Fans have been heavily critical about the upcoming Ghostbusters reboot. Still there has been some rather enjoyable aspects of the movie coming out they cant argue with such as the return of Ecto Cooler to stores. Now a new announcement will give fans even more to look forward to as new animated series has been announced by Sony.
The new series, Ghostbusters: Ecto Force will be set in the year 2050 and will feature a new team. They will have brand new equipment, travel all over the world to bust ghosts, and get help from other Ghostbusters locations in their travels.
The series will be the third animated Ghostbusters animated series joining The Real Ghostbusters and Extreme Ghostbusters. The show set to be released in 2018. Will fan take to the new series or give it the same reception they gave the new movie? Only time will tell.
MASSACRE! The battle between the DECEPTICON Justice Division and MEGATRON’s AUTOBOTS reaches its nerve-shredding climax. Pray for your favorites — because not everyone makes it out of this issue alive.
Writing
The moment has finally arrived. After they were abandoned in issue #50, the last few issues have only been building tension to the event we all knew was coming. A knockdown, drag out, intense battle erupts between the stranded crew of the Lost Light and the Decepticon Justice Division. Is it worth the wait? You better believe it is. With every page turn, the battle seems to get more nail biting. The fighting which ensues is both satisfying and shocking as actions are taken but at a great cost to many. The blurb wasn’t lying, not everyone gets out of the issue alive.
Just as it seems you can’t take anymore the issue comes to a close on a cliffhanger which will make you wish the issue #55 wasn’t another month away. Writer James Roberts didn’t write a battle scene, he wrote an experience and it is a marvel to engage in.
Artwork
The artwork by Alex Milne is a great contributing factor to this issue. Through his work, the violent explosions and savage combat can be felt as you turn the pages. Some of the best moments in the issue comes from the action pages he drew. There is a particular splash page in this issue which many will probably want to get a print of because of how fantastic the detail work is. It’s the only splash page in the issue so it isn’t hard to find.
Conclusion
The team of Milne and Roberts once again delivers an intense, emotional, and well crafted comic. Now all they need to do is wrap up the battle and see where the warriors will go from here. Frankly, after a battle this draining it won’t be easy to simply get back in their ship and go about their merry way. Especially since the ship is still in someone else’s possession.
Creator of Sons of Anarchy Kurt Sutter is producing a new comic book series with BOOM! Studios. Lucas Stand follows an ex-military vet unable to return to society. Coupled with a crippling drug and alcohol addiction, Stand winds up into the service of Hell itself.
His mission is to restore the balance between Heaven and Hell, and to erase the sins of his own soul. Of course this is a mission with many obstacles, including an agent from Heaven looking to thwart Stand’s very efforts.
As a fan of SOA, I love seeing Kurt Sutter utilizing his talents in a new medium. One downside to working on television are limitations of budget and subject matter and BOOM! Studios is letting Sutter go full throttle on the story.
Stand is probably as far from a hero as you can be. And you still feel sorry for the guy for what he’s going through. He doesn’t want to be a bad guy, and he wishes he could be a better guy. But life seems to have it for Lucas.
Sutter’s portrayal of Lucas Stand shows many profound problems within our society, yet the message doesn’t feel gimmicky. Sutter also doesn’t use this element of the story to take away from the overall plot.
Of course there are a few bumps that came up in the issue. The second act of the story arrives out of left field and can throw the reader off if they are not paying attention. And if they do not stay to the end of the issue then they’re really in for a loop.
Furthermore we don’t get to see Stand’s relation to anyone close to him. Which I get, as Sutter wants to reinforce how Stand now keeps his friends and family away. But this might have helped in illuminating the tragic nature of Stand’s character.
Even with these issues, the story is fantastic and I am looking forward to the next installment next month.
Marvel Comics recently announced Marvel NOW!, a new branding initiative spinning out of this summer’s Civil War II. Today, the company has followed up with Mosaic, a new book starring a new character that will be launching as a part of the NOW! initiative.
