New York Comic Con 2016 set a record with more than 180,000 convention goers wandering around the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Midtown Manhattan this past weekend.
Did you survive?
Did your bank account, who doesn’t need just one Funko Pop Vinyl?
Edgar Allan Poe, an author, poet, and master of the macabre and horror, certainly has no shortage of film or TV adaptations based off of his work. Edgar Allan Poe’s IMDB profile lists 337 credits to him as a writer to many TV and film adaptations, and though it doesn’t best William Shakespeare’s over 1100, nor are they all exact adaptations, Poe certainly has made his rounds in the cinematic realm. Though Edgar Allan Poe certainly has many adaptations, they are sadly of the same several stories.
The Tell-Tale Heart, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Black Cat, and The House of Usher are some of the short list of stories that have been adapted to death. So, what else is there? How fortune you have inquired because Edgar Allan Poe has so many more short stories and novels to be made. Below are five excellent tales of macabre and madness, in no particular order, that would delight the fancy of any fan of cinema and Edgar Allan Poe, of course.
1)William Wilson
A tale of doppelgängers and madness would certainly tickle the fancy of curious horror or suspense filmgoers, right? Though this Edgar Allan Poe story has been adapted in ’60s, alas, it was not true to the story like so many others.
2) Metzengerstein
The tale of rival families, possession, equestrians, and suspense could certainly titillate horror fans of the Sleepy Hollow genre. Sadly, it also had a poor ’60s adaptation, and nothing more.
3) Berenice
The Edgar Allan Poe story that is considered his most violent story, in retrospect maybe not, certainly would appeal to Gothic horror, gore, and other…types…of horror fans? This tale of madness exists between two wealthy cousins in a big Gothic mansion, and some somnambulist medical work. This has yet to be adapted at all.
4) The Oval Portrait
Edgar Allan Poe’s tale of obsession, art, and death would likely be a change of pace for the current crop of horror out there, but maybe appealing to the Are You Afraid of the Dark? generation of fans. Suspense, drama, and horror are all captured in this very short tale that done incorrectly, with way too much filler and fluff, would take away from this Poe classic.
5) A Tale of the Ragged Mountains
A tale of mesmerism, potential reincarnation, cat-eyed patients, creepy, atmospheric mountains, and more than enough mystery to go around. This little backpacking, science trip is sure to bring in old school Sci-fi fans, if done right and accurately.
Edgar Allan Poe has a vast library of fantastic tales of humor, horror, shock, suspense, and Sci-fi, so this list is certainly is not all that needs to be adapted.
American Housewife is a delicious half-hour look into the dynamics of a typical family. What stood out about this show was the casting of Katy Mixon as the lead. While it was hard to initially envision the dimwitted sister from Mike and Molly being able to carry a show, my fears were cast aside in the first two minutes. Her character is a very sarcastic/faithful portrayal of motherhood, and the writers understand her comedic talents and are constantly setting Mixon up for success. Mixon couldn’t have asked for a better scenario, and it will result in her becoming one the biggest breakout stars of the Fall Television season.
The pilot initially has an Office vibe to it when we start with Katie Otto (Mixon) espousing directly care about being renters in Westport, Connecticut and how she’s about to become the second-fattest housewife in the neighborhood. Katie is the anthesis on your typical housewife in Westport. She’s loud, sarcastic, enjoys life, and will never become in her words “a green juice drinking skinny bitch”.We learn fairly early why the family chooses to live in Westport. Their daughter Anna-Kat (Julia Butters) has an anxiety disorder, and they want to be close to better schools. Her anxiety seems to be heightened by how well her two siblings are doing in school.
At the core of this show is the prevailing truth of motherhood being a balancing act which isn’t all polka dots and moonbeams. Katie often says (sometimes in voiceover narration) things that no mother would ever articulate. For starters, she’s very adamant that the youngest daughter is her favorite and she often lie’s to her kids to get them to do what she wants. She has no problem taking all her son’s money and after he accuses her of being a communist, yelling back “Yay … well, I’m Stalin.” The imperfection of their lives is what makes this show relatable and it’s cynicism is what makes it hysterical.
