‘He-Man’ Returns After 30 Years To SDCC

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July 18, 2016

By the power of Grayskull! Super7, the group behind M.U.S.C.L.E. and Super Shogun have gone into the cartoon business. They have produced the first episode of the original He-Man And The Masters of The Universe series in 30 years and have set for it to release at San Diego Comic Con on July 20th at 10:00pm PST.

The episode, The Curse of the Three Terrors, looks to be made in with more modern animation but still retains the feel of the original series. The studio also got Skeletor’s original voice actor, Alan Oppenheimer, the veteran behind such beloved characters as Vanity Smurf from the Smurfs and the Rockbitter from The Neverending Story to reprise his role. This production looks to be filled with a lot of nostalgic gold for people who enjoy classic cartoons.

There have been two previous attempts to reboot the franchise. The first was The New Adventures of He-Man in 1990 which is often forgotten by fans. The second, bore the same title (He-Man and the Masters of the Universe) and was well received by fans and thought to be cancelled too soon. This new episode is placed in the original He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon from 1983. and is intended to be watched as if three decades haven’t passed since the last episode aired.

The trailer for the new episode can be seen below. Will this be the first of many new episodes of Super7? Will the The Curse of the Three Terrors steal the show at SDCC? Will this be the gateway for a new breed of He-Man fans? Tune to Monkeys Fighting Robots for all these answers and more.

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New Trailer For Antoine Fuqua’s ‘The Magnificent Seven’

By

Matthew Sardo

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July 18, 2016

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Columbia Pictures released the new trailer for Antoine Fuqua’s ‘The Magnificent Seven’ Monday morning.

Fuqua brings his modern vision to a classic story in ‘The Magnificent Seven.’ With the town of Rose Creek under the deadly control of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard), the desperate townspeople employ protection from seven outlaws, bounty hunters, gamblers and hired guns – Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington), Josh Farraday (Chris Pratt), Goodnight Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke), Jack Horne (Vincent D’Onofrio), Billy Rocks (Byung-Hun Lee), Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier). As they prepare the town for the violent showdown that they know is coming, these seven mercenaries find themselves fighting for more than money.

The film is directed by Antoine Fuqua. The screenplay is by Nic Pizzolatto and Richard Wenk. The producers are Roger Birnbaum and Todd Black.

‘The Magnificent Seven’ comes to theaters on September 23.

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‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ Blu-Ray Release Date & Special Features Revealed

By

Aric Sweeny

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July 17, 2016

X-Men: Apocalypse was a hit at the box office, bringing in roughly $500 Million worlwide. With the film recently ending its theatrical run, it’s time to check out what the home release will include.

Special Features: “Special features on the home video release include deleted and extended scenes (with optional introductions by Singer), a gag reel, a wrap party video, audio commentary by Singer and screenwriter Simon Kinberg, a behind-the-scenes documentary, and a photo gallery.”

Apocalypse hits digital HD on September 9, and Blu-Ray and DVD on October 4.

Will you be picking up the most recent X-Men film on Blu-Ray, DVD, or Digital HD? Let us know in the comment section.

Source: Entertainment Weekly.

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Review: Ballers ‘Face of the Franchise’ – Rock Hard

By

Curtis Waugh

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July 17, 2016

Dwayne Johnson’s HBO dramedy, Ballers, is a slice of broad, high-performance, high-stakes, high-living that tries to concern itself with the humanity of the people in the world of professional football. That’s more than can be said for its spiritual cousin, Entourage (also co-executive produced by Mark Wahlberg and featured writing from Ballers creator, Stephen Levinson), which was nothing more than a power fantasy for entitled white dudes living in Hollywood blowing rails and screwing hookers with no actual repercussion.

The difference? Dwayne Johnson. As Mr. Rock is the executive producer (along with his Seven Bucks partner Dany Garcia) of Ballers, he is able to instill a little of what makes the world love his persona into the show. Johnson’s hard work ethic is the single most distinguishable attribute Ballers has that Entourage could never dream of and it’s that beating heart that saves the majority of the show from becoming a non-relatable and unrecognizable trifle. Because a lot of what Ballers is, is trifle. The consequences are light, even if they carry the world on their shoulders and are quickly dispensed and taken care of in the first season.