Mosaic stars Morris Sackett, a basketball player turned Inhuman superhero, and will be written and drawn by Geoffrey Thorne and Khary Randolph, respectively.
“To say that Morris will have a long, hard road to travel to become a hero is an understatement,” says Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso. “One minute, Mosaic holds the world in the palm of his hand, the next, he has absolutely nothing, except for powers that will transform him into one of the Marvel Universe’s most complex characters — powers that , if not properly harnessed, will feel more like a curse.”
MOSAIC #1
Written by GEOFFREY THORNE
Art by KHARY RANDOLPH
Cover by STUART IMMONEN
Variant Cover by KHARY RANDOLPH
On Sale in October!
Mosaic centers on Morris Sackett – professional basketball player and celebrity. Loved by millions, hated by his teammates. Only Morris is secretly something else – something Inhuman. Coming into contact with the transformative Terrigen Mists has given Morris spectacular new abilities. Imbued with the ability to jump from person-to-person like a ghost, Morris can control the bodies and memories of those he inhabits. But these fantastic new abilities come at a grave cost. Recognized as an all-star athlete, Morris has worked his whole adult life to raise his body to peak physical form, but after his transformation, his living body is no more, and Morris must now rely on other bodies to survive.
“Morris goes from being one of the most famous people in the world to being no one,” says Executive Editor Nick Lowe. “Now he not only has to do time in the bodies of people he never even would have noticed, but also deep into Marvel Universe events!”
Fans eager to meet Mosaic won’t have to wait long – as the character’s highly anticipated first appearance comes to comic shops next week in UNCANNY INHUMANS #11. Plus, ahead of his ongoing series, fans can experience a 10-page Mosaic origin story from Thorne & Randolph which will be available for free on August 6th at all Barnes & Noble stores nationwide, as part of their Get Pop-Cultured event.
MOSAIC #1 comes to comic shops and digital devices everywhere this October! For more on Mosaic and Marvel NOW!, visit Marvel.com.
What Makes Horror Movies Different From Thriller Films?
Horror means to “horrify” audiences where a thriller attempts to “thrill”. Viewers see a difference between the two. I personally think the genres are interchangeable. One keeps you on the edge of your seat while the other makes you jump into the backseat. But no matter where you’re seated, that same rush of adrenaline is found.
Some believe a film’s theme can place it in a genre. It becomes complicated when you look to blur the lines. I can debate that 1978’s ‘Halloween‘ has more “thrills” than it does “horror”. If thrillers are grounded in realism then you’re able to easily label ‘Last House On The Left‘ as a thriller.
“Writing is writing, and stories are stories. Perhaps the only true genres are fiction and nonfiction. And even there, who can be sure?”
—Tanith Lee
As a horror fan, some films I call horror classify as thrillers by the general public. I can’t help but to feel the thriller label is on films like ‘Fatal Attraction‘ or ‘We Need To Talk About Kevin‘ due to dislike for horror films. You can’t tell me that ‘Fatal Attraction‘ didn’t put fear into any cheating man’s heart.
Even ‘The Silence Of The Lambs‘ struggles with where it falls on the genre spectrum. Wikipedia has it labeled a “psychological horror-thriller”. Does the crime element cancel out any inclination to label it purely a horror movie? I suppose the deranged Buffalo Bill or Hannibal Lecter does not “horrify” audiences enough.
Another example is 1995’s ‘Se7en‘. Crime & noir elements in the film have made most viewers look at it as a thriller. But those disgusting 7 deadly sins kills have more gore than an average American horror film. Lacking grotesque violence places a movie as a thriller but ‘Se7en‘ is most comparable to iconic horror film 2004’s ‘Saw‘. Both feature cops investigating a serial killer with a moral compass. Both also feature intense graphic effects, a trademark of a horror film. Once you begin to dissect the genres, it becomes harder to label movies.
So must we separate the two? Why can’t horror just absorb the thriller genre and place so many films back to their home? As a cinephile and horror fan, the division between the genres has to stop. Ending the separation between thriller/horror is how you end stigmas against the horror genre.