However, the show needed someone who would counterbalance all of the snarkiness from Katy, and they found it in Diedrich Bader. Bader is cast as her husband Jeff, and he adds heart and practicality to the show. Jeff loves Katie unconditionally no matter how many times she refers to herself as “fat” (which he never does in the show) and is a calming influence on Katie when she feels as if she is about to explode. Now sometimes Jeff can be in his own world, but aren’t all guys from time to time?
Stephen King’s writing career and his deep ties with cinema and television began at almost the same time. Carrie, his first novel, was released in April of 1974, and only two years later Brian De Palma kickstarted his own career with the adaptation. Ever since then, the work of Stephen King has defined the pop culture landscape of horror – and many times of popular cinema in general.
But this is Rocktober, Halloween time, so let’s look into the horror adaptations of Stephen King. The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me… all great in their own ways, but let’s leave them out this time around. Some of King’s horror stories have found their way into the canon of great films, and so many of them have landed on the opposite end of the spectrum.
Here, then, are 10 great adaptations, and 5 that we can all just collectively forget about. Forever.
THE GREAT
10. The Dark Half (1993) – George A. Romero and Stephen King seem like a match made in heaven. And this tale, about a writer’s fictional character wanting to take over his creator’s life, while it has some misses, hits on some delightfully macabre horror notes. Timothy Hutton manages to carry the film through some of its campier moments to capture the essence of King’s words. And let’s not forget, not all of Stephen King’s work is Pulitzer level greatness – which is totally fine. The Dark Half is a minor entry into his infinite body of work, and it gets a respectable bump from Romero and Co. here.
9. Pet Semetary (1989) – Sometimes, Mary Lambert’s direction in this adaptation gets a little wonky, but the film itself works. It’s one of Stephen King’s darker stories, about death and Indian burial grounds and pets and dead children coming back to life. Not to mention the head-wound ghost permeating the entire film from the get go. The cast does competent work, and even the stilted nature of their delivery manages to sell given the bizarro nature of their surroundings. Miko Hughes, child actor du jour of the late 80s and early 90s, is extra creepy as “Zombie Gage” too.
8. Cujo (1983) – If anyone is going to flip the script on the lovable lunks of fur that are Saint Bernard’s, it’s Stephen King. This simple tale of a rabid dog wreaking havoc on a mom and her son in their car doesn’t have a Rottweiler or Pit Bull of some other dog with attached stigma to it as the title character. No, it’s some oafish old Saint Bernard, harmless as could be. Until the rabies kick in. Cujo wouldn’t have worked were it not for Dee Wallace giving it her all as the desperate, frightened mother trapped in the car with her young boy.
7. The Stand (1994) – The early 90s was a time for the network miniseries. And following the success of Stephen King’s It adaptation (not that great, and you know it), networks were antsy to get another one up and running. Enter The Stand, one of King’s longest novels, a story about the end of the world we see all the time these days. But in 1994, the freshness of the material, and the terrific cast, from Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwold, Jamey Sheridan, Ossie Davis, and on and on, really elevates what could have floundered under the censoring eye of 90s network TV.
6. The Mist (2007) – The best part about this King adaptation, from King fanboy filmmaker Frank Darabont, are the politics at play. Once the mist envelops the town, and the creatures begin killing, the dynamics between different people in the supermarket – and the delightfully insane performance from Marcia Gay Harden – are where the film shines. The worst part, oddly enough, might be the CGI for the creatures (I know, it looks better in Darabont’s original black and white cut). As for that ending, well, it doesn’t get much more disturbing.
5. The Dead Zone (1983) – Call me crazy, but something about the corrupt political setting of David Cronenberg’s Stephen King adaptation still feels relevant today. Cronenberg takes a tremendous horror set up – a man wakes up from a coma and discovers he has psychic abilities – and adds true depth of emotion and dramatic tension to beef up the context. Christopher Walken cornered the market on internal suffering around this time, and he’s pitch perfect here. It may not have the horror impact of some of King’s headier horror work, but as a cinematic experience, The Dead Zone is still pretty wonderful.