That first season of Ballers clearly wasn’t sure if they’d be back for round two. All routes taken were safe and the conclusion could have been a (mighty unsatisfying) series finale if The Rock’s star didn’t take off like it has. The consequence of actions and untold history of these characters are the opportunities season two has been given to raise the bar. For the most part, “Face of the Franchise” succeeds in giving Spencer Strasmore and crew problems to worry about going forward that won’t be simply overtaken.

Spencer and Joe (Rob Corddry) are leading the way at Anderson Sports Management and are sailing into deals and clients smoothly until Andy Garcia’s deliciously high-class sleaze bag, Andre Allen, enters the scene, stirring up ghosts of Spencer’s past. He brings with him his clientele, including Spencer’s former rival, the real-life Terrell “Sizzle” Suggs (I didn’t know “Sizzle” was a thing? I watch the NFL and feel like I should’ve known that before today because, as evidenced by his hoodie in the show, “Sizzle” seems to be a really big thing.). On an appearance for Jay Glazer’s sports talk show, Spencer and Suggs trade verbal barbs before landing actual fisticuffs right there on live TV.

My biggest gripe with Spencer’s physical rage moment is that The Rock has played the character so calm and collected that I don’t buy when everyone fears Spencer snapping back to his old ways. This should be an easy fix to make Dwayne Johnson a little more intimidating but I just don’t get that vibe with this show and his character.

Elsewhere, Ricky Jerret (John David Washington) doesn’t get the money he so deserves, causing him to go Leatherface on an ice sculpture at his 30th birthday party and Charles Greane (Omar Miller) gets a hint that he might not be as big a part of the Dolphins’ season as he once hoped. Both these arcs are familiar and predictable but are anchored by two good performances. Miller in particular has brought his character to life as the truest person to root for on the show and I’m willing to go down the rabbit hole with his eventual redemption, telegraphed as it may be.

Concluding the premiere, Spencer squashes his beef with Suggs, using his Dwayne Johnson charm to allude to the possibility of a more insidious plan. Spencer wants to dig into Allen’s client pool and hurt him where it pains the most: his wallet and reputation. This is kind of interesting stuff! Ballers could use more physicality when it comes to Spencer if they’re trying to pose him as any sort of violent threat but it’s definitely more interesting to see The Rock out-manipulate people rather than bash their heads in.

Ballers rides entirely on the charisma of Dwayne Johnson and the banter between he and Corddry. If it’s all just light drama and yuks, it wins solely for having its heart in the right place. Let’s hope the show runners find the cojones to really turn the screws into our characters’ ligaments and give us some drama worthy of all the talent on screen.

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Box Office Breakdown: ‘The Secret Life of Pets’ Wins Again, But ‘Ghostbusters’ Holds Its Own

By

Will Ashton

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July 17, 2016

Despite months of controversy and non-stop online bickering, Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters (read my review here) didn’t scare its way into the number one spot during its opening weekend. But it came pretty close. The horror-comedy reboot, indirectly called “the female Ghostbusters,” scored a healthy $46 million, which puts it on track to earn back its $144 million budget. A few want to call this one a flop, but it looks like bustin’ is still making people feel good, even if some can’t support a gender-reversed redo.

In the actual number one spot, however, is Illumination Entertainment’s The Secret Life of Pets, returning for a second week on top with an extra $50.6 million in its coin purse. The original animated movie already earned its $75 million budget back and then some last week, so anything gained since then is pure cheddar. That said, Illumination is certainly happy, and a sequel will probably be announced soon.

You know who else is happy this weekend? Disney. Their latest Pixar sequel, Finding Dory, just became the highest grossing animated film in North America ever. That’s quite an accomplishment, no? With an extra $11 million in its pocket in fourth place, it surpasses Shrek 2‘s $441.2 million with $445.5 million total. And it’ll only continue fishing up more money as the weeks go on. Needless to say, this one is a hit, but we’ll see how Finding Dory and The Secret Life of Pets hold their own with Ice Age: Collision Course crashes into theaters next week. It’s already doing well overseas.

Let’s keep the good news coming, shall we? Also celebrating a nice weekend is Woody Allen’s Cafe Society, which opened in five theaters to $361,000, with $71,000 earned per theater. That’s a mighty pretty penny. Hopefully this bodes well for the film’s expansion. And it’s certainly doing better than the other Kristen Stewart release this weekend, Equals, which nabbed a meager around $9,000 in three theaters.

