It’s been a difficult journey for Project Greenlight, the reality TV series produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Despite a promising return last fall, it has struggled to find viewers outside its niche audience, and that results in today’s bad news. HBO, the pay cable station who produced all four seasons, has decided not to pick up the series for a fifth season. But it might not be all bad just yet.
Although Damon is “shocked” that HBO decided not to host another season, the producer tells AP that they’re currently shopping the reality series around town, notably at the doors of Amazon and Netflix. And I honestly hope someone gives it life again. Although season four wasn’t necessarily its finest hour, it nevertheless remains a gripping, massively entertaining series, filled with juicy behind-the-scenes drama that still provides an enlightening education into the world of independent filmmaking.
Although last year’s season produced the miserably dull The Leisure Class, the season itself was still wickedly fun, and there’s always promise with this premise — especially with Damon and Affleck willing to return. Their older, wiser input on Jason Mann’s directorial debut didn’t make the film any better, but it provided interesting insight into how they’ve grown and challenged themselves as filmmakers, especially as Affleck himself is now a prolific, Oscar-winning director himself.
HBO has had it rough these past few days, particularly with its president Michael Lombardo stepping down a few months back, which might explain why it didn’t get picked up again. That said, it would be a pity to see Project Greenlight end for good this time, although it’s hard to know if season five could produce a narrative as gripping and nail-biting as the rivalry between Mann and producer Effie Brown. We’ll have to wait and see if the series finds another home. It might still produce more bad movies, and its novelty has worn off a little, especially with Starz’s exceptionally underrated The Chair, but it deserves to live in the spotlight for another round.
The second trailer for The Accountant, Ben Affleck’s upcoming thriller, manages to show us a little more of the story while still keeping us at arm’s length. And just when things are feeling a little too generic, this trailer saves itself by tossing Radiohead’s “Everything In It’s Right Place” back into the fold.
Here’s the trailer:
The best thing about this second trailer is it shows off the phenomenal was of The Accountant. Ben Affleck is almost an afterthought here, when you see Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, Jon Bernthal, John Lithgow (!), and Jeffrey Tambor pop up.
This looks like a rarity, the mature adult thriller in the middle of the fall. And, surprisingly, Batfleck is pretty good at mixing these sorts of films into his repertoire. Remember Gone Girl? Totally an adult movie.
The Accountant is directed by Gavin O’Connor (Warrior, Miracle, Pride and Glory) and will hit theaters October 14.
“SINESTRO’S LAW” Chapter One
With no backup and only his ring and battery to keep him alive, Hal Jordan streaks toward battle with the Sinestro Corps, while his greatest foe prepares to wipe the last Green Lantern of them all out of existence!
Writing
Just as it seems like there was a bright side to things and Sinestro was about to kick the bucket, he finds a way turn things around. He restores his power and a new order rises in the form of his yellow ring wielding Sinestro Corps. It’s insane how backed into the corner the good guys are with this one.
Writer Robert Venditti has helped to craft a perfect story for new and old fans of Green Lantern. The entire universe seems to have it out for them, and no one knows how they are going to turn it around. This makes the series even more of an intense read and helps it be one of the best series so far to come from the DC Rebirth event.
Artwork
This book’s art is brought together thanks to the team of Rafa Sandaval, Jordi Tarragona, and Tomeu Morey, and thanks to their efforts they have created a fantastic issue. The most notable pages of this glorious comic are when they show Sinestro back to full power and addressing the crowd. He appears like a tyrant commanding his army, and it helps to send chills down the spines of all who read it.
Conclusion
With multiple comics featuring Green Lanterns being published by DC it’s important for each to have a specific focus. This issue launches by showing how its main attention will be on the cosmic side of the universe, and showing how the Hal and his friends have a lot of work ahead of them. They will have to get their home back and become the rightful peacekeepers of the universe once more. It sounds like a fantastic journey and fans are going to love it.
