Zach Braff to Direct, Star In ABC’s ‘Start Up’

September 1, 2016

Zach Braff took his sweet time between his two directorial efforts, 2004’s Garden State and 2014’s Wish I Was Here. Of late, however, he’s upped his productivity behind-the-camera significantly. His third film, Going In Style, is already finished and set for release next spring, and he announced his fourth film, Bump, just a couple months ago. But that’s just Braff rolling up his sleeves. He set up his next TV project, Start Up, a new ABC comedy pilot he’ll not only star in, but direct as well.

Start Up is based on Alex Blumberg and Lisa Chow’s podcast StartUp, which starts its fourth season this October. The podcast chronicles “the human side of business,” and it follows Blumberg as he starts his own business. The show will follow a similar plot. It sees what happens when a man (Braff) decides to quit his job and starts his own company. He experiences all that comes with the entrepreneur lifestyle, particularly in how it affects the character’s wife and two children.

The new show shouldn’t be confused with Crackle’s new series StartUp, which starts next week. Don’t be surprised if they change the title altogether, though, to avoid all confusion. Blumberg will serve as an executive producer alongside Braff, Chris Giliberti and Matt Lieber, as well as John Davis and John Fox of Davis Entertainment. The single-camera comedy reunites the actor/director with Matt Tarses, a co-executive producer on Scrubs who’ll write the teleplay for the pilot, as reported by Deadline (via Slashfilm). There’s no word yet on when it’ll film.

This new comedy series finds Braff reuniting with ABC as well, as they aired the final eighth season of Scrubs after NBC’s cancellation. What’s that? There’s a ninth season, which ABC also aired? I’m sorry, you’re mistaken. In addition to leading Bill Lawrence’s cult favorite sitcom, Braff also directed seven episodes between 2004-2009. Does Start Up mean Braff is no longer working on Bump? The report doesn’t say. It seems like it’s either delayed or no longer happening with Braff, which is a shame. It seemed like it was right up his alley, but he certainly has enough keeping him busy these days. As long as it’s better than Wish I Was Here, that’s all that counts.

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DVD Review: Mirror ‘More Art Piece then Art House’

Kieran Freemantle

August 31, 2016

Mirror (or The Mirror in the US) is a semi-autobiographical art film by Andrei Tarkovsky, the filmmaker behind Ivan’s Childhood, Solaris and The Sacrifice. Mirror has received near universal praise from critics and has high profile fans like Lars von Trier and the author Will Self – but it is really a film that has a niche audience.

Mirror tells the story of a dying man looking back on his life – told in a non-linear format he looks back on his relationship with his mother, his childhood in rural Russia and experience during the war.

Despite the praise Mirror has received, it is really a film for pseudo-intellectuals who like to show their mental prowess. It is not a movie to watch to be entertained or even be compelled by. There is no attempt to engage the audience with a narrative, and the movie is just a loose collection of events, and the term events is being used loosely. For viewers who want a story, Mirror is not going to provide this.

Mirror is an example of some of worst aspect of art house and European cinema. There is an obsession with mood and philosophical ideas. Because of the narrator’s impending morality he goes into a reflective mood, talking about how he will live forever and wanting to spend more time with his son before he departs from this world. The movie also forces comparisons to religion and the separation of church and state with a self-indulgent scene where the narrator’s son is made to read a letter about Russian history and its connection with the church. Many European films from the 60s and 70s, usually from nations like France, Italy and Russia, are cursed with the writers and directors being more interested in making a film to show how thoughtful and well-read they are – having characters who talk about politics, society and the purpose of life with critics and art students lapping it all up.

Mirror‘s best feature is its visuals. Tarkovsky is a director known for long takes and slow meticulous shots. Many scenes were filmed with gradual camera movements, allowing the actors to perform uninterrupted and show the various locations and background actions. It was a beautiful looking film, especially when showing the luscious Russian countryside and the snowy locales when children are being trained how to shoot. Fire that is a motif throughout Mirror, pops out when it appears on screen.

Mirror personally reminded me of Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life, a movie that had a fantastic use of visuals and music, but wrapped with symbolism and pretention. There was no story or characters to entice audiences beyond hardcore art-house fans. Scenes like the burning barn or the dream of the crumbling house could have been shown as an institution at an art gallery, and it would have more of an impact. It would have been less frustrating.