This weekend’s only other wide release was The Infiltrator, which earned a better-than-expected $6.7 million throughout its five-day debut. With a budget around $47.5 million, however, the Bryan Cranston-lead adult drama-thriller have some leg work to do in the weeks to come.

As for the rest, The Legend of Tarzan continues to do better-than-anticipated in third place with $11.1 million, while Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates earns a decent $7.5 million during its second weekend. And The BFG continues its sad odyssey as it falls down to ninth place during its third weekend with a poor $3.7 million. Hopefully time will be kinder to you, dear friend.

Check out the box office numbers, courtesy of THR and ComingSoon.net, below.

The Secret Life of Pets Weekend: $50.6 million Domestic Total: $203.2 million
Ghostbusters Weekend: $46 million Domestic Total: $46 million
The Legend of Tarzan Weekend: $11.1 million Domestic Total: $103.1 million
Finding Dory Weekend: $11 million Domestic Total: $445.5 million
Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates Weekend: $7.5 million Domestic Total: $31.3 million
The Purge: Election Year Weekend: $6.1 million Domestic Total: $71 million
Central Intelligence Weekend: $5.30 million Domestic Total: $117.5 million
The Infiltrator Weekend: $5.29 million Domestic Total: $6.7 million
The BFG Weekend: $3.7 million Domestic Total: $47.3 million
Independence Day: Resurgence Weekend: $3.5 million Domestic Total: $98.5 million

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New ‘Captain America: Civil War’ Concept Art Released

By

Aric Sweeny

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July 17, 2016

Tons of concept art for Captain America: Civil War has been dropped online in the last few months. Following the trend, we’ve gotten an additional look at Spider-Man’s web shooters, Hawkeye’s quiver, the jet used at the end of the film, and more. Coming from Michael Meyers’ website, take a look at this new concept art from the film.

Which piece of concept art is your favorite? I like the web shooters and Rhodey’s exoskeleton, as they give a more detailed look that isn’t seen in the movie itself.

“Marvel’s “Captain America: Civil War” finds Steve Rogers leading the newly formed team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. But after another incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability, headed by a governing body to oversee and direct the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers, resulting in two camps—one led by Steve Rogers and his desire for the Avengers to remain free to defend humanity without government interference, and the other following Tony Stark’s surprising decision to support government oversight and accountability.”

Captain America: Civil War will be released on Digital HD on September 2, and DVD/Blu-Ray on September 13.

Source: Michael Meyers.

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DVD Review: Anomalisa ‘A Psychologically Complex Animated Romance’

By

Kieran Freemantle

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July 17, 2016

Anomalisa is the latest movie from critical screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), based on his own radio play – which he wrote under the pen name Francis Fregoli. With Duke Johnson, Kaufman has adapted into a wonderful animated movie, the first R-rated film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

Michael Stone (David Thewlis) is a customer service expert who flies into Cincinnati for a conference. He suffers from a psychological condition where everyone he sees has the same face and voice. Isolated he finds a ray of sunshine in the form of Lisa (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a shy and awkward woman who is the only person Michael can recognize.

As a writer and director Kaufman has been known for surreal and psychological themes and Anomalisa is no different. As a basic story about a man having a mid-life crisis who finds a kindred spirit – could have worked as a live-action indie film – most of the movie was set in a hotel. However, the stop-motion animation style gives Anomalisa a distinct character and allowed Michael to see all people the same and gave them the same voice, a world he sees as a genuine blob of sameness.

Anomalisa had a Woody Allen-esque quality. The focus is on two neurotic characters who are drawn to each other – a man who has to isolate himself which is slowly edging him to madness – and a woman is who is constantly talking herself down all the time. Michael’s condition has led to him forcing away the people he loved – including his previous lover – and it makes him a neurotic mess leading to him sabotaging his life. Lisa has a facial scar which is why she was insecure and self-deprecating about her looks and intelligence. She was a sympathetic character and felt like a real person despite being animated. She is an angel who can brighten Michael’s world.

The dialogue also had a Woody Allen air to it, admittedly with more swearing. The movie opens with Michael reading from an angry letter from a jilted lover and Michael suffers from intelligential angst. Lisa also has some elaborate moments of dialogue, taking about interests, work and the influence of Michael’s book. Lisa has a heartbreaking moment when she sings a somber version of ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun.’