4. Christine (1983) – Pay no mind to what could be one of the hokier setups for a King story: the killer car. In the hands of John Carpenter, Christine absolutely sings. Carpenter plays the events of the story absolutely straight, with no wink or room for broadness or self satire, and it’s the best option. The performances from Keith Gordon, as the nerd-turned-greaser asshole Arnie, and John Stockwell as his best friend, are terrific. And the car itself, as banal and harmless as a big hunk of metal might seem, somehow manages to be terrifying at times. Especially when it’s on fire.
3. Misery (1990) – Rob Reiner’s perfect adaptation, yet another King story with an author in the middle, introduced the world to the greatness of Kathy Bates (who, deservedly, won Best Actress). Bates plays Annie Wilkes, the number one fan of Paul Sheldon (James Caan) and his book series. She also just so happens to save him from an accident, holds him hostage, forces him to write another book, and smashes his leg with a sledgehammer (they were chopped off in the book, but in the movie the brutality of the sledgehammer has more… shall we say… impact). In what has to be a meta-fictional take on King’s own fans, Misery is one of the greatest of his adaptations.
2. Carrie (1976) – Brian De Palma’s career flourished after the successful adaptation of King’s first novel. It also kickstarted Sissy Spacek’s career, and earned her and Piper Laurie competing Oscar nominations in 1976. Carrie is a tremendous horror film, and a pretty scathing look at bullying and high school sexual discovery that pretty much sucks for everyone. It still feels relevant today, and the prom scene is one of the most iconic set pieces in all of cinema.
1. The Shining (1980) – Stephen King’s own displeasure with Stanley Kubrick’s more-than-liberal adaptation of his novel is well known. In fact, this is one of the most well-known, studied works of all time, and King can get mad all he wants; this is Kubrick’s vision of his story, and it’s great on just about every measurable level. What can be said about The Shining that hasn’t already been said? Very little. It’s the best of his adaptations, regardless of the loyalty to its source material.
THE NOT SO GREAT
5. Needful Things (1993) – All the potential was here for a great King adaptation. The story, about the devil selling very personal antiques for souls, could have been a terrific story had it been handled properly, and the cast (Max von Sydow, Ed Harris, J.T. Walsh, Bonnie Bedelia) is absolutely top notch. But for whatever reason, everyone here forgot how to act the way they have for so many years, and the end result is a hokey, cheesy bit of nonsense that never manages to come together.
4. Thinner (1996) – This one probably should have never happened because, honestly, the premise is laughable. A scummy lawyer is cursed to lose weight forever, basically, and this adaptation loses just as much steam from the very start. A cast of unknowns can’t manage to make this seem any less than unintentionally funny.
3. Maximum Overdrive (1986) – Based on King’s Trucks, and directed by Stephen King himself, Maximum Overdrive has to earn the award for most syndicated movie ever. I swear, this dumpster fire is probably on TV somewhere as we speak. AC/DC and their hard rock soundtrack couldn’t save this disaster.
2. Dreamcatcher (2003) – Yeah, the one about poop monsters that was, amazingly, directed by the more than competent Lawrence Kasdan. This one is just confusing from top to bottom.
1. Sleepwalkers (1992) – Another promising film, about mother and son supernatural vampire… cat.. things, was transformed into a complete disaster. The acting is awful, the filmmaking is embarrassingly inept, and the entire film just spins out of control from moment to moment. Easily the works Stephen King adaptations, and one of the worst movies probably ever made. Who knows…
According to Nielsen Media Research, the network premiere of ‘Supergirl’ was super-powered for The CW, giving the network its most-watched (3.024M) show in its Monday 8:00-9:00pm time period in almost eight years. The former CBS series was The CWs highest rated show ever in its time period among men 18-49. Compared to season one’s finale on CBS, ‘Supergirl’s’ ratings were up 29% with adults 18-34.
