Most of the recent news surrounding True Detective has been negative; the show is basically dead in the water, and season two left sour tastes in most people’s mouths. There are plenty of things HBO can do to revive the series, and it sounds like Matthew McConaughey would be game to reprise Rust Cohle from season one.
In an interview with Rich Eisen for DirecTV, McConaughey discussed season one, and mentioned he’s spoken to Nic Pizzolatto about bringing back the enigmatic cop from the terrific debut season. Under the right circumstances, of course:
Why not? I know HBO’s original plans for True Detective were to move form place to place and story to story, but season two proved they didn’t need to abandon the misadventures of Rust Cohle. Matthew McConaughey’s performance remains one of the very best of all TV performances in recent memory. I doubt any fan of the first season would not be excited to see the character make a comeback.
It would take some tricky contextual storytelling. Unless we went back into the past again, which is unlikely, we’d have long-haired crazy, Lone Star slamming Rust Cohle to deal with. That might be wild in and of itself.
Inferno, Tom Hanks and Ron Howard’s third foray into the world of Robert Langdon, has a full-length trailer. Your mother-in-law is gonna love this movie:
“When Robert Langdon wakes up in an Italian hospital with amnesia, he teams up with Dr. Sienna Brooks, and together they must race across Europe against the clock to foil a deadly global plot.”
Joining Hanks in Inferno is Felicity Jones, Irrfan Kahn, and Ben Foster, who judging by the trailer won’t last long. This feels like one of the most unnecessary third entires into a franchise that’s never been very good to begin with. But I’m sure there are fans out there.
Inferno hits theaters October 28, so skip your Halloween parties!
The new ‘Ghostbusters’ film has received tons of unwarranted flack before the movie has even been screened, but Fall Out Boy’s remake of the ‘Ghostbusters’ theme song is just horrid and doesn’t help Paul Feig’s cause.
Listen at your own risk:
If you would like to get that nasty taste out of your mouth watch Ray Parker Jr.’s original.
‘Ghostbusters’ makes its long-awaited return, rebooted with a cast of hilarious new characters. Thirty years after the beloved original franchise took the world by storm, director Paul Feig brings his fresh take to the supernatural comedy, joined by some of the funniest actors working today – Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, and Chris Hemsworth. This summer, they’re here to save the world! The film is produced by Ivan Reitman and Amy Pascal, and written by Katie Dippold & Paul Feig, based on the 1984 film “Ghostbusters,” written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis and directed by Ivan Reitman.
‘Ghostbusters’ will be released in theaters nationwide on July 15, 2016
DC Comics writer Sam Humphries talked about his new book ‘Green Lanterns’ with Monkeys Fighting Robots podcast host Matthew Sardo. The book stars Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz two of the newest Green Lanterns to protect sector 2814. During the conversation about the book Humphries expanded upon the relationships of Simon and Jessica with the Justice League and teased a multi-book crossover that includes Bryan Hitch’s ‘Justice League.’
“I had a great conversation this week with Bryan Hitch writer of ‘Justice League’ and we talked a lot about these two characters (Barry Allen and Jessica Cruz). We talked a lot about the other characters in the ‘Justice League.’ How they’re all going to relate to each other and came up with some pretty exciting ideas. Justice League is going to be an insane book in Brian’s hands. I’m really excited to have Simon and Jessica in the mix, and he’s really excited to write them. There is going to be a lot of cool stuff going back and forth between these two books and some other books in the DC Universe, and I’ve probably already said too much, so there’s your exclusive,” said Humphries.
Humphries also reconfirmed that Batman wants the new mysterious power ring introduced in ‘Green Lanterns: Rebirth.”
“I think Batman and Simone will have some interesting connections to make, and we will be building on that,” said Humphries. “Batman is a strategist, and he is a guy who likes his toys. So, there is a new power ring in play I think it makes sense that he would be very interested in this ring.”
‘Green Lanterns #2’ hits your local comic book shop on July 20.
“RAGE PLANET” Chapter Two: In issue #2, the world descends into rage! Crowds are rioting while Simon and Jessica find themselves powerless to stop the carnage. With their backs against the wall and no other options available, Earth’s rookie Green Lanterns take the fight to the Red Lanterns’ Bleez!
Listen to the complete Sam Humphries interview below:
Tom Hardy is already in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming war epic Dunkirk. Now, it seems he’s heading back into the genre, playing famous war photographer Don McCullin in a film for Working Title.
The film will reportedly be based on McCullin’s autobiography, Unreasonable Behavior. From the Deadline report:
The book is an unflinching account of McCullin’s journey from a poverty-stricken childhood in wartime London to becoming one of the most famous war photojournalists. Working for the Sunday Times from the late 60’s to the early 80’s, he risked his life to photograph the harsh realities of war from Vietnam, Cambodia, to Biafra and Uganda, one black and white image at a time.