An earth-shattering power has come to life in the jungles of South America, and Team Quest and Birdman race the forces of F.E.A.R. to reach it first! There they find time ripped apart in a lost valley where dinosaurs and cavemen run wild once more as the ancient legend of Mightor is revealed! Only the shipwrecked aliens Jan and Jace hold the secrets of what fate awaits our world, but as a force led by Jezebel Jade attacks, what new hero will rise?
Writing
Don’t believe the description for this book. It wasn’t the story which took place at all in the issue. Instead of focusing on Team Quest and adventuring to South America, this issue of Future Quest decides to take a step back and presents two prequel stories. The first showcases Birdman as he works with his partner for the first time while they start to explore his origin. The second does the same, but with the Herculoids, helping to explain their backstory to a new generation who may never have heard it before.
Jeff Parker serves as write on both of these stories which really helps to showcase just how much thought he has put into this world he has built with these character. They simply aren’t appearing out of nowhere without rhyme or reason. Instead, he has taken the time to individually give backstories and motivations to some of the well known characters who may never have had a proper origin before. From these stories alone it’s easy to tell he has a big story to tell with this series.
Artwork
There two different art teams at work here, one for each story. The Birdman section is by Steve Rude and Steven Buccellato who seem to have been going for an old fashion action comic feel for the story. They succeed in making a very visually appealing throwback.
The Herculoids story was done thanks to Karl Kessel, Aaron Lopresti, and Hi-Fi. Instead of trying for some kind of homage they simply deliver a very contrasting vision between the team who fight without technology and the robotic force they fight against. It’s full of great detail which really helps to set up the origin of the characters.
Conclusion
This issue is fun and helps to show the details they are putting into this series. Now maybe we can finally get back to the story proper, and they can finally introduce Mightor like they have been talking about in the descriptions for the last two books.
Captain Fantastic is easily one of 2016’s most compelling and thought-provoking dramas. Inspiring and complex, it examines nothing less that what it means to be a father, through the eyes of a man who some might say is doing everything right, while others for very good reasons might say he’s doing just the opposite.
Brought to life by a talented cast led by Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises, A History of Violence) the film is full of humor, heart, and heartache. It covers and evokes a remarkable range of emotions, all with grace, charm, and earnestness.
In short, Captain Fantastic lives up to its title, though not in the way the superhero sound of it might imply.
What’s it about?
Somewhere deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, Ben Cash (Mortensen) has created his own version of paradise. Along with his wife Leslie (Trin Miller), he’s raised six children in a hand-crafted, self-sufficient wilderness home, all without the modern conveniences most people consider indispensable.
By day, the family exercises and trains their bodies to help them stay healthy and self-sufficient. They grow, hunt, or make for themselves what they can, and what they can’t they sell handmade goods in order to buy.
At night, they eat, read, and talk together around a fire. The parents’ curriculum for their kids includes literature, government, science, philosophy, and languages. No question goes unanswered, and no answer gets sugar-coated.
Perhaps most importantly, no discussion is considered off-limits. Whether its seven-year-old Nai (Charlie Shotwell) asking why a man and woman would want to have sex, or 12-year-old Rellian (Nicholas Hamilton) rebelling against the family celebrating philosopher Noam Chomsky’s birthday while shunning Christmas, Ben does his best to communicate, to foster understanding, and to guide.
However, a tragedy draws the Cash family out of their isolation and into contact with people living “normal” lives. As they journey further away from their paradise, the limits of what Ben’s provided to his family slowly become clear.
Further, others like Ben’s sister Harper (Kathryn Hahn) and father-in-law Jack (Frank Langella) come to question Ben’s judgement. For all his good intentions, they fear he doesn’t protect the children enough, that they aren’t safe with him.
Are they right? Ben doesn’t want to believe it — he believes in what he’s doing, and the love behind it.
But what if they are right, and he’s been wrong all along? Will his belief lead the family to another tragedy?