The CW is now the home of DC Comics with four shows set in the same universe: ‘Arrow,’ ‘The Flash,’ ‘Legends of Tommorrow,’ and ‘Supergirl’
Based on DC Comics characters, ‘Supergirl’ stars Melissa Benoist (Kara Danvers), Chyler Leigh (Alex Danvers), Calista Flockhart (Cat Grant), Mechad Brooks (Jimmy Olsen), Jeremy Jordan (Winn Schott), and David Harewood (Hank Henshaw). This season is available Monday nights, 8:00PM on the CW.
It’s not breaking news that comics are a hot property right now. There is practically a comic book based movie in theaters every month, and a new comics-inspired show on TV every week, if not every day. People would argue that this is oversaturation and that ideas are being run dry. But those of us who have been die-hard funny book fans all our lives know that truth; with so many great concepts and titles in our favorite medium, there is a deep well of stories to mine. And let’s face it, with its ability for longer form tales, TV and comics are an idyllic marriage. Here are perhaps lesser known, but no less interesting and rich concepts and stories that would make a great show.
Sandman Mystery Theater
When DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint exploded on the scene, Neil Gaiman’s Sandman got all the press. And don’t get me wrong, it’s a classic series and one of the best. But another title made its debut at that time, also from Vertigo and also with “Sandman” in its title. Sandman Mystery Theater by Matt Wagner and Guy Davis, however, had little to do with its more popular sister title. Mystery Theater was about the Golden Age Sandman, Wesley Dodds, who was a crime fighter in the vein of The Shadow. Using only his detective skills, and a sleep gas emitting gun, the gasmask-clad, trench-coat wearing Wesley was used to tell dark, twisted, and mostly grounded noir and crime tales. Set in the late 1930s, the stories were amazing and atmospheric yarns steeped in the culture and history of the time; pre-World War 2 America. This Sandman faced off against spies, serial killers, mobsters, and kidnappers. An HBO style premium series, with a great cast and high production, could be absolutely incredible. Think Boardwalk Empire with a “mystery man” as its main protagonist. The possibilities are endless.
Midnight Sons
Marvel has spread its Marvel Cinematic Universe across many platforms. This has wisely allowed them to capture multiple moods while still maintaining a connected world. But until recently, with Ghost Rider’s appearance on the usually sci-fi heavy Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show and the upcoming Doctor Strange film, they have mostly avoided the supernatural. But make no mistake, Marvel has plenty of horror-tinged concepts primed for the MCU. Midnight Sons was the banner thrown around many of its supernatural titles in the 90s. It even included Blade, a character largely credited with helping usher in the new era of comics based movies with the hugely successful Wesley Snipes series of films. But there were other characters like Jack Russell, the Werewolf by Night, or Morbius the Living Vampire. Even Man-Thing could be brought in. A Midnight Sons show on a streaming service like Netflix could be amazing. Perhaps it can be made almost like an anthology, using Blade as a guide moving among this new dark underworld, as he gathers a force of “monsters” to face evil supernatural threats and foes.
Astro City
Speaking of anthologies, Kurt Busiek, Alex Ross’ and Brent Anderson’s long-running title is prime pickings for such a show. Using classic archetypes as a basis, Astro City created its deep and populated superhero universe. From gleaming New God-like beings to street level vigilantes, Astro City had it all. There is an ocean of characters and concepts to swim in. A mainstream network like ABC or NBC could finally unleash the concepts a show like Heroes desperately tried to give us. You could have a huge ensemble cast, revolving around multiple multi-arc and stand-alone stories. It could be a prime time superhero soap opera, truly endless and appealing to the average non-comics fan.
100 Bullets
Created by superstars Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso, 100 Bullets shot its way into comics via Vertigo. With its own heavy mythology making and ever growing cast of characters, this crime and a conspiracy-filled story is ripe for a Breaking Bad or Sons of Anarchy style cable network show. The concept of the ultra-mysterious Agent Graves handing out silver briefcases carrying 100 untraceable bullets and a gun being handed out to people who have been “wronged” builds slowly over time into one large, multi-arc epic. It could be told through multiple seasons, with cliffhangers to rival those aforementioned shows. All you need is a great cast, anchored by a seasoned actor playing Agent Graves, and you would be off to the races. Violent, shocking, and densely plotted, 100 Bullets could be the next cable TV phenomenon.
