Broad Green Pictures released the first trailer for ‘Bad Santa 2’ Tuesday afternoon. This trailer is not safe for work. The first ‘Bad Santa’ was released in 2003 (We still had Bernie Mac back then).
‘Bad Santa 2’ returns Billy Bob Thornton to the screen as America’s favorite anti-hero, Willie Soke. Fueled by cheap whiskey, greed and hatred, Willie teams up once again with his angry little sidekick, Marcus (Tony Cox), to knock off a Chicago charity on Christmas Eve. Along for the ride is ‘the kid’ – chubby and cheery Thurman Merman (Brett Kelly), a 250-pound ray of sunshine who brings out Willie’s sliver of humanity.
Mommy issues arise when the pair are joined by Kathy Bates, as Willie’s horror story of a mother, Sunny Soke. A super butch super bitch, Sunny raises the bar for the gang’s ambitions, while somehow lowering the standards of criminal behavior. Willie is further burdened by lusting after the curvaceous and prim Diane, played by Christina Hendricks, the charity director with a heart of gold and libido of steel.
Mark Waters directs ‘Bad Santa 2’ from a screenplay by Johnny Rosenthal and Shauna Cross, based on characters by Glenn Ficarra & John Requa. The bar is lowered on November 23.
We’ve given you the “new” lists for Netflix and Amazon Prime Video this month, now it’s Hulu’s turn. The streaming service is beefing up as a cable alternative, and whether you pay for Plus or not there’s tons to check out this August.
Television Series (And Seasons) On Hulu
The month kicked off with season 2 of the FX series You’re The Worst. Season 2 of the smash-hit Steven Universe was added on the 4th (yay!) and the most meme-ed documentary series ever, Ancient Aliens, got three additional seasons (7–9) added today.
A Nice Clean Screenshot for your Meme-ing pleasure
Reality TV junkies can rejoice knowing Basketball Wives L.A., Dance Moms, Beyond Scared Straight and Intervention were updated on August 7th (season 5 premiere), and August 9th (seasons 5, 4, and 14, respectively). The Season 5B premiere of Catfish will go live on the 24th, as well.
Hulu original series Casual gets its season 2 finale on August 23rd, as well.
Other television coming to Hulu this month includes:
August 2
Running Wild With Bear Grylls (Season 3 Premiere)
August 3
Bachelor in Paradise (Season 3 Premiere) Adam Devine’s House Party (Complete Season 3) W (Series Premiere)
August 8
T.I &Tiny (Season 5B Premiere)
August 9
Jane Wants a Boyfriend Street Dance Family
August 10
Bachelor in Paradise: After Paradise (Season 3 Premiere)
August 13
The Wine Show (Complete Season 1/U.S. Premiere) The Gift
August 15
Bastard Executioner (Series Premiere)
August 18
Black Jesus (Complete Season 2)
August 24
Bella and Bulldogs (Complete Season 2) Better Late Than Never (Season 1 Premiere)
August 31
Despertar Contigo (Series Premiere) The Investigation (Series Premiere)
Our Top Picks for Hulu Movies in August
The month kicked off with some great throwbacks, including Beavis and Butt-Head Do America, Beverly Hills Cop, all three Robocops and both Bill & Ted movies. War/action standard Black Hawk Down, sci-fi hit Cloverfield and horror classics The Silence of the Lambs and The Hills Have Eyes are around for those of you with an illin’ for genre films.
Family Films
Another 80’s throwback, the original Care Bears Movie, stands along with Shaun the Sheep for young family-friendly titles. Shaun hits Hulu on August 10th, and we’ve already recommended it in our Prime Video update. However, both Legally Blonde films and Runaway Bride are on Hulu for slightly older kids, too. Disney Channel originals Avalon High, Cloud 9, Dadnapped, Gotta Kick It Up! (featuring a young America Ferrera), Life Is Ruff, and Twitches were all added on the 2nd.
Comic Book Titles
Kevin Smith fans can revel in Chasing Amy, Clerks, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back this month before diving into some Marvel animated classics. Hulk Vs., Planet Hulk, The Invincible Iron Man, Thor: Tales of Asgard, Ultimate Avengers and Ultimate Avengers 2 all hit Hulu last week, as well.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. viewers may want to check out Ghost Rider when it hits Hulu on August 12th, before the flaming biker joins the series in the fall.
Still looking for more? See below for the rest of the movies coming to Hulu this month.
