Fox’s ‘The Exorcist’ Has Been Nothing Short Of Brilliant. This Twist Takes The Show To Another Level.
Many thought when Fox premiered ‘The Exorcist‘ that it would be a remake of the original. After a major twist in the most recent episode, everything has changed!
If you don’t want to be spoiled about the Exorcist TV show, don’t read anymore!
So, it looks like this isn’t a remake of the 1973 William Friedkin film ‘The Exorcist‘. After Angela Rance (Geena Davis) revealed her name is actually Regan MacNeil, the girl from original, looks like this is a sequel!
Mind-blown…
No one was really expecting this to be a sequel so this shocked many of the viewers. This also opens up the story for so many more opportunities. With Angela being Regan, they can connect the original to this and continue to the universe expanding.
It’s already started as the episode ended with Regan’s mother, Chris MacNeil, arriving. We now have three generations of exorcisms. Chris dealt with her daughter Regan and now Regan is dealing with her daughter’s possession.
The show has been changed for the better with this shocking revelation.
Fox stepped their game up with this show. Add in the campy ‘Scream Queens‘ and horror fans have a reason to flock to the channel. It’s hard to please television viewers and hardcore horror fan but ‘The Exorcist‘ is doing just that.
What did you think of this twist? Let me know in the comments below.
Steve Dillon, the talented artist behind such titles as Hellblazer, The Punisher, Judge Dredd, and Preacher (which he co-created with writer Garth Ennis) has passed away reports ComicBook.com. Friends, fans, and colleagues from around the world confirmed his death and expressed their mourning on social media.
Dillon was a childhood prodigy who began drawing professionally as a teenager. During the 1980s he made a name for himself in the British science-fiction anthology series 2000 A.D. Later, as part of the “British Invasion” of American comics, Dillon teamed up with Garth Ennis on the definitive run of Hellblazer. The duo went on to collaborate on various titles, reaching their apex with the industry changing and smash hit Preacher (adapted earlier this year into a hit TV series by AMC). Information on his passing is still coming in, but suffice to say we lost a giant in the world of comics today. He was 54 years old.
Welcome To This Week’s Slasher Saturday. Today’s Ranking Is A Nightmare, For Sure.
Freddy Krueger was as popular in the 1980’s as anything else. Honestly, it seems like Freddy was just as 80’s as Madonna and Ronald Regan. This week’s Slasher Saturday is quite the journey as we go deep in the our nightmares.
Slasher Saturday is a series on Monkeys Fighting Robots where a slasher franchise gets listed from bottom to top. The first week broke down ‘Friday The 13th‘ and now it’s time to tackle one of the most defining slasher movies of all time.
Here is a ranking of all the ‘Nightmare On Elm Street‘ films from worst to first!
9. ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street’ (2010)
What can I say that hasn’t been said about this remake? It’s been bashed relentlessly and praised by some. 2010’s ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street‘ sadly missed the mark. Feels like the franchise can’t recover from this.
8. ‘Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare’ (1991)
Like most horror franchises the “final” one is never really the last movie. Same with ‘Freddy’s Dead‘. It wasn’t the final movie and it wasn’t a great movie. By the time this movie came out, the franchise was a cartoony shell of itself.
7. ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street 5: The Dream Child’ (1989)
I think the worst thing about ‘The Dream Child’ is how forgettable it is. It’s no where near as bad as the 2010 remake but doesn’t live up to the earlier entries. Even Robert Englund has said this was one his least favorite movies.
6. ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge’ (1985)
‘Freddy’s Revenge‘ has recently seen a large amount of love. In part to nostalgia and also, many finally noticed the homoerotic nature of this film. Freddy targets a young man with subversive dreams that leads to some strange scenes.
5. ‘Freddy vs Jason’ (2003)
Many consider this more of a Freddy movie than a Jason movie. I think they both get their fair share of screen time. But the magic in Robert Englund’s last performance of Freddy Kruger holds a special place in my heart.
4. ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street 4: Dream Master’ (1988)
After this, ‘Nightmare On Elm Street‘ went down hill. During a documentary about the franchise, Wes Craven praised ‘Dream Master‘ and said the director did what many couldn’t do. Yeah, he made a good Freddy Kruger movie…
3. ‘Wes Craven’s New Nightmare’ (1994)
Before Wes Craven went full meta in ‘Scream‘, he started mixing reality with fiction in ‘New Nightmare‘. Only Craven could revitalize the ‘Nightmare’ franchise. This is the remake the franchise needed and should have stopped here.
2. ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street’ (1984)
Wes Craven changed the horror genre when he released ‘Nightmare On Elm Street‘ in 1984. Starring Heather Langenkamp as Nancy and Robert Englund as Freddy, the movie is iconic but the low-budget shows with the ambitious plot.
1. ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors’ (1987)
The original may be great but everything was perfected by the time ‘Dream Warriors‘ was released. Heather Langenkamp returns and the movie hits its peak with kills, thrills, and humor. Freddy was never better! So many great one-liners.
“Welcome To Prime Time Bitch!
–Freddy Kruger(A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors)
Thank you for reading for the second Slasher Saturday!
The popular Adult Swim series Rick and Morty is coming back within the next few months. The sci-fi comedy was renewed for a third season after its second concluded in October of last year. Rick and Morty creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland spoke on the series’ return back in January, at a Comic-Con panel. They stated it would return in 2016, with fourteen episodes, but didn’t give an exact air date. With the year coming to a close, it seemed possible this promise may be false. However, it was confirmed by two Rick and Morty writers that the series is due out December of this year.
It will be interesting to see how the series picks back up from Season 2. Many may be obsessed with The Walking Dead’s Negan reveal, but Rick and Morty had a big cliffhanger as well. When last we left off the series, Rick was imprisoned for, as he put it, “everything.” Birdperson was killed by his new wife Tammy, and the Earth had become part of the Galactic Federation. Now that the series has built up its universe, it has the freedom to do more callbacks to earlier episodes or characters. This season will also have two extra episodes, meaning there’s more to enjoy this time around.
This isn’t the first taste we’ve gotten of the series since season two concluded. Comic-Con attendees got to see a recreation of a Georgia court case, with voices provided by Roiland. Additionally, Adult Swim put out a brief teaser for season three footage. As of now, no official news about synopses or plot lines have been leaked for the season.
You may not have heard of Church-Key Brewing, but in the world of craft breweries that’s not uncommon. Founded in Campbellford, Ontario in 2000 when John Graham purchased a Methodist church and turned it into a brewery, the origin of Church-Key’s name as obvious as it is clever (a church-key or churchkey is also a type of bottle opener).
Also in Campbellford, Graham owns and operates the Church-Key Pub & Grindhouse where thirsty customers can grab a beer, a coffee, or both. An enterprising fellow, Graham was also one of the founding members of the Ontario Craft Brewers Association.
I should mention, before I sip, that Scotch Ale and Scottish Ale are, confusingly, different types of beer. Scottish ale is essentially an American version of Scotch Ale. Even more confusing, though, “Scotch Ale” may refer to any one of a number of different types of Scotch Ale. Plus, this beer is brewed in Canada, so it’s up to you to decide if it qualifies as Scotch Ale. If you’re looking for a good Scottish Pale Ale (also brewed in Canada), check out this Outlander-themed review I wrote a while ago. Now, without further ado …
Church-Key Brewing: Holy Smoke Scotch Ale – First Sip
Holy Smoke Scotch Ale pours a very dark brown with a thick layer of off-white foam. Because of the photo on Church-Key’s website, I’m drinking mine from a goblet rather than a pint glass. I taste lots of sweet maltiness as I take my first sip. The peat flavour is very subtle, but noticeable after having a few glugs. A thick layer of foam hangs out on my upper lip as this brew’s corduroy mouthfeel shows off its tart, rather than bitter, aftertaste.
Church-Key Brewing: Holy Smoke Scotch Ale – Last Sip
At 6.2% ABV in a 650 mL bottle, a couple will probably be enough for any reasonable person. Although not the strongest beer I’ve ever had, Holy Smoke’s strong flavours and thick mouthfeel don’t make for a beer you’ll feel like slamming back. This is one to sip at slowly.
In terms of pairing, I refuse to deny the tradition of drinking a Scotch (or Scottish) ale as a chaser for malt whisky. Unfortunately, due to my low income level I’ll be drinking blended rather than single malt Scotch.
