Apparently, sometime between 1984 and the advent of the Internet age, Ivan Reitman’s Ghostbusters became more than merely an ’80s horror-comedy. If the Internet commenters of the world are to be believed, it morphed into an all-time classic of almost biblical proportions, one that would downright sacrilegious to temper with — especially if the leads’ genders were changed. If I’m being completely honest, though, I never saw Reitman’s film as more than the sum of its parts. In fact, unless it was brought up in casual conversation — both in person or virtually — I hardly ever thought about it, let alone considered it more than a silly-but-enjoyable horror-comedy — if one with fun characters, some impressive/cheesy effects and a rocking Ray Parker Jr. theme song. It was, in the purest sense, a perfectly enjoyable lighthearted romp, and when it comes to Paul Feig’s modern reimagining, I feel comfortable saying the same.
Granted, as the scorn of Reddit and 4Chan for months and now the most contentious wide release since The Passion of the Christ, the reboot is hardly without its flaws. Feig’s direction, while smoother and more accomplished than the director’s previous films, is still fairly clunky at times, and there’s some unintentionally awkward humor that often drags this comedy to a halt. There’s an ongoing wonton soup gag, for instance, that’s not only odd but fairly lame, never gaining any real traction despite its consistent reoccurrence. Additionally, the lack of definitive ghost rules in this revamped universe is distracting and fairly annoying throughout. Then again, occasional laziness isn’t unexpected from the director behind The Heat.
But in a summer movie season defined by its dourness and diminishing results, Feig’s Ghostbusters is energetic, engaging, heartfelt and, most importantly, pretty funny throughout. It’s not hilarious, mind you, nor is it gut-bustlingly hysterical. But it’s filled with enough laugh-out-loud character moments and genuine camaraderie to justify its existence. It might not convert all the naysayers, nor will it likely become the iconic, generation-defining “classic” Reitman created, but it’s deeply amusing, it’s appropriately progressive (if a little self-congratulatory in that regard) and it bristles with life. Despite what the pre-registered haters might spout, that’s all it needed to be.
In a ghost-infested New York City similar-but-separate from Reitman’s, Columbia University professor Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig) is on track to receive tenure when she’s haunted by a figment from her past: her book, appropriately titled Ghosts From the Past: Both Literally and Figuratively, which she co-authored with her one-time best friend/research partner Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy). Although Erin thought all copies were destroyed, Abby re-issued the book and now sells it on Amazon. Fearing it will destroy her chances at earning a cushy job, Erin reunites with Abby — who keeps up the good supernatural-searching fight at her lower-tier university with her new lab partner, the eccentric Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon) — and demands she stop selling their past work.
Bu before Erin can get Abby to accept her plead, potential ghost activity is incited downtown and they need Erin’s begrudging assistance. When they do, indeed, discover an undead entity lurking, they post the video on YouTube and try to get the world’s attention. But they’re quickly dismissed as frauds and Erin soon loses her job. With availability now afforded to her, and her faith in ghosts unquestionably reinvigorated, Erin unites with Abby and Jillian to form their own division of phantom-fighting scientists, drumming up attention around the city — most notably from Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones), an subway booth operator inspired to tag along once she discovers an apparition in the tunnels, and Rowan North (Neil Casey), a creepy social outsider dead-set on eliminating the scum known as humanity. Together, the four girls — along with their hunk-but-dimwitted secretary Kevin (Chris Hemsworth) — will form a ghostbustin’ team hoping to take down Rowan’s nefarious world-destroying activities.
Despite people inexplicably arguing otherwise online, the original Ghostbusters was a comedy, but it often stemmed the jokes around the action. The biggest laughs are quips made at the expense of the overarching plot, which made the comedy feel organic and natural within the plot. Feig’s Ghostbusters, however, is more joke-heavy, which makes the action often feel secondary and the humor feel more forced. As per usual with the filmmaker, the movie sometimes seems too concerned with stuffing as many jokes as possible into the film, which ultimately makes the action feel like an afterthought. That bites it in the ass during the finale, which comes across like a run-of-the-mill blockbuster third act without enough solid jokes to counterbalance the bad green-screen and the varying success of the actual special effects. The new Slimer, for instance, looks pretty cool, and the character designs are all interesting, but only a few really look anywhere near convincing, though that might be a marginal attempt to pay homage to the original’s occasionally-wonky mix of practical and CG effects.
Speaking of which, beyond its overladed CG-heavy finale, the biggest flaw with this new Ghosbusters (not counting Fall Out Boy’s awful new theme song) is that it doesn’t quite respect itself enough to stand on its own two feet — even though it very well could with these likably appealing new characters. Much like Jurassic World and Star Wars: The Force Awakens last year, it often forces obnoxiously obvious references, callbacks and a boatload of cameos (some good, some terrible) from the original 1984 film into this 2016 version in order to please the fans. You know, the very same fans that’ve been massively, irrationally dismissing this iteration for the past two years. It’s hard to tell if this is more studio inference, or plain old nostalgic overindulgence, or somewhere in-between, but it’s tedious, it’s exhausting and it’s unnecessary after a point.
While brief appearances by Bill Murray, Slimer and Ernie Hudson are made enjoyable enough — and a quick nod to Harold Ramis is nice and surprisingly tasteful, particularly for a ghost-filled romp — they just keep coming, and coming, and coming, to the point of ad nauseam. The ways they introduce Dan Ackroyd and Sigourney Weaver, in particular, are especially egregious, as is a groan-worthy end credits reveal. If they do make a new franchise, it’s possible they’ll right the wrongs and let the new characters force their own path, or it’s possible they’ll try to have their cake and eat it too, like Star Trek Into Darkness (which, admittedly, I still liked despite its very apparent flaws). But for goodness sake, have some faith in yourself! If the pre-release response to this blockbuster has taught us anything, it’s don’t be ladling to those who can’t accept change. Forge your own path.
And, for the most part, Feig and his team do. Wiig, McCarthy, McKinnon and Jones are not recreations of the characters iconized by Murray, Ackroyd, Ramis and Hudson. They have some similarities, but their personalities are largely different and they themselves don’t feel beholden to the original, beyond the aforementioned references surrounding them. Although they live in the shadow of the original, the cast establishes themselves outside of their predecessor and suggest that they can hold their own in the proposed sequels. It didn’t work out so well for Ghostbusters II, mind you, but maybe they’ll learn from the mistakes made by their ancestry. Maybe.
Wiig and McCarthy are thankfully toned down in their performances, which is good because that’s where they often excel — despite multiple failed films on McCarthy’s part attempting to suggest otherwise. That lets Jones and McKinnon play up the goofiness, which is where they’re at their best. McKinnon, of course, is the standout, crackling with her various elastic expressions and never once afraid to steal the entire $140 million movie away under everyone’s feet at any moment’s notice. She’s a real star in the making, and it’s about time Hollywood noticed.