Thunderbolts
In the 90s, Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley were high on Marvel’s list of ‘A’ level creators. Following the ill-fated and badly received “Heroes Reborn” crossover, Marvel needed a void to be filled by the now missing Avengers. Without much fanfare, they introduced what seemed to be a new team of barley original characters called the Thunderbolts. In this pre-internet era, the title didn’t even make a ripple first. That is until the last page, where the ‘Bolts were revealed to be a disguised Masters of Evil, one of Marvel’s most notorious supervillain teams. Led by Baron Zemo (introduced into the MCU in Captain America: Civil War) the team’s goal of world domination slowly became a tale of redemption as the once evil characters slowly began to realize that maybe there was a hero inside each of them after all. Imagine a “Phase 2” for the MCU’s Netflix world with this as the concept. It would be a fantastic show filled with action, dramatic turns and themes. Anti-heroes are always popular, and here you could have an entire cast of them. It’s tailor made for high impact TV.
What is the next comic book series you would like to see produced for television? Comment below.
Thanks to Deadline, we have a first look at Lynda Carter on the set of the CW’s Supergirl. The photos show Carter as President Olivia Marsdin meeting with Supergirl and visiting the DEO.
Lynda Carter Fills Some Hard-Hitting Shoes
Season two of Supergirl premiered last night, but Carter was nowhere to be seen. These first-look pictures, however, promise that she’s on her way to National City–and SOON. Thank goodness, too. Now that production moved to Canada, we’re getting less of Calista Flockhart’s already-iconic Cat Grant. Carter will hopefully fill the void of girl-power left behind.
This season picks up where we left off at the end of season one: with escalating problems between humans and aliens in National City. The DEO brings in President Marsdin for added protection in their areas of expertise. While Carter is confirmed for multiple episodes, no word yet on whether she’ll become a regular or not.
Carter follows on the heels of several other DC cameos. Season one invited Dean Caine (Lois and Clark) and Helen Slater (Supergirl) as Kara’s adoptive Earth parents. Carter makes her debut in episode three of this season, “Welcome to Earth”.
Based on DC Comics characters, Supergirl stars Melissa Benoist (Kara Danvers), Chyler Leigh (Alex Danvers), Calista Flockhart (Cat Grant), Mechad Brooks (Jimmy Olsen), Jeremy Jordan (Winn Schott), and David Harewood (Hank Henshaw). This season is available Monday nights, 8:00PM on the CW. “Welcome to Earth” was directed by Rachel Talalay and written Jessica Queller and Derek Simon.
Don’t expect the typical 1983 favorite movies. Not on this list. Most notably missing is StarWarsEpisodeVI:ReturnoftheJedi.
Sacrilege? Maybe. What?
You try working in a Suncoast movie retail store for years where the only films on in-store play are the original StarWars trilogy. You’ll never want to see a Lightsaber or hear the “Imperial March” ever again. Which is why I present to you, Dear Reader, some of 1983’s less-thought-of movies. Maybe one will find its way to your Netflix account.
Never Say Never Again
Except when rival James Bond movies are concerned. Never makes this list not because it’s good, but because of its historical significance in the 007 franchise: a remake of 1965’s Thunderball, produced by a rival company, and released the same year as Octopussy, the official next installment in the series.
Thunderball was originally written by Ian Fleming, with Jack Whittingham and Kevin McClory, as a screenplay intended to be the first Bond movie. But it cost lots of dough to make in 1962, so MGM adapted Dr.No instead.
Thunderball was published as a novel. McClory and Whittingham were never given credit, so they sued Fleming. When the gavel dropped, The book’s film rights went to McClory.
In 1965, producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli decided to make Thunderball. To do so, he had to bring McClory on as the sole producer. It was the first and last time any official Bond movie was produced without a Broccoli family member with full or partial control.
Afterward, McClory set about producing a rival Bond series. Much to the chagrin of the Broccoli family, McClory succeeded with NeverSayNeverAgain. It’s major selling point was Sean Connery back in the role he originated for the first time in twelve years.