Let me know what you think in the comments below! Do you believe that horror and thriller is a useless separation or do you think the line between the two is clear?
Shia LaBeouf is more famous these days for his strange performance art pieces. Whether it’s watching all his movies in reverse chronological order, riding an elevator for a weekend, or traveling across the country through the charity of random people, LaBeouf’s acting career has stalled.
The new trailer for American Honey not only proves Shia LaBeouf is still acting. It proves he is still can be a captivating screen presence. Here’s the trailer:
What begins as a story about those shady magazine subscription vagabonds we’ve all seen, turns into something deeper and much more threatening. The film turned some heads at this year’s Cannes in May. Here is the synopsis:
A teenage girl with nothing to lose joins a traveling magazine sales crew, and gets caught up in a whirlwind of hard partying, law bending and young love as she criss-crosses the Midwest with a band of misfits.
Aside from Shia LaBeouf, American Honey stars newcomer Sasha Lane and a whole slew of rookie actors and actresses. Red Road and Fish Tank filmmaker Andrea Arnold directed. There isn’t a set stateside release date yet, but expect it this fall.
Production of Zack Snyder’s ‘Justice League’ is under way and the director offered a set visit to the media.
Warner Bros. Released the official logo and synopsis of the film:
Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.
Ben Affleck talked to reporters about the evolution of his Batman in ‘Justice League.’
“He’s a little bit more sardonic, a little more irony. He’s a little more of a man on a mission this time. As opposed to, he was so full of anger because of what happened at the Black Zero Event. That sort of rage that possessed him. And now he’s on a mission to get this group together; to constitute this League. But more of that sort of Bruce Wayne, wry, ironic gallows humor comes out. He’s not like a ‘haha’ jokey, but that sort of stuff comes out a little bit. A bit of his darker humor is present,” said Affleck via CBR.
The studio confirmed that Steppenwolf is the main villain of the film and that William Dafoe will play Atlantean ally of the Justice League, Vulko.
Justice League Part 1 is directed by Zack Snyder, from Chris Terrio script. The film stars Ben Affleck as Batman, Henry Cavill as Superman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Ezra Miller as The Flash, and Amber Heard as Mera.
Justice League Part 1 is slated for a November 17, 2017 release.
Last year, after 150 issues and several spins offs, the multiple Eisner award winning series Fables drew to a close. Just as fans thought they would never see any of their Fabletown friends again, Vertigo has made an announcement: The series will be getting a sequel.
EverAfter: From the pages of Fables will focus on a new story line and have a more a spy thriller aspect to it. In the events following the original comic regular humans (Mundys as they were called) become aware of existence of magic as enchantments started to break down. Now it will be up to a special team of Fables and Mundys to keep the peace in this new world. In a press release Vertigo comics revealed beloved characters such as Bo Peep, Peter Piper, Hansel, and Connor Wolf would be returning.
The creative team behind it features writers Matthew Stuges (Jack of Fables) and Dave Justus (Public Relations) who previously worked on Fables: Wolf Among Us with artist Travis Moore who will also be providing the artwork for the new book. Tula Lotay (Wicked and the Divine) will be doing the covers. The first issue is set to be released in September. Are you excited at the prospect of more Fables?
Alien: Covenant has gone through some wild ups and downs as it marches towards its 2017 release date. The project, a sequel to Prometheus, was in development forever, then it stared down Neil Blombkamp’s own Alien sequel/adaptation before prevailing. Then, it seemed Noomi Rapace would not be returning as Shaw. Despite the fact she and Michael Fassbender’s David (well, his head anyway), were the only survivors from Prometheus, Ridley Scott’s follow up was set to be sans Rapace.
Not so fast! Apparently, the actress has been in Australia with the Alien: Covenant crew and shooting what Deadline calls “weeks worth of scenes.” So this surprise appearance clearly isn’t for a brief cameo in the beginning.
It could mean one of two things: Either we see an extended death of Shaw early in the film, or she’s actually a part of the sequel’s plot. Scott has mentioned he will begin bringing these stories closer to the beginning of Alien, so there’s no telling as to the fate of Shaw. Or David for that matter.
