Another trip to Manitoulin Island for me means another stop at Tobermory Brewing Company. I’ve already enjoyed reviewing two other beers from Tobermory Brewing Company, their Sailor’s Delight Raspberry Wheat Ale and their Tilted Windmill IPA. But, I can’t resist new flavours, so how could I say no to Tobermory Brewing Company’s Dark Skies Black IPA? Well, I couldn’t! I stopped by the brewery, before boarding the Chi-Cheemaun, and picked up a 32-oz howler of the stuff. Here’s what I thought …
Tobermory Brewing Company: Dark Skies Black IPA – First Sip
Dark Skies Black IPA pours a dark, almost black, brown with about a half an inch of foam. I smell caramel and molasses as I take my first gulp. This brew has very noticeable toasty malt flavours off the top that fade to a semi-bitter finish. This brew’s thin mouthfeel surprises me. I generally expect a bit more heft to such a dark beer, but Dark Skies Black IPA has a watery quality to it that evens it out.
Tobermory Brewing Company: Dark Skies Black IPA – Last Sip
I must admit, I expected a slightly different brew when I picked this out. Not that this is a bad beer, it’s just not the thick, heavy brew I planned to drink. At 5.5% ABV, though, this isn’t a light beer by any stretch of the imagination.
I’ll say that this is one dark beer that probably won’t offend the taste-buds of a lager lover. Although I can’t promise that a lager lover will like this beer, it’s a good one to try if you’re thinking of branching out. If you’re looking for a beer with an unmistakable hop presence, though, I suggest going for Tobermory Brewing Company’s Tilted Windmill IPA. It has more of that jaw-clenching bitterness that make IPA’s so good.
DC Comics brought the Batman Family creative teams to New York Comic Con and took the Main Stage Friday to discuss all aspects of the Batman Universe.
From DC Comics: Take a trip to Gotham City at the “DC Batman” panel to find out what’s in store for the World’s Greatest Detective and his cohorts. Alongside the BATMAN team Tom King and David Finch and ALL STAR BATMAN writer Scott Snyder this must-attend panel will also feature Julie Benson and Shawna Benson (BATGIRL AND THE BIRDS OF PREY), Steve Orlando (BATMAN: NIGHT OF THE MONSTER MEN), Tim Seeley (NIGHTWING), James Tynion IV (DETECTIVE COMICS), and more! Friday, 12:45pm, Main Stage
Live Blog:
Tom King and David Finch speak first.
King says writing for David Finch, he closes his eyes and thinks of the best Finch comic he can, and then he writes that script and Finch makes it.
Finch says when he has a writer as good as Tom, he wants to be able to bring that across in the visuals.
King jokes about taking over from Snyder. “He’d broken him. He just did such a terrible job, and we had to fix it.”
But then he says Snyder and Capullo had the best run in Batman’s 75-year history and that taking over scared him “crapless.”
Now talking about Gotham and Gotham Girl. Says this run is all going to go back to DC Rebirth Batman #1, knowing that his death was in front of him when he was going down on that plane.
King says Batman’s mortality both scares and inspires Bruce.
Said that with Gotham and Gotham Girl, he saw a potential out, and thought maybe there was a better hero for Gotham — but he’ll have to realize there is no other hero for Gotham.
Says there’s nothing more awkward than the scene where Alfred donned the cape and cowl during the “I Am Gotham” arc to provide a distraction to Gotham.
Says Alfred pops the balloon of absurdity, telling the audience “all the crazy of it serves the purpose of the story.”
Finch says he always thinks of the serious Batman on a gargoyle when he’s drawing but talks about enjoying the crazy, absurd moments.
Next arc is called “I Am Suicide.”
Bane has the Psycho Pirate in Santa Prisca, and Batman forms his own Suicide Squad out of his villains in Arkham to invade and take down Bane.
“Obviously I love it. I wrote it.”
“I get to do a heist movie inside Batman.”
Says if it isn’t one of the fans’ favorite stories of all time, he’ll quit the book.
Batman’s Suicide Squad is Ventriloquist, Bronze Tiger, Catwoman…
David Finch is asked if he had to draw any crazy or brutal deaths that will shock us.
He says the last page of the issue he’s drawing right now will shock and upset some people.
Says letting go of the main Batman book was hard. Says any time you leave a book, you hope the worst writer in the world comes after you and makes you look amazing.