Writing, directorial vision stand out
Writer/director Matt Ross (28 Hotel Rooms) informs his script for Captain Fantastic with poignant and compelling questions for the audience. What does it mean to be a parent? What is a parent’s role in preparing children for adult life? How much of the world’s harsher realities should a parent shield their children from, and for how long?
Heavy stuff, no doubt, but Ross delivers it all with a light touch. There’s humor at every turn, in particular with how the children respond to things like junk food, video games, and the fact that everyone else in the so-called “real world” looks so fat and sedentary.
But for all those funny and sometimes awkward moments, there’s powerful emotion, as well. This family’s love for one another is fierce, and every member of the ensemble deserves credit for making that love and devotion feel real.
But no one deserves that credit more than Viggo Mortensen.
Mortensen’s best?
Mortensen clearly threw himself into the role of Ben with the same commitment he’s shown in so many other memorable roles. As Ben, he projects gentle, quiet strength as well as integrity, intelligence, and warmth.
But he’s also stubborn, and at times slow to perceive what others see clear as day. Mortensen delivers all of this character complexity with signature conviction and charisma. He’s the bedrock upon which the whole film rests, and thanks to the solidity of his work, the film works in every meaningful way.
The cast behind Mortensen shines, as well, thanks in part to Ross’s script giving every character depth and nuance. Hahn, Langella, and Steve Zahn make the most of limited screen time, their characters shaped and grounded by beliefs in line with the social mainstream and thus in direct opposition to everything Ben stands for.
The younger members of the ensemble, meanwhile, all have opportunities to stand out, delivering some of the film’s funniest moments as well as some of its most challenging ones. Watch for scenes involving Ben’s eldest, Bo (George MacKay) struggling to maintain a basic conversation with a cute girl (Erin Moriarty), and Nai schooling boys twice her age on what the Bill of Rights is and what it really means.
Worth seeing?
All that said, Captain Fantastic is easily one of the year’s ten best so far, and it is certainly worth your time and the price of admission. Especially now, when midsummer bombast and expensive action extravaganzas dominate the box office, it can serve as perfect counter-programming.
Captain Fantastic
Starring Viggo Mortensen, Frank Langella, George MacKay, Samantha Isler, Annalise Basso, Nicholas Hamilton, Shree Crooks, Charlie Shotwell, Ann Dowd, Erin Moriarty, Missi Pyle, with Kathryn Hahn and Steve Zahn. Directed by Matt Ross.
Running Time: 118 minutes
Rated R for language and brief graphic nudity.
Split, the new thriller from M. Night Shyamalan, has a new trailer. In it, you will spot James McAvoy, James McAvoy, and James McAvoy. With a cameo from James McAvoy. You see, Split appears to be a horror film about a person unrealistically suffering from split personality disorder.
Just see for yourself:
This looks nuts. It also looks like it might be just insane enough to be so bad it’s good. As for it being flat-out good, well, there’s that January release date. And the visual evidence here. This looks like a whole ton of bad ideas wrapped up in an insane package of chaos. Don’t let that music from The Invitation fool you, there will be no subtle thrills here. Only madness, a la Raising Cain. Except Brian De Palma is nowhere to be found.
Shyamalan made a mini comeback last year with the decent found-footage horror The Visit, and I’m not sure what to do with this. There are some visual easter eggs, like the yellow flowers, that will undoubtedly turn out to be important in an absurd way; it’s the Shyamalan way. And James McAvoy sure seems to be having a lot of fun playing 23 personalities wrapped into one ham.
The Red Hood has survived the Rebirth and is ready to shake some things up. The titular anti-hero has a plan which looks to get him into more trouble than ever before. His Rebirth issue helped to perfectly set up what fans can expect to come from his new series, and it looks like it will be a fantastic ride.
Now it’s time to take a look through the issue and find the best moments from Red Hood And the Outlaws: Rebirth. With so much intense action, it’s hard to decide on which is the best but here they are.