Between Connery and Kim Basinger, the praise ends. It’s a lack-luster effort, more comical than serious (Lorenzo Semple, Jr., who wrote numerous episodes of the campy 1960s Batman TV series, wrote the screenplay).
Despite that, it made some money and propelled McClory to begin work on his next rival Bond movie.
Which was never made.
The court battle went on for another twenty years. Around 2004, the Broccoli family and MGM were deemed the sole owners of the James Bond film rights. Ownership of the Thunderball storyline, along with the film rights to Never, were awarded to them.
What makes this more significant is that the Thunderball story includes the first literary appearance of 007’s nemesis, Ernst Stavro Blofeld and the SPECTRE organization – two elements missing from the series since 1971. They were incorporated into the rebooted franchise’s fourth installment which starred Daniel Craig.
If you want a good laugh, check out Never. Then purge any lingering ill-effects with one of the twenty-four real James Bond movies.
Psycho II
Contains spoilers.
The consensus is that sequels suck. I agree. But there are a handful of follow-ups that don’t. PsychoII is one of them.
The premise is simple enough: after twenty-three years in an asylum, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) is deemed sane and tries to immerse himself back into society, despite objections from many of Norman’s victims. The loudest voice among them is that of Lila Loomis (Vera Miles), sister of shower-victim Marion Crane in the first Psycho. But when Norman moves back into Mother’s house, new murders cause Norman to question his sanity once again.
The director, Richard Franklin, is devotee of the original film’s director, Alfred Hitchcock, even having met and worked with the Master of Suspense on occasion. The script, by Tom Holland, is focused on story above scares and gore (of which there are just enough).
The real treat is Perkins back in his career-defining role. Despite the years between, he slips back into character as effortlessly as Norman putting on a wig and a periwinkle-blue dress.
The other fun factor here is the return of Vera Miles. She’s just as feisty and determined as she was in the first movie, even more so. Her performance here shows that Lila was as much a victim of Norman as her sister. Which might be more tragic – Marion found peace in 1960, while Lila had to live a nightmare.
The King of Comedy
Thank The Lord for TCM. Otherwise, I probably never would have seen it. The fact that Martin Scorsese directed this is shocking. At least, on the first view; after that you’ll realize it’s right up his gritty alley.
Scorsese enlists his favorite leading man, Robert De Niro, in the role of Rupert Pupkin, hack comedian who’s worse than Ann Coulter. Well, maybe not that awful. To make his name in comedy, he sets his desperate, dillisional sights on a legendary comedian played by Jerry Lewis. De Niro’s performance is unsettling; Lewis’ remarkably restrained.
Leave it to Scorsese to make a film about the trappings of celebrity and those consumed by it, decades before this behavior became the norm.
Mickey’s Christmas Carol
Yes, it’s not actually a movie; it’s a short film. But it was paired with a re-release of TheRescuers, so there. As a kid, I wore this VHS out. The only movie I watched more was Ghostbusters. The animation is timeless; the background art masterpieces; the voice acting superb. It’s the first animated appearance of Scrooge McDuck voiced by Alan Young, who went on to voice the money-hungry mallard on DuckTales in the late 1980s. This cartoon may have ignited my taste for ghosts, animation, and storytelling. Probably the first film I could recite word for word. Other than Ghostbusters, of course.
Octopussy
The official James Bond movie of 1983. It has everything its rival lacked – story, wit, memorable characters, exotic locations, and a bitchin’ score by John Barry. In essence, everything a nearly-terrific Bond movie. This is Roger Moore’s sixth outing as Bond, and the buffoonery often associated with some of his films is all but missing. And what does remain, fits.
The plot is typical – when a fake Faberge Egg ends up in the hands of the murdered 009, Bond is sent to find the killer. His mission puts him in contact with the villainous Prince Kamal Khan (Louis Jordan) and jewel smuggler Octopussy (Maud Adams).