Church-Key Brewing: Holy Smoke Scotch Ale – As a Chaser for Scotch
Holy smoke, that’s a good chaser. The sweetness of this brew levels out the acidity of my Johnnie Walker Red Label. I had thought that a peat-smoked beer might not be the best companion for a shot of Scotch. Instead, Holy Smoke’s subtle peat flavour serves to deaden the Scotch’s fiery taste rather than wash it out completely. If you’re thinking of enjoying this sweet brew with food rather than just whisky, I suggest something tart and savoury like guacamole and chips or a honey-lime chicken.
Vans continues to expand their partnership with Disney/Pixar. The California-based fashion company produced a complete line inspired by characters from Toy Story. Vans started carrying Disney products several years ago, but the majority of them featured repeating patterns of Disney characters. The Toy Story line is the first with designs inspired by the characters rather than featuring their likeness.
There’s a Snake in my Sneakers
In addition to the standard patterns, Vans created four designs based off Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and Bo Peep’s personal styles. Woody inspired two different designs–one Old Skool and one Hi-Sk8. The Buzz Lightyear sneakers are also, ironically, Old Skools, and Bo Peep’s are Hi-Sk8s. I personally appreciate the fact that Vans resisted the urge to design a slim-cut Bo Peep for dainty lady feet. The Hi-Sk8s with femme detailing and lace stand out as the most unique in the pack. Bo Peep’s sneakers also reveal a change from the Nintendo line, which only featured one repeating pattern print “for girls”.
Some of the Toy Story designshavebecomedifficult to locateconsidering they wereincluded in the collection at launchseveralweeks ago. However, with some dedication and a little digging, you’ll uncover them at third-party retailers online, or as store exclusives in shoestores like Journeys.
This is the kind of merchandising I waslooking for in yesterday’s Moanapost. The designsare detail-oriented, and most of the shoesinclude a secret “Andy” signature on the sole (pictured above). The amount of workmakes these shoesgreat for everyday use, or a uniqueaddition to a subtle Halloween costume or Disneybounding outfit. You can mix and matchcharactersusing the hats, shirts, backpacks, socks… Vans hasgot you covered from head to toe.
This is just a selection of the Toy Story fashion available from Vans. The company has rolled out new designs since the line launched, as they usually do with their branded collections.
What do you think of the new Toy Story sneakers? Do you prefer the pattern designs, or the subtler inspirations? Let us know in the comments.
Justice League director Zack Snyder just revealed an awesome new look at Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. Snyder dropped the image to celebrate the characters 75th Birthday. Diana was also honored by the United Nations on Friday.
The image shows Gadot in what looks like a Justice League action sequence. The character looks worried about something, probably an enemy since there’s a lot of fire in the background.
Gal Gadot will next be seen as Diana Prince in her own solo movie. Directed by Patty Jenkins Wonder Woman will land on June 2, 2017. The solo film will take the character back to WW1, showing how Diana turned away from mankind. She will then appear in Zack Snyder’s Justice League in November 2017.
Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.
I’ll stop you right there. No, it’s not that kind of movie.
Among these nods to the original Timely Comics source material, though, is a starkly different retcon. Robert Morales and Kyle Baker‘s Truth: Red, White And Black is different because barely any time is spent glorifying the past. All the other retcons I’ve covered, even The Marvels Project with its gritty real-world style, take some time for nostalgia. Toro calls The Human Torch “Pappy” in Invaders. Cap and Bucky go to see Abbott & Costello’s Buck Privates at the cinema in Captain America: White. These retcons show the USA of the ’40s as a country making its first steps toward becoming a global super-power.
Truth: Red, White And Black, on the other hand, presents the US military as a grisly conveyor belt. In this telling, the US government treats its soldiers as little more than statistics on a balance sheet.
Truth: Red, White And Black – Comparable Series
It’s tough to come up with a mini-series that compares with Truth: Red, White And Black. None of the others I’ve read come close in terms of this one’s depressing story and no-holds-barred analysis of the US government of the ’40s. As I brought up in my review of the first Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos story-line, Truth: Red, White And Black uses the Tuskegee syphilis experiment as its historical real-world touchstone.