5. The Mission
Thanks to a visit from Batman, Jason Todd’s new mission is laid out in detail for all to see. His game plan is to go undercover and become welcomed into the criminal underworld. It’s a dangerous plan but one which could be pay off in the long run. Still, Batman is there to drop his distaste for the idea and let Jason know that he will be there to bring Jason in the second it feels like he has gone off the deep end. The scene just helps to enforce how difficult this new plan will be.
4. Death In The Family
As Jason keeps flashbacking through his past, he touches upon the most infamous moment in his career, his death. Yes, the incident where Batman first lost one of his wards in the heat of battle thanks to the Joker. The artwork helps to perfectly capture the moment and the emotional intensity which came from this scene. It’s a powerful image to say the least.
3. Jason’s Origin
Sure the “Death in the Family” recreation was intense, but the first part of the issue, which shows Jason’s origin, steals the show. Showing how desperate he was to stay alive, as he was willing to steal the tires off the Batmobile, it takes things a step deeper. From there, it shows Batman and Jason on the hood of the car enjoying a burger together, one of the first meals the kid had eaten in days. It’s a touching moment which makes you feel for the character as he really doesn’t have many happy moments in his character history.
2. Batman Vs. Red Hood
As Red Hood looks to have gone off the deep end, who is there to stop him but his old mentor. Batman arrives, and the two of them go head to head in a very intense fight scene. It’s too good to spoil by describing but it easy took the second spot on this list thanks to how powerful it was.
1. The Photo
What can steal the number one spot away from a master fighting his former student? A look at the love which still exists between the two of them. Yes, the issue ends with showing, despite his resentment for Bruce, Jason still keeps the photo Alfred took to commemorate him becoming Robin. Regardless of him being unable to forgive Bruce for not getting the proper revenge on the Joker, Jason wishes things could be the way they used to be and is trying his best to show Bruce he’s still worthy of all the time and attention he was given.
What did you think of the preface to the new Red Hood and The Outlaws series? Are you looking forward to it? Leave a comment below and as always keep reading Monkeys Fighting Robots for all the comic book coverage you can handle.
After everyone saw Captain America: Civil War, a name was surely on their mind: Spider-Man. Tom Holland brought comic accuracy and humor to the character, something we hadn’t seen much of before. The director of the upcoming Spidey flick, Jon Watts, commented on the character’s place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe:
“If the Avengers Tower is the penthouse and we know what it’s like to be a millionaire, billionaire playboy to be Tony or we know what it’s like to be a God on another planet, that’s the penthouse level of the MCU. Spider-Man is the ground floor. What does a high school in the MCU look like? What does riding the subway in the MCU feel like? Spider-Man seems like the most perfect opportunity because he’s the most regular person in the canon that I thought he was a great chance to show what that angle of the MCU feels like.”
Spider-Man: Homecoming hits theaters on July 7, 2017, and features a giant cast you can read about right here.
The live-action Pokemon movie in the works is almost assured to be an adaptation of the anime, not the game series. A new adaptation of the games would be amazing, but that probably won’t ever happen. Pokemon Adventures, also published as Pokemon Special, is a comic based on the game series as a whole and has the best storyline of any Pokemon adaptation. There are several story elements in Pokemon Adventures that would be great to see a live-action film series.
One: Gym Leader Civil War
In Adventures, the Kanto gym leaders are split into two different factions: a group of Team Rocket officers and an opposing group allied with Red, the game/comic protagonist. That plotline added realism to the world building and provided compelling and dangerous villains to the story without the need to create new characters.
Two: Physicality of Pokemon Training
In contrast to the turn-based game system, in Adventures Pokemon battles are incredibly complex and violent fights that require tactics and physical strength from the trainer. Trainers use lot of tricks in combat. Bruno actually treated pokemon training as a martial art trained with his pokemon. That portrayal of battles also adds realism and made fight scenes much more intense and interesting.