Additionally, Hemsworth is a nice surprise, making up for his blandness in Blackhat and In the Heart of the Sea and given another chance to prove himself comedically after Vacation. He’s the most consistently funny character, outside of McKinnon, and lets people know that he can be more than just the God of Thunder. Andy Garcia, similarly, is also pretty good as the skeptic mayor, and the only character that’s truly underused throughout. Shiny camerawork by Robert D. Yeoman, an endless stream of cool new gadgets and good production design by Jefferson Sage also compliment the film. But the life of the film, as well as the series, is depended on the new ‘Busters and, thankfully, they’re not afraid to no ghosts, or Internet commenters either. Ghostbusters (2016) doesn’t surpass the original, but it proves the series isn’t a specter either. And that should make any fan — any real fan, that is — feel good.
This issue really helps to open up the universe of Satellite further. First it shows Lilly and her time with Eva, and from there she gets a team together to take care of business. It’s good to see she has those she can rely on when times get tough. A lone wolf character can only go so far without needing some kind of back up now and then.
There also is a scene in this issue which really touches on a political topic. No spoilers but it shows that the more humanity grows, the more they stay the same. Top marks to Steve Horton for cutting deep with this one. I was not expecting it, but sometimes it’s the messages we don’t plan to take away which are the best to discover.
Artwork
Once again artist Stephen Thompson knocks it out of the park with the detail work he puts into this issue. On top of little bits, like showing characters distraught or upset through panels without any type of dialog, he also makes it a point to have a perfect mixture of panels with action and discussion in the course of this issue. Also, bonus points for seeming to pay homage to the classic scene from Blade Runner when Deckard is picked up at the noodle shop by the police. Little touches like this really make it better to reread the issue and take in all the details Thompson has managed to sneak in.
Conclusion
After the revelation in the previous issue, this one was all about gearing up and getting ready to go on an adventure. Frankly, the build up alone is intense and it will be great seeing where Lilly will go from here with her new team. This series had a slow start but now it’s firing on all cylinders and is a title I can highly recommend for anyone who enjoys good science fiction.
The Cruiserweight Classic Kicks Off With High Flying & Brutal Brawling
For the next 10 weeks, the WWE Universe is getting the treat of a lifetime. 32 Cruiserweight wrestlers will compete in a tournament to prove who is the best in the world at what they do. The Cruiserweight Classic is unlike anything WWE has done before. WWE has embraced international independent wrestlers with open arms and given them a platform to show off their work.
History was made July 13th, 2016 when the tournament kicked off. Premiering exclusively on the WWE Network, CWC is a breath of fresh air. Breaking away from their formulaic programming like Monday Night Raw and Smackdown, we get some tweaks that really are a welcomed changed within WWE. The wrestlers range from Hong Kong to Chile and all the way back to North America. We also see handshakes before matches like Ring Of Honor would do. It finally looks like production under Triple H is determined to bring in a different market.
Gif provided by totaldivasepisodes.tumblr.com/
Matches:
Gran Metalik vs Alejandro Saez Winner: Gran Metalik
-Kicking off the Cruiserweight Classic is no easy feat. Thankfully this match was handled with grace by starting us off with some lucha libre. Gran Metalik is a Mexican based wrestler who has made his name in Japan while Alejandro Saez trained all over the world to bring wrestling to his country Chile.
Hoho Lun vs Ariya Daivari Winner: Hoho Lun
–Hoho Lun is perfect. The man, like Saez, helped bring wrestling to his native land. This evening, he made Hong Kong proud by picking up the win against Daivari. Ariya Daivari is brother to Shawn Daivari, a former WWE wrestling; sadly, their gimmicks are a bit too similar. Lun picked up the win in convicing fashion.
Cedric Alexander vs Clement Petiot Winner: Cedric Alexander
–Cedric Alexander walked into this match a fan-favorite and left with even more fans. Petiot showed great potential as a future foreign heel in WWE. The brawling based wrestling of Clement Petiot slowed down the pace but Alexander picked up the action late in the match. Can’t wait to see what else he has to offer.
Kota Ibushi vs Sean Maluta Winner: Kota Ibushi
-Kota is a bonafide superstar. A wrestler from New Japan Pro Wrestling, Ibushi has made his transition to America memorable with a win tonight. Also, it seems like he may be making his way to NXT sometime soon. Maluta has Samoan family ties so he brings some pedigree to the match. Their match was obviously great.
Cruiserweight Of The Night:
Kota Ibushi is honestly one of the best wrestlers in the entire world. That kind of hype is hard to live up to but this was a stellar introduction to what Ibushi can do. After the influx of Japanese wrestlers in NXT, Ibushi has what it takes to stand-out and become a memorable name in American wrestling.
You can find the Cruiserweight Classic on the WWE Network.
Keep updated on the next matches via twitter @WWE.
Did you see CWC? Let me know in the comments below.
Outlander’s second season showed viewers a bit of everything: plotting, murder, loss, grief, time travel, and potatoes. Now that Season Two is over, it seems that Outlander is casting off its cloak of preamble and getting into the meat of Diana Gabaldon’s book series. With eight books in the series and a ninth on the way (not including novellas, short stories, nor the Lord John spinoff series) there’s a great deal of material to cover. The novel Dragonfly in Amber is Gabaldon’s second book in the series but it’s not clear whether or not Season Three will cover events from the third book, Voyager.
As an episode, “Dragonfly in Amber” was a big one both literally and figuratively. Clocking in at just under an hour and a half, “Dragonfly in Amber” is the longest episode of Outlander yet. Figuratively, so much is going on in this episode that I’d best get on with …
Dragonfly in Amber – My Recap
Dragonfly in Amber – The Wake
“Dragonfly in Amber” opens with a grainy black-and-white image of a buzzer with the name “Emma Peel” on it. And, as the camera zooms out, we see a young man watching TV with a group of children; a caption informs us that this is 1968 and we are in Scotland. A mousey looking woman, Fiona, walks in and tells the young man that his guests are asking after him.
The camera cuts to a different room and we see the same young man give a eulogy to his father whom he and others refer to as “the reverend”. There is one familiar face in the crowd of funeral-goers, the sassenach herself Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser with a wisp of grey in her hair. After the eulogy, the young man, whose name we learn is Roger Wakefield (that makes his late father Reverend Reginald Wakefield), notices an attractive redhead looking around. Having never met the young woman, Roger attempts an introduction. But, before he learns the young woman’s name, Claire appears and inserts herself in the conversation, saying it’s so good to see him again.
“I used to cuckold a friend of your father’s!”
Claire tells Roger that the last time she saw him was when he was 7 or 8 years old, and that she and her husband Frank were great friends of Roger’s father. The attractive redhead turns out to be Claire’s daughter who introduces herself as “Brianna, the daughter”. When Claire tells Roger that his father and Frank were great friends, Roger remembers the name. Claire reveals that she’s now a surgeon and that she and Brianna are visiting from Boston. Claire asks after Mrs. Graham but it turns out the superstitious housekeeper has, like the reverend, kicked the bucket.
Dragonfly in Amber – Whisky Time
After the other guests have left, Claire and Brianna say their goodbyes to Roger. Roger insists that the two women spend the night rather than drive until they find lodgings. Claire and Brianna agree, stipulating that it must not be an imposition.