Gregory Burke has adapted the book and McCullin is an executive producer. There’s no news regarding a potential director or any costars, but this has potential to get Hardy an Oscar down the road… Not that he seems like the kind of person who’s caught up in all that.
If you’re putting together a big tentpole franchise blockbuster film or a cinematic universe, odds are Dwayne Johnson is somewhere on your list of potential stars. The guy is everywhere, doing everything, and a quick blip in a recent Deadline news story indicates Johnson might be Universal’s first choice for The Wolf Man.
The story was about Dwayne Johnson’s involvement with Son of Shaolin, a graphic novel adaptation he’s producing and potentially starring in. But in the article was a rumor that Universal wants The Rock to join their new Monster-verse: “[T]here are persistent rumors Universal wants him howling at the moon when it gets around to the Wolf Man movie that is part of its classic monsters franchise revival plans.”
So they’re rumors, but hey they’re persistent. Universal is kicking off their new Monster Universe next year with Tom Cruise in The Mummy, and The Wolf Man has been rumored in the past to be the next one in line. Dwayne Johnson would be a good option because, frankly, he’s a good option for just about anything. But, I do wonder how a yoked Larry Talbot will look in this new universe.
San Diego Comic Con is around the corner and the trolleys are wrapped promoting the fourth season of ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’
The blazing chain in the promotion is reminiscent of Ghost Rider and it would be an awful idea to introduce the character to the Marvel Cinematic Universe on network television. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. started off as a cute idea but has since been a thorn in the side if the MCU by destroying the origin of the Inhumans. As a fan of Clark Gregg and Agent Coulson, I feel bad that he’s stuck in a wasteland of a show. If the ABC show was decent you would expect Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige to reintroduce fan favorite Coulson back into the films, but that has yet to happen. Furthermore, with the addition of the MCU on Netflix the bar has been raised on the cinematic expectations on television and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. just doesn’t make the cut.
There has been no official announcement from Marvel Studios that Ghost Rider will be introduced on the show, as comingsoon.net points out a Hellfire chain was the weapon of choice for the Secret Warriors‘ character J.T. James, aka Hellfire. James made his television debut, played by Axle Whitehead, on the series last year.
Ghost Rider is a character that needs a Netflix series to properly introduce and understand the complexities of his world. Also, he’s a dark character by nature and to put him on ABC would an injustice far worst than Nicholas Cage as Johhny Blaze. Now that Marvel has the rights to the character, let us treat him with the respect and dignity that Ghost Rider deserves and keep him as far away from the abomination that is Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
We are not sure where Mephisto’s film rights fall as his first appearance was in Silver Surfer #3 (December 1968), and Silver Surfer is controlled by 20th Century Fox.
If you are watching Robert Kirkman’s Outcast on Cinemax (and you should), the horror-religious element would be a perfect template for a Ghost Rider series on Netflix.
Do you want to see Ghost Rider on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or would you rather the character get its own Netflix series.
Between ‘Jaws’ and ‘Deep Blue Sea’ Lies The Intense Fun That Is ‘The Shallows’
I admittedly love shark movies. Hoping to get something with more substance than 2003’s ‘Open Water‘, there was a happy surprise to see that ‘The Shallows‘ is campy horror that knows exactly what kind of film it is.
The story is simple: Blake Lively plays Nancy Adams, a young girl with a heavy heart and a need to find peace. She believes surfing this hidden spot in Mexico is the way to that peace. What she finds is a great white shark who doesn’t enjoy her entering his feeding area. Stranded on a rock, she fights nature & a shark to survive.
My biggest compliment has to be the way it strings together different elements of the horror genre. Intense gore, great suspense, and some jump scares can be found within this film. ‘The Shallows‘ also leaves room for some genuine humor within this twisted situation. Summer horror films needs to have this sense of dread while remaining entertaining; this is something not many films do well but director Jaume Collet-Serra pulls it off. He totally used the most of his PG-13 rating.
Also, the breathtaking cinematography from Flavio Labiano has to be noted. I can recall many times where I was just taken back with how jaw-dropping the scenery was or applauding sleek stylistic shot choices. The scene where Nancy is first attacked and the water turns red; the entire scene becomes red and you instantly feel the pain and panic. All the masterful work from Labiano is showcased from beginning until the very last frame.