Three: Some Humans Have Powers
Several humans in Adventures have superhuman abilities. A notable example is yellow who was granted psychic powers by the “Viridian Forest” allowing her to communicate with Pokemon and heal them. Giving humans supernatural powers played up the fantasy elements in the Pokemon universe.
Four: Cater To A Wide Audience.
There are at least thousands of people who grew up with Pokemon who and are now in their 20s. They are a significant target audience for a movie. Adventures did a wonderful job of making the story accessible to kids and appealing to a wider more mature audience.
With all these elements incorporated in the production, a live-action Pokemon movie would amazing. A lot of people would be interested in it. Hopefully Legendary Pictures has some of this ideas in mind.
Rom the Spaceknight has made his return to comics with an action packed first issue. The metal hero has come to Earth in an effort to pursue his sworn enemy, the Dire Wraiths, who have the ability to disguise themselves as humans. With the use of his Neutralizer he sets out to eliminate the alien invaders wherever they may hide.
With Rom now hunting for Wraiths, it’s time to look at the first issue of his new series and pick its top five best moments.
SPOILER ALERT
5. Rom on Camera
As Rom moves to take out a few Dire Wraiths masquerading as humans, he finds himself being confronted by Earth’s greatest weapon, The Smartphone. Yes, as Rom is trying to do his job, people are quick to pull out phones and record him in a way which looks like he is on a rampage. This type of negative press won’t do anything to help Rom’s mission on Earth.
4. Interrogation
As one of eyewitnesses of Rom’s arrival is brought in and confronted about what happens, it quickly becomes clear there is more going on behind the scenes. The soldier in question discovers far too late that he is being interrogated by Dire Wraiths, who make short work of him after getting the answers they want. This scene just helped to show just how far the alien infiltration goes and just what the enemy is capable of.
3. Neutralized
Within moments of being on Earth, Rom uses his Energy Analyzer to expose one of the soldiers as being a Dire Wraith. Soon, the Wraith transforms into his full form and charges at Rom. Wasting no time in trying to talk things out, Rom deploys his Neutralizer and blows the alien menace away. The Spaceknight has come to kick butt and chew bubblegum and he’s all outta bubblegum.
2. Yo Joe!
As the higher up Dire Wraiths work to take out Rom, they realize they can’t mess around. They instead try to bring in the big guns. In this case the big guns are G.I. Joe, who are going to be front and center in the next issue. With the IDW event “Revolution” starting, the different properties of IDW are about to cross over with one another. It looks like Rom is soon going to have to deal with the Joes who believe him to be an alien invader instead of a Spaceknight come to save the world.
1. Nowhere to run
In a very brutal scene, Rom confronts a young soldier named Darby who has just come back from service. Unfortunately, her entire family has been replaced by Dire Wraiths. Darby can do nothing but watch as Rom destroys the beings which are posing as her family be destroyed one by one. It’s an intense scene, but definitely one fans will be talking about as the new series ventures forward, which is why it earned the number one spot on this list.
What did you think of the new Rom series? What were your favorite moments? Leave a comment below and let us know how much you love the return of Rom to comics.
One: Gym Leader Civil War
REVIEW: ‘Captain Fantastic’ an inspired look at fatherhood
Captain Fantastic is easily one of 2016’s most compelling and thought-provoking dramas. Inspiring and complex, it examines nothing less that what it means to be a father, through the eyes of a man who some might say is doing everything right, while others for very good reasons might say he’s doing just the opposite.
Brought to life by a talented cast led by Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises, A History of Violence) the film is full of humor, heart, and heartache. It covers and evokes a remarkable range of emotions, all with grace, charm, and earnestness.
In short, Captain Fantastic lives up to its title, though not in the way the superhero sound of it might imply.
What’s it about?
Somewhere deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, Ben Cash (Mortensen) has created his own version of paradise. Along with his wife Leslie (Trin Miller), he’s raised six children in a hand-crafted, self-sufficient wilderness home, all without the modern conveniences most people consider indispensable.
