Canada Quietly Invades the World With Great Television!

September 13, 2016

To many in the US, Canadians are known for their strange bacon, odd way of pronouncing about, and politeness. But Canada also produces some of the best television around (see Slasher). Don’t believe me? Well, this post is all about the great film and TV made in our great neighbor to the North.

Orphan Black

Now heading into its fifth and final season, Orphan Black is a Canadian-produced science fiction series that airs on BBC America and is also available on Amazon Prime. Orphan Black is difficult to talk about without spoiling anything. Emmy-winning lead actress, Tatiana Maslany plays Sarah Manning, a streetwise Brit who finds out she has twin sisters all over the world. Sarah learns along the way that she’s part of a larger conspiracy between forces seeking to push human evolution to new heights.

Video Game High School

What began as a web series grew into an hour-long drama-dy which follows the students at the fictional Video Game High School (VGHS) where all the best players go. VGHS is ripe with gamer jokes but is also surprisingly full of character moments that really make the series something special. No longer in production, the series comes to a satisfying conclusion that is available on Netflix.

Todd and the Book of Pure Evil

Canada took Scooby-Doo and merged it with Buffy and sprinkled on some crack-cocaine. Todd and the Book of Pure Evil aired for two seasons on Space channel. Based on a short film, the series’ follows the antics of four high school kids as they deal with the dark wishes granted to students who encounter the book of pure evil. Proceed with caution; Season 2 ends on an epic, unresolved cliffhanger for the now-cancelled series.

SyFy

Continuum, Lost Girl, Bitten, Dark Matter, and Killjoys are all Canadian produced television that airs (or aired) on SyFy channel. Continuum is a time-traveling series about future cops and the future of humanity. Lost Girl follows Bo as she learns about her destiny as a Fae (a magical being) and a secret supernatural society. Bitten revolves around the daily lives of werewolves and their battle to stay hidden and not eat each other. Dark Matter features the crew of starship who wake up with no idea how they got there or who they are. Killjoys features three bounty hunters trying to do their job while staying alive in a star sytem full of danger.

Author’s Note: Essentially, if you like any show on SyFy then it’s likely produced in Canada.

I could go on and on. There’s an incredible amount of television (and film) is produced by Canadian production companies. Why so much filming love for Canada? First, it’s probably the incentives. Second, the country promotes the creation of entertainment since it provides a significant number of jobs for each production. Why is so much of it interesting? My guess would be because Canadian production companies take chances and don’t fear pushing the envelope. A lot of US television focuses on playing it safe; that’s why there are 1000 different “villain of the week” procedural shows like Bones, CSI, and weird ones like Houdini and Doyle.

Make no mistake; this isn’t an article about Canadian TV being better than US television. This article is about exposing shows that are great and exciting in their own right but get buried by the tons of other content out there that gets over-promoted, and frankly, over-hyped. *Cough* Stranger Things *cough*

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Retro Review: ‘The Blair Witch Project’ Changed Horror 17 Years Ago

EJ Moreno

September 13, 2016

In 1999, Horror And Filmmaking Was Shook When Found-Footage Icon ‘The Blair Witch Project’ Was Released.

Back Story:

Right before the turn of the millennium, horror was filled with slashers, sequels, and remakes. The genre needed some spicing up. Two young filmmakers named Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez brought the change horror & film needed. No matter what you think of the movie, ‘The Blair Witch Project‘ shifted the course of the industry for years to come.

Writing the first draft of the script in 1993, it ended up being more of an outline for ‘The Blair Witch Project‘. The two University of Central Florida filmmakers always knew they wanted the dialogue to be improvised so they worked on framing the story. They began their unusual casting process later on in the 90’s with filming starting in 1998.

Filming lasted eight days at Seneca Creek State Park in Maryland. The cast and crew knew they were in for a unique experience. The actors were given clues to where each new shooting location and that’s when they would begin delivering improvised lines. This was done in order to keep the authentic feeling that these 3 people were lost in the woods.

Over 19 hours of useable footage was shot for the film and it was painstakingly edited down to 90 minutes. The post-production process was said to take over eight months.