Truth: Red, White And Black – Some Depressing Historical Context*
The benignly named Tuskegee syphilis experiment saw the US government withholding syphilis treatment from a group of 399 African-American sharecroppers. The forty-year study involved clinicians not administering penicillin to the syphilitic men. It’s important to note that penicillin was identified as an effective treatment for syphilis fifteen years into the forty-year study.
In a repulsive display of disregard for human life, none of the nearly 400 syphilis-infected sharecroppers were notified of their infections. This caused the infected men to pass their infections on to their wives, children, and possibly others. Upon the study’s termination in 1972, only 74 of the nearly 400 syphilitic men were still alive.
In Truth: Red, White And Black, Morales & Baker, rather than writing a story-line about the Tuskegee syphilis experiment, show Isaiah Bradley and other African-American soldiers unwittingly volunteer as test subjects for a relaunch of the Super-Solider serum that created Captain America. Unfortunately for Bradley and his fellow test subjects, the side-effects of taking the serum can include physical deformation, mental illness, and death.
Truth: Red, White And Black – Cameos
As with my review of Captain America: White, I’m reticent about revealing this mini-series’ plot or cameos. Originally published about fifteen years ago as a seven-part mini-series, it’s now available in trade paperback format. I will say, though, that a few of the Golden Age usual suspects show up in this mini-series.
My favourite nod to the Timely Comics source material is the inclusion of Dr. Reinstein’s name. Reinstein, as anyone who’s read my article on Cap and Bucky’s Golden Age origins knows, was the Golden Age name of the scientist who invented Cap’s Super-Soldier serum, his name was later retconned to Erskine.
Truth: Red, White And Black – The Plot
This mini-series recounts Isaiah Bradley’s journey from being a loving husband to being a statistic. He and his company of fellow test subjects go to Europe on ethically ambiguous suicide missions that Captain America wouldn’t agree to undertake. Truth: Red, White And Black also deals with the aftermath of the relaunched Super-Soldier program.
I found the ending touching. But, I’ll leave it to you to determine whether this mini-series’ touching ending was a happy one.
Truth: Red, White And Black – The Art
I wasn’t crazy about the art. Stylized to the point of being cartoonish, the art doesn’t suit this emotionally overwrought story. And, as is often the case with highly stylized comicbook art, there were a few panels in which I couldn’t figure out what was happening. This mini-series’ almost Robert Crumb style art served it in a couple of places, but it equally hindered it. I would’ve preferred artwork similar to Epting’s treatment in The Marvels Project, i.e. crisp lines, dark colours, and realistic shading.
*Although I’ve been familiar with the Tuskegee syphilis experiment for a few years now, the statistics I reference here are all taken from wikipedia.
A bad batch of mutated mushrooms sends our antiheroes on a white-knuckle trip down memory lane. Flashes of repressed recollections bubble to the surface of the Racers’ fevered brains, and these tantalizing tidbits suggest a single point of origin: a high-tech facility from hell known as the Butcher Shop! Against the advice of the omnipresent Announcer, the Racers roar towards the facility. But will they find answers…or death?
Writing
This issue finally decides to shift into gear. Writer Ken Pontac is finally getting to the point and addressing the overarching story which is taking place amid this crazy world. Unfortunately, he is using it as an opportunity to work in as many origin stories as possible. The Ant Hill Mob, The Slag Brothers, and Muttley all have their origins tied to this mysterious facility known as the Butcher Shop where all manner of scientific experiments took place. It’s a decent concept and all but the big reveal at the end is pretty obvious and doesn’t deliver the punch needed for true drama. The story is finally starting to get decent, but there’s still a hint of there not being anything of substance coming from this book down the line.
Artwork
Artist Leonardo Manco delivers the usual bit of dark images which have become synonymous with this series. They are detailed and impressive to look at, but seem to lack any of the more powerful scenes which came in the previous issues. Even the random monsters which sprout from the ground seem a little too repetitive of what we have already seen too many times before in this series.
Conclusion
There doesn’t seem to be any mention of issue seven anywhere on DC’s website. Hopefully they just haven’t taken the time to update it as of yet and the series hasn’t been cancelled. With all that has been set up in this issue, issue six will show if this series will be worth checking out, or if it will crash and burn off the track.