But he says when he started hearing what Tom King was going to do with it and what he and Finch were doing together, he was dying to read it.
“It makes me really proud just to be a fan of the character and have it in good hands.”
“At the end of the day, you guys deserve the best people on these books, and I want them, too, because I want to pick them up and read them.”
Benson Sisters joked that they’re upset Snyder doesn’t invite them to the Bat-writer sleepovers.
Now Snyder is fully talking about All-Star Batman
Says everything you do as a writer is trying to make things exciting to yourself.
Snyder says All-Star Batman is exploring villains in a way focused on why they’re scary to himself, and why they’re scary at this moment in time.
“There’s the pressure of the main book all the time, and it drives you…” but says this book is about taking the Batmobile offered and having a blast.
Says it’s about pushing characters to the core of who they are.
On Two-Face, he jokes his inspiration was the Joel Schumacher movie.
“I had a tough year last year with some personal stuff” and he says his approach to Two-Face is that people fear that they are the worst parts of themselves, and he also says the current political climate creates fear of the worst regardless of your political leanings.
The story is focused on removing Batman from Gotham, exposing him in a new way. He loses his gadgets as he goes along.
The next issue is his favorite, and they’re bringing back some fun, deep-cut characters.
Mr. Freeze, Penguin, KG Beast are among those on the way.
Greg Capullo and Jock are among artists joining him for future issues in the series.
Now Benson Sisters are talking about Batgirl & the Birds of Prey.
He says he’s waiting for an email about an “official” Birds of Prey and Nightwing crossover
They all think Black Canary would beat up Nightwing
Seeley says he wishes Dick Grayson would just pick an identity and stick with it.
He says Dick’s beliefs are so stable that you can switch him around, but shifting from a spy book to a superhero book is “different.”
At this point, he says Dick’s words flow out of his fingers pretty easily
He says the Rebirth issues are a transition on purpose, to define what genre Nightwing’s book is and what characters he interacts with.
Getting back in the space of Rightwing’s internal voice in a superhero book as opposed to the Grayson spy book was different, he says.
Talks about Dick’s whole deal with the Parliament of Owls
Raptor came in to be a more convincing temptation to Dick “than a bunch of rich jerks in owl costumes.”
“One of the things I want to do with this arc is go back and reconsider what someone’s life would have actually been if they lived in the circus.”
Says Dick was probably actually pretty poor and not fitting into society, because we live in a world that’s less interested in going out to see that kind of thing because we have Netflix now.
No one goes to circuses anymore
He says he reinvented Bludhaven
Steve Orlando says Night of Monstermen is a bad family reunion for Batman Family because of all these monsters
It boils tensions to the front between Bruce and Dick and others.
“It’s an emotional crisis and a monster crisis, as well.”
It’s the Batman line’s first big event in Rebirth Era
James Tynion IV says what Steve is doing is challenging him as a writer, as well
Tiny says upping his game on Detective Comics means knowing that King, Snyder, etc. are all doing amazing work on their books, but that he wanted to make sure Detective wasn’t just another Batman book.
He says he wanted to create the Batman team book he’s wanted his entire life.
The second arc, “The Victim Syndicate,” brings Batman and his team against a group of villains composed of people who were impacted by being caught in the crossfire of Batman and his villains.
Batwing, Harper Rowe, Jean-Paul Valley, etc. will appear again in that arc.
Talks about the response to Tim Drake’s apparent death
He says the build-up to that moment was hard because Tim is his favorite character in all of comics
“I knew there were these big plans for the character” related to the Rebirth one-shot and says he sat in a room with Geoff Johns and said he wanted the pieces that show why Tim Drake is such a great character and his favorite character.
Putting Clayface on the Detective Comics Batman team was best filling the role of having people say, “Wait, he’s on the team?”
And it was also about finding a way of putting him on the team that Batman and other characters would be OK with.
He wants Clayface to be one of the fans’ favorite members of the Bat family going forward, and he says there’s no hero in all of comics that understands better, that when a really awful thing happens to you, it’s very easy to just let yourself become the monster everyone expects you to be.
“Clayface, I think, is the best example of a horrible accident happening and everyone saw him as a monster, so he became a monster.” But Batman is telling him he doesn’t have to be.