Tom Noonan voices all the other characters in the movie and brings out the personality of the all the different people. The best examples of these are Bella -Michael’s ex-lover – and Emily, Lisa’s outgoing BFF. Other characters like the hotel staff speak with a monotone, but it is still commendable how Noonan can differentiate most of the different roles.

Kaufman’s fondness for psychological themes and troubled romances are prevalent in Anomalisa. While Kaufman’s previous movies have had a surreal edge to them Anomalisa is a more grounded affair because of its setting, but that doesn’t mean he cannot bring in some surreal references. An example is the hotel in the movie is called the Fregoli which is a name of the disorder Michael suffers (a fact I only found out because of the IMDB trivia page). Kaufman and Johnson allows for surreal moments like when Michael reads an ex lover’s letter and imagines her being there. The dream sequence was similar to Kaufman’s first movie Being John Malkovich and was referencing the classic Terry Gilliam movie Brazil.

Anomalisa has similarities to a British short Butterfly which became the basis for the music video for Keane’s ‘Bedshaped‘. Butterfly and Anomalisa both focus on men suffering through a depression – Michael’s being based on his unusual condition that alters his perception of reality – while the main character in Butterfly suffers inconsolable grief. Like Butterfly, Anomalisa uses stop-motion animation: both have a deliberately ugly look and they are willing to show nudity and necessary bodily functions.

Anomalisa was originally envisioned as a 40-minute short film and it shows with the painfully slow first act. The movie goes into intense detail when it shows Michael landing in Cincinnati as he progresses from the airport, checking into his hotel and going to his room. It’s tedious to watch. Moments from The Simpsons have been cut because the writers and showrunners say if audiences watch people being bored then they would be bored as well. It’s fine for the movie to have a gradual pace when it’s establishing Michael’s relationships with the people around him, but the movie could have easily have cut down its first act considerably, and it wouldn’t have affected the sorry. A skilled screenwriter like Kaufman should know the old screenwriting adage of ‘enter late leave early.’

Fans of Kaufman’s previous movies will certainly appreciate Anomalisa for its themes and romance. It is an intelligent, character-driven drama with the occasional comedic moment, but some casual audiences could be turned off by its slow opening.

Special Features: Anomalisa comes with a recording of a public Q&A session in Soho, London with Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson, and producer Rosa Tran. The DVD also comes with a behind the scenes photo gallery and the theatrical trailer.

Amazon.co.uk (DVD)
Amazon.co.uk (Blu-ray)

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‘Star Wars VIII’ Director Rian Johnson Compared To Spielberg

By

EJ Moreno

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July 17, 2016

Upcoming Star Wars Director Rian Johnson Gets Legendary Comparison

During Star Wars Celebration, Hollywood producer Kathleen Kennedy compared the upcoming ‘Star Wars VIII‘ director Rian Johnson to Steven Spielberg. This is high praise coming from someone who has worked with Spielberg since 1981. Kennedy also stated that Johnson was at the very top of her list for directing Episode 8.

“Rian Johnson moves a camera as well as Steven Spielberg”
-Kathleen Kennedy

With this stamp of approval, does it raise your expectations for 2017’s still untitled 8th Star Wars film? Johnson did a wonderful job with his previous films like ‘Brick‘ and ‘Looper‘ but has big shoes to follow after ‘The Force Awakens‘.

Johnson also dropped some facts about his journey with Episode 8. He spent 6 weeks working on the story while ‘Star Wars VII: Force Awakens‘ was still in production. He stated that the film will also “start right where the last one left off.”

“Episode 8 will “start to zoom in” on new characters Rey, Finn, Poe & Kylo Ren”
-Rian Johnson

It looks like Star Wars Celebration was the place to be this weekend if you are a fan. All of the tidbits & facts about ‘Star Wars VIII‘ will keep fans going for months until there is an official first look at the film.

How excited are you for the Rian Johnson directed Episode 8?

Let me know in the comments below!

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What Role Will Namor Play In The Marvel Cinematic Universe?

By

Jonathan Bruce

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July 16, 2016

Marvel fans are still reeling from the news that Namor the Sub-Mariner’s film rights are back at Marvel Studios. It sure sounds exciting, but it remains to be seen how he will be introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Agent Carter has no love for Namora — Namora first appeared in Marvel Mystery Comics in 1947, the year *Agent Carter* is set in

Stop The Press, What Is That?