During that editing time, Eduardo Sánchez built the website for the movie, The two directors created a large “Blair Witch” mythos during the outline’s creation so this site was a good way to expand that. This then snagged the attention of Internet users who boasted the film as being real. ‘The Blair Witch Project‘ is only one of the earliest examples of this type of marketing. Only a film like 1980’s ‘Cannibal Holocaust‘ blended the lines of reality in filmmaking. With that film, the director took it as far as having the Italian government investigate him!

In 1999, a fake documentary called ‘The Curse Of The Blair Witch‘ was released on the SciFi Channel. This docu claimed all of the mythos created by Sanchez and Myrick was real. On July 30th, 1999, ‘The Blair Witch Project‘ was released!

Movie Review:

Being in an era now where most horror films are “based on a true story”, it’s crazy to think people actually believed this to be real but that’s what makes this film so special. Starting with a title card saying this is video footage shot by three filmmakers who got lost in the woods in 1994. This “found-footage” was presented as a detail of their horrifying experiences.

From the amateur camera work to the “behind-the-scenes” bits, the low-budget and raw acting really drove home the feeling that this could be real. Loved all the scenes before the crew of Heather, Joshua, and Michael got to the woods. When they roamed around interviewing townies, some feel like they are reading off a script while others get into it. Giving ‘The Blair Witch Project‘ a real home adds to overall mystique and believability.

Once the trio get to the woods, we are slowly driven mad when they are instantly lost. If only Heather didn’t go off the map but if only the map wasn’t thrown away later on. I blame that map for a lot of the problems they run into.

They start experiencing strange events and get lost deeper in the woods. Knowing what the actors went through while filming, their madness about getting lost feels even more real. They all start turning on each other slowly. Heather won’t stop recording everything while Mike kicks the useless map into a river, much to the anger of Heather and Josh.

After walking in circles for basically days and having more aggressive paranormal events, all three of them begin to mentality give up. Josh snaps and viciously taunts Heather for getting them into this predicament. The next morning, Josh is missing. The remaining two search for him until they hear him scream in agony.

On the final day in the woods, Heather finds Josh’s clothes along with some teeth and hair. Then comes the famous scene where Heather apologies to the families of Josh and Mike with snot running down her face. This is a much parodied moment following the film. Heather and Mike find an abounded house. Mike is attacked and Heather finds Josh eerily standing in a corner.

She is also attacked and the film ends.

Final Thoughts:

With an abrupt ending, you are left with far more questions than answers. Even 17 years later, little explanation was given about the events in the film. The reason this retro review is so timely now is because on September 16th, 2016, we may finally get some more action when it comes to this mythos. ‘Blair Witch‘ is the upcoming direct sequel to the original ‘Blair Witch Project‘. The story will follow James, the fictional brother to Heather’s character. This is him trying to figure out what happened to her when she was making this documentary. Directed by the talented Adam Wingard, it will be another found-footage film.

Wingard met the directors of the original ‘Blair Witch’ while promoting a film they were all featured on called ‘V/H/S 2‘. Since that initial meeting, a quick conversation grew into the upcoming movie. It’s cool to see there was a passing of the torch from this original movie to the new one.

What do you think about ‘The Blair Witch Project‘?

Let me know in the comments below!

Don’t forget to see ‘Blair Witch‘ coming to theaters September 16th, 2016!

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New ‘Luke Cage’ Clip Released: “Be King”

Aric Sweeny

September 12, 2016

Check out the brand new clip from Marvel’s upcoming Luke Cage, titled “Be King”.

After a sabotaged experiment leaves him with super strength and unbreakable skin, Luke Cage (Mike Colter) becomes a fugitive trying to rebuild his life in modern day Harlem, New York City. But he is soon pulled out of the shadows and must fight a battle for the heart of his city – forcing him to confront a past he had tried to bury.

Luke Cage hits Netflix on September 30th.

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Five Favorite Films From The Year I Was Born: 1982

Anthony Wendel

September 12, 2016

Picking great films from 1982 was no easy task. Many of the movies which came out became classics which are beloved by fans even today. Of course, it was also the year, The Pirate Movie, one of the worst movies ever came out. Still finding the best wasn’t hard as this is my list and I’m going to be a bit biased. Here the top five movies to come out of 1982 which are my personal favorites.