“What was once in the deep is now in the shallows”
Blake Lively really impressed throughout the film. While her exposition scenes are clunky, Lively’s “fish out of water” All-American girl character was perfectly used here. That is until her survival instinct kicked in & we saw her go from bubbly girl to a determined mad-woman. There was a quirk the creators gave her and that was this medical background. It was hinted her character wanted to drop out of med-school but that training is what kept her alive during this ordeal. Filling dialogue within the film, the character Nancy Adams would verbally walkthrough her self-performed medical procedure step-by-step. Lively also worked well with her seagull sidekick…told you got it a little campy at times.
Now it’s time to talk about the shark.
The shark films of recent have relied heavily on their computer generated creatures. While obviously the good chunk of the shark’s screen-time was CG, the practical moments were superb. Animatronics or prop effects used in 70’s masterpiece ‘Jaws‘ still have a place within the film world so there’s admiration for seeing it used here. That’s not to take away from the visual effects as they were stellar. In particular when it came to the epic ending fight scene.
Many will call them over-the-top but the underwater sequences were the most suspenseful moments. The build up to the shark attacks was slow; the audience was treated beautiful surfing shots with fake-out scares along the way. A great one being a slow brooding build & it just turns out to be adorable dolphins. When you finally see the shark underwater, you’re sucked into the moment.
Final Thoughts:
Look, you don’t go into a film like this knowing the story will be the shining star but the script was backed by original thrills & stunning visuals. The third act becomes a bit slow but all of the earlier exposition paid off with emotion and plot development.
I have to recommend this fin-tastic horror film.
‘The Shallows‘ comes out June 24th, 2016. Starring Blake Lively and Óscar Jaenada.
Tony Stark is “the cool exec with the heart of steel.” He’s a genius, playboy, billionaire, philanthropist, and he’s not afraid to let everyone know. Thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Stark and his alter ego, the Invincible Iron Man have become a household name. But where did the golden Avenger really come from?
Created by Stan Lee and Larry Lieber with art by Don Heck and Jack Kirby, Iron Man was introduced in 1963 in Tales of Suspense #39. Based on Howard Hughes and made to be a symbol against the Cold War, most of his early villains were from the Soviet Union. Their purpose was to steal or destroy technology Stark had created to aid National Defense Agencies like the Army.
Of course he was already inventing technology before he could even drive. While on a trip to Vietnam to aid the Army, Stark stepped on a booby trap was severely wounded. He was captured by Wong Chu, a local Warlord who wanted Stark to build weapons for his forces. His life hanging by a threat, Stark was saved by a fellow prisoner named Ho Yinsen, a scientist in his own regard. Together, the two designed and built a chest plate which was capable of keeping Stark’s injured heart beating. Realizing the chest piece could also work to power other devices, Stark and Yinsen built a suit of armor and gave birth to Iron Man.
While still in Vietnam and trying to make his way back, he met a soldier named James Rhodes, who was one of the first trusted with Stark’s true identity as Iron Man. He would later get his own armor and become known as War Machine. After escaping the country and returning to America, Stark used the Iron Man armor to fight against many villains, create new technologies, but dealt with many struggles along the way. He would redesign his armor into many different versions, but would realize the weapons he created were hurting people and focused his company, Stark Industries on technology which could benefit humanity. He would also lose his business to Obadiah Stane and have to start again from the bottom, become both the Secretary of Defense and the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D. and become a member of The Illuminati, a group designed to keep the bigger threats of the world in check behind the scenes.
Stark is blessed with many allies who have his back when the chips are down and many villains who want nothing more than to see him dead. His right hand woman, Victoria “Pepper” Potts has stuck beside him for many years and is the love of his life but the two are always just able to be together. One of the best examples is when she married, Harold “Happy” Hogan, Stark’s chauffeur. Happy would unfortunately meet his end at the hands of villain known as Spymaster during Civil War. His enemies would include armored fiends trying to test his metal such as Crimson Dynamo, Titanium Man, and Iron Monger. He would also face organizations of evil such as A.I.M. and their most recognized member, M.O.D.O.K.
Other than the Illuminati, Stark as Iron Man has been a part of many teams throughout the Marvel Universe. He started as one of the first Avengers, but went on to join other split off teams such as The Avengers West Coast, the New Avengers, and The Mighty Avengers. He would also create his own team called Force Works, and briefly be a part of teams such as The Thunderbolts and The Guardians of the Galaxy.
Throughout his career, Stark has had two great enemies. The first, The Mandarin, is a man who not only has utilized ten rings, each with their own unique power but is also a master strategist. He sees both Stark and Iron Man to be obstacles which stand in the way of his destiny of ruling the world. His second greatest enemy is his personal battle with Alcoholism. His struggle is one hel deals with even today and has cost him the trust of friends, the comfort of lovers, and the business he dedicated his life to advancing. Still, despite the efforts of many, Stark has shown he can be tough as nails, resourceful in a pinch, and can create technology which allows him to keep saving the world as Iron Man.