Unfortunately, Claire can’t sleep. Roger finds her in front of the fire drinking whisky, and sits down to have a dram. He notes that he can’t seem to part with his father’s old books, especially some volumes concerning Charles Stuart and the Battle of Culloden. This piques Claire’s interest and Roger reveals that some of his ancestors died at Culloden: their names were MacKenzie. Roger explains that Reverend Wakefield adopted him after WWII. Claire wistfully remarks that she used to know a lot of MacKenzies once upon a time.
The topic of conversation changes to dealing with the loss of a loved one. Roger asks how to go about it but Claire tells him that she’s never been good with goodbyes. She says that it’s the duty of the living to go on without their loved ones because that’s what they would want. Claire says goodnight and returns to her and Brianna’s room. As she looks at her daughter’s sleeping form, she thinks about how much Brianna looks like her father.
Dragonfly in Amber – Mark Me!
Cue flashback and a fade in on Jamie. We’re back in 1746 and things look grim. Jamie once again tries to reason with his prince Charles Stuart. He tells the bewigged Pretender to the throne that his army is unready to fight today. Using his typical religious flair, Stuart calls Jamie a doubting Thomas and compares himself to Christ. Stuart tells Jamie that he will make a believer out of him yet. Jamie’s not so sure.
Jamie, Murtagh, and Claire have a quick chat. Murtagh tells the others that Cumberland (the English duke) and his army are on the move. He suggests that they retreat to a better position. After Murtagh has left, Claire tells Jamie there’s only one option left to them but won’t discuss it in the open.
Dragonfly in Amber – Day Trippers
A relatively awkward cut later, we’re back in 1968 watching Brianna and Roger drive through the Scottish countryside. The two arrive at Fort William and Brianna asks Roger if he remembers her father at all. He only remembers vague details but says he remembers that Frank was a very kind man. When the conversation turns to Claire, though, Brianna says her mother is in a different world. Standing in front of a replica of the stocks at Fort William, Brianna says that the place gives her the chills.
Claire’s day trip isn’t going so well. On a trip to a dilapidated Lallybroch, she remembers her past as she sits on the porch thinking of her and Jamie’s wedding vows. As she gets into her car and drives away, we once again return to 1746.
Dragonfly in Amber – Charles Stuart Must Die
In an empty room, Claire tells Jamie that the whole battle hinges on Charles Stuart, no Stuart no battle. So, Claire says, let’s kill him! She tells Jamie that she has some poison, the same poison that Colum took to end his life. Jamie briefly becomes concerned for Colum’s immortal soul but Claire assures him that it was for the best. Jamie considers poisoning Stuart, and Claire utters those fateful words, “No one will ever know,” just before we see Dougal‘s concerned face listening at the door.
Dragonfly in Amber – The Grubby Bedroom
Another jarring cut and we’re back in 1968 with Brianna and Roger. Brianna asks Roger if he remembers an incident involving her mother that may have occurred 20 years ago. The only thing that comes to Roger’s mind is finding Mrs. Graham crying in the shed after Frank, in a fit of rage, had apparently smashed everything. Roger’s certain, though, that Mrs. Graham was crying about something else, not the state of the tool shed. Brianna tells Roger about a lock box of her father’s she found years ago. She recalls finding a disturbing letter to Reverend Wakefield inside the box in which Frank mentioned some incident involving Claire.
Roger then remembers that the reverend kept a journal religiously (pardon the pun), and that any incident that occurred is likely to be mentioned in one of his entries. He suggests to Brianna that they look through the journals, so long as Brianna doesn’t mind getting a bit grubby: she doesn’t.
Dragonfly in Amber – Free Scotland!
Back to Claire who parks outside the County Records Office. Some graffiti that reads “Free Scotland” welcomes her as she makes her way inside. A friendly civil servant presents Claire with the deed to Lallybroch, noting the various signatures that belong to Jamie, Murtagh, Jamie’s nephew James Murray, and Claire. The civil servant informs Claire that the property stayed in Murray hands after that, and presents her with a copy of the deed. Claire’s final request is for a genealogical search on the name Roger MacKenzie.
Brianna returns to the guest room at the Wakefield residence and finds Claire still up. After some mother-daughter fencing about whether or not Brianna went on a date with Roger, Brianna asks what Claire got up to while Brianna wasn’t on a date. Brianna asks Claire if she went to places she used to go with “daddy”. Claire responds that she went to some of those places. Brianna then asks if Claire ever loved Frank. Claire evades the question but eventually says she did.
Dragonfly in Amber – A Witch and the Son of a Bastard
Claire sits on her bed and fiddles with a bag of letters and vials and we cut back to 1746. Jamie and Claire are still debating whether or not to kill Stuart: Jamie reminds her that they’ll be committing cold-blooded murder. Claire argues that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Ross barges in and tells Jamie that Lord Murray is calling for him. Ross leaves and just before Jamie heads to the front, Claire says that she could put the poison in Stuart’s tea right now. Unfortunately, Dougal, who overheard the entire exchange, pushes his way into the room hurling some handpicked insults at Jamie and Claire.
Dragonfly in Amber – Gaellis Returns
Gaellis looks pretty good for a bunch of ashes!
Back to 1968: Roger and Brianna drop by “the college,” and Brianna happens upon a familiar face reciting Scottish nationalist slogans to a crowd. Viewers who watched Outlander Season One should recognize the young woman as Gaellis Duncan (Lotte Verbeek). Viewers may also remember that in the 18th century Gaellis was burnt at the stake for practicing witchcraft. This, unless she really is a witch, is Gaellis Duncan before she traveled back in time then (the keenest of viewers should remember that Gaellis told Claire she was from 1968 before she was executed).
After her rousing speech, during which she tells everyone that they’re all “bonny Prince Charlie,” Gaellis and Brianna engage in a bit of history nerd sparring. And, when Roger finds Brianna and introduces himself to Gaellis, Gaellis introduces herself as Gillian Edgars. “Gillian” hands Brianna a pamphlet and invites the young couple to another rally.
Dragonfly in Amber – Culloden 1968/1746
“Somehow Hugh Munro found dinosaur DNA!”
In a nostalgic mood, Claire visits the Culloden Visitor Centre & Museum. She’s greeted by a much-too-tall wax sculpture of Charles Stuart. Her firsthand experience gets the better of her and she rants at a stranger that they’ve turned a fool into a hero. Having ruined one tourist’s day, Claire checks out some more knick-knacks and overhears a couple at another display case discussing one of the artifacts, a dragonfly. This piques Claire’s interest and as the couple head to the gift shop Claire takes their place at the display case and sees a dragonfly in amber, Claire and Jamie’s wedding gift from Hugh Munro.
A quick cut later and we’re back in 1746. Claire, Jamie, and Dougal are right where we left them. Jamie tries to reason with his uncle but this becomes very difficult, especially because Dougal keeps hurling out the insults. In a fit of patriotic rage, Dougal grabs his sword and attacks his treasonous nephew. Jamie does his best to avoid hurting Dougal but after being bitten and headbutted he eventually gives in to self preservation.