Tynion will be doing a two-part arc called “Batwoman Begins” in Detective Comics #948 with Marguerite Bennett leading into Bennett’s new Batwoman solo book. Art by Steve Epting.
Bruce Wayne’s parents were killed by the idea of faceless crime, so his enemies are the idea of crime taking all these strange forms. But Batwoman’s mother was killed by faceless terror, and she built herself into a soldier against terror. So they have different approaches as a result of that.
The arc will show that during Kate’s lost years after getting kicked out of West Point, she was all over the globe.
And it will show the different realms of secret warfare happening all over the DC Universe
She’ll remain the co-lead of Detective Comics with Batman, though.
Fan Q&A
Fan wants to know how important Bat books will be to eventual Watchmen confrontation.
King says that in Batman #9 in two weeks, the first hint of what that story is starts there.
Tynion also says a flashback of that story is at the end of Detective Comics #940.
Another fan asks if Carrie Kelly will ever be in main DC Universe again.
Tynion says no one would currently want to do a secondary version of that character while Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello are doing cool things with her in Dark Knight III.
Fan wants to know about Poison Ivy’s journey toward heroism.
Snyder says the story he’s doing puts Ivy at a crossroads.
“She’s a character we love, and we’re interested in both sides of her that way, too.”
Bensons say they’re trying to figure everything out as far as who they can add to Birds of Prey.
Maybe a tease that Ivy will show up there soon?
Fan asks if there’s any chance characters created for TV will appear in comics.
Tynion says he has a story in the back of his head for the weird computer villain from the Batman Animated Series.
Fan asks if Alfred’s daughter will make anymore comic appearances.
Tynion says Julie Pennyworth will be back in the pages of Batwoman.
Snyder closes by giving a shout-out to Bat family editors.
Says the Bat books have the best editors in all of comics. “I think they’ve made the line better than it’s ever been, and they deserve a round of applause.”
Most mighty Marvelites have seen Nick Fury before. His appearances in several MCU films and on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ensured his reputation as one of Marvel’s hardest working heroes. But, although Samuel L. Jackson‘s portrayal of Nick Fury is always fun to watch, this article refers to the original Nick Fury as portrayed in Stan Lee and Jack Kirby‘s classic run on Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos, a grisly portrayal of life in the US Army … with superheroes!
Before we begin, though, let’s …
The Howling Commandos getting a rare bit of R&R
Although the team changes a bit over the years, this is the original lineup of the Howling Commandos. And, what a lineup! Although not a complete cross-section of American men of the time, with a Jewish machine gunner, an African-American bugler, an Italian movie star, and a diminutive southerner in their company, this group acts as a nod to some of the cultures that made the US what it was in the ’40s.
But, if you thought Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos was only a war comic, you thought wrong. The commandos have more than one run-in with super-powered folks, including the poster boys for patriotism Captain America & Bucky. That’s a story for a different day, though. Today I’m reviewing the first story-line from Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 (cover date May, 1963), “Seven Against The Nazis!”
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos: “Seven Against The Nazis!” – Comparable Series
As I said in another review, Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos is similar to Roy Thomas and Frank Robbins‘s run on The Invaders. The subject matter is a bit different though: whereas Captain America and his team of Invaders use their superior brawn and super-powers to deal with villains, Sgt. Fury and his men must rely on their wits, determination, and a lot of ammo to keep them alive. But, the spirit in which the stories are told is similar: war is Hell so we need heroes, super-powered or not, to protect us from despotism.
Also unlike The Invaders and most other superhero story-lines, Fury and his men are a group of reluctant heroes. They’re continually called upon by their Executive Officer, the ironically named “Happy Sam” Sawyer, to go on suicide missions. Although the team always falls in line, they usually relent with resignation, unlike, say, Golden Age Cap and Bucky who seem to love participating in dangerous missions. Specifically, “Seven Against The Nazis” is an interesting story-line because it involves a real-world military maneuver, the Normandy landings of June 6th, 1944, also known as D-Day.
Having served in the military during WWII themselves, both Jack Kirby and Stan Lee may have drawn on their experiences when they worked on this title. Stan the Man seems to corroborate this idea in his introduction to Volume One of the collected edition of Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos, “Maybe I relate to them so much because ‘King’ Kirby and I both served in World War II. Jack was a fightin’ infantryman with the Third Army and I was attached to the Signal Corps. […] I don’t haveta tell you, it’s an experience you never forget.”