By day, the family exercises and trains their bodies to help them stay healthy and self-sufficient. They grow, hunt, or make for themselves what they can, and what they can’t they sell handmade goods in order to buy.
At night, they eat, read, and talk together around a fire. The parents’ curriculum for their kids includes literature, government, science, philosophy, and languages. No question goes unanswered, and no answer gets sugar-coated.
Perhaps most importantly, no discussion is considered off-limits. Whether its seven-year-old Nai (Charlie Shotwell) asking why a man and woman would want to have sex, or 12-year-old Rellian (Nicholas Hamilton) rebelling against the family celebrating philosopher Noam Chomsky’s birthday while shunning Christmas, Ben does his best to communicate, to foster understanding, and to guide.
However, a tragedy draws the Cash family out of their isolation and into contact with people living “normal” lives. As they journey further away from their paradise, the limits of what Ben’s provided to his family slowly become clear.
Further, others like Ben’s sister Harper (Kathryn Hahn) and father-in-law Jack (Frank Langella) come to question Ben’s judgement. For all his good intentions, they fear he doesn’t protect the children enough, that they aren’t safe with him.
Are they right? Ben doesn’t want to believe it — he believes in what he’s doing, and the love behind it.
But what if they are right, and he’s been wrong all along? Will his belief lead the family to another tragedy?
Writing, directorial vision stand out
Writer/director Matt Ross (28 Hotel Rooms) informs his script for Captain Fantastic with poignant and compelling questions for the audience. What does it mean to be a parent? What is a parent’s role in preparing children for adult life? How much of the world’s harsher realities should a parent shield their children from, and for how long?
Heavy stuff, no doubt, but Ross delivers it all with a light touch. There’s humor at every turn, in particular with how the children respond to things like junk food, video games, and the fact that everyone else in the so-called “real world” looks so fat and sedentary.
But for all those funny and sometimes awkward moments, there’s powerful emotion, as well. This family’s love for one another is fierce, and every member of the ensemble deserves credit for making that love and devotion feel real.
But no one deserves that credit more than Viggo Mortensen.
Mortensen’s best?
Mortensen clearly threw himself into the role of Ben with the same commitment he’s shown in so many other memorable roles. As Ben, he projects gentle, quiet strength as well as integrity, intelligence, and warmth.
But he’s also stubborn, and at times slow to perceive what others see clear as day. Mortensen delivers all of this character complexity with signature conviction and charisma. He’s the bedrock upon which the whole film rests, and thanks to the solidity of his work, the film works in every meaningful way.
The cast behind Mortensen shines, as well, thanks in part to Ross’s script giving every character depth and nuance. Hahn, Langella, and Steve Zahn make the most of limited screen time, their characters shaped and grounded by beliefs in line with the social mainstream and thus in direct opposition to everything Ben stands for.
The younger members of the ensemble, meanwhile, all have opportunities to stand out, delivering some of the film’s funniest moments as well as some of its most challenging ones. Watch for scenes involving Ben’s eldest, Bo (George MacKay) struggling to maintain a basic conversation with a cute girl (Erin Moriarty), and Nai schooling boys twice her age on what the Bill of Rights is and what it really means.
Worth seeing?
All that said, Captain Fantastic is easily one of the year’s ten best so far, and it is certainly worth your time and the price of admission. Especially now, when midsummer bombast and expensive action extravaganzas dominate the box office, it can serve as perfect counter-programming.
Captain Fantastic
Starring Viggo Mortensen, Frank Langella, George MacKay, Samantha Isler, Annalise Basso, Nicholas Hamilton, Shree Crooks, Charlie Shotwell, Ann Dowd, Erin Moriarty, Missi Pyle, with Kathryn Hahn and Steve Zahn. Directed by Matt Ross.
Running Time: 118 minutes
Rated R for language and brief graphic nudity.