Murtagh used a bit of the ultra-violence to wrap up a loose end in “Vengeance Is Mine”. Wrapping up that loose end, though, involved Murtagh doing away with one of Outlander’s best guest stars. Claire and Jamie seem to be no closer to stopping the Battle of Culloden: the other generals disagree with Jamie’s (and Claire’s) advice to push on to London rather than retreat to Scotland until spring. And, Rupert‘s in a bad way. Already mourning the death of Angus at Prestonpans, Rupert sustains a potentially fatal injury at the hands of the redcoats …
Vengeance Is Mine – My Recap
“Vengeance Is Mine” starts with the bonny prince making his case to take London rather than wait out the winter and remount their offensive once the weather improves. Lord George Murray and Sir John O’Sullivan are in a rare state of agreement on this strategy but Jamie stands with Stuart. Eventually though, not even Stuart’s patriotic entreaties can sway the two older men, and the officers agree to winter in Scotland so that they can replenish their stores and recruit more men to their cause. Jamie delivers this bad news to Claire after leaving the meeting.
“Yes, it hurts when I do everything!!”
As they make their way to the Scottish border, they run into an English patrol. All parties scatter in order to make it more difficult for the redcoats to track them. But, as Claire, Jamie, Rupert, and Dougal make their escape on horseback, a musket ball hits Rupert in the right eye. Dougal performs an impressive bit of horseback riding, jumping from his horse to Rupert’s. He grabs the unconscious Scot just before Rupert falls off his horse. They lose the redcoats and seek an appropriate place to assess and care for Rupert’s life-threatening wound. They take refuge in a church and shortly after Claire has finished patching Rupert’s eye the redcoats arrive and threaten to burn the church down unless the Scots surrender.
There is much frenzied discussion about what to do. Claire decides to again pretend that she is a captive of the Scots. The group hesitantly agrees to Claire’s plan, knowing that the English are unlikely to attack if they have an Englishwoman in their midst. After making plans for Jamie to retrieve her at the nearest English garrison once the patrol has moved on, Claire pretends she has fainted. Dougal carries Claire out of the church and presents her to the English officers. After a brief negotiation between Dougal and the commanding officer, the English agree to withdraw.
Claire’s plans to be rescued, though, hit an apparent snag when she learns that she will not be taken to the nearest English garrison but Belmont, which is closer. Claire’s concerns mount when she realizes that Belmont is the home of one of her and Jamie’s nemeses, the Duke of Sandringham. Luckily, one of Jamie’s longtime allies, ill-fated mute Hugh Munro, happens to be in the town that Claire and her English escort stops at on its way to Belmont. Recognizing Munro, she is able to covertly instruct him to tell Jamie that she is being taken to Belmont. Munro nods in understanding and the two part ways.
Arriving at Belmont, the Duke of Sandringham doesn’t blow Claire’s cover. He calls Claire “Mrs. Beauchamp” and pretends not to know her rather than outing her as “Red Jamie” Fraser’s wife. After some dinner, the duke explains his own predicament. He, much like Claire, is interested in being rescued from Belmont (he’s tired of being scrutinized by English soldiers). So, the duke requests that Claire send a letter to her husband asking Jamie to save them both. Claire writes to Jamie in Gaelic and the duke has his courier deliver it to Hugh Monroe. The courier delivers the letter to Munro and Munro nearly clobbers him for his efforts. No tip?!
Back at Belmont Claire has a reunion with Mary Hawkins who we learn is the duke’s goddaughter. He intends to marry her off to a Mr. Granger, but in private Mary begs Claire to help her avoid the wedding. In an even unhappier reunion, Claire recognizes one of the duke’s servants, by the birthmark on his hand, as the man who raped Mary. She begins to question the duke as to the rapist’s employment history and the duke scolds his servant, Danton, for being recognized. The duke admits to employing Danton to rape her and Mary in France. He assures Claire, though, that rape was a better option than what his accomplice le Comte St. Germain had demanded. The duke explains that he owed St. Germain a great deal of money. Claire looks on, sneering in the duke’s face the entire time.