August 1
A.R.C.H.I.E The Best Man A Good Woman The Accused Body Coffee and Cigarettes Death Do Us Part Disturbing Behavior Dr. Strange Enough Erotic Getaway Foot Fist Way Frank and Jesse How She Move Joe the King Kalifornia Kicking and Screaming Larry Gaye: Renegade Flight Attendant Lars and the Real Girl Lenny Cooke The Limey Little Odessa Marathon Man Permanent Midnight Phat Beach Pope of Greenwich Village The Puffy Chair Rush Shattered Sister Six Shooter Species Species 2 Species 3 Split Decisions Stake Land Tales From the Darkside Trees Lounge Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married? The Usual Suspects The Virgin Suicides Wicker Park Wonder Boys
August 11
American Ultra Michael Ian Black: Noted Expert
August 12
Casino Royale Dancing in Jaffa Godfrey: Regular Black Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation Mr. Accident Proxy Rocky Balboa Things You Can Tell Just By Looking at Her
August 13
The Gift
August 16
Save the Date
August 20
King Georges Strange Wilderness
August 26
Young & Beautiful
Thanks to Vulture for the complete list of Hulu films and TV.
Arrow and The Flash are about to have their worlds turned upside down this fall, but as to how much the Flashpoint Paradox will affect Arrow, Supergirl, or Legends of Tomorrow is yet to be seen. According to Comicbook, Stephen Amell was in the mood to teaseArrow Season 5, The Flash Season 3, and Legends of Tomorrow Season 2 spoilers, but as usual it was quite cryptic. Arrow star Stephen Amell took to Twitter to tease “boots on the ground,” as he called it.
Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, White Canary, and The Atom are all represented in a vague set photo opportunity that seems to show that the massive DCTV crossover event, that has been teased prior, is already filming.
Arrow and The Flash fans have yet to find out whether the Season 3 Flashpoint Paradox synopsis will be a part of this massive crossover event or not. That would, however, wrap up this new venture in a nice little epic bow.
Though so little is known about the Flashpoint Paradox, and its effect on Arrow, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow, reports have surfaced that there will be a unifying big bad for the DCTV Universe. Arrow producer Greg Berlanti explained this much, Comicbook reports.
“I’m going to probably try to have one unifying threat, as opposed to different things on different ones, which is what the first year was.”
Who or what this unifying threat could be is unknown, so it is possible that Arrow and The Flash fans might have to wait until October to find out. Speaking of the Flashpoint Paradox, and its effect on The Flash characters, The Flash Season 3 will see the appearance of Caitlyn Snow’s mother.
Reports indicate that Susan Walters will be playing mama Snow, but so far, she will only be dropping by for one episode. The other DCTV Universe shows are unlikely to have her, but she could become a reoccurring character on The Flash. Walters is no stranger to the CW, as she has appeared in The Vampire Diaries and Star-Crossed.
Will the Flashpoint Paradox really stretch over the entire DCTV Universe? Will the CW’s crop of DC Comics characters really be coming together to face one massive enemy in a crossover event?
How Will The Final Chapter In The Epic Resident Evil Saga End? With Tons Of Ass Kicking!
We finally have our first look at the newest and final Resident Evil film. We have followed Alice, our main character played by Milla Jovovich, through Raccoon City and Umbrella Labs. But as she makes her final stand, she returns to Raccoon City to finish what she started.
The film looks as over-the-top and insane as previous installments but I believe this could be the most ridiculous yet!
‘Resident Evil: The Final Chapter‘ is scheduled to be released January 2017!
Will you be seeing the finale of Alice vs zombies in theaters?
Let me know in the comments below on what you thought of the trailer.
Netflix Tuesday morning released the latest trailer for Marvel’s ‘Luke Cage,’ and quickly paid homage to the character’s original look (See above photo).
“The world is ready for a bulletproof black man,” said showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker today at Comic-Con. “It’s got a ’90s vibe but very much of today, and I can’t wait for you to see more of it.”
‘Luke Cage’ stars Mike Colter, Mahershala Ali, Frankie Faison, and Simone Missick. The 13-episode series drops on Netflix September 30.
The supernatural possessed San Diego Comic-Con 2016 when Destination America hosted its Super Supernatural Press Conference and Panel. The press conference featured Nick Groff and Katrina Weidman of Paranormal Lockdown, Adam Berry and Amy Bruni of Kindred Spirits and the ‘godfather of the paranormal’ John Zaffis from Haunted Collector. The group was there to talk about their various experiences within the paranormal, new upcoming shows, and Destination America’s October programming “Ghostober.”
Nick and Katrina talked about what they want to get out of their show, Paranormal Lockdown, and how it takes them to some very dangerous places.
“I want to document the holy grail. Our goal is to document something that is paranormal and out of this world that we don’t fully understand. Unfortunately, sometimes those are very sinister locations,” Nick said.
He also believes that the paranormal has changed in the last several years.