Call me a cretin but I was not memorized by Mirror, I was frustrated. It was slow and tedious. His war movie Ivan’s Childhood was much stronger on a story and thematic level, and it is a much easier entry point for anyone looking to explore Tarkovsky’s work.

Amazon.co.uk (DVD)

Amazon.co.uk (Blu-ray)

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Review: ‘My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic’ #45: Evil Concludes

By
Anthony Wendel
-

August 31, 2016

“Ponies of Dark Water Part 3” Chaos reigns over Ponyville as normal ponies across town turn evil! It’ll be up to Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, with the help of an unexpected ally, to save the day!

Writing

The story of the Mane Six becoming evil comes to an end. Things aren’t wrapped up so easy though as Princess Luna has been turned back into her villainous alter ego, Nightmare Moon. This offers a truly great moment between Nightmare Moon, Twilight Sparkle, and Rarity as they come together and talk about their plans for the world like a group of supervillains. Speaking of villains, the writer seem to take a stab at a recent Hollywood blockbuster by talking about how two characters mothers had the same name. The pop culture references in this book really help to the keep this series entertaining.

The story line wraps up a little too quickly though. Writer Thom Zahler could have benefited from one more issue of the characters still being evil, as the cure for their condition is found and distributed by the end of this issue. If you’re going to bring a major villain like Nightmare Moon back, then bring her back to really cause some truly memorable chaos.

Artwork

Pages of this issue are filled with stunning effects and good action shots thanks to Tony Fleecs on artwork and Heather Breckel on colors. Watching Rarity take on Nightmare Moon is made more enjoyable thanks to the impressive use of the magical effects by the art team.

Conclusion

Not bad, even for a quick wrap up but it would be better if future issues used this idea or made references to the carnage the team committed while they were evil. It may be a good way to turn public appeal against them. Considering the next issue is about an election, it may come back sooner than later.

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New ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 Details Emerge

By
Aric Sweeny
-

August 31, 2016

In case you haven’t heard, the Netflix phenomenon Stranger Things will be getting a second season in 2017.

Some details have been revealed about the season, coming from an interview via Entertainment Weekly.

Ross Duffer, co-creator and director of the show, talked about why they made the second season a sequel.

“I don’t think we ever thought anthology. I think we talked like a larger time jump where the kids are older now and it’s a different decade. That’s something we batted around from the very beginning. But for us, there’s still more story here, there’s still things that are unresolved. We don’t know about Eleven. We leave that up in the air.”

Matt Duffer, the other creator and director, touched upon the inspirations going into season 2.

“I know movie sequels get a lot of s**t, but the ones we look up to aspire to pivot and do something different. There’s Temple of Doom, Aliens, Terminator 2. I guess a lot of this is James Cameron. But he’s brilliant. And I think one of the reasons his sequels are as successful as they are is he makes them feel very different without losing what we loved about the original. So I think we kinda looked to him and what he does and tried to capture a little bit of the magic of his work.”

And lastly, the brothers dished out some info regarding the setting of the upcoming season.

Ross: We obviously have this gate to another dimension, which is still very much open in the town of Hawkins. And a lot of questions there in terms of, if the Monster is dead, was it a singular monster? What else could be out there? We really don’t go in there much until they go in to find Will at the end. So we’ve opened up this doorway, and to us it’s exciting to talk about, like, what else is behind there? There’s a lot more mystery there to be solved.

Matt: We kinda just peeled back the curtain and revealed a tiny bit of the Upside Down. So we definitely want to explore a little bit more. There’s a lot we don’t know about the Upside Down at the end of season 1.

Did you like the 1st season? Are you excited about the 2nd? Be sure to let us know in the comments section of this article, or on any of our various social media accounts.

Season 2 of Stranger Things hits Netflix exclusively in 2017.

Source: EW via Heroic Hollywood.

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Hannibal Buress Confirms ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ Role

By
Majeed Sayibu
-

August 31, 2016

While speaking to The Breakfast Club yesterday in an interview, comedian Hannibal Buress confirmed that he will indeed be in Marvel’s upcoming take on the web-slinger revealing the role he plays in the film.

“In Spider-Man, I play a gym teacher,” he said. “I play one of the dumbass characters that don’t realize he’s Spider-Man. [My character thinks] ‘He’s Peter Parker. Oh man, this guy’s really athletic!’”

While it’s a small role, it is possible that he might be the comedic relief in Peter Parker’s life, when it comes to the scenes that take place in the high school setting.