Dougal and Jamie grapple with a dagger, the dagger is pointed at Jamie, they grapple, and Claire smashes a crate over Dougal’s head. Jamie pins Dougal and turns the dagger on him. Jamie tries to drive the dagger into Dougal’s chest but can’t overpower him. Claire rushes to Jamie’s side and presses down on his shoulders, providing the final bit of strength needed to drive the dagger into Dougal’s chest. Jamie apologizes but since Dougal’s dead I don’t think he’s likely to forgive him.
Dragonfly in Amber – Atticted to Love
1968 again! Brianna and Roger search through Roger’s attic looking for the reverend’s journals. Roger woos Brianna by singing a “rat satire” and eventually they find a box labeled “Randall”. They riffle through the heirlooms and agree that the box’s contents warrant some investigation. They take it to the dining room to go through it properly.
We return to 1746 and the scene of the murder of Dougal MacKenzie. Rupert walks in and finds Jamie and Claire standing over Dougal’s freshly murdered corpse. Jamie asks Rupert for two hours to tend to certain matters after which he will return to face justice. Rupert allows Jamie this reprieve but promises to send him to the fiery pit himself.
“Best conversation I’ve ever had with a stone!”
Back to 1968: Claire is walking on Culloden Moor thinking of how Frank described the battle to her, “very quick and very bloody”. Claire finds a headstone marked “Clan Fraser” and sees a woman laying flowers. The woman asks Claire if she’s a Fraser, and Claire replies that she is. The woman leaves Claire to her thoughts.
Claire does the classic talking to a headstone thing and tells Jamie that they have a daughter named Brianna. Claire tells him that she used to blame him for her unhappiness and, by way of a very brief cut away, she tells him everything about their daughter. She mentions their parting of ways at Craigh na Dun and says that she never said goodbye but has come to do it now.
Dragonfly in Amber – Kidnapped by the Faeries
While going through Reverend Wakefield’s “Randall” box, Brianna finds a newspaper clipping from 1948 with the headline “Kidnapped by the Faeries”. The article concerns Claire’s 3-year absence and return. As Brianna looks through the reverend’s journal entries for more information, Roger suggests that Brianna may not like what she finds but Brianna says she wants the truth, no matter what.
After Claire returns to the Wakefield residence, she’s set upon by her daughter who demands to know if she has been secretly seeing the man who fathered Brianna. Brianna, not understanding the nature of Claire’s 3-year absence believes that she was having an affair. Roger walks in on the tense conversation with another interesting item from his father’s journal, but he cedes the floor to Claire who asks Brianna and Roger to sit while she explains herself (this should be good).
Claire admits that Brianna was fathered by another man whom Claire loved very much. She explains that Frank wanted to raise Brianna as his own. Brianna asks if the reason they came to Scotland was so that she could introduce herself to her real father. Claire explains that would be impossible since her real father is dead. Claire tells Brianna that she will tell her everything about him but Brianna doesn’t want to hear it. She gets up to leave but Roger reminds her that she had said she wanted the truth, no matter what, and Brianna sits again. Claire says that Jamie loved Brianna without even meeting her and that he would’ve raised her had it not been for the Battle of Culloden.
Dragonfly in Amber – The Deed to Lallybroch
Back to 1746: Jamie explains to Murtagh that he’s killed Dougal who replies that he’s surprised it took this long. Murtagh asks what’s to be done and Jamie pulls out the deed to Lallybroch, which he had made up a year ago for just such an occasion. The deed will keep Lallybroch in the family. Jamie employs Fergus to courier the deed to his sister Jenny at Lallybroch. Fergus gives some resistance at first but eventually follows his master’s command.
Once again we return to 1968 and the Wakefield residence. It’s obvious that Brianna isn’t convinced that the story she’s being told is true. Claire insists that she’s not feeding her daughter a story. Claire, her voice faltering with anguish, describes how similar Brianna is to Jamie. Claire shows Brianna her copy of the deed to Lallybroch with her own signature on it but Brianna still doesn’t buy it. She demands that Claire own up to being a bored housewife who slept around, but Claire won’t. She defends their time together by shouting that Jamie was the love of her life. But, Brianna won’t budge. She wants to know why Claire is making all of this up. Claire responds that she’s telling her because it’s the truth. Brianna twists the knife, saying she wishes Claire had died rather than Frank, and leaves.
Back in 1746 again and we see Claire finish signing her name on the deed to Lallybroch. Claire and Jamie embrace Fergus and tell him they think of him as their son.
Dragonfly in Amber – Ghosts Everywhere
Back to 1968: Brianna and Roger are in a pub drinking whisky. Brianna tells Roger that her mother is insane but Roger suggests that Claire is trying to open up and share something with her. Roger says the only thing that’s important is that Claire believes what she’s saying. He says they should keep open minds.
We see Claire looking through the newspaper clippings that Brianna and Roger have gone through. She drops the clippings suddenly as she sees Gaellis Duncan’s picture on the White Roses of Scotland pamphlet that Brianna brought back to the house. Claire remembers that Gaellis told her she came through the stones from 1968, and she decides to visit Gaellis, er–Gillian Edgars’s house.
Claire is greeted at the house by a relatively surly drunk claiming to be Gillian’s husband. Claire introduces herself as an old friend and Mr. Edgars invites Claire in for a whisky. Claire says she won’t be in town long and asks how best to get in touch with Gillian. Her husband says that Gilllian is likely with the White Roses of Scotland, describing them as bloody nationalists. He says that Gillian has been taking folklore classes at the college, filling notebooks with her research, and that he hasn’t seen her in weeks. He asks Claire to tell Gillian, if she sees her, to come home, and to tell her he loves her. He passes out. Claire grabs some of Gillian’s notebooks, jams them in her purse, and makes a hasty exit.
Dragonfly in Amber – My Mother’s Insane
Claire and Roger, well into the whisky, are greeted by who else but Gillian Edgars who walks up to their table and laments their absence at the latest White Roses rally. They apologize for missing the event: Roger says it’s been a tricky day. Brianna says they’ll likely see her at the next rally but Gillian replies that she’s leaving tonight to further the cause.
Claire is back at the Wakefield residence reading Gillian’s journals. She notes that, unlike Claire, Gillian studied the science of folklore-based time travel thoroughly. Claire also finds that Gillian believes one needs a human sacrifice to travel through the stones, and that certain gemstones can help guide and protect the time traveler. Claire resolves to stop Gillian from going through the stones to prevent her from being burnt at the stake.
Dragonfly in Amber – Bring the Boys Back Home
Back in 1746 again and Jamie instructs Murtagh to order the men to withdraw from the Battle of Culloden before it starts. He tells Murtagh to set them on the road to Lallybroch. Jamie tells Murtagh that the battle, doomed from the start, is already lost. He also tells Murtagh his plans are to ensure Claire’s safety, and turn back to fight in the hopeless battle. Murtagh agrees to send the men back to Lallybroch but promises to return and join Jamie in battle. Jamie resists, saying that he doesn’t want Murtagh to die for nothing, but Murtagh replies that he’ll be dying for Jamie.