Quite a mute topic I know, but while Im waiting for the spring season to end and get my reviews ready I need to talk about something. Luckily I have a habit of thinking about things that don’t warrant as much critical thought to the point where I drive myself insane. One of which was my morbid curiosity about the dub scene. Considering that I’ve been watching a lot of Funimation’s simul-dubbing, I have taken this chance to give a sort of status update on dubs these days and maybe give a few recommendations of some modern dubs that you can sink your teeth into. But before all that we need to address the big question that I think needs addressing, “Why should I watch a dub of a show I’ve already seen?” And maybe in my excessive and tangential ramblings we’ll formulate some kind of an answer.
So I am one of those people who still get super excited when a dub comes out for a show that I really liked. I also don’t try to make it a habit of buying series without an english track. So I am probably the only dub fanboy who talks critically about anime. I am also the first critic to make that previous statement (<—sacasm alert). Sure its understandable that for the most part what you see first will be he subtitle version if you like to keep up with Anime. I certainly wont hold off watching a show because it doesn’t have a dub. This isn’t just because I review shows for a living and would be severely irrelevant if I talked about shows months after they released. Its because when a dub comes out it means that I will get either a brand new experience with at show or a heightened version of what I had already watched. The reason for this is that I just get more out of dubs because I don’t speak Japanese that well, not to mention the different dialects. When it comes to english I can tell the difference between every accent the language has and know what the inflections of these accents mean. As for Japanese I know little about how inflection works and what word or phrase its necessarily being put on, and seeing that inflection gives meaning to what you’re saying, its a big deal. Plus since subtitles can never be an exact mirror of what the Japanese are saying, there’s even more disconnect. At least with english dubs they change it to where what the characters are saying is congruent to what Im hearing. Some people will say that those things don’t matter since the emotions from the Japanese cast come’s through better than the english cast. Well something always sounds good when you don’t know how its suppose to sound like. This is the reason that I think most people praise subs over dubs. This is where I lose them.
Lets take Comedy as an example. When it comes to comedy series, unless its an extreme case, I will always find that the english dub release makes me laugh more. Theres just something about the Japanese language that doesn’t fit well with my brand of comedic timing. I really commend the english adapters on how they can bring the comedy in anime and localize it for western audiences. Most of the time they hit it out of the park. Shows like Baka and Test, Maria Holic and Date A Live, are made by how well the english comedy fits right in with those shows.
Moe/Slice of life shows are another matter here I can see a hard argument of just not getting a good experience from english dubs. But the market usually tends to release a lot of Moe/Slice of life as sub only so I think they get that too. There’s just something about that genre that doesn’t translate well enough to english. I guess Americans don’t know how to accurately portray funny cute girls or something.
But enough about genre specific stuff lets get into the reason why “you” the reader show even bother with watching an anime dub. To put it simply, when they hit it out of the park, which they do often, its just so good. I don’t buy all that original intent crap when it comes to voice acting, most of anime doesn’t need the original Japanese vocals to get the point across and people who say that don’t understand art in general. Besides if this were true we wouldn’t have plays and Shakespeare wouldn’t be the greatest playwright who ever lived, if his works couldn’t handle a simple change of cast. I mean I don’t think people know but subtitles are already unfaithful to the original Japanese intent. English and Japanese are two very different languages and a lot of things said in Japanese cant be directly translated into english. When something is truly great and is handled by people who care, the product that comes out will more often than not be great. And yeah I get where some people are coming from, there was a point in the mid 2000’s where Anime dubs sucked and everything felt like it was coming off a conveyor belt. And don’t even get me started on the dubs in the 90’s (#90kids). Since those dark times, the shows that are good, get a good dub. So this isn’t really a call to action seeing that the dub industry doesn’t really need it right now. I mean, I’m pretty sure if companies are willing to crank out dubs in such a quick fashion there is still a demand for it. All I’m here to do is maybe give those of you who haven’t seen a good anime dub in awhile some suggestions.
And if you’re asking “Why should I even watch a dub to a show I already have seen?” Well for one it gives you a reason to watch a show you like. Two, it will help you really focus on whats going on since anime is a visual medium. And Lastly, trust me when I say this, when you’re hearing emotion in your own language (and the acting skills are on par) its going to resonate with you more. Watching a dub is getting the fuller experience out of your anime, and who doesn’t want that. You do right? Of course you do. So go watch some of these stellar/recent dubs I’m about to recommend.
For this list I’m gonna be doing shows that are currently streaming, aired after 2010, and that I think benefit by having an English track.