Buress rose to fame following a joke he did on Bill Cosby going viral and leading to the events that caused the downfall of the comedy legend. A subject he touches on in the interview among many other things. Check out the full interview below:

Spider-Man: Homecoming is directed by Jon Watts and stars Tom Holland in the title role, with Zendaya (Michelle), Laura Harrier (Liz Allen), Tony Revolori (Flash Thompson), Jacob Batalon (Ned Leeds), Bokeem Woodbine, Tyne Daly, Kenneth Choi, Martin Starr, Donald Glover, Logan Marshall-Green, Hannibal Buress, Selenis Leyva, Michael Mando, Garcelle Beauvais, Abraham Attah, Marisa Tomei (Aunt May), Robert Downey Jr (Tony Stark/Iron Man) and Michael Keaton (Adrian Toomes/ Vulture).

The movie is scheduled for release July 7, 2017.

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New ‘Doctor Strange’ Featurette Introduces Key Characters

By
Kieran McLean
-

August 31, 2016

Captain America: Civil War is now available for digital download, meaning all those great special features have been set free. Among deleted scenes, and a hilarious blooper reel Marvel treated fans with a behind the scenes look at its next movie, Doctor Strange.

The featurette introduces key characters such as Karl Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) and the mysterious villain Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen).

The short clip offers a lot of new information about Mikkelsen’s villainous character. “We’re excited about the villains in this film,” producer Kevin Feige says. “We call them the Zealots. These are people who become seduced by what they find on the other side.”

Doctor Strange is set to introduce a whole new corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We’ve seen hints at magic in previous movies, but the Sorcerer Supreme will bring inter-dimensional travel, teleportation and a whole lot of danger that we’ve never seen before.

Marvel’s Doctor Strange follows the story of the talented neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange who, after a tragic car accident, must put ego aside and learn the secrets of a hidden world of mysticism and alternate dimensions. Based in New York City’s Greenwich Village, Doctor Strange must act as an intermediary between the real world and what lies beyond, utilizing a vast array of metaphysical abilities and artifacts to protect the Marvel cinematic universe.

Doctor Strange, directed by Scott Derrickson, opens in theatres on November 4 in the US and an earlier date of October 28 in the UK.

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Cinemax Orders Pilot for Show Inspired by Martial Arts Legend Bruce Lee

By
Dan Hex
-

August 31, 2016

Bruce Lee’s notes motivate new series pilot at Cinemax

It’s been over forty years since his passing, and martial arts icon Bruce Lee still affects popular culture. The premium cable heavyweight Cinemax announced their order of a pilot episode for Warrior, labeled as a crime drama set in late-19^th century San Francisco. The series is inspired by conceptual notes by Bruce Lee, which were found after his death in 1973. Lee’s daughter Shannon, who handles her late father’s estate and marketing interests, worked with hotshot director Justin Lin to bring the concept to Cinemax. Lin is best known for Fast and the Furious 6, True Detective, and his work with the CBS network hit, Scorpion.

Martial Arts in 19th century America

The story centers around a young martial arts prodigy who settles in San Francisco after leaving China. Soon after arriving, he finds himself embroiled in the Tong Wars of Chinatown – turf wars over prostitution, gambling and drugs.

Jonathan Tropper, co-creator of Cinemax’s signature hit Banshee has come onboard to write Warrior with Lin set to direct. Lin’s experience with gritty dramas and intense action films, should set the bar fairly high for Warrior.

Fans of martial arts movies are sure to find some interest in Warrior, particularly since Bruce Lee’s extensive notes factor in heavily to the concept. Viewers that enjoy dramas such as Ripper Street, Turn or Copper might find the historical premise intriguing.

No showrunner or casting choices have been made, but decisions are expected soon.

With a premise created by the legendary Bruce Lee, and a superstar foundation in Justin Lin and John Tropper, the anticipation for this series is sure to grow.

Lin and Cropper also have the added pressure of the Bruce Lee legacy to handle, but given their track record of success, there is every reason to think that Warrior will be a big hit.

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‘Stranger Things’ 2 Teaser Trailer Released Online

By
Anthony Composto - EIC
-

August 31, 2016

Stranger Things, the Netflix phenomenon that took the world by surprise, has been renewed for a second season, and we now have the teaser trailer to prove it!

The adventure continues. Stranger Things 2 is coming 2017. pic.twitter.com/3H4WR3DGEj

— Stranger Things (@Stranger_Things) August 31, 2016

Tweeted this morning, the teaser supplies very little information other than that the second season will take place in the Fall of 1984 (the first season took place in 1983).