Cut to Claire in 1968 sitting in her room at the Wakefield house. Brianna walks in and says she doesn’t want to argue: she doesn’t want to discuss the time travel but she does want to know about Jamie. Claire describes him to her without describing his 18th-century roots, and says she’ll tell Brianna everything about him over time. Claire describes how she didn’t mean to fall in love with Jamie, but eventually couldn’t deny her feelings.
Dragonfly in Amber – Time Paradox 101
Strange cut, and in a different room Claire asks Roger if he knows Gillian Edgars. Brianna walks in and says that she’s met her and likes her, even if she’s a crazy nationalist. Claire tells Roger and Brianna that it’s important she find Gillian tonight. Roger reports that they saw her at the pub and that she said she was leaving tonight. Claire believes Gillian will go through the stones shortly. This annoys Brianna who believes Claire’s delusional. Claire says that Gillian is Gaellis Duncan and that she owes Gaellis for saving her life. Looking at Roger, though, Claire says that she can’t.
The results of the genealogical test Claire ran on Roger show that he is a descendant of Gaellis’s child, delivered before Gaellis was executed. Roger insists that if it’s all true, they have to stop Gillian from going back in time. Claire, though, postulates that if they stop Gillian then Roger will never be born. Roger asks how it could be possible that he not be born, saying he can’t evaporate. Claire replies that she doesn’t understand how time travel works. Brianna is incredulous: she can’t understand how Roger could believe Claire’s story. Roger says that warning Gillian couldn’t hurt and Claire agrees, saying she’ll warn her not to attract attention to herself in the past.
Brianna once again storms out, telling Roger he’s feeding Claire’s delusions. Roger goes after Brianna and suggests that if they find Gillian, Claire will have to face reality. Brianna suggests Gillian may also be crazy but Roger says it’ll be interesting to see her smash her head against a stone, and either way this will put an end to it.
Dragonfly in Amber – “I Thought Somebody Was Barbecuin’!”
“I ran down to Craigh na Dun to grab a cold pop!”
We’re back in 1746, and Jamie insists that Claire travel back through the stones to prevent herself from being killed in the aftermath of the Battle of Culloden. Claire refuses but eventually yields when Jamie reveals that he knows Claire is pregnant. He demands that Claire keep her and their unborn child safe, so she must go back through the stones. As Jamie says, their child will be all that’s left of him once he’s gone.
Back to 1968 and we see Gillian pouring gasoline on a body. Roger’s car pulls up and Claire recognizes Gillian’s husband’s car. We see the body ignite and Roger says something smells like a barbecue. Gillian watches the body burn for a bit, runs toward the stone, and disappears. Brianna notices a buzzing sound, and then they find the blazing corpse of Gillian’s husband. Claire tells Roger to get help, and, left alone with her mother, Brianna realizes what a snotty brat she’s been. She gazes at the stones in disbelief.
Dragonfly in Amber – The Buzzing
We return to 1746 and see Jamie and Claire riding hard to Craigh na Dun. Once they arrive, Claire asks Jamie how she’ll explain everything to Frank. Jamie says he’ll leave that to Claire but asks her to tell Frank he’s grateful and that he hates him deeply. Claire notices a buzzing noise but Jamie can’t hear it. She begs Jamie to come with her through the stones but, even though he touches the stone, he can’t. His destiny, he says, is on Culloden Moor. Jamie gets romantic and says that he’ll find his wife somehow, even if he has to wait in purgatory for 200 years. He says it will all be worth it because God gave him a rare woman, and he loved her well. Then, the Frasers do what they do best, but after a quickie among the time stones Jamie hears cannon fire in the distance.
Claire gives Jamie the dragonfly in amber and tells Jamie to keep it with him. Jamie helps Claire up off the ground and gives her a ring. He tells her it belonged to his father and that Claire should give it to their child. Claire tells Jamie she’ll name the child “Brian” after his father. Then, facing each other, Jamie walks Claire back to the stone. They say their “I love you’s,” kiss, and after saying goodbye Jamie presses Claire’s hand into the stone.
Dragonfly in Amber – Time Has Come Today
We’re back at Craigh na Dun in 1968. Claire and Brianna walk away from the stones. Brianna asks Claire if someone has to be sacrificed any time someone travels through the stones. Claire tells her daughter that no one died when she went through. Brianna tells Claire she believes her and demands that they both be honest with each other. Claire once more remarks how similar Brianna is to Jamie and promises only the truth from now on.
Roger returns and tells them that he’s notified the police about the body anonymously. Brianna tells Roger to give Claire what they found. It turns out to be some research that Reverend Wakefield did at Frank’s request. The research shows that some Scots escaped after the Battle of Culloden, one named Fraser. Claire replies that there were a lot of Frasers at Culloden but Roger tells her that there were only five Fraser officers. Four of those five have their names engraved on a monument and none of the names is “James Fraser,” the fifth Fraser officer. Claire realizes that Jamie didn’t die at the Battle of Culloden, and since he survived she decides to return to the 18th century. We see a closeup of Claire’s face and the sun coming up over the stones. Roll credits to “Time Has Come Today” by The Chambers Brothers.
Dragonfly in Amber – My Critique
Too Many Cuts
As anyone who’s looked over the above recap can see, there were a lot of cuts back and forth between the 18th and 20th centuries. These sometimes awkward cuts were so frequent they made “Dragonfly in Amber” somewhat disconnected and choppy. Cuts like these should involve some kind of thematic break in the action of the episode or a thematic link between the scenes featured.
Acting?
But, although the choppy narrative distracted me, what was more distracting was Sophie Skelton‘s weak acting in the role of Brianna Randall. Skelton’s weak portrayal of Brianna weighed down her scene partners’ performances and gave the episode a Movie of the Week feel. Skelton’s poor performance in “Dragonfly in Amber” may be the result of her trying to act like an American (Skelton was born and raised in the UK), but whatever the reason her performance didn’t live up to the level of acting talent that Outlander has shown us in the past.
I Dinna’ Ken the Rrreason!
As I’ve said in previous critiques, I don’t understand the writers’ reasons for starting Season Two with the revelation that Claire and Jamie were unsuccessful in stopping the Battle of Culloden. Although “Dragonfly in Amber” managed to still be an interesting episode to watch, this revelation slowed down the rest of the season. I suppose that the target demographic for Outlander is people who have read Gabaldon’s novel series, but for those who haven’t (me) the revelation about the unchanged outcome of the Battle of Culloden at the beginning of the season gave too much away.
“Dragonfly in Amber” finally featured a discussion of the potential side effects of time travel. This was a welcome discussion for me, although other viewers may not have liked it. I was glad Claire discussed Roger’s tenuous grasp on existence in “Dragonfly in Amber”. Time travel paradoxes haven’t been mentioned much in the series so far. A problem with Claire’s time-travel logic in “Dragonfly in Amber,” though, is that Claire may also cease to exist. After all, Gaellis/Gillian is one of the many people who saved Claire’s life in the 18th century.