The Duke of Sandringham goes on to explain to Claire that, now that “Red Jamie” is on his way to Belmont, the redcoats will be able to set a trap for him. The duke explains that his facilitation of Jamie’s capture will solidify his reputation as a true English patriot. After telling Claire of his dastardly plan, the duke orders his servant to escort Claire to her room and lock her in. We also see Munro successfully deliver Claire’s poorly translated message to Jamie and Murtagh. The two Scots, commenting on Claire’s bad Gaelic, determine that she is at Belmont with Sandringham and wants rescuing.
Claire paces by her window and sees Munro running across the lawn. She fears that the redcoats will catch Jamie and hand him over to the English. Startled by someone’s entering her room, she sees Mary. Mary asks Claire to rescue her from Belmont (a common theme around here!). Claire agrees and asks Mary to go outside and tell Munro that Jamie is walking into a trap. But, Mary’s not the bravest person around and she refuses to go outside and talk to a beggar. Claire, probably noticing a theme, realizes she’ll have to do it herself. Claire makes her way downstairs to the exit but is stopped at the door by the wig-less form of the duke.
The duke claims he needed a midnight snack: Claire lies, badly while edging away from the door, that she came down for the same reason. Over what appears to be some cold chicken, the duke presses Claire on how she killed St. Germain. Mary Hawkins’s sudden appearance interrupts their conversation and the duke orders her back to bed. As the duke and Claire resume their conversation, though, Mary makes for the front door. Luckily, Munro is right outside dealing with a redcoat and Mary is able to deliver her message. Danton drags Mary away but doesn’t notice Munro outside dragging away his redcoat victim.
Danton brings Mary back to the kitchen. Mary lies that she was trying to escape Belmont for fear of having to marry Mr. Granger. The duke again orders Mary to bed but just as she’s about to be dragged off once again Jamie and Murtagh burst in. I guess Munro didn’t deliver Mary’s message (he is mute). Danton grabs Claire and puts a dagger to her throat. The duke scrambles to get his wig on. Hoping to spur on some kind of superhuman revenge strength or something, Claire announces to the room that Danton raped Mary and that the duke hired him to do it. The duke tries to explain his dastardly behaviour and, as he does, Mary runs Danton through with Jamie’s dagger. Danton collapses and, with Claire safe from harm, Murtagh raises his axe and cleaves the duke’s head from his shoulders.
“There can be only one!”
Murtagh places the Duke of Sandringham’s dismembered head at the feet of Mary and Claire saying, “I kept my word. I lay my vengeance at your feet.” The four outlaws stand in silence for a bit until Mary quite rightly says, “I think we should go now.”
Vengeance Is Mine – My Critique
Go Mary! That’s one rapist down, uh several more to go! “Vengeance Is Mine” was a good episode that gave Simon Callow a great opportunity to go out with a bang. Callow did a great job highlighting the Duke of Sandringham’s apathy and frivolity. The duke was a villain I loved to hate so I hope that Outlander is able to provide a suitable replacement, especially since Black Jack Randall seems to have traveled back in time to the Dark Ages. Wait, that’s a different show …
It’s Frank! It’s Black Jack! No, it’s Edmure Tully!
“Vengeance Is Mine” also gave viewers another taste of why it would be logistically difficult to go back in time and influence historical events. Even armed with the knowledge that the Scots might’ve won if they’d initially taken London rather than wintering in Scotland, Jamie couldn’t change the generals’ minds. Because the officers don’t know their own futures, they must rely on their instincts that tell them to retreat.
“Vengeance Is Mine” provided viewers with a lot of character development. Both Rupert’s wistful remembrances of Angus’s vulgarity and Mary’s proactive approach to justice made “Vengeance Is Mine” worthwhile. It was a great touch that Murtagh beheaded the duke with so little pomp and circumstance. Obviously, Murtagh had been looking forward to that for a while.