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos: “Seven Against The Nazis!” – Super-Cameos
“And keep that verdammt Blazing Skull away from me!”
Although there aren’t any super-powered cameos in “Seven Against The Nazis,” this story, once again, shows some high-profile names. The aforementioned “Happy Sam” makes his first appearance in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1. And, making yet another appearance in a Marvel wartime retcon is Der Dummkopf himself, Adolf Hitler.
In later issues, readers also see the monocoled villain Baron von Strucker, an early version of the original Baron Zemo, and, the two best friends in the US Army, Captain America and Bucky.
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos: “Seven Against The Nazis!” – The Plot
After readers get a peek at Sgt. Fury’s unique command style, which involves firing live rounds at his men as they wriggle face-down in the mud, the team ships out to France in order to rescue a French soldier named Labrave. Labrave, captured by Nazis, knows details of the plans for the Normandy landings. The Howlers must rescue Labrave before the Nazis torture the information out of him.
Losing shreds of their uniforms in a John McClane fashion with each dangerous maneuver, the team falls in with a group of resistance fighters. Manelli, steals a fallen Nazi officer’s uniform, and uses it to rescue a group of captive French civilians. The resistance fighters suggest the commandos search Louviers for the captive Labrave, so they leave for Louviers in a stolen Nazi truck.
When the Howlers arrive in Louviers they blow a good chunk of it away. With guns perpetually blazing, the commandos infiltrate the Nazi stronghold and rescue Labrave. After a brief wrap-up in which we learn that Labrave will lead the French resistance, “Seven Against The Nazis” closes on a flash forward to June 6th, 1944. Seven familiar figures lead the charge. They give their identities away with their unmistakable battle-cry: “Wah-hooo!”
Rambling Through The Retcons
Sad? Check.
Don’t worry, True Believers, I’ve got still more Marvel-ous Golden Age retcons to review. Check in next week for a review of Robert Morales and Kyle Baker‘s mini-series entitled Truth: Red, White & Black.
Like “Seven Against The Nazis,” Truth: Red, White & Black sees Marvel characters in a historical setting. Sadly, unlike the Normandy landings, the historical setting used as the backdrop for Truth: Red, White & Black isn’t one that inspires any pride in the US government. As I mentioned in a previous review, the historical event that inspired this story was the brutal Tuskegee syphilis experiment.
Like I did before I read it, you may wonder how Marvel characters could fit into such a gruesome scheme. All I can suggest for now, True Believers, is to read on …
The Girl On The Train is a 90 minute trip into a contrived world reminiscent of a Lifetime Original Movie, rather than a simmering thriller, starring Emily Blunt. Director Tate Taylor fails to recognize one of the most important rules when adapting a narrative shrouded in mystery: keep the audience in suspense. While I do applaud Taylor for adapting Paula Hawkins’ ( the author) non-linear storytelling in the film, if your adaptation of the source material is unable to hold the audience’s attention then what’s the point in paying to see the film?Anyone watching the film easily can point out the killer in less than five minutes.
For those who aren’t familiar with the source material, Emily Blunt plays Rachel Watson, an alcoholic ex-wife obsessed with her ex-husband, Tom (Justin Theroux), and his new family. Every day, Rachel takes the same train and sits in the same seat so that she can watch from the window and spy on his new family.
Living a little further down the rail line are Megan and Scott Hipwell. Rachel slowly turns her obsessions towards them when she begins to notice just how happy and affectionate they are. Her jealousy begins to bubble and alcohol is how she calms herself down.
During one of her trips on the train, Rachel sees Megan kissing another man. This sends Megan over the edge, and she immediately decides to confront her (which is never a good idea when you’re a drunk). Her plans don’t go as anticipated; she ends up with some minor wounds and a missing chunk of her memory. To complicate things, Megan is now missing, and the police suspect Rachel.
One of the highlights of the film is Blunt’s portrayal of Rachel. Blunt dives headfirst into Rachel’s alcoholism and seemingly has done a large amount of prep before filming. Rather than having her character holding on to bottles of booze during her countless train trips, we get to see her trying to hide her illness. She resorts to going into bathrooms or hiding around corners while she fills her water bottle with vodka. Rachel seems to be mourning the loss of what she believed to be a “perfect” life. She spends a good portion of the film blaming herself for all the woes that have befallen her. It’s a shame that an acting performance this sound is wasted on a movie that easily could have been seen on Lifetime.