Seasons Three and Four
I’m looking forward to the next season of Outlander. With the novels Outlander and Dragonfly in Amber taken care of, viewers will get a chance to see where the show goes now that everything is out in the open and the Battle of Culloden is over. Outlander has been renewed for two more seasons, and if the show keeps to its current framework it’ll need a few more to cover all of Gabaldon’s novels.
It’ll also be interesting to see whether or not the writers weave events from the Outlander novel series’ spinoff LordJohn into the show (Lord John Grey appeared for the first time in Outlander when he interrupted Jamie taking a leak in the episode “Je Suis Prest“).
Each week here on Monkeys Fighting Robots, we are looking at every DC Rebirth title and tracking its progress. Books will be rated on a scale of “Buy It”, “Borrow It” or “Bin It”. Spoilers ahead.
New Super-Man #1 (Gene Luen Yang, Richard Friend and Viktor Bogdanovic) “Hey Dan, do you know what would be a great idea? We kill Superman. Yes, I know we’ve done it before, but it’ll be different this time. We will have multiple Supermen, but get this, one of them will be an asshole. It gets better, we bring back the original Superman as well. No, not that one, the pre-New 52 one. Sure, it may be an incredibly confusing storyline that will alienate new readers, but trust me on this one. It’ll be fine, we’ll put a new edgy Superman with some attitude problems in and he’s sure to be a fan favourite.” All jokes about DC literally redoing the Death of Superman beat for beat aside, New Super-Man is a thoroughly enjoyable read. Kong Kenan is an interesting protagonist because he is inherently unlikable. We traditionally associate the Superman mantle with the boy scout stereotype; he’s a goodie two-shoes. Yet Yang presents us with a bully as our main character. His background, naturally for a superhero, is a tragic one, but Kenan doesn’t endear himself to us. Underneath the roughness, there may be a good person, but it’s surrounded by layers of arrogance and self-importance. It’s quite telling that his conspiracy-loving father threatens to expose the heroic image that he accidentally creates for himself. How damning an indictment is it to have your own father call you a bad person. The story may be premised on China trying to make their own boot-leg version of the Justice League, but when you look deeper, it raises an interesting political point given the history of the Chinese Military Industrial Complex and the allegations of corporate espionage therein. That being said, there is some problematic about presenting China as tokenistically evil as it does here. This is certainly the most promising of DC Rebirth’s take on the Superman family of comics. From the stark cultural contrast to the charming artwork, New Super-Man is presenting us a corner of the DCU we truly haven’t seen before.
Recommendation: Buy It.
Action Comics #959 (Dan Jurgens and Tyler Kirkham) It is very hard to be positive about the core Superman book at the moment. It’s a glorified fight book with very little story going on. The best thing that can be said about the book is that it is easy on the eyes. Indeed, the interior artwork is quite impressive, but it serves only to conceal a paper-thin story that hasn’t advanced much over the last three issues. Superman and Lex argue. Doomsday hits things. Lois worries. Wash, rinse, repeat. This kind of lazy story-telling may have been serviceable twenty years ago, but the audience expects a higher-calibre of story now. The market is such that being an average, paint by numbers book is not good enough. This is not to say that every issue has to hold twists and turns or seek to address a provocative topic, but a comic should at least have some heart. This series has thus far felt like a comic created by a committee and it suffers for it. The modern reader expects more because comics are competing for their attention with a plethora of other media. Within the industry itself, you have amazing things be doing within and without “the Big Two.” Just being okay is no longer acceptable if you hope to succeed in the market. Superman was the first superhero, and the Man of Steel deserves better than this.
Recommendation: Bin It.
Hal Jordan and The Green Lantern Corps: Rebirth (Robert Venditti and Ethan Van Sciver) Depending on who you ask, this is either the “other” Green Lantern book or the “real” Green Lantern book. Given that we have yet to read a good issue of Green Lanterns, it would be fair to say that this issue fairs much better than its buddy-cop counter-part. Hal Jordan and The Green Lantern Corps scratches that high concept sci-fi itch that has been growing in the absence of Doctor Who. Everyone’s favourite Green Lantern (unless you watch Justice League: the Animated Series) Hal Jordan has returned, but his off-screen adventures have led to him becomes a being of pure willpower. This raises the fascinating premise for this issue in which Jordan has to will himself into existence. In essence, the man who was once Hal Jordan is now a construct of a power ring, and in re-creating himself, he becomes more powerful than before. If you’ve seen Sandman’s introduction in Spider-Man 3, you’ll understand some of the beauty in that struggle to reassert one’s self. It also acts as an interesting nod to Batman’s thesis that the ring is the hero rather than Hal. There is an intergalactic war building in the background as the Sinestro Corp’s budget Death Star plagues the universe, but it’s ancillary to what is a truly original character study. Whether it will be able to hold our interest remains to be seen. As good as the internal artwork is, the cover is a reminder that Green Lantern artists, much like their counterparts in the Flash department, really need to think of different cover poses.
Recommendation: Borrow It.
Wonder Woman #2 (Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott)
I wonder if Greg Rucka originally pitched a “Year One” story when approached about returning to Wonder Woman, only to be told that they wanted to do something different with the character. Did an intense negotiation happen in which both sides eventually compromised and said “let’s do both”. I ask because, as noted, I am unsure of other instances where alternating issues of a book focused on a pair of different, seemingly unconnected story-lines. I understand that the main plot concerns Diana’s hunt for the truth about those who have been messing with her origins (i.e. the editors over at DC), but that is a tenuous link at best. This isn’t a book that weaves it’s flashbacks into the narrative with past and present acting as interesting parallels. There are potentially interesting threads relating to Diana’s love life on the island, coupled with the horrifying implication that the Amazons remember their past lives as women being tortured and killed by men. But there is something lacking. The issue is that we’ve been here quite recently, so what makes this time any different? Yes, it has the advantage of being the “true origin story of Wonder Woman”, but we’ve fallen for this before. Is it fair to say that this book suffers from not being The Legend of Wonder Woman? Perhaps not, but then again DC made the sagacious choice to publish three different books about Wonder Woman’s origins over the last year or so. Can the audience help it if we have Amazonian fatigue?
Recommendation: Borrow It.
The Flash #2 (Joshua Williamson and Carmine Di Giandomenico)
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that, more so than anything else, Barry Allen is a teacher. The reason why DC was able to build an emotional focal point around his death back in Crisis on Infinite Earths was that everyone in the DCU, whether it was his pupils or his team-mates on the JLA, had learned something from the Flash. This current storyline appears to want to focus on that aspect of the character, the part that wants to guide his fellow speedsters, but knows that he can’t control their destiny. The only problem I have with this story is that the Godspeed twist has already been revealed. One of Barry’s students of the Speed Force is going to pull a Kylo Ren and betray him. The smart money is on August Heart because it wouldn’t be a super-hero comic if one of your main character’s best friends didn’t become a villain in a tragic set of circumstances. Indeed, the seeds of Heart’s transition are clearly placed here as he begins to speculate on the limits of the law and the power that the Speed Force provides him. As I’ve said before, The Flash closely mirrors its TV counterpart in style and tone, allowing light-hearted antics alongside moments of intense character drama. This is a book you won’t want to rush.