“It’s not at the point anymore where we’re out to prove ghosts exist or disprove ghosts exist. We’re like in the middle trying to discover something new like a scientist trying to discover a new planet,” Nick said.
While Nick and Katrina seek out the darkest and most dangerous locations, Amy and Adam take their new show, Kindred Spirits, in a different direction. They go to the homes of people that are dealing with hauntings to try and help.
“Right now we’re dealing with families and it’s really interesting to see to see how each of them deal with haunting depending on their culture, their religion, what they’ve been dealing with in the past. … That effects even these small homes we’re investigating,” Amy said about how everyone they meet handles the hauntings differently.
“It’s kind of re-adjusting their way of thought to a more a more practical and I guess more explained kind of way so they can really live,” Adam added. “There was a woman, we just did a case, where she didn’t live in half her house. Half the house she shut the door and was like ‘I’m not even going to go in there’ It’s about finding what’s there so she can cope and live in her house.”
Since they are working on a much more personal level, Adam admits that they sometimes look for information in odd places.
“Don’t be afraid to go through someone’s bedside table,” Adam said. “The reason I say this is because we have to investigate the ghost but we also have to figure out who the client is. They tell us a lot of information but we also find a lot of information on their family, their history, their genealogy, where they come from and who they are. … It’s about helping both sides. It’s about being a therapist for the ghosts.” It’s very important to Amy and Adam that they give families accurate information one way or another. “It is terrifying because you’re dealing with families and their emotions and you don’t want to give them any wrong information because they are going to latch onto anything you tell them,” he said.
The discussion of equipment was brought up and how the paranormal has changed over the years.
“Going back to your original question of ‘how has the paranormal changed’. I’ve seen so many more scientists [say] “hey I’m going to put myself out there because I think there’s something going on”. They get involved and they get excited about the field and that’s exciting for me because it’s giving legitimacy and validation for all these people that have had these experiences,” Katrina said.
John was in the room with the most experience as he spent a good portion of his childhood ghost hunting with his Uncle and Aunt, Ed and Lorraine Warren.
“It’s interesting and you have to keep an open mind with all this because your theories, your logic, things change. If it doesn’t and you get stagnant … we’re not going to gain any knowledge,” John said.
“I feel like the more we do this the less we know,” Amy added.
Paranormal Lockdown will air the longest investigation on Friday, October 28th on Destination America. Nick and Katrina talked about the location, the Black Monk House, in England and how they are going about preparing for such a legendary location.
Kindred Spirits will premiere on Destination America this fall.
Haunted Collector airs Tuesday at 10/9c on Destination America.
The full press conference is a great discussion with lots more information for the paranormal fanatic including shared experiences, how much research they all put into their investigations and even some tips for any novice hunters.
Ever so often an episode comes along of such quality it reminds everyone of how not only how excellent this series can be but how its on a level of its in terms of quality. This episode features the perfect mix of character, action, and intrigue. The character portion is unique because it shows the distinct bond Steven and Amethyst have. Steven isn’t like any human being on the planet and this makes it hard for him to relate to anyone. Amethyst as a Quartz Gem was supposed to be bigger and stronger like Jasper. In Steven’s own words, “It sucks.” Still by trusting in one another they are able to relieve each other of this terrible feeling.
The action of this episode is highlighted by the introduction of a new fusion. Steven and Amethyst become Smokey Quartz, who has the ability to combine a shield and a whip into a yo-yo of death, similar to the old Rygar arcade games. It’s impressive to see how their new abilities are able to have them face off against Jasper.
There is also a lot of new revelations about the series which are lightly touched upon. First it’s revealed there was a fourth Diamond. The Diamonds, the highest class of Gem in existence was thought to be made up of only three individuals: Blue Diamond, Yellow Diamond, and White Diamond. Jasper makes it known a fourth diamond, Pink Diamond, not only existed but her downfall was caused by Rose Quartz. Second, it’s shown Gem corruption can occur without involvement by the Diamond as Jasper starts to become corrupted by her own inability to accept what is happening to her. This could mean any Gem could become corrupted if they found themselves unable to cope with the world around them and it may very well affect the Crystal Gems later in the series.
With only two episodes left, let’s hope they are as good if not better than this one. Such a feat may be hard to accomplish as this episode was hands down one of the best of the season.
It’s time to once again visit the barn and check in on Peridot and Lapis. Their relationship has definitely changed from what it was the last time they are on screen together. Now they appear to be acting like a pair of college roommates, complete with bonding over a TV show they both enjoy. Also, the two of them have taken up making postmodern art as a way to express themselves. Peridot has also been training herself on how to use her newfound telekinetic powers but unfortunately it’s appears she still has a ways to go before she’s able to properly use them in combat. The two really are acting like individuals who are living away from home for the first time and are still figuring out how to live by their own means.