Of course, there’s more to the story than fake Faberge Eggs. A plot to blow-up an American military base in Soviet-occupied Berlin is uncovered and Bond must stop it. Yes, this is the Bond movie were he dresses up as a clown, but don’t let that deter you from watching it. The action scenes are tense and the characters memorable. Especially the post-title credit scene of a sinister knife-thrower on the hunt for 009.
Moore went on to play Bond one more time in a real clunker, but his performance in Octopussy is his second or third best, just behind For Your Eyes Only and The Spy Who Loved Me.
What is your favorite film from 1983? Comment below.
I’m Devon, Monkeys Fighting Robots beer snob, most importantly not a hipster.
I’m a 30-year-old Female carbon unit living in Evansville, Indiana. Born and raised (shout out to No-Li Brewery) in one of the meccas of beer – Spokane, Washington. Being able to travel about 20 minutes to get to at least seven different breweries. Or rather, could drive a little further into Idaho and get to about a dozen more. I spent my weekends at breweries. I would sit there with friends for hours, drinking beer and telling stories. Moving to this town, where there is only really three breweries has got me thinking… I am a beer snob, most importantly, missing the wonders of all different types of beers at my fingertips.
First of all, when I go out to a bar, I ask what’s on tap, or for a beer list. Rule one of a beer snob: Draft beer is always better. Bottles are good at home. I always go for local if I am somewhere I have never been before. My fiancé once referred to it as being a “douche” when wanting to ask for a local beer, so he didn’t do it. Due to his hesitance, I always ask.
Often, you are mistaken for a “hipster” due to your love of craft beer, since Craft beer is “so in right now.” It’s simple; well-brewed beer is highly appreciated. I drowned my sorrows in a pumpkin beer after a horrific breakup. It’s not a follow the trend; I’ll grow out of it, it will fade type of thing. Aren’t hipsters the ones with the skinny jeans, fake glasses, and beards?
Not drinking bud light is a choice I make. Rather than just drinking your beer, taste your beer. Enjoy your beer. It is an experience, not just a beverage.
Get ready for weekly craft beer talk. Reviews, breweries, and beer your questions answered. First and foremost, I will be here for all your beer needs. Beer snob with me.
The historical romantic movie ‘A United Kingdom’ had the prestigious honor of opening the 60th BFI London Film Festival and was broadcast to cinemas across the UK. It is the second movie in a row to be directed by a woman opening the festival.
Seretse Khama (David Oyelowo) is chief of the people in the British Protectorate of Bechuanaland (modern day Botswana) – living and studying in London. His uncle (Vusi Kunene), who had been ruling as Seretse’s regent, orders the chief back to his homeland to accept his position. Unfortunately, Seretse has fallen in love with Ruth Williams (Rosamund Pike) – a white British woman from a lower middle-class background – and their love affair and subsequent marriage has ramifications with life in Bechuanaland, also the British Empire and the balance of power in Southern Africa.
‘A United Kingdom’ was a passion project for David Oyelowo who produced the movie as well starring in it. Oyelowo worked on the movie for six years, and he was the one who recruited Pike and director Amma Asante. The story of Seretse and Ruth is like the story of King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson and the abduction crisis – without the questionable political briefs.
The movie was based on a book by Susan Williams and adapted by Guy Hibbert, who has primarily worked as a TV writer – his credits include two Northern Irish dramas Omagh and Five Minutes of Heaven and he won praise for his political war thriller Eye in the Sky early this year. Hibbert tried to fit as much of the history as possible into the movie and as Asante stated when she was interviewed on the red carpet, that it was a challenge to achieve this. This is admirable as the movie tries to show all facets of time, the racism that Seretse suffers plus Ruth getting ostracized by other white people because she is in a relationship with a black man, the geo-political situation involving South Africa and the internal troubles in Bechuanaland. However, because Hibbert and Asante tried to be as comprehensive as possible in the two-hour running time it makes the movie bitty – the editor had produced a snapshot of events to give the audience a broad picture of events.