The cinematography is efficient. Charlotte Bruus Christensen uses the surrounding scenery to her advantage to project the levels of inebriation in Rachel. For Example, during the pivotal scene in the tunnel, Christensen blends the forest and the inside of the tunnel all together to project a level of disorientation. She then jump cuts to a shot of a bystander coming to assist Rachel, but she decides to keep the shot of her face clear as can be while keeping the rest of the surrounding scene hazy and disoriented, giving the audience a feel for just how drunk Rachel was and legitimizes why she has a gap in her memory.
Other than Rachel, the rest of the characters are merely a collection stereotypical roles found in any melodramatic mystery. Justin Theroux fits the role of Tom, the ex-husband with a slight rage issue. Megan is definitely the super sexual free spirit who doesn’t want to be constrained. Scott certainly looks like the sleazy husband who easily could have murdered her wife. But everything’s just so predictable.
What’s surprising is, despite all of these negatives, I can’t say this film is completely terrible. If anyone is a fan of the book, you’ll certainly have a pleasant 90 minutes. The Girl On The Train has its moments, they just don’t justify having to pay to see it in theaters.
There are two movies with the title The Birth Of A Nation. Nate Parker’s film opens in theatres today, but the other one is 101 years old. For years, it has been the subject of controversy over its plot and themes. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
D.W. Griffith’s 1915 silent film has several themes which are political incorrect. Modern audiences will question its content rather than praise its artistic value. Yet one must remember the historical context in the movie.
The Birth of a Nation focuses on the Northern pro-abolition Stonemans and the pro-Confederacy Cameron family. Both families lose sons during the Civil War. Surviving son Ben Cameron fights, gets shot and nearly hanged by the Union. Luckily, he receives a pardon from Abraham Lincoln. After Lincoln’s assassination, the South plunges into chaos and disillusionment. As the film notes, “The blight of war does not end when hostilities cease.”
Yep, that’s pretty racist
The Reconstruction has African-Americans gaining voting rights. Black representatives behave vulgarly at the legislature, passing integration and interracial laws. Distraught, Ben decides to fight back and avenge the South. He founds the Ku Klux Klan. This leads to a tense climax in which the Stonemans and Camerons make a stand against their enemies.
Griffith’s movie features groundbreaking effects such as color tinting and long camera shots. It uses cross-cutting editing and night photography. Many of these features would soon become staples of filmmaking.
Despite the film’s technical skills, it is known for its racist themes. The plot depicts blacks being crude and vulgar. One such character, Gus the Renegade, lusts and chases after a white woman. White actors play blacks by using blackface makeup. More disturbingly, the movie depicts the Klan as a noble force trying to achieve social justice for whites. Not very PC, is it?
According to the late Roger Ebert, one needs to grasp context to understand the movie. “The film represents how racist a white American could be in 1915 without realizing he was racist at all,” he writes. “That it is a mirror of its time is, sadly, one of its values.” Talk about words of wisdom.
Recently, The Birth of a Nation has been losing its prestige of being one of cinema’s greatest epics. It is no longer on the American Film Institute’s Top 100 list. However, it remains in the National Film Registry as “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.”
Viewers should remember the context in which The Birth of a Nation got made. Yes, the film does present a wholly inaccurate, racially-insensitive portrayal of American society. However, those views still exist today.
The Birth Of A Nation is by no means one of the best movies of all time. But we can use it to learn about our past. Instead of censoring history, one ought to look at how the themes of race and prejudice resonate in today’s society. Look at the fates of Michael Brown, Eric Garner and Trayvon Martin. To deny what has come before is be a grave mistake.
Well, we didn’t see that coming. Justice League director Zack Snyder has shared a behind the scenes look at the film, as a way of saying goodbye to the UK. England has been the primary filming location for Justice League, but as the crew moves over to film in Iceland it’s time to say goodbye, and I couldn’t think of a better way for Snyder to do it.
As you can see, the video gives us a better look at the Justice League, including possibly our best look yet at Jason Momoa’s Aquaman. Synder also slips in a quick look at what Superman has been up to at the 37-second mark of the video (h/t DC Mate). Henry Cavill looks to be wearing the traditional Superman look with no beard or black suit.
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.
