Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn took to his Facebook page to release a new piece of concept art for 2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Check it out below.
The sequel features returning actors Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Batista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, and Michael Rooker; Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russel are making their Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in the film.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hits theaters on May 5, 2017.
CBS films invite audiences deep into the heart of Texas in its heist drama Hell or High Water. Directed by David Mackenzie, this is a slow, simmering cauldron of intrigue, both well-crafted and deftly acted. For those who are fans of Chris Pine, forgo seeing him playing Captain Kirk and witness his most gripping performance to date.
Two brothers, Toby and Tanner (Chris Pine and Ben Foster), are faced with the prospect of losing the property their mom had her entire life. They have until the end of the week to come up with enough money to pay off her reverse mortgage plus interest, or face foreclosure. Rather than coming up with a conventional way to raise that type of capital, the brothers hatch a scheme to rob multiple branches of The Texas Midland Bank, which also happens to hold that bank note.
Retiring foul-mouthed Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) is assigned to this case and quickly deduces that this is no ordinary string of bank robberies. It quickly becomes an intense Cat and Mouse game between the two brothers and law enforcement as they attempt to stay one step ahead of them as well as make their Friday deadline.
Hell or High Water is splendidly shot, and that’s due to the talents of Giles Nuttgens. Nuttgens manages to capture the dusty and opaque pallet of Texas while also leaning into moments which heighten the intrigue of this film. For example, he manages to include plenty of open panoramic shots including many of the abandoned homes and businesses in Texas, giving audience members both a feel for vast openness and the economic issues in the Lone Star. The getaway scenes were also shot with extreme precision. As Toby (Pine) speed away from each heist, they took the vehicles down side streets and Nuttgens stays with tight shots on the car.
Taylor Sheridan once again crafts a wonderful screenplay with rich characters. This should come as no surprise as he showed off his writing prowess recently in Sicario. Ben Foster, Chris Pine, and Jeff Bridges all deliver stellar performances. Foster is perfectly cast as Tanner, the loose cannon with an itchy trigger finger. Pine delivers the best performance that he’s ever given on screen as Toby, the conflicted brother who’s loyal to his family even if it means breaking the law. Jeff Bridges does what Jeff Bridges does best, have a commanding presence on screen and show audience members why he’s a legend.
It’s not often that a film of this caliber shows up at the end of the Summer movie season, but after a collection of disappointments, I’m sure glad it did. Hell or High Water is not only the best film of the summer; it certainly will be one of the Top 10 films of 2016.
The term Guilty Pleasure is all too well-known in the anime industry, as most people brush it off. Well I think there is something to the term “Guilty Pleasure” and it all stems from you as a person and what kind of values you hold. The anthem of being guiltless about what you watch or what you like is being thrown about in every community, not just Anime, but I’d like to look at the correlation between what makes a guilty pleasure and how it is effected by your values, and just maybe imply that there are some shows that you should feel bad about watching. I always used to remember my parents saying, “you are what you eat.” I like to relate that to what you nourish your mind with as well. Guilty Pleasure’s are complicated things to talk about, but pretending they don’t exist is just stupid and reductive.
So to begin we have to come to some common ground on the predication that there is an inherent right and wrong to the universe, and just thinking doesn’t make it so. Most people can’t seem to find common ground on subjects like “guilt” nowadays because people are more concerned with “their truth” as opposed to “the truth”. There isn’t a thing called “your truth”, “your truth” is your feelings. Now we can find some common ground on what we feel, but if we can’t hold it up to some grand law of the universe then there’s no worth in justifying it at all. So before we move on, unless you’re willing to accept there is a universally right and wrong and we can perceive that as humans, this reasoning wont make much sense to you. I’m not saying that my view of the world is 100% correct, all I’m saying is that there is a view of the world that is. Perception isn’t always reality and thinking doesn’t always make something so.
Guilty Pleasure is something you are guilty of, duh. So where does this guilt come from? Well it comes from you doing something you know is wrong or bad. I could go on with examples but I think we all have had those experiences. This is going to get real personal, if that wasn’t already apparent, so let’s go into my guilty pleasures.
Hentai… never mind, moving on.