As a romance ‘A United Kingdom’ was whirlwind – Ruth and Seretse quickly bond over their love for jazz and dancing. They are married and in Africa within the first 20 minutes and this is when the movie turns into a political drama. First Seretse has to battle his uncle and his people to keep his throne before battling the British. Seretse and Ruth are smart and savvy people, but it is just the two of them having to fight the full force of the British state – they do get out maneuvered. It shows that they are fallible, making them more relatable. On the wider front, the movie does an excellent job showing the context of the situation and the period – like post-war Britain being broke, India gaining independence, the South African government formally introducing Apartheid and the idea of an African chief marrying a white woman – which would be seen as a provocation and also showing of the exploration for minerals – which could change the fortunes of the nation.
The British response could be best described as the ‘Empire Strikes Back.’ This is personified by Jack Davenport’s character Alistair Canning, a fictionalized character, who was the British representative in Southern Africa who uses his power to assert direct rule over the nation to return ‘order’ to Bechuanaland. As the movie states, Bechuanaland needs the British to protect them from an advancing South Africa. When the British Prime Minister Clement Attlee appears in one scene, he states the political situation – that Britain needs South Africa for its gold and uranium with South Africa also acting as an ally against communism.
In real life, Seretse and Ruth were 26 and 24 in 1947, Oyelowo and Pike are both over 10 years older than their characters. Despite the big age difference, it is easy to overlook because the actors are wonderful together, sharing interests and have a warmth when with each other, whether they are dancing, playing pool or simply relaxing in the sun. Despite Seretse being from an elite family, he was a Democrat – someone who listens to the will of his people, convincing them he is worthy enough to serve his people and wants to introduce formal democracy. One of his big moments is an impassioned speech to a gathering of the people with tears running down Seretse’s face – snippets of this speech were used in the trailers. The story in ‘A United Kingdom’ bares some similarities to the film adaptation of Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom – both movies focus on an important figure in African history and use the relationships between the central characters and both men are from similar backgrounds. They even have some similar techniques to show the background political situation, “Mandela” uses achieve news footage while ‘A United Kingdom’ uses newspaper highlights from the time.
Ruth’s storyline revolves around her settling into Bechuanaland and Pike had a charming presence providing so moments of humor – very different from her role in Gone Girl. However besides from Seretse’s females saying that they won’t accept her – Ruth’s struggles are resolved too quickly. Her biggest moment in Africa was when the white settlers rejected her. Asante and cinematography Sam McCurdy set out to visually differentiate London and Bechuanaland. London is made out to be gray and lifeless while Bechuanaland is bright and vibrant – essentially making Africa out to be a paradise.
‘A United Kingdom’ is a movie that should appeal to history and politics enthusiasts – being a wide-ranging look at the personal and political life of Seretse Khama and the British Empire straight after the Second World War. It was a much better opening to the London Film Festival then ‘Suffragette’ was last year.
Apparently, someone was just frozen in carbonite off to the left. 
According to her eyes if one more person tries to wind her up the shit will hit the fan. 
The commitment by this gentleman as Conan can not be denied, but for some reason I can’t stop looking at off-duty Santa Claus on the phone. 
Spider-Ham / Voltron Netflix series, enuff said!
If I saw this walking down a dark alley, I would fucking run.
This what happens when you skip breakfast at a convention. Hangry!
A warrior’s job is never done. It’s a tough task taking out all the Deadpool cosplayers. 
Superman – Sinestro is right behind me, isn’t he?!
You may have liked Margot Robbie, but those damn face-tatoos! 
Dude, you remeber that time we went to New York Comic Con but never made inside, that was awesome! 
If you sit on the stairs of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, you might catch a glimpse of the texting hobgoblin. 
At the core of this show is the prevailing truth of motherhood being a balancing act which isn’t all polka dots and moonbeams. Katie often says (sometimes in voiceover narration) things that no mother would ever articulate. For starters, she’s very adamant that the youngest daughter is her favorite and she often lie’s to her kids to get them to do what she wants. She has no problem taking all her son’s money and after he accuses her of being a communist, yelling back “Yay … well, I’m Stalin.” The imperfection of their lives is what makes this show relatable and it’s cynicism is what makes it hysterical.
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