Directed by Zack Snyder, this marks the big screen debut of the Justice League, featuring an all-star lineup: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller and Ray Fisher.
Comedy is by far among the most subjective type of filmmaking out there (right next to horror, we’d say). However, even though moviegoers may have vastly different opinions of what is truly funny, some films still manage to break through and become recognized for the innovative ways they manage to elicit laughter and the sheer number of laughs per minute they can inspire in audiences. Focusing specifically on films released since 1996, here are the 10 best comedy movies released since that have stood the test of time.
1. There’s Something about Mary (1998)
Back in the late 1990s, this Farrelly Brothers film shocked audiences with its gross-out gags and outrageous, blatantly offensive sense of humor. However, the sharp performances from Ben Stiller, Cameron Diaz, and Matt Dillon have helped it transcend that era to emerge an enduring favorite among comedy aficionados.
2. The Big Lebowski (1998)
Joel and Ethan Coen are regularly regarded among the best filmmakers working today, but this is probably among the goofiest films of their filmography. Jeff Bridges created an icon in his turn as The Dude, launching a zillion memes and quotable lines alongside co-stars John Goodman and John Turturro.
3. Office Space (1999)
Although this comedy from Mike Judge (King of the Hill) was a box office bomb, it has since earned a reputation as one of the most relatable comedies ever made. Office Space is just a barrage of laugh-out-loud moments and memorable lines. No one who has seen this has ever looked at office work the same way again.
4. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
The first in the Blood and Ice Cream (or Three Flavors Cornetto) trilogy, this spoof of zombie films made veritable stars of all involved. Director Edgar Wright instantly earned a global fanbase, and stars Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost went on to share the screen several more times. Be sure to check out Hot Fuzz and The World’s End as well.
5. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
Will Ferrell has headlined so many hit comedies, but none has had the cultural impact of his initial turn as the pompous titular newscaster in this Adam McKay film. So many hilarious lines and memorable characters that viewers will find themselves trapped in a glass case of emotion, unable to stop the laughter.
6. Mean Girls (2004)
This Tina Fey-scripted teen comedy set a new gold standard for what that particular subgenre can look like in the modern age. Buoyed by flawless performances by Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams, Mean Girls appears to be more relevant than ever before. That’s no small feat for a film that’s already more than a decade old.
7. The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)
Steve Carell and filmmaker Judd Apatow are two of the hottest names in Hollywood now. However, since this film was released, Carell has become an Oscar-nominated actor, and Apatow is essentially his own brand. This perfectly cast and surprisingly sweet film still stands as perhaps the best work either has done on the big screen.
8. Borat (2006)
Fans of Da Ali G Show knew that Sacha Baron Cohen was one of the most fearless comic talents in recent memory. Borat made that announcement to the world, as its star took tremendous creative risks to satirize our own society, earning an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay in the process.
9. Bridesmaids (2011)
Whether you loved or hated the Ghostbusters reboot, director Paul Feig proved with this Kristen Wiig-led comedy that he has a knack for giving funny ladies a place to showcase their talents. Melissa McCarthy, as well as screenwriters Wiig and Annie Mumolo, received Oscar nominations, and Hollywood finally realized that female-led comedies can succeed at the box office.
10. 21 Jump Street (2012)
Reboots are coming fast and furious these days, and 21 Jump Street — based on the 1980s TV show — deftly commented on its own place among that trend. Meanwhile, stars Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill deliver uproarious performances that still have us hoping that a third Jump Street film eventually comes to pass.
What’s your favorite comedy of the past 20 years? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Fans and critics alike have consistently proclaimed that Iron Man is among the best films to ever come out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ironically, its 2010 sequel is often labelled as one of the weakest MCU entries released so far. Considering that this summer‘s Captain America: Civil War marks a turning point of sorts of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and the rest of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, we thought it about time to re-address common perception on Iron Man 2 and explore why — despite its black sheep status — it’s actually one of the most important films in the MCU. For the record, we’re not saying that Iron Man 2 is superior to other films in the franchise, such as The Avengers or Guardians of the Galaxy. Rather, we’re looking to point out the ways in which Jon Favreau’s film set up future events and laid the groundwork for the MCU as a whole.
Tony’s Daddy Issues
Captain America: Civil War emotionally centers on Tony’s guilt over the death of his parents and, in particular, his animosity towards his father. Most of his appearances in the films don’t directly address that, save for Iron Man 2. A major plot point delves into the father-son relationship of the Stark family, and Howard Stark (played, for the first time, by John Slattery) expressed the faith he had in his son all along.