Recommendation: Buy It.
Detective Comics #936 (James T Tynion IV, Raúl Fernández and Alvaro Martinez) With DC Rebirth being primarily about legacy, it is unsurprising that a book with the pedigree of Detective Comics would seek to address that concept. The undying nature of a symbol is a double-edged sword that inspires both the good and the bad. This series is all about dueling ideologies as those that were inspired by the same figure struggle to win the philosophical war, and the physical one too. Placing Batwoman as the book’s point of view was a stroke of genius. Her place outside the core Bat-Family allows her to walk the line between worlds. Bruce Wayne and Kate Kane both struggle with their families’ interconnected history. Kate, while inspired by Bruce, has never been defined by his crusade. The Bat is a symbol for others to seek justice. Whether justice should more resemble vengeance is ultimate what this book seeks to address.
Recommendation: Buy It.
Nightwing: Rebirth (Tim Seeley and Yanick Paquette)
After a long stint as Agent 37, reflecting on the amount of alter-egos he has possessed over the years, Dick Grayson returns to the world of super-heroics with a renewed secret identity and a new adversary in the Parliament of Owls. Nightwing is my personal favourite DC character, and this series was one I was looking forward to the most, yet there is something unwelcoming about this issue. Rather than a true rebirth, it serves more as a cap on the last arc of Grayson. There is nothing wrong with that per se, Grayson was a fantastic series, but this issue is merely jogging in place until something important happens down the line. On the plus side, the nostalgia factor is in full effect as Dick Grayson is now sporting a costume inspired by his DCAU counterpart. This is interesting in and of itself, as the bird emblem was unique to animated iterations of the character up until now. I’d love to know the creative choice behind the design shift. The facial expressions leave much to be desired, however, with Damian Wayne occasionally looking like someone scrunching his head. It’s unclear if Yanick Paquette can handle an ongoing book unless the characters are fully masked all the time. Eagle-eyed readers may notice a certain presumption Republican candidate amongst the legion of the Parliament of Owls, reaffirming that the comic industry loves lambasting Trump.
Recommendation: Borrow It.
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It was a huge week for DC Rebirth with three new titles and the return of four others, though the contrast in quality was evident. Book of the Week goes to New Super-Man for a fascinating examination of what it means to be a Man of Steel. The Dishonorable Mention goes to Action Comics because enough is enough and uninspired writing should not be tolerated. DC still has a lot of good material coming out this July, so make sure you stay up to date with us here at Monkeys Fighting Robots.
Sony Pictures is set to release Ghostbusters, directed by Paul Feig, across the country this Thursday night. Those who have been up in arms that this film is meant to replace the original version are 100% off base. Feig’s film is, in many ways, a love letter to the film’s heritage, a bridge to the past, that also blazes a new trail for the future. While the film’s detractors (GhostBros) have accused the director of killing the franchise; he, in fact, has revived the franchise for a new generation of fans. Ghostbusters is oozing with freshness, filled with frivolity, and full of frights.
The film starts off at Columbia University, and we are introduced to Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig) who is a highly respected science professor that’s on the verge of making tenure. Right before she’s to meet with the board to decide her tenure, a book she co-wrote with her former friend, Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy), about the paranormal surfaces online. She ends ups confronting her about this and during that confrontation is introduced to a nuclear engineer named Jullian Holtzman (Kate Mckinnon). Abby agrees to take the book offline if Erin is willing to help them investigate a reported paranormal sighting at an old mansion. In a scene reminiscent of the library scene in the original 1984 film, the gang encounters a ghost and Erin ends up on the receiving the business end of projectile slime.
While this is transpiring, Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones) is working a ticket booth at a subway stop when she witnesses a mysterious man (Neil Casey) jump on the tracks and run down the tunnel. Patty chases the man down the tunnel only to have her own close encounter of the paranormal kind. This experience leads her to the Ghostbusters office where she meets Kevin (the male receptionist played by Chris Hemsworth) and the rest of the team. The girls find a common purpose and decide to join forces and combat the paranormal activity going on in New York City.
Feig makes a concerted effort to connect to past heritage of this movie with this new narrative. The obvious example of this would be the cameos from every living cast member of the 1984 film (except for Rick Moranis, who’s left Hollywood behind). Even Harold Ramis makes a cameo in a touching way.
This movie even goes as far as to emulate some of the cinematography that was used in the original film. We see some of the same tight shots of Ecto one racing down the highway just like in the original film. They even emulate some of the city shots that we saw remember from 1984. Director of Photography Robert D. Yeoman follows the example set forth by László Kovács and uses shots of the city skyline to show the enormity of the city as well as it’s beauty. Yeoman blends those shots of the city with such precision and attention to detail that the city becomes another character in the film. To go to these great lengths certainly, doesn’t show any malice to the Ghostbusters franchise or fans as a whole. If anything, this film is Paul Feig’s love letter to the Ghostbusters fandom and serves as a bridge between its past and blazes a trail for the films future.
Do not go into this film expecting to see Ghostbusters 3. Katie Dippold and Paul Feig’s humor is a different brand of humor than that of Aykroyd and Ramis. They wrote humor that funneled through Bill Murray and Aykroyd while Dippold and Feig’s humor is evenly distributed amongst the cast. Of course, Murray and Aykroyd are phenomenal in the original film, but they carry the biggest comedic burden in the film. In Dippold and Feig’s version, not one person takes more of the comedic weight than the other. Does that mean that one version is funnier than the rest? No, each version is funny in its own way.
The best performances belong to both Kate Mckinnon and Leslie Jones. Mckinnon brings a physicality to the film both comedically and during the action sequences. Jones is a typhoon of comedy whenever she’s on screen. She’s hilarious an brings a sense of frivolity to every scene that she was in that made the film even more enjoyable. These two dynamic personalities bring chemistry and charisma to every scene they’re in together.
My one complaint with the film stems from the lack of chemistry between Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy. Anytime those two have a scene together, the lines feel a bit stiff and rigid. Now, this may have been how they wanted to portray their respective characters (these two are socially inept), but it detracts. The biggest surprise of the film has to be the comedic performance of Chris Hemsworth. Audiences got a small taste of his comedic abilities when he played Audrey Griswold’s love interest in the National Lampoons Vacation reboot (if anyone bothered to watch that mess). Chris’s portrayal of the dimwitted receptionist Kevin provided some of the biggest laughs.
Ghostbusters is the embodiment of why people go to the movies to begin with. This film is a solid, entertaining film from the onset all the way to final credits (stay till the very end). Audiences will leave the theater smiling and in this day and age .. there’s nothing wrong with that.