So I talked a lot about why I liked Fate/Kaleid Liner Prism Illya in a previous article, and while that’s still true, I would consider it a Guilty Pleasure. Even for all the cool things this show has, it is ripe with loli fan service and portraying little kids in a sexual nature. Kids should be seen as innocent and that sexualizing them is taking away that innocence. So I in turn feel guilty about watching something that is glorifying something that I feel is wrong. Now nobody is perfect in the words of Hanna Montana, and I gotta work at it again and again till I get it right. (I will not apologize for that joke) Now I can enjoy the show for its other aspects and believe me, I do, a lot. But I can still recognize that a big part of something I like is glorifying something that is wrong. Shows that glorify something that is inherently wrong or bad are all Guilty Pleasures. That doesn’t mean they can’t also have merit, but if a core theme of something is wrong then it probably would be better if you didn’t watch it. But to er is human and we all do it, such is why Guilty Pleasures exist.
Another form of Guilty Pleasure is something like the aforementioned “hentai”. When you like something you know is bad. This can be observed again in Fate/Illya. Someone could watch these little girls get all sexual with each other and enjoy that part of the show. They might know its wrong but still like it and that’s something they need to carefully balance as a person. This kind of Guilty Pleasure doesn’t always have to be justified in the anime you’re watching, but it directly related to why “you” watch it. Part of the reason I like Death Note is the beginning episode’s where Light drunk on power, killing criminals. Of course this is wrong and not at all condoned by the shows narrative, but I get pleasure out of him taking the role of God and judging the cruel and vile. I know this is wrong at that no single human should have that kind of power or do so from a place of hatred. But its something I still like to imagine, and I feel guilty for enjoying part of a show that way. When a show brings out a certain lustful or hateful emotion out of you, you got yourself a Guilty Pleasure.
There is shame in doing some things and even though we don’t like admit it, it doesn’t help by choosing to ignore it. Sure I still watch shows I know I probably shouldn’t and I’m sure you do too. Ignoring that fact wont help us grow as people. What you watch, like it or not, has an effect on you. Just because you do something or watch something and liked it doesn’t mean you have to justify it. I’m certainly not justifying the loli fan service in Fate/Illya. And I do feel guilty for liking a show that has that much bad stuff in it. However it doesn’t necessarily make me, or you a bad person for liking something that is bad. What does though, I dare say, is knowing something is bad, and justifying it anyway. Or not recognizing something as bad and choosing to accept it just to make you feel good. So go and watch your guilty pleasures for now, I know I will. But have some hope for tomorrow, or the next day, or whenever that you wont have to feel guilty about what you watch, and you’ll know inside that you didn’t compromise your morals for a Japanese cartoon.
Did you know Whitney Cummings is currently making her directorial debut with The Female Brain? I didn’t. Did you know that it’s already in production? News to me. Did you know that Sofia Vergara, Cecily Strong and Blake Griffin are already signed on? If you did, you had a leg up on me. And have you heard the latest news? James Marsden, Lucy Punch and Toby Kebbell also recently joined the cast. I don’t know about you, but this one really snuck up on me. A mere few hours ago, I didn’t even know existed. Now, I’m deeply intrigued. Every day brings their fair share of surprises.
Deadline (via Slashfilm) reported on the upcoming comedy, based on Louann Brizendine’s 2006 book of the same name. It’s adapted to the screen by Cummings and Chappelle’s Show writer Neal Brennan. Based on the synopsis, it’ll center on five unsatisfied couples, and the inner workings and the power of brain chemistry during the different stages of their relationships. Sounds like some heady stuff (pun intended, unfortunately). Though a little high-concept on paper, it’ll probably be rather down-to-earth and approachable on the screen. Of course, we don’t really know what Cummings’ directorial style will be, so let’s not roll anything off the table.
In addition to co-writing and directing, Cummings also stars in the upcoming film. Along with the stars mentioned above, she’s joined by Beanie Feldstein (Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising), Xosha Roquemore (The Mindy Project), Deon Cole (Angie Tribeca) and Chris D’Elia, who previously worked with the actress/director on her short-lived NBC sitcom Whitney. There’s no word yet on when this one will hit theaters, but next year is the safest bet. Perhaps it’ll be ready for TIFF 2017, or something along those lines, will be in its future?