5. Star Trek II: Wrath of Kahn

KAHN! Seriously, though, this movie lives up to the fan hype surrounding it. Tying into one of the best episodes of the original series, a villain appears played fantastically by Ricardo Montalban and may prove to be Kirk’s downfall. This was the one which set the standards for all Trek films to come. Making sure to not only reunite the crew but also made sure to push the boundaries of what could be done with the characters and the story.

This film would be higher on the list if I grew up on Star Trek, instead of finding it after college.

4. Secret of NIMH

It’s hard to deny this film really left an impression on many children of the 80s. Many were so used to standard Disney movies and were not ready for the visually disturbing but pleasing at the same time world Director Don Bluth was about to present to us. The story of Mrs. Brisby and her quest to find a way to save her family is one of hope, courage, and magic which has the ability to delight all who watch it, even today.

3. Blade Runner

The definite cyberpunk movie, which cemented Director Ridley Scott as one of Hollywood’s visionaries. Harrison Ford portrayal of Rick Deckard offered a classic detective story but presented in a world no one had seen before. It’s movie, which thanks to the multitude of different versions which exist, is still hailed by fans of science fiction and great filmmaking even today.

2. Tron

I remembered when I caught this film on TV. It was already a great movie, but later viewings would allow me the opportunity to find Easter Eggs, details I missed and even appreciate it for the effect it had on gaming culture. I was able to find one of the DVD before it went into the vault and wasn’t released until the sequel came out. It doesn’t take much for me to drop everything and put this film on.

1. The Last Unicorn

Truth be told, the Red Bull scared me as a kid. Why wouldn’t it? It was a creature made of pure flames and magnificently animated by Rankin/Bass productions. With its stellar voice cast, great soundtrack by America, and quality which only seems to get better with age, this is a film which remains a favorite of mine even to this day. It’s so good I’ll even make sure to buy the new versions of the films whenever they are released. Now if they can only get the live action version they were talking about so long ago out of production limbo.

What were your favorite films from 1982? Leave a comment below and let us know.

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‘Toxic Avenger’ Remake Gets ‘Sausage Party’ Co-Director

Will Ashton

September 12, 2016

The long-promised Toxic Avenger remake seemed like a pipe dream for a while now, but it looks like some serious progress is happening these days. The Troma reimagining just scored a director in Conrad Vernon, who previously helped helm Shrek 2, Monsters vs. Aliens, Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted and, most recently, last month’s Sausage Party. I guess this thing is finally coming together.

Variety (via Slashfilm) reported the new development. With over 25 years in animation, with experience in storyboarding, character design and voice acting in addition to directing, this project will serve as his first venture into live-action filmmaking. But each of his films have delved into various different genres and tones. Perhaps he’s used to jumping around different positions and responsibilities.

With Vernon’s hiring, Archer writers Mike Arnold and Chris Poole are also coming aboard to rewrite the script previously penned by D.C. Mitchell and Hot Tub Time Machine director Steve Pink. It’s, of course, based on Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz’s original 1984 trash cult classic The Toxic Avenger, about feeble mop boy who falls into a tube of toxic waste and becomes a monstrous hero for the local town.

“The opportunity to re-imagine a favorite cult-classic from my high school years is an honor. Toxie is an underground icon. My favorite kind,” Vernon said to Variety.

The original spanned three sequels, a short-lived children’s cartoon series and established Troma’s brand. A Hollywood-ized remake will likely not capture the sleazy charm of the first, but here’s hoping they make something better than your average ’80s remake. Hopefully it’s more Evil Dead than, say, Poltergeist. Although the once-proposed PG-13 rating is doing itself no favors. Go big or go home. With Vernon’s involvement, however, they might be pushing for the R-rating. It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if Deadpool‘s success inspired this new version.

“Conrad Vernon is a subversive comedic genius. He is the perfect director to bring this iconoclastic franchise back to life,” producer Richard Saperstein said.

There’s no word yet on who’ll star in this new take, or when it hopes to roll cameras. At different points, John Travolta and Arnold Schwarzenegger were attached, but they no longer seem to be involved. Probably for the best. Sorry Schwarzenegger.