A new location is also introduced called the Beta Kindergarten, the area where Jasper was created on Earth. It’s always interesting whenever other areas are introduced in Steven Universe’s world. It helps to establish how global the Gem war was and how it everything was affected when it went down.
There is also a great deal of set up here for Jasper, as it builds up she is not only a perfect Quartz soldier but she also has been building an army of wild Gems to do her bidding. It will be interesting to see how the team is able to properly deal with her in the episode which follows it.
This episode really packs a lot into the small running time. It shows a lot of good character development and sets up for a confrontation to occur in the next episode. It’s one of the better episodes and hopefully will be followed up by one just as entertaining.
If you’ve seen Suicide Squad this weekend, you’ve been introduced to a myriad of new characters, and the most important character is one who wears a business suit.
Waller presents Task Force X photo: WB
Amanda Waller, portrayed by Emmy winner Viola Davis, is the Director of A.R.G.U.S. and convinces the government to establish Task Force X, better known as the Suicide Squad. Waller presents a harsh reality, that with more metahumans appearing, bad things happen, and having metahumans available and under government control to combat these things is a good option.
In a world that is demanding better and more fleshed out depictions of female characters, Amanda Waller is as good as it gets. She is a fine alternative to a certain face painted glorified domestic violence victim. Amanda Waller is capable, highly intelligent, not portrayed as a sex or fetish object, and takes ZERO guff from anyone, no matter who they are or what they can do. None of the candidates for Task Force X have any reason to work for her, so she provides incentive. Time off their collective prison sentences, but not without a caveat, a micro explosive planted in their necks to prevent any escape attempts.
Viola Davis as Amanda Waller photo: Fanpop / Warner Bros.
Waller’s relationship with most anyone has her in a favorable position, holding all the cards. Sitting in a room full of generals and advisers, she commands respect. Her relationship with Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) seems softer than most, but she positioned Flag to get close to June Moone, aka Enchantress, to keep a close eye on her. She even convinces Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) to do a favor for her and even offers some advice at the end of their meeting – “maybe you should stop working nights”.
If you walk out of Suicide Squad, and don’t want to see more of Amanda Waller owning every scene she is in, then you have clearly watched a different movie, and I don’t think we can be friends anymore.
Amanda Waller holds all the cards and has most of the angles covered, and she’s going to be around for a while. Viola Davis has confirmed she has signed on to play Waller for at least 3 films.
Growing up, The Phantom Tollbooth was one of my favorite books. It captured my heart and imagination like few other books could outside of Roald Dahl’s bibliography. The 1961 children’s novel is a perfectly-suited fit for the big screen, but it, of course, doesn’t come without its fair share of challenges. Warner Bros. tried and failed to bring it to the screen with Gary Ross (The Hunger Games, Free States of Jones) at the helm, but nothing ultimately came through. But that’s not stopping TriStar from taking another swing at the bat. They’ve just acquired the rights to Norton Juster’s timeless classic.
TriStar Pictures studio executive Nicole Brown acquired the rights from WB last week, as reported by The Tracking Board (via ScreenRant), and they’ve hired rising writer Michael Vukadinovich to tackle the screenplay. Vukadinovich’s first produced film, Rememory, is set to hit theaters soon, while his spec, The Three Misfortunes of Gepetto, found its way onto the Black List a few years back before the actual script itself landed on 2014’s Young & Hungry List. He’s also currently adapting Matthew Quick’s Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock, which Channing Tatum and Reid Carolin have considered making his directorial debut.
There’s no director attached at this time. Donald De Line and Ed McDonnell are set to produce, however, and hopefully they’ll get more traction on this one than WB ever did. Of course, if it does come together, it won’t be the first time the book — illustrated by Jules Feiffer — made it onto the big screen. An animated version, directed by Chuck Jones, Abe Levitow and Dave Monahan, was made in 1970, although Juster largely dismissed that version.
Hopefully, the 87-year-old ultimately makes this one more than the last adaptation. This book has the serious potential to become something as beloved as Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz by general audiences.
Another 80’s throwback, the original Care Bears Movie, stands along with Shaun the Sheep for young family-friendly titles. Shaun hits Hulu on August 10th, and we’ve already recommended it in our 
Kevin Smith fans can revel in Chasing Amy, Clerks, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back this month before diving into some Marvel animated classics. Hulk Vs., Planet Hulk, The Invincible Iron Man, Thor: Tales of Asgard, Ultimate Avengers and Ultimate Avengers 2 all hit Hulu last week, as well.
