5 Reasons Lady Gaga’s New Album ‘Joanne’ Is 2016’s Best Pop Record

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October 20, 2016

We Have A Pop Music Emergency! Lady Gaga’s Album ‘Joanne’ Is Here!

Gaga’s gone a little bit country & a little bit rock n’ roll. ‘Joanne‘, released on October 21st, is one of the most dramatic pieces from Lady Gaga. The most dramatic thing about it? The raw musicality and stripped back sound.

Working with Mark Ronson on the piece, Gaga went down a different path for her new pop record. She’s spoken about spending a lot of time with family and the influence that had on the album. It’s about expressing a side of Lady Gaga that many didn’t know even existed. ‘Joanne‘ is not a concept album but there’s an clear theme. The song are deeply personal and tells the story of Gaga embracing some truths about her.

Lady Gaga has spoken about “Joanne” in the past. It’s her middle name but also the name of her father’s sister that passed away when she was just 19. During promotion for this album, she has stated that the death changed her family forever and this was a bit of closure for them. Through the songs, ‘Joanne‘ lives on.

Below are the 5 reasons this is the best pop album of 2016:

5. Completely Different Sound

Compare ‘Joanne’ to recent 2016 pop albums from Britney Spears or Ariana Grande, and you’ll notice how different it sounds. Gone are overtones of R&B or dance. They’re replaced with guitar solos & country twang. Like always, instead of keeping up with her peers…Gaga creates her own lane.

4. The Eclectic Song Choice

While it sounds different from other pop albums, ‘Joanne‘ also has different sounds within itself. The core of this record has this Western attitude like “Sinner’s Prayer” but then it has pop jams like “Perfect Illusion” or “A-Yo”. More so than before, Lady Gaga is stretching what she can do in music.

3. Florence Welch Collaboration Titled “Hey Girl”

Can you believe how beautiful this song is? To put it simply, this is like listening to two angels serenade each other. The song “Hey Girl” featuring Florence Welch from Florence + The Machine is an empowering anthem about female unity. It reminds me of funky tunes from Rick James or Elton John.

2. Mark Ronson’s Production

It wasn’t a solo effort; Mark Ronson brought in talented people like Kevin Parker and Hillary Lindsey to help create this album with Gaga. But it is his overall production that’s brilliant. So glad he ended up being the executive producer for ‘Joanne‘. He’s a modern music magician.

1. This Is The Best Lady Gaga Has Ever Sounded

There is magic in Gaga’s voice on ‘Joanne‘. Her vocals are deep and soulful. Sometimes there’s pain in her voice while others have some kind of gleeful joy. We all know she can sing but since her Oscar performances and jazz album, this is just another friendly reminder that Gaga is a singing powerhouse.

Top 5 Favorite Songs:

Hey Girl
John Wayne
Diamond Heart
A-Yo
Sinner’s Prayer

What do you think of ‘Joanne‘ by Lady Gaga?

Let me know in the comments below and check out a live performance of A-Yo, one of the stand-outs from the album!

Gaga’s album ‘Joanne‘ is available on streaming services Apple Music or Spotify. You can find a CD at a store near you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hb6MdbZ6hn0

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Watch: ‘Logan’ Trailer R-Rated UK Cut

By

Matthew Sardo

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October 20, 2016

The official trailer to Hugh Jackman’s ‘Logan’ was released Thursday morning. Later in the day, an R-Rated cut of the trailer was released in the UK.

The film is set in 2024, Wolverine and Charles Xavier stumbles upon a girl and must protect her from Mister Sinister and the Reavers. Caliban has also been featured in images this week, see Stephen Merchant’s Instagram post.

‘Logan’ is directed by James Mangold, and stars Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Stephen Merchant, Richard E. Grant, Boyd Holbrook, and Elizabeth Rodriguez.

“Nature made me a freak. Man made me a weapon. And God made it last too long,” said an aged Logan.

The R-rated film hits theaters on March 3, 2017.

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Five Films Featuring Tony Todd To Watch This Halloween

By

Ruben Diaz

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October 20, 2016

October is Halloween month. It’s 31 days of frights and fun. Proof of the frights is all the Presidential debates. And the proof of fun is in just about everything else. One of the great things about Halloween is the love for horror, particularly horror movies. So, there’s a litany of articles devoted to the genre. Here’s another, dedicated to Tony Todd, a master of character acting who has featured in numerous horror films.

Short of copying and pasting his Wikipedia page, Tony Todd has appeared in more than 100 feature and television films. His career has taken him from the stage to video games. Tony Todd’s voice is a mix of James Earl Jones, stone and steel.