The video also features nine seemingly random words and phrases. It’s been announced that Stranger Things 2 will have nine episodes instead of season one’s eight, so it’s possible that the phrases are episode titles.

They are as follows:

MADMAX
THE BOY WHO CAME BACK TO LIFE
THE PUMPKIN PATCH
THE PALACE
THE STORM
THE POLLYWOG
THE SECRET CABIN
THE BRAIN
THE LOST BROTHER

What do you think the phrases mean? What do you hope to see in the sequel season? Let us know in the comments below!

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‘Supernatural’ Season 12: First Images Reveal A Tortured Sam

By
Kieran McLean
-

August 31, 2016

TV Line has revealed a bunch of new images from the Supernatural season 12 premiere. The Winchester brothers have a lot to deal with when Supernatural returns to The CW. The hit series is heading into season 12 and fans have a lot to look forward to.

At the end of season 11, the Darkness resurrected Mary Winchester as a gift for Dean. The long dead character will need to adjust to a modern world while getting to know her adult sons. If you’re expecting Mary to take a backseat when it comes to hunting, I think you’ll be surprised. The newly released images give us a look at the character as she jumps back into the world of hunting, and sets out to rescue her youngest son.

Meanwhile, Sammy isn’t having the best of luck. An English chapter of the Men of Letters have captured the youngest Winchester and are testing out a pretty nasty blowtorch. I wouldn’t worry Sam, Dean is on the way and he’s bringing mommy.

Supernatural season 12 is set to be a smaller and more personal chapter in the Winchester story. After a season battling with God, Lucifer, and literal Darkness the brothers have their mother back, and the Men of Letters to deal with. The dynamic between Sam and Dean will never be the same but as always something will stand in the way of their happiness.

Supernatural returns to The CW on Thursday, Oct. 13 at 9/8c.

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Five Favorite Films From The Year I Was Born: 1979

By
Mat Douglas
-

August 30, 2016

In 1979, America was at a tipping point. Disco was pretty much dead, Michael Jackson had just began his solo career and cinema had taken a more mature and darker turn. Just before the Go Go 1980’s, movies had redemption, terror in outer space, and a journey into the heart of darkness.

Rocky II

Rocky 2

In Rocky, the Italian Stallion won the battle, but not on the scorecard. With Adrian pregnant, Rocky Balboa knows that fighting is the only way he can support his new family. Apollo Creed, fueled by a mountain of critics who claim Balboa would have beat him if he had one more round demands another fight with Balboa. Proving to be as good as its predecessor, Balboa once again defies the odds, defeats Apollo Creed, and becomes champion.

The Warriors

The Warriors
Paramount Pictures

“CAN YOU DIG IT?!?” rings out across Van Cortlandt Park. All of NYC’s premiere street gangs are in attendance to listen to Cyrus and his grand plan. A plan to unite all the gangs under Cyrus and the Gramercy Riffs to take over the city. One gunshot later, Cyrus is dead, his ambitious plan along with it, and The Warriors, who have journeyed from Coney Island stand accused of his murder. Fighting through the Baseball Furies, the Turnbull ACs, and a host of others to make it home. The Warriors failed commercially but has become a classic to legions of film fans.

Mad Max

Mad Max(1979) – Roadshow Entertainment

Society is collapsing and the world is introduced to Max Rockatansky. Directed by George Miller, Mad Max didn’t invent the post apocalyptic genre, but it damn near perfected it. Banned in New Zealand and Sweden during its initial theatrical run, the movie has built a legacy that endures to this day. Spawning 3 sequels, the most recent being 2015’s critical hit Mad Max: Fury Road.

Alien

Alien – 20th Century Fox

While not as grand in scope as Star Wars or Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, Alien takes a different look at outer space…and it is terrifying. Ridley Scott’s ‘haunted house in outer space’ is a cultural touchstone. Tight spaces inside the Nostromo, H. R. Giger’s creature design, and a great score craft a new type of horror movie while also redefining science fiction.

Apocalypse Now

He really does enjoy the smell of napalm in the morning

Coppola’s magnum opus shows not just the darkness of war, but also human nature. Considered one of the definitive films about the Vietnam War, Capt. Ben Willard’s (Martin Sheen) journey to “terminate the command” of Colonel Kurtz is surreal, analytical, and compelling.

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