Although Cummings is best known for her stand-up, she’s also the co-creator of CBS’ ongoing 2 Broke Girls, and also created the aforementioned Whitney. The Female Brain, therefore, merely represents her next creative step. And, hopefully, it’ll be beneficial to everyone involved, particularly Kebbell. While he did some great work in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, he could use another hit these days. Fantastic Four wasn’t a hit, to say the least, and this past weekend’s Ben-Hur is one of the summer’s biggest flops, financially and critically. Perhaps a career change towards comedy is the way to go. Meanwhile, Marsden soon stars in HBO’s long-awaited Westworld in October, and Punch was last seen in The Meddler.
NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has a new novel, a new comic book, and wants to save the world. Matt Sardo spoke with the student of Bruce Lee about the current state of the superhero, and how Abdul-Jabbar would like to team up with Ant-Man.
“I don’t think we are losing our moral compass. You get weary; sometimes people give in to fatigue because problems don’t every go away completely. We get rid of one set of problems and here comes another set, but that’s life we have to accept that. That’s just part of what life offers us a continuing stream of problems, but we have the means to deal with it if we want to get things done,” said Abdul-Jabbar.
We ask all our interview guests, ‘If you were to star in a buddy cop film, who would be your partner and why?’ Abdul-Jabbar is the first guest to pick a fictional character.
“I think a contrast, so I guess my partner would be Ant-Man. Somebody that can get real small because I’m real tall. We would deal with both ends of the spectrum,” said Abdul-Jabbar.
The six-time NBA Most Valuable Player had strong words for the NCAA and the NFL.
“I think it is very unfair to the college athletes. The NCAA, the people that are involved in that, they get to make all this money. They make billions of dollars, and the athletes don’t get anything except room, board, and tuition. I think that is a gross disparity, and something needs to be done about it. For a lot of businesses, the NFL really has the college football system as an unpaid minor league. All the people that go into the NFL come from basically college football. I think college athletes are really exploited, and something should be done about it to make their lives a little bit easier. I’m not saying they’re supposed to get rich or anything like that, but just making it possible to go through their college experience and not be poor and struggling all the time. I think that makes a lot of sense,” said Abdul-Jabbar.
Listen to the complete Kareem Abdul-Jabbar interview below.
Check out our review of Mycroft Holmes, and The Apocalypse Handbook #1.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s novel ‘Writings on the Wall’ is available now.
The CW is developing a reboot of the 1987 vampire movie The Lost Boys.
Lost Boys is being adapted as a seven-season anthology series from Veronica Mars and iZombie creator Rob Thomas, Deadline reports.
Each season of the series will take place in a different decade, but would feature the same group of vampires.
The setting and human characters would change, with the show covering 70 years in total. The first season will be set in San Francisco during 1967’s “Summer of Love.”
The announcement comes as The CW prepares for the eighth and final season of its hit show, The Vampire Diaries.
In case you don’t know anything about the original The Lost Boys, here’s the trailer:
It appears that Hugh Jackman has grown the token Wolverine chops for the last time, as production has wrapped on his last Wolverine film. The actor posted a video on Twitter Monday morning, shaving off the iconic look.
It appears the film will be loosely based on the ‘Old Man Logan’ storyline by Mark Millar.
The untittled Wolverine film is directed by James Mangold, and stars Patrick Stewart aswell. The last ride hits theaters on March 3, 2017.
My wife is going to be very happy. #GoodbyeChops #TheDebs pic.twitter.com/CzJFRWR1Sy
— Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) August 22, 2016
Kurt Sutter’s limited series Lucas Stand is halfway through its run, and things are looking rather interesting for our protagonist. Hunting demons, avoiding premature dying, and learning the finer points of interacting with soiled doves definitely made the third issue worth the wait.
So far, the series has been a treat to read, especially if you are a fan of Sons of Anarchy. The roughness of Lucas fits in with Sutter’s anti-hero style. Though I’m certain Stand would give Jax Teller a couple of sleepless nights.
Or they might go for a drink; Sutter is good with pulling out a twist.
It’s nice to see a story not being limited by network censorship or budgets. It makes you wonder how the full narrative of SoA would have been if it was a comic book series first.
Lucas Stand also works in the same philosophy that one is not truly all evil or all good, and that we all fight demons we try to hide from the world. Furthermore, effort we make to erase these sins can sometimes be worse than the guilt we have.
However, there are a couple of bumps in the road with the story. Nothing to take away the joy of the ride, but they are noticeable from what I’ve seen.