Candyman – 1992

Although already a seasoned actor by this point. Candyman put Tony Todd on the genre map. His portrayal of an urban-urban legend was creepy and worth watching in what is otherwise a pretty mediocre horror movie. Todd is captivating and his voice is haunting.

“Your death will be a tale to frighten children, to make lovers cling closer in their rapture. Come with me, and be immortal.” – Candyman

Hatchet – 2007 – 2010

Fifteen years and MANY films, television shows, and video games later, Tony Todd plays Reverend Zombie in the Hatchet series alongside other horror film legends Kane Hodder (THE Jason Vorhees) and Robert “Freddy Krueger” England. Reverend Zombie meets a gloriously gory fate in Hatchet II that the Predator would enjoy.

“I don’t do night tours anymore, I’m not allowed to.” – Reverend Zombie, Hatchet

Final Destination – 2000 – 2011

Tony Todd rarely stars in a movie. As a master of his craft he only needs a limited amount of screen time to make a big impact. Evidence of this is all throughout his filmography and Final Destination is no different. Todd plays William Bludworth and appears for only minutes throughout three (out of five) of these Rube Goldberg-inspired horror flicks.

“Dead, yet still fresh.” – Bludworth, Final Destination 2

The Man From Earth – 2007

In a turn from his many horror roles, Todd is part of an ensemble cast in Man From Earth, a sci-fi film with smarts. Todd’s anthropologist, Dan, carves out his argument against self-proclaimed immortal caveman John Oldman. Todd shines in this indie film that questions science and religion.

“I’m going to go home and watch Star Trek for a dose of reality.” – Dan

Night of the Living Dead – 1990

A couple years before Candyman, Tony Todd starred as Ben in Romero’s 1990 made-for-several-legal-purposes remake of the horror classic. The faithful remake of the original featured color and some great effects from Tom Savini. Love or hate this remake (too many horror fans drink haterade), but Todd was a great choice for the role.

“You’re boss down there. I’m boss up here.” – Ben

There you have it, Tony Todd, aka Worf’s brother Kurn in Star Trek: The Next Generation, the voice of Icon in Young Justice, The Aeon Worm in Bravest Warriors, and The Fallen in Transformers 2.

Thanks for all the frights & fun,
Tony Todd!

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‘Doctor Strange’ Director Reveals He Spent Own Money To Make Film

By

Manuel Gomez

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October 20, 2016

According to ComicBook.com, Doctor Strange director Scott Derrkison paid out of his own pocket toward the making of the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe installment. Derrikson, along with actor Tilda Swinton, revealed the news in an exclusive interview with Yahoo.

I spent an obnoxious amount of money of my own money. I made storyboards, I hired professional storyboard artists and I did my own previs, and I wrote 12 pages, a 12-page scene in the movie, and illustrated it completely, and created my own concept art and went in and did a 90-minute presentation that cost me a lot of money.

But it was not a loss in the end as the director recouped his expense once he was officially hired to helm the film.

And, the great thing is though, when I got the job, they had to buy all of it from me, because one of the set pieces in the middle of the movie was the scene I wrote, and they needed to own everything because a lot of it ended up being the movie we made, so I got all my money back. I was commited. I was going to outspend every competing director.

You can watch the whole clip over at Yahoo.

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.

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Nintendo Reveals its Latest Console: the Nintendo Switch.

By

Gary Moloney

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October 20, 2016

Nintendo has finally revealed its latest console; codenamed NX, as the Nintendo Switch and will be available in March 2017. Rumours had been circulating for months that Nintendo had planned to release a hybrid handheld-console, but today’s announcement confirms those reports with the Switch being playable at home or on the go without. All Switch games will be playable on your home entertainment system, but the console itself is detachable allowing for play wherever and whenever you so desire. A surprising addition to the Switch is the inclusion of detachable controllers for portable play which would seem to allow players to replicate that home feeling when out and about. Interestingly, while maintaining its commitment to multi-player experiences, which have come to characterise Nintendo in recent years, the company seems to be taking a leaf of the PS Vita’s book by offering high graphical fidelity and full-console experiences in a portable package. Nintendo may just succeed where Sony failed.

The Wii U has been struggling to find an identity for itself in the years following its release and it appears that the house that Mario built is finally ready to put it out of its misery. The death of the Wii U was to be expected, but the bigger fallout from this announcement may be its impact on Nintendo’s thriving handheld portfolio with the 3DS line. If all core Nintendo console games are now easily playable on the go, is there a place for the 3DS in the market? Nintendo has yet to comment on the matter, but it would seem to indicate the merging of its console and portable divisions and the streamlining of its entire product line. If this were to be the case, it would be understandable considering Nintendo’s inability to fully follow-up on the breakout success of Wii, leaving it trailing behind its competitors over at Sony and Microsoft. What this means for traditionally portable exclusives such as the Pokémon franchise remains to be seen.