During an appearance on Fatman On Batman, Joe Quesada told Kevin Smith the Namor film rights had reverted back to Marvel. Universal Studios previously held distribution rights to the film property for several years, but no real progress took place on the proposed movie. In 2006, Chris Columbus had been attached to direct. Despite Smith’s inquiries, Quesada did not elaborate on when we can expect to see Namor joining the MCU.

Hero To Villain To Antihero

As an hero, Namor has fought with the Avengers from time to time. He has also served as a recurring antagonist of the Fantastic Four, even vying for the love of Sue Storm Richards/Invisible Woman. In recent years, however, he has been a helpful ally to the team. Since Fox is not letting Fantastic Four go, it is unlikely we’ll see the team take on Namor.

In the MCU, the Avengers have currently split into two factions at the end of Captain America: Civil War. Even if Namor would be introduced now, it is unknown which team Namor would side with. Would Marvel incorporate him into a future Avengers movie? Or is an origin story more likely?

Marvel Studios has begun Phase Three with Captain America: Civil War introducing the likes of Black Panther and Spider-Man. Doctor Strange will be released in November. Based on these recent events, it is likely Marvel does not want to rush Namor onto the big screen. This is probably for the best, considering hurried productions lead to mixed results.

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Diversity In 2016 Emmy Nominations- Surprises And Snubs

By

Jonathan Bruce

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July 16, 2016

Yesterday’s announcing of the 2016 Primetime Emmy nominations is quite an event. Several series earned many acting and technical nods. Twenty-one non-white actors received acting nominations, which is quite impressive. Critics are calling it a reaction to the 2016 Academy Awards, because that event was called the “White Oscars” for a lack of diversity. There’s no doubt this will lead to an interesting 66th Emmy Awards ceremony.

The People vs OJ — Ryan Murphy’s series receives 22 Emmy noms- 13 of those in Primetime

Diversity is the new trend

American Crime Story‘s The People v. O.J. Simpson leads with 13 Primetime nominations. Sterling K. Brown, Cuba Gooding Jr., David Schwimmer, John Travolta, and Courtney B. Vance each got acting nominations for their roles. Gooding Jr.’s riveting performance as O.J Simpson has drawn critical acclaim, and it is being seen as a comeback for the Jerry Maguire actor. Previously, he won the Academy Award for his role as football player Rod Tidwell. Talk about life coming full circle.

Veep got eleven nominations for its fourth season. Cast members Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Anna Chlumsky and Tony Hale received acting nods for their work on the HBO series.

Rise of the Women

HBO’s Game of Thrones comes in third with a total of 9 nominations in the Primetime categories. Both Kit Harington and Peter Dinklage are supporting actor nominees. On the female side of things, Emilia Clarke, Lena Headey and Maise Williams have supporting actress nominations. Sadly, Sophie Turner was not among the nominees, prompting author George R.R. Martin to voice his displeasure at the young actress being snubbed.

FX’s Fargo has 8 nominations, predominantly for its cast. Actresses Kirsten Dunst and Jean Smart earned acting nods for their roles. Jesse Plemons got a nomination for his work as Ed the Butcher, while Bokeem Woodbine scores his first nod for playing Mike Milligan.

Even More Diversity

Black-ish has done well with with its second season, and it has recently been renewed for a third. The hit ABC sitcom earned four Emmy nominations- including Best Comedy Series and Best Outstanding Achievement in Comedy. Series star Anthony Anderson got his second Outstanding Lead Actor nomination. Meanwhile, Tracee Ellis Ross receives her first Lead Actress nod.

In all, HBO nabbed 35 nominations, FX scored 28, Netflix got 28, and ABC got 9. Comedy Central, NBC and Showtime each racked up 8, while Amazon Studios got six.

Still No Love For Comic Book Shows

Marvel’s Daredevil and Jessica Jones were both snubbed by the Emmys. Despite having critical acclaim, the Marvel adaptations did not receive any nominations in the acting, writing or technical categories. It would appear the Emmys are less than enthusiastic about programming based on comic books. Luckily, Netflix left far from empty-handed with 14 nominations, mostly from House of Cards.

The 66th Primetime Emmy Awards Ceremony will air on September 18th, 2016.

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