‘Beauty and the Beast’ Clip Is How You Successfully Tease A Movie!
Disney’s first teaser for their live-action ‘Beauty and the Beast‘ dropped on Good Morning America this morning. With all the talk of good and bad trailers, it was nice to a see a subtle yet efficient tease for a film.
Starting with that stunning look of a snowy Disney castle logo, we are instantly thrusts into this elegant and magical world. Mostly filled with b-roll from actual film, it’s mostly just shots of a beautiful castle.
The drama picks up with a roar as claws slash a painting.
Then a young girl walks through a pair of doors and we hear voices off-screen asking if “she is the one”. The girl Belle is played by Emma Watson. She approaches the familiar ‘Beauty and the Beast‘ rose.
We cut to black and Disney invites us to be their guest.
What did you think of the first teaser trailer for Disney’s live-action ‘Beauty and the Beast’? Are you accepting the invitation to be their guest?
The film stars Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Emma Thompson, Ian McKellan, and Ewan McGregor. It will be released March 17th, 2017.
Independence Day: Resurgence is working hard to remind us it’s coming out, and now we have an expansive five-minute trailer for the upcoming sequel. There’s plenty of new footage, and by the time this thing comes out we might have seen it all in bits and pieces.
Here is the new trailer:
Here’s the quick synopsis, in case you were uncertain about the plot:
Two decades after the first Independence Day invasion, Earth is faced with a new extra-Solar threat. But will mankind’s new space defenses be enough?
I’m getting the feeling Bill Pullman’s President Whitmore isn’t going to be around long in this one. My guess is that scene where he’s taken over by the alien is early in the first act. The CGI also looks way out of hand this time around, but what else would you expect from Roland Emmerich.
Independence Day: Resurgence hits theaters June 24.
The Game of Thrones is whispers in a corridor, dialogues in great empty halls and pacts made and broken in defiled villages just as much as it is swords and spears and giants on a battlefield. Each small agreement and discussion carries the weight of the Seven Kingdoms and when one faction believes they’re doing something for the good of all, they are just as likely creating their undoing. In ‘The Door’, Game of Thrones shows us that we’re all responsible for the monsters that eventually come knocking and mercy isn’t something to be counted upon.
FULL SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
So, I’m still wiping the liquid from all of my face holes…
…Ahem, we’ll get to that in a bit.
‘The Door’ spends its length proving to us that at this point in the war, everyone has blood on their hands and world is as gray as the Northern sky. Sansa meets with Littlefinger in a defiled village and acts with pure emotion in detailing her defilement under Ramsay Snow*. Littlefinger has the army of the Eyrie at his back and is prepared to help Sansa and the Northern armies take back Winterfell. We’ve learned to trust Littlefinger solely by what will get him closer to the Iron Throne and this feels like an earnest plan on his part. What happens after that doesn’t yet matter because the Starks regaining Winterfell would be entirely in the best interest of Baelish.
But did Sansa just sign the death warrant for herself and/or ones she loves by sending Littlefinger on his merry way and refusing his army? Sansa is forever scarred by Baelish “saving her from monsters and delivering her to monsters” but it’s been proven that when a Stark acts emotionally, they tend to lose their heads. Sansa’s lying to Jon is another potential issue in that they must make the rounds of the North in order to find enough men to fight the Bastard’s armies. Littlefinger would have made that task much easier and Jon would have seen that fact. Another monster made…
Arya, in her eternal struggle to be no one already, is sent to case an actress marked for death and sees a play in which the execution of her father is dramatized. The distortion of the story is almost unbearable for Arya and the viewer to watch but it is a total case of the winners writing the history book. As of now, the Lannisters hold the Iron Throne and their story is the one being bandied about Westeros. More concerning is the fact that no one still recognizes the heroics of Tyrion, as his character is shown being the deceiving imp behind the death of Ned Stark**. Arya obviously still hasn’t shed her “Lady Stark” moniker and this task in killing the actress will be her last chance to prove herself just a girl.
Also, penis. Full-on penis. About damned time Game of Thrones stopped foolin’ around and deliver us the junk.
In Pyke (now part of our opening credits), book readers are saved from the clunky, yet interesting, chunk of A Feast for Crows that is the Greyjoy Kingsmoot. Yara Greyjoy, with the backing of Theon, looks to be the Iron Islands first Queen until ole Uncle Euron comes calling. He outwardly admits killing his brother the king and proclaims he will be the one to unify Pyke with the Seven Kingdoms and secure their rightful place in the annals of history. Euron and Yara aren’t actually fighting a different war but it’s Euron’s name drop of Daenerys Targaryen and his vow to bring her armies to Westeros that wins over the crowd. This is what we all want! Unfortunately, we want Theon and Yara to do it and they’ve hit a mega speed bump, now running for their lives after Euron takes the Salt Throne and swears to murder them.
In Meereen, Tyrion and Varys meet with their local Red Woman in order to garner public favor for Dany. The Priestess Kinvara is on board because of R’hllor’s current belief that Dany is the true heir to the Iron Throne; a fact not unseen by Varys and he makes his stance on the Lord of Light’s wishy-washy nature a little too clear. While Tyrion would like to just accept this small victory, Varys prods Kinvara until she wields her own knowledge by recounting the story of Varys’ own monster-making moment. She even threatens to lift the curtain on the secret voice that Varys heard in the fire where his man-parts were simmering.
There are few true otherworldly powers that we know exist in this world and The Lord of Light, for whatever it’s worth, is definitely one of them.
Dany, looking over her latest conquest must now deal with her monstrous creation in Jorah Mormont. Jorah finally admits his love for Khaleesi in a moment of sweet earnestness and even draws tears from Dany’s eyes. She keeps banishing him but he keeps fighting back. A