No price point has been revealed, but it is safe to say that it would need to remain within the 299-399 threshold in order to remain competitive. Whether the system returns to using cartridges as many theorised is unknown, but given the hybrid-nature of the console, this seems likely. Little details have emerged about the launch line-up beyond the all-ready announced Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wind, but a promo video released by Nintendo indicates that a new 3D Mario title along with versions of Mario Kart, Skyrim and Splatoon may be available on the console. If nothing else, its clear that Nintendo is sick of taking the bronze medal. Today’s announcements show its going for gold. We will keep you up to date with more news on the Nintendo Switch as it comes to light.

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Episode 96: ‘Westworld’ Goes Too Deep?

By

Matthew Sardo

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October 20, 2016

‘Westworld’ is HBO’s new show to replace the outgoing ‘Game of Thrones,’ but does it have what it takes to be a groundbreaking show or is it trying too hard to be layered, and will it lose viewers before answers are revealed.

Also in this episode, we review ‘Ouija: Origin Of Evil’ and ‘Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.’ Additionally, Matt and EJ get on their respective soap boxes for 60-seconds.

Strap yourself in buckaroos! Episode 96 of the Monkeys Fighting Robots podcast is here.

Listen on Soundcloud or Youtube:

Do you want to be our SUPER-FAN of the week? All you have to do is comment on this podcast to be eligible.

Articles mention in the podcast:
Check Out Why ‘Ouija: Origin Of Evil’ Is This Year’s Sleeper Horror Hit!

Do you have a question that you would like answered during the show?
Email your questions to matt@popaxiom.com.

If you are looking to sponsor the podcast email matt@popaxiom.com as well.

About the Monkeys Fighting Robots Podcast:

A Gen Xer and a Millennial debate the latest topics in pop culture. One guy is a filmmaker and the other is a journalist, but both are nerds. We make your slowest days at work better. Hosts, Matthew Sardo and EJ Moreno.

Never heard of Matt Sardo?
For starters, he made the Kessel Run in less than 11 parsecs. Prior to that, he gave Doc Brown the idea for the flux capacitor and led the Resistance to victory over SkyNet – all while sipping a finely crafted IPA. As a radio host, he’s interviewed celebrities, athletes and everyone in between. He’s covered everything from the Super Bowl to Comic-Con.

Who is EJ Moreno?
Is he a trained physician? No. Is he a former Miss Universe contestant? Possibly. But what we know for sure is he’s a writer, filmmaker, and pop culture enthusiast. Since film school, EJ has written & directed several short films. He’s used his passion of filmmaking to become a movie critic for MonkeysFightingRobots.com.

Places you can find the show:
iTunes
Google Play
Stitcher

Reviews are greatly appreciated – How to Rate and Review a Podcast in iTunes

Thank you for listening!

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41 HD Images From The Official ‘Logan’ Trailer

By

Matthew Sardo

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October 20, 2016

The official trailer to Hugh Jackman’s ‘Logan’ was released Thursday morning. Below are 41 images from the trailer that show a rainbow t-shirt wearing X-23, a grumpy Logan with a smile, and the possible death of Professor X (but he dies all the time in the comics).

The film is set in 2024, Wolverine and Charles Xavier stumble upon a girl and must protect her from Mister Sinister and the Reavers. Caliban has also been featured in images this week, see Stephen Merchant’s Instagram post.

‘Logan’ is directed by James Mangold, and stars Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Stephen Merchant, Richard E. Grant, Boyd Holbrook, and Elizabeth Rodriguez.

“Nature made me a freak. Man made me a weapon. And God made it last too long,” said an aged Logan.

The R-rated film hits theaters on March 3, 2017.