Death Cab for Cutie, a band, known for its, distorted, reverb-laden, acoustic, and emo-drenched lyrics, is taking on Donald Trump from their music soapbox. Death Cab for Cutie hasn’t hidden from or ignored politics in the past, as both of their albums Something About Airplanes and We have the facts and we are voting Yes have proven this point, and singer Ben Gibbard once proudly displaying an Obama ’08 sticker on his guitar shows their left-minded views, they have yet to be so out front and center against a particular candidate or party.
Enter 30 Days, 30 Songs, and Death Cab for Cutie kicks off a campaign for a “Trump-free” America, in which Ben Gibbard and company have kicked off this Donald Trump-focused musical collaboration. It feels like “Rock against Bush,” when they collaborated in the 2004 election season, against Republican candidate Bush.
So, Politics V. Pop Culture brings you the royal rumble of Death Cab for Cutie versus Donald Trump. A Musical act versus Bombastic reality star presidential candidate (Who thought they would ever hear that latter combination and phraseology?) face off. Let’s examine the case.
Death Cab for Donald Trump – The Musical Case Against Trump ’16
Donald Trump has a song in his dishonor from Death Cab for Cutie, and it is titled “Million Dollar Loan.” Death Cab for Cutie singer/songwriter Ben Gibbard explains what this song mean to the band and their cause, a “Trump-free America.”
“Lyrically, Million Dollar Loan deals with a particularly tone-deaf moment in Donald Trump’s ascent to the Republican nomination. While campaigning in New Hampshire last year he attempted to cast himself as a self-made man by claiming he built his fortune with just a “small loan of million dollars” from his father. Not only has this statement been proven to be wildly untrue, but he was also so flippant about it. Like it was no big deal. It truly disgusted me. I remember thinking, “surely THIS will be the turning point. To refer to an amount of money most working class people will never see in their lifetime as ‘small’ illustrates a shocking lack of perspective. Assuredly now everyone will see this man for the charlatan he truly is.”
Donald Trump has many detractors, haters, and others who are critical of him, not unlike Hillary Clinton. However, this particular basis for criticism and element of being “unworthy” of being president seems a little childish, and uninformed. Granted, Gibbard goes on to say in Death Cab for Cutie’s Facebook post, that Donald Trump has “repeatedly demonstrated” that he is unfit. Sadly, despite the very real Donald Trump lies and hypocrisy, the band chose to go into this a sophomoric, partisan, campy whining about Trump’s first, paternal loan.
So, what is The Donald’s part in this trial? Well, since he has not responded specifically, we can only research the complaint.
I took this $1 million loan, and all I got was this billion dollar combover
Donald Trump’s paternal, $1 million loan that started it all story has been heavily discussed, and a heavily debatable riches to more riches story, but is neither illegal nor something to mock. The “small” loan complaint has been well criticized as “out of touch” and insulting, but depending on your venture, more or less money is needed. Either way, there seems to be no malintent, so to infer or imply or assume otherwise would appear to be wrongheaded.
That Death Cab for Cutie has a heck-of-a Trump Hate-Song
Musically, it is a fairly impressive tune, as far as Death Cab for Cutie songs go. Gibbard mentioned that they pulled a Blink 182, like the band’s self-titled effort with Robert Smith, and separately wrote the music and compiled it later on. So Death Cab for Cutie, as far as their musical acumen, have done well. The lyrical content, however, is still a little unimaginative. Donald Trump fan or Hillary Clinton fan, the song as a whole is sadly mediocre in its approach.
So, what is the verdict in the case of Death Cab for Cutie V. Donald Trump?
The Verdict
As painful as it is, this one goes to Donald Trump. Why? Death Cab for Cutie does not have a compelling case in this matter, as Trump’s numerous falsehoods on every conservative, constitutional thing, and any other ideological or political belief would have been far more compelling to touch upon.
Death Cab for Cutie and the other 30 days, 30 songs artists have every right to make their case and music, but the listening public has every right to call them out for this sad attempt at a political and musical jab at Trump. We have the facts, and we are voting “No,” Death Cab for Cutie.