One bump is the way the story shifts sharply from one direction to the other, and in some cases it can be a bit disconcerting to the reader. Usually these turns are fleshed out, but they can still confuse the reader if they’re not paying attention.
Second, this is not a story you read for a quick go over. This is very much a thinking man’s story and if one doesn’t go in with that frame of mind, it can take longer for you to enjoy the story.
Finally, if one was going in thinking this would be SoA with monsters, then you may want to rethink that. To his credit, Sutter is not resting on the laurels of his past works. Though I’d love to see an SoA jacket on a background character eventually.
Overall, I am loving this series and I am eagerly looking forward to seeing how the series turns out.
So what do you guys think of the series so far?
So Marvel’s Civil War II event is roughly half way through its overall arc. Lines have been drawn. the teams have collected their respective members. and the final push is about to begin. Having read the main story and a few of the subsequent tie ins, I wanted to discuss the one major weakness throughout the entire event, Ulysses.
Now this is my opinion alone, you will probably have your own thoughts on the character. And perhaps what I don’t like about this guy is the same reason you love him. More power to you. But on my end of the spectrum, he is not a character I’m rooting for.
The first issue I have with the character is how, for being a catalyst of the main arc by Brian Michael Bendis and even in his own series, he doesn’t have much of a presence in the story. He’s a background character who is treated like he’s in the main cast.
Most of the time he’s mentioned in conversations, usually in a passing manner, making his contributions to the story in a very indirect manner. If his role was filled in by an already existing character then it would probably have a greater impact to the narrative.
Even in his own limited series, Ulysses has a very limited role. And most of what he does is react to other characters or just complain. There’s nothing really to him. No depth, no mystery. Just a whiny guy who seems to be the single most important character in the Marvel Universe.
The second issue I have with Ulysses is in his actual character. He’s just so…boring. We never get to know him as a person. So far two of Marvel’s heavy hitters are out and I don’t really think we’ve seen his reaction to the situation. I mean I think he was moping, but to be honest…all he does is mope.
We don’t know why exactly he feels guilty. And I can see how he could feel this after the death of War Machine and the Hulk, but no one seems to give the guy a moment to explain the guilt.
Is he upset he never saw that part of the vision that could’ve saved either hero?
Is he upset that his visions led to their deaths?
Does he feel like maybe he should’ve stayed hidden from the Inhumans?
Maybe he regrets having these powers?
Is his resolve to master his power strengthened or shaken?
None of this is ever explored. Ever!
While not following this example to the letter, they could try and use the example of Cassandra of Greek mythology. Cassandra had the ability of prophecy, but it eventually leads to her downfall and her city of Troy. There is an emotional pull to her tragedy in that she tries to avoid this fate, and it is through this effort that leads to the destruction she is trying to avoid.
You get no such feeling from this guy. And it really hurts the Civil War II story.
Miriam Sharpe, a character introduced in the first Civil War story, and who is strictly a supporting character, pulls more than her weight in the story. She represents the reason for the Registration Act, aside from Tony Stark, and her cause is relatable. It resonates with us, even if we may not be on her side. And when the story is over, you still think of her when you think about Civil War I.
You can’t really say that about Ulysses. Which is sad, because a plethora of Marvel writers are trying to make you care. Really really hard.
I hate to say this about the character, since he’s a creation of one writer I truly respect. And the same for the company, as they have been one I’ve enjoyed reading over the years. But this guy…this guy is just hard to sell to me. And it’s hurting the Civil War II story arc more than it should.
What do guys think of the Civil War II story? Who’s your favorite character so far?
The official trailer for Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side Of Dimensions has been released on Youtube. Watch it down below.
“The stakes have never been higher; the rivalries never as fierce; the risks never so great. One wrong move—one card short—and it’s game over for good. A decade in the making, Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions features new designs and an all-new story from the original creator of the global phenomenon, Kazuki Takahashi. His masterful tale features anime’s most beloved characters in their long-awaited return: Yugi Muto, Seto Kaiba, and their faithful friends Joey Wheeler, Tristan Taylor Téa Gardner, and Bakura.”
The Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise was started with a manga series back in 1996, and was then adapted into two different anime series; one in 1998, and one that aired from 2000-2004. The trading card game remains very popular to this day, as does the franchise as a whole.
Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side Of Dimensions comes out in 2017. A specific release date has not been announed yet.