The Founder, Michael Keaton’s star vehicle about the man who basically stole the McDonald’s franchise from the actual McDonald brothers, has been moved from August to December. This is promising for those of us (i.e. everyone ever) hoping Keaton grabs his Best Actor Oscar.
Keaton plays Ray Kroc, the businessman who took the idea from Mac and Dick McDonald and turned it into the garbage food franchise that has, in some ways, defined America for so many decades. Laura Dern plays Kroc’s wife Ethel Fleming, and Nick Offerman, John Carroll Lynch, Patrick Wilson, Ric Reitz and Wilbur Fitzgerald also co star.
Here’s the trailer:
Originally, The Founder moved from Thanksgiving to Augutst 5. But test audiences have been very positive, so Weinstein and his cronies have shuffled the release date once again. This time, it’s December 16, right in the heart of Awards Season.
Two of DC Comics’ biggest intergalactic heroes are returning this Fall!
The company has announced that Adam Strange and Hawkman will star in a new six-issue miniseries debuting this October. Check out the cover art and details below!
HAWKMAN AND ADAM STRANGE: OUT OF TIME
Writer: Marc Andreyko
Artist: Aaron Lopresti
Residing on Earth and out of the hero game, Adam Strange finds himself trying to live a “normal” life, until he’s literally pulled back into adventure again as a seemingly normal Zeta beam transmission returns him to the planet Rann, where he hopes to be reunited with his beloved Alanna. But instead, he finds the once great city of Ranagar in ruins with millions dead, and the once peaceful Alanna is now calling for the blood of Rann’s oldest enemy, Thanagar, home of the Hawkmen.
Sensing something is amiss, Strange enlists the aid of Thanagarian policeman Katar Hol, aka Hawkman, who is also trying anything possible to avert war. Together the two try and uncover who’s really behind the destruction of Rann while at the same time preventing Rann and Thanagar from marching into interplanetary armageddon!
HAWKMAN AND ADAM STRANGE: OUT OF TIME #1 arrives at comic retailers on October 5.
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Are you #TeamRann or #TeamThanagar? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter @monkeys_robots!
Bill Skarsgard is playing Pennywise the clown in the upcoming It remake, and the first image of the character has been released.
EW talked to Skarsgard about his thoughts on Pennywise, he said the following:
“It’s such an extreme character. Inhumane. It’s beyond even a sociopath, because he’s not even human. He’s not even a clown. I’m playing just one of the beings It creates.”
Skarsgard has big shoes to fill in this role, as he’s the next in line to play the character after Tim Curry’s incredible performance as Pennywise in 1990’s It.
The film is set to hit theaters on September 8, 2017, and will be directed by Andrés Muschiett.
‘Spring Break Zombie Massacre’could be the best and worst zombie film of all-time.
The trailer for ‘Spring Break Zombie Massacre’ was released back in June, but the buzz is just starting.
Sam Suchmann and Mattie Zufelt are best friends from Rhode Island, who have Down syndrome, in their film they play brothers, two cool guys with bionic powers capable of saving humanity forever while the Devil tries to steal their powers.
Suchmann, Zufelt, and friends raised $68,936 on Kickstarter to complete their 20-minute short film.
According to the New York Post, the young filmmakers have been invited to several film festivals, and they are scheduled to appear Thursday on Conan O’Brien.
Check out the trailer to ‘Spring Break Zombie Massacre’ below.
Production Diary Episode 1: We Got Crunked Up On Root Beer
In a ghost-infested New York City similar-but-separate from Reitman’s, Columbia University professor Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig) is on track to receive tenure when she’s haunted by a figment from her past: her book, appropriately titled Ghosts From the Past: Both Literally and Figuratively, which she co-authored with her one-time best friend/research partner Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy). Although Erin thought all copies were destroyed, Abby re-issued the book and now sells it on Amazon. Fearing it will destroy her chances at earning a cushy job, Erin reunites with Abby — who keeps up the good supernatural-searching fight at her lower-tier university with her new lab partner, the eccentric Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon) — and demands she stop selling their past work.
Despite people inexplicably arguing otherwise online, the original Ghostbusters was a comedy, but it often stemmed the jokes around the action. The biggest laughs are quips made at the expense of the overarching plot, which made the comedy feel organic and natural within the plot. Feig’s Ghostbusters, however, is more joke-heavy, which makes the action often feel secondary and the humor feel more forced. As per usual with the filmmaker, the movie sometimes seems too concerned with stuffing as many jokes as possible into the film, which ultimately makes the action feel like an afterthought. That bites it in the ass during the finale, which comes across like a run-of-the-mill blockbuster third act without enough solid jokes to counterbalance the bad green-screen and the varying success of the actual special effects. The new Slimer, for instance, looks pretty cool, and the character designs are all interesting, but only a few really look anywhere near convincing, though that might be a marginal attempt to pay homage to the original’s occasionally-wonky mix of practical and CG effects.
While brief appearances by Bill Murray, Slimer and Ernie Hudson are made enjoyable enough — and a quick nod to Harold Ramis is nice and surprisingly tasteful, particularly for a ghost-filled romp — they just keep coming, and coming, and coming, to the point of ad nauseam. The ways they introduce Dan Ackroyd and Sigourney Weaver, in particular, are especially egregious, as is a groan-worthy end credits reveal. If they do make a new franchise, it’s possible they’ll right the wrongs and let the new characters force their own path, or it’s possible they’ll try to have their cake and eat it too, like Star Trek Into Darkness (which, admittedly, I still liked despite its very apparent flaws). But for goodness sake, have some faith in yourself! If the pre-release response to this blockbuster has taught us anything, it’s don’t be ladling to those who can’t accept change. Forge your own path.
Wiig and McCarthy are thankfully toned down in their performances, which is good because that’s where they often excel — despite multiple failed films on McCarthy’s part attempting to suggest otherwise. That lets Jones and McKinnon play up the goofiness, which is where they’re at their best. McKinnon, of course, is the standout, crackling with her various elastic expressions and never once afraid to steal the entire $140 million movie away under everyone’s feet at any moment’s notice. She’s a real star in the making, and it’s about time Hollywood noticed.
New Super-Man #1 (Gene Luen Yang, Richard Friend and Viktor Bogdanovic)
Action Comics #959 (Dan Jurgens and Tyler Kirkham)
Hal Jordan and The Green Lantern Corps: Rebirth (Robert Venditti and Ethan Van Sciver)
Wonder Woman #2 (Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott)
The Flash #2 (Joshua Williamson and Carmine Di Giandomenico)
Detective Comics #936 (James T Tynion IV, Raúl Fernández and Alvaro Martinez)
Nightwing: Rebirth (Tim Seeley and Yanick Paquette)
While this is transpiring, Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones) is working a ticket booth at a subway stop when she witnesses a mysterious man (Neil Casey) jump on the tracks and run down the tunnel. Patty chases the man down the tunnel only to have her own close encounter of the paranormal kind. This experience leads her to the Ghostbusters office where she meets Kevin (the male receptionist played by Chris Hemsworth) and the rest of the team. The girls find a common purpose and decide to join forces and combat the paranormal activity going on in New York City.