Introducing Black Widow
Mainstream audiences had no clue who Black Widow was before Scarlett Johansson slipped on that leather bodysuit to bring the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and Avenger to life. Iron Man 2 introduced her while working undercover at Stark Industries. This not only sets up her sneaky, morally ambiguous nature but her contentious relationship with Stark himself. Who knew then that Natasha Romanoff would turn out to be such a fan favorite?
Rhodey Suits Up
In the first Iron Man film, James Rhodes declares that perhaps he’ll get the chance to wear one of Tony’s suits “next time.” Well, when the sequel came around, fans finally get their chance to see War Machine in action. The character has since continued to evolve into a key supporting player in Tony’s life as well as a team member of the Avengers. It all started here, with Rhodey taking a suit for himself and tricking it out with all manner of weaponry.
Government Intervention
In Captain America: Civil War, the government finally takes action against the Avengers, who have gone unsupervised for years. Yet, the U.S. government first tried to gain control of superheroes in Iron Man 2, with Senator Stern (Garry Shandling) — later revealed to be a HYDRA agent — calling Tony Stark to hand over the Iron Man suit. Though Tony would be more open to regulation down the line, the seeds for the Sokovia Accords truly begin here.
Phil Coulson Returns
Phil Coulson’s (Clark Gregg) death in The Avengers serves as one of the most memorable moments of that film, though Gregg’s casting on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. less than a year later undermined its impact for some fans. However, the biggest reason why his murder at Loki’s (Tom Hiddleston) hand was so impactful is because of Tony Stark’s reaction. In this film, we get the chance to spend a bit more time with Coulson (as does Tony), setting up his heroic act of defiance against the evil Asgardian.
Are there any other major MCU connections we missed in Iron Man 2? Let us know in the comments section below!
Fans in attendance of the War For The Planet Of The Apes panel at New York Comic-Con were screened the first trailer for the film, which has not been released to the public. Heroic Hollywood dropped a description of the trailer, as they had a writer in the audience. Read it down below.
“The trailer opens with a wooden bridge made behind a waterfall, we hear some military chatter over walkie-talkies. The footage then cuts to military personnel in spec-ops outfits and rifles with green laser sights walking crouched in a cave, the military chatter over comms continues. They are then attacked by Caesar, who takes them all out. The person on the other end of the radio wants the squad to report in, Caesar picks up the line to listen. The trailer cuts back outside on the bridge, where another guard is looking around. Caesar comes out of the cave and lunges at the guard. Cut to action montage in the snow, voice-over from Woody Harrelson’s colonel character. The brief action showcases the film will definitely have grand war scenes, with humans in tanks, apes on horseback with guns, the whole deal. Final shot is Caesar kneeling before the colonel who places a gun against Caesar’s forehead. Harrelson’s voice-over continues saying “If humans should lose the war, this will truly become a planet of apes.” (Fantastic ‘he said the title’ moment).”
I just hope we get to see the actual trailer sometime soon!
War for the Planet of the Apes hits theaters on July 14, 2017.
This is the audio recovered from the UnPOP Podcast’s field recording at Griffith Park in Los Angeles. Curtis, Brock and Austin ventured out into the dank, dark depths of the woods (in a state park, in LA) searching for answers as to why Blair Witch was such a massive disappointment. Much to their surprise, the guys came upon skunks, coyotes, shadows in the night and frayed each other’s nerves as the night grew colder and stranger.
Listen to this doomed trip where audio is lost, Brock almost climbs a tree in fear, Blair Witch is deconstructed and the guys are locked in the park and saved by Felicia, the greatest Uber driver on earth. If you dare…
0:00 Entering the woods…
5:02 Spooky lost audio
9:20 Bad Pizza Rankings
15:14 News: IMdb and actors’ ages
17:34 LA Podfest
20:19 What’s Cookin’ in The Rock’s Kitchen
21:57 Blair Witch discussion
Post Credits: An Uber rescue from Griffith Park
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Living a little further down the rail line are Megan and Scott Hipwell. Rachel slowly turns her obsessions towards them when she begins to notice just how happy and affectionate they are. Her jealousy begins to bubble and alcohol is how she calms herself down.