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First Look At Dylan O’Brien In ‘American Assassin’

Kieran McLean

September 12, 2016

Teen Wolf and The Maze Runner star Dylan O’Brien will be taking on a very different role when he stars as Mitch Rapp, in Michael Cuesta’s American Assassin. O’Brien will star alongside legend Michael Keaton in this gritty action movie.

Based on the New York Times bestselling book series by Vince Flynn, American Assassin stars Dylan O’Brien, Michael Keaton, Taylor Kitsch, Sanaa Lathan and Shiva Negar. A first look image of O’Brien has been released and shows a very different side to the young actor.

Take a look at O’Brien In American Assassin Below:

American Assassin follows the rise of Mitch Rapp (Dylan O’Brien) a CIA black ops recruit under the instruction of Cold War veteran Stan Hurley (Michael Keaton). The pair is then enlisted by CIA Deputy Director Irene Kennedy (Sanaa Lathan) to investigate a wave of apparently random attacks on both military and civilian targets. Together the three discover a pattern in the violence leading them to a joint mission with a lethal Turkish agent (Shiva Negar) to stop a mysterious operative (Taylor Kitsch) intent on starting a World War in the Middle East.

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Shane Black’s ‘The Predator’ Reeling in Benicio Del Toro

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

September 12, 2016

Benicio Del Toro may have had a mediocre run in those years following his Supporting Actor Oscar for Traffic, but the dude sure seems to be turning it back around.

The Hollywood Reporter says Del Toro is in talks to take the lead role in Shane Black’s upcoming Predator film, The Predator. This is a project that’s been building and building for a few months now, even giving us promo posters and the like. Now we have this awesome news, and Del Toro looks to be the head of an ensemble team:

“Plot details are being kept hidden in mud but the new movie is said to be an ensemble piece anchored by the character to be played by Del Toro… The actor and the studio have been dancing for months around this project, but one challenge has been been Del Toro’s schedule. That stumbling block looks to have been cleared and a February start date is being planned.”

As if Shane Black working on The Predator and this film actually becoming a thing wasn’t exciting enough, the addition of Del Toro just amps it up that much more. If he’s the leader of this team, imagine what the rest of the cast will look like.

Oh, yeah… and Fred Dekker penned the script for The Predator. When can I give away my money?

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‘Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Reveals The All-New Ghost Rider Look

David Joseph

September 12, 2016

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is seeking to shake things up in its fourth season with the addition of the All-New Ghost Rider Robbie Reyes and teasers abound, but until Comicbook posted these hot new images, the Ghost Rider hadn’t been seen in full form.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has seen a fair bit of success, but the Ghost Rider character has certainly seen his fair share of ups and downs. The new Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. character has passed down the mantle of Ghost Rider down since the late ’60s.

Ghost Rider, prior to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 4, had two theatrical releases with Ghost Rider and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. However, both were panned by critics, but still maintain a following of Ghost Rider and Nicholas Cage fans.

Every fan was begging for new on-screen material ,though, many hoped for a Netflix show with the rest of Marvel’s TV line-up. The most popular Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze, was mostly seen as tarnished by the past two films. So, a new on-screen characterization was not to be for some time,

Enter the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Ghost Rider, during the Marvel Now! line of comics, an “All-New” Ghost Rider came onto the scene with his super charged Dodge Charger. Though he was technically successor of Carter Slade, Johnny Blaze, and Danny Ketch, he did not carry the “Spirit of Vengeance.”

Robbie Reyes was possessed by the spirit of a dead gangster that has some interesting connections to him, and though it deviated from the typical Ghost Rider lore, Johnny Blaze did make an appearance towards the end of its run.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. picked up the All-New Ghost Rider some time after his run had been cancelled, but shortly after his Marvel Secret Wars Ghost Racers title had just completed.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will hopefully make the best use of the character, though they will be utilizing their “own version” of the Ghost Rider. Fans are likely crossing their fingers and praying to whatever they believe in that this will not kill of the character for another decade or so.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 4’s debut episode “Ghost” will premiere September 20, 2016.

