perfect and has the acting chops to play a character as layered in mystery as Cable is.
Channing Tatum as Shatterstar
Shatterstar is the team’s resident pretty boy, but also an all-around bad ass. Channing Tatum has shown he is capable of both, with his parts in Magic Mike and White House Down, respectively. He’s also shown a deeper and darker side (something that would play into Shatterstar’s mysterious origins) in Foxcatcher. Tatum would be perfect in the role and help bring in a whole new demographic. He has been tied to the role of Gambit for a few years now, but that seems to be stuck in limbo. Besides, this is a much better role for him, and he’d look great in the costume.
Juliet Landau as Feral
As the evil Drusilla in both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, Juliet Landau had a certain feline quality to her mannerisms and physicality. Her eyes and grin are also very expressive. Plus, she’s a damn fine actor. All these combined make her an ideal choice for a heavy makeup effects role like the mutant Feral. Feral’s origins are also tied in tragedy (a runaway from the disfigured underground-dwelling Morlocks) and the character straddles the line between good and evil, something Landau would excel at.
Emma Roberts as Boom-Boom
Emma Roberts has been playing plucky blondes on TV for a few years now, both in American Horror Story: Coven and more recently in Scream Queens. Her personality is perfect for the valley-girlesque Boom-Boom, who is as quick with a quip as she is with concussion causing explosive powers. And Roberts is great at giving a seemingly stereotypical characters layers and pathos, a quality needed to play a mutant like Boon-Boom, who seems happy and go lucky on the surface, but like all X-Men has deeper issues of tragedy as well.
Dan Stevens as Cannonball/Sam Guthrie
Sam Guthrie /Cannonball was always the beating heart of the team, even in its long history prior as The New Mutants. Pushed into a leadership role he didn’t want, the gold old southern boy Sam became a soldier in a bitter war. His ability to fly and cause massive heat and explosions made him the team’s most formidable member. Dan Stevens has shown he has the range to play this. In Adam Wingard’s 80s throwback film The Guest, Stevens unveiled what a bad-ass soldier he could be. And Downton Abbey showed us a more dramatic side. Being British, Stevens has a knack for accents, so capturing Cannonball’s signature southern drawl would be a cinch. It’s a natural choice.
Mary Elisabeth Windstead as Domino
The role of Domino has already been heavily hinted to appear in Deadpool 2, but you need to have her in X-Force as well (and it’d be a great way to tie it all in together.) Mary Elisabeth Winstead has already been rumored for the role as well , and I can’t think of a better choice. She was great in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, and in this year’s 10 Cloverfield Lane, she brought to life a Ripley inspired heroine for the ages. And with her deep and dark eyes, she would just look the part of the mercenary Domino, whose mutant powers of affecting probability make her an invaluable fighter.
Martin Sensmeier as Warpath
Warpath was the team’s heavy hitter. As the younger brother of fallen X-Men Thunderbird, he also lived in someone else’s shadow. Again a layered role. Martin Sensmeier pretty much stole the show from under a veteran cast in the recent Magnificent Seven remake. He can totally capture the stoic yet ready for action quality required. Adept at playing out hand-to-hand combat scenes, Warpath’s brawling and fighting would be easy for the actor to do, and again he would look great in the costume too.
Riz Ahmed as Sunspot
Sunspot left the team early on, but remained both a reluctant ally and an antagonist as well. He differed from the other mutants on the team, as he came from a wealthy Hispanic family. His brother-like friendship with Cannonball drove a lot of early X-Force drama. Sunspot was also a complicated character, being both a best friend and an arrogant rich boy. Riz Ahmed received lots of attention with his supporting role as a cameraman in Nightcrawler (no relation to the X-men character) and more recently he got tons of acclaim as an innocent accused of a crime on the HBO drama The Night Of. In both roles, Ahmed takes a slow turn from good to morally gray, something that parallels Sunspots manipulation by our next and final character.
Liam Neeson as Gideon
Liam Neeson has already conquered action and mentor roles (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and Batman Begins), so he is a no brainer as the manipulative immortal mentor Gideon who seduces and turns Sunspot against his former team. Gideon’s plan to expose the external (a near immortal type of mutant) on the X-Force team would make for a great storyline as well. It seems natural to make him the villain.
Matthew Vaughan for director
Yes, I know Matthew Vaughan already directed X-Men:First Class, and several comic book movies as well (Kick-Ass and Kingsmen: The Secret Service) but that’s not to say he can’t come back. His ability to fuse comedy, action and overtop violence makes him a perfect choice to capture the 90s action-movie vibe this film would need. X-Force would really need its own identity and Vaughn has proven he is able to do that, even with an existing property.
So there you have it folks. What do you think? Leave me some thoughts in the comments!
Beer is a mystical creature. It has the power to do so many things, both good and bad. For starters, beer can make you brave, loud, fun, silly, joyous, and flirty. On the negative side, it can also make you sad, angry, depressed, annoying, loud, and lose all judgment.
Have you ever wondered why you can drink so many Coors Lights and be just dandy, but the moment you have a Stone IPA you feel like you drank a gallon of happy bubbles? Alcohol content and hops create a fraction of drinkability.
Each beer has two specific numbers, ABV, and IBU. They are usually on the beer list at bars and restaurants next to the name of the beer. On bottles and cans, the placement varies. The ABV (alcohol by volume) is that number to tell you just how drunk you are going to get. Coors light 4.2%, which in on the low range. My favorite IPA, Space Dust by Elysian Brewing is an 8.2%. It’s a very different story; I can have only one Space Dust, and I’m good to go.
The other number on the beer is the IBU. Also known as International Bittering Units. This tells us the amount of hops that you will be able to taste in the beer, the bitterness from the alpha acid from the hops itself. The lower the IBU, the less hops you taste. Coors Lights IBU is at 10. Space Dust is at 62. If you are a person who likes the more hoppy beers, look for a higher IBU. More than likely, if it has a high IBU, the ABV will match. Stouts and Porters don’t seem like they have a high IBU, just because of their sweet tastes, but they can surprise you.
If you are a beer snob like myself, you will be looking at both of these numbers religiously now that you know what they are. It is good to know how many beers you can drink without getting sloppy, and how bitter it is going to be.
Special thanks to Bryce Eddings, the Beer Expert over at about.com. You can find his article here.
Lionsgate Premiere released a new trailer and poster for the psychological thriller ‘Man Down’ starring Shia LaBeouf, Jai Courtney, Gary Oldman, Kate Mara, and Clifton Collins Jr.
When U.S. Marine Gabriel Drummer (Shia LaBeouf) returns home from his tour in Afghanistan, he finds that the place he once called home is no better than the battlefields he fought on overseas. Accompanied by his best friend Devin Roberts (Jai Courtney), a hard-nosed Marine whose natural instinct is to shoot first and ask questions later, he searches desperately for the whereabouts of his estranged son, Johnathan (Charlie Shotwell), and wife, Natalie (Kate Mara). In their search, the two intercept Charles (Clifton Collins Jr.), a man carrying vital information about the whereabouts of Gabriel’s family. As we revisit the past, we are guided in unraveling the puzzle of Gabriel’s experience and what will eventually lead us to finding his family. The psychological suspense thriller MAN DOWN also stars Gary Oldman.
The film is directed by Dito Montiel from a screenplay by Adam G. Simon and Dito Montiel.