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“Logan” Official Trailer Released

By

Gary Moloney

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October 20, 2016

Fox has finally given us our first official trailer for Logan; the sequel to 2013’s The Wolverine, the latest entry in the X-Men film franchise and Hugh Jackman’s final outing of the character. Visually, the film invokes the style and setting of Mark Millar’s seminal Old Man Logan story-line, which saw the villains of the Marvel universe unite and massacre all the heroes, but understandably features many diverging elements. Thematically, the movie appears to resemble that of a gritty western, with Wolverine as the cowboy preparing for his final showdown. An official synopsis was also released confirming the involvement of Nathaniel Essex aka Mr. Sinister as the main villain, though his exact role and appearance remain a mysterious. It also revealed that Laura Kinney; the clone known as X-23, who currently holds the mantle of Wolverine in the comics will be featured prominently in the movie. This adds to the rumours that rather than replace Jackman with a younger actor, the studio will instead opt to create a legacy mantle which can be passed to his clone/daughter in future films. The trailer had leaked earlier in the day, before being swiftly taken down by the forces over at 20th Century Fox. If this is to be Jackman’s swan song, then it is shaping up to be a good one. Check out the trailer below and let us known what you think in the comment section.

“Set in the future of 2024, Logan and Professor Charles Xavier must cope with the loss of the X-Men when a corporation lead by Nathaniel Essex is destroying the world leaving it to destruction, with Logan’s healing abilities slowly fading away and Xavier’s Alzheimer’s forcing him to forget. Logan must defeat Nathaniel Essex with the help of a young girl named Laura Kinney, a female clone of Wolverine.”

Logan releases worldwide on March 3rd 2017.

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First Reactions From ‘Doctor Strange’ Screening Emerge

By

Manuel Gomez

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October 20, 2016

This past week alone has seen tons of Doctor Strange news and clips start to appear. According to ComicBook.com, Marvel and Disney studios have screened Doctor Strange for critics and press. The screening was held last night and reactions soon flooded Twitter. The comments continued to pour through this morning. If this initial wave of reaction is any kind of indication, then Marvel and Disney have another worldwide hit in their ever-growing Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Review #DoctorStrange is a wonderfully trippy, visually stunning origin story that intros great characters into the MCU & #CloakOfLevitation pic.twitter.com/bed50icyJE

— Andy Signore (@andysignore) October 20, 2016

So… I've seen #DoctorStrange. Thoughts: visually magnificent, solid Marvel structure, wobbly jokes, very impressive Benedict Cumberbatch. pic.twitter.com/gGpqieKqIV

— Ali Plumb (@AliPlumb) October 20, 2016

https://twitter.com/jenyamato/status/788975081645076480

#DoctorStrange is definitely Marvel's strangest movie to date, but it's weird & wild in all the best ways. Incredible imagery, heady story

— ErikDavis (@ErikDavis) October 20, 2016

https://twitter.com/elmayimbe/status/788968052306030594

Just out of Doctor Strange. Full review embargoed until Tuesday, but quite enjoyed that. Very much in the spirit and tone of Thor.

— Darren Mooney (@Darren_Mooney) October 20, 2016

Full review week of release. Can't wait to see it again. In the meantime it's WAY past my bedtime. #DoctorStrange

— Brandon Norwood (@bwood0824) October 20, 2016

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.

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‘Logan’ Trailer Leaks Online

By

Aric Sweeny

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October 19, 2016

Update: The official trailer is available.

The trailer for Hugh Jackman’s Logan has leaked online via Universo Marvel on Facebook, and posted below from a Youtube Channel called Negrovaez.

The film is set in 2024, Wolverine and Charles Xavier stumble upon a girl and must protect her from Mister Sinister and the Reavers. Caliban has also been featured in images this week, see Stephen Merchant’s Instagram post below. ‘Logan’ is directed by James Mangold, and stars Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Stephen Merchant, Richard E. Grant, Boyd Holbrook, and Elizabeth Rodriguez.

What did you think of the trailer? Be sure to leave us a comment below.

Logan hits theaters on March 3, 2017.

Jackman released a teaser trailer via Twitter earlier in the day.

“Nature made me a freak. Man made me a weapon. And God made it last too long,” said an aged Logan.

TOMORROW pic.twitter.com/AIDSK0in1J

— Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) October 19, 2016

Reaver

A photo posted by @wponx on Oct 18, 2016 at 7:23am PDT

How I spent my summer

A photo posted by Stephen Merchant (@stephenmerchant) on Oct 17, 2016 at 7:23am PDT

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We Have A Pop Music Emergency! Lady Gaga’s Album ‘Joanne’ Is Here!

5. Completely Different Sound

4. The Eclectic Song Choice

3. Florence Welch Collaboration Titled “Hey Girl”

2. Mark Ronson’s Production

1. This Is The Best Lady Gaga Has Ever Sounded

Top 5 Favorite Songs:

Candyman – 1992

Hatchet – 2007 – 2010

Final Destination – 2000 – 2011

The Man From Earth – 2007

Night of the Living Dead – 1990

Thanks for all the frights & fun, Tony Todd!

Thanks for all the frights & fun,
Tony Todd!