[Images Courtesy Of Marvel Entertainment/ABC Network]

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Felicity Jones Tried To Channel This Sci-Fi Action Hero Lady For Star Wars

David Joseph

September 12, 2016

Felicity Jones is the new Star Wars leading character, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is the newest installment coming out in a few short months, but Yahoo reveals the inspiration for Jones’ character on-screen. So, who do you have to thank for Felcitity Jones’ Rogue One: A Star Wars Story on-screen character?

“Well, it’s interesting because I didn’t know that I would be playing Jyn, who is very much inspired by Sigourney’s character [in Aliens. So it’s interesting that we had worked together. But I’ve been so inspired by her work and she was a role model growing up.”

Felicity Jones also revealed her preparation for the new Star Wars film, and some of what she felt the character brought to Aliens, according to Cinemablend.

“No, no, just in terms of, obviously, you have different references that you look at. And I love the qualities that she brought to that part. And early on in my research it was one of the films that I watched that informed my process.”

Felicity Jones certainly sets the bar high when you consider the mega success of the Alien franchise. Though, Jones and company are an extension of the arguably more popular Sci-fi franchise Star Wars.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story also has a lot to prove with the mega success of its family of films, as this marks the first time that the franchise is stepping out side its directly episodic format. Star Wars: The Force Awakens certainly met with a lot of success, but then again, it was also the first film in several decades.

Felicity Jones carries a lot on her shoulders, as she has a lot of great, iconic characters to surpass or match up with, but any critiques should certainly be saved for after December, 2016.

[Images Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/20th Century Fox]

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5 Comic Books & Graphic Novels Every Fan Needs To Read

Kieran McLean

September 12, 2016

Between the years biggest blockbusters like Captain America: Civil War, Batman v Superman and the upcoming Doctor Strange, comic book movies are everywhere. But jumping into comic books is a daunting experience that can cost a lot of time, effort, and money.

If you’re looking to get involved in comic books, worry not. We’ve assembled a list of some of the greatest comic book/graphic novel storylines that are essential for anyone wanting to delve into a new world. To make things even easier, I’ve tried to include storylines that are complete and available to purchase in full, saving you from picking up issue after issue in your local comic book shop.

Y: The Last Man

Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra

What happens to the world if everything with a Y chromosome dies? This now famous comic book series begins with every male creature on the planet simultaneously dying, all but one man, Yorick and his pet monkey. How did they survive? What happens next? This massive but immensely personal story delves into serious political, and sexual issues within society.

Sandman

Neil Gaiman

Sandman is globally recognized as a masterpiece, and arguably the greatest storyline to ever unfold on the pages of a comic.

This iconic series follows Dream aka. Morpheus, who was held captive for 70 years, only to break free in modern times. With his new-found freedom, Morpheus embarks on a quest to regain his kingdom and lost objects of power. Along the way, Morpheus comes into contact with famous characters such as John Constantine and Lucifer.

The Dark Knight Returns

Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, Lynn Varley

It would be impossible to create this list without discussing The Dark Knight Returns. This iconic story introduces audiences to a tougher, older and more experienced Batman. Miller’s work on The Dark Knight Returns helped to reinvigorate comic books as a medium in the 1980’s.

This famous tale puts Batman against one of his biggest enemies, age, while also pitting the Dark Knight against the world’s greatest hero, Superman.

Civil War

Mark Millar

There is only one thing fans love more than superheroes, and that’s superheroes fighting each other. This influential storyline dismantled the known Marvel universe, pitting hero against hero, with endless consequences.

Much like the Captain America: Civil War storyline, Marvel’s Civil War introduces order to the Marvel Universe, with heroes being told that they either conform to a system or spend life behind bars. Of course, two sides form with Captain America and Iron Man opposing one another in a great comic book war.

Saga

Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples

Saga is an epic space/fantasy series that introduces readers to a planet at war. The story revolves around two lovers from warring civilizations, who must travel the galaxy to escape the authorities on both sides and protect their young daughter.

Taking inspiration from Star Wars and the world of fantasy, Brian K. Vaughan has created an entire universe of interesting stories, characters, and places.

If you’re thinking of jumping into the world of comic books, these are the stories we recommend. From our favorite superheroes, to more peculiar universes, you won’t regret delving into these stories.

Agree With Our List? Be Sure To Let Us Know In The Comments Section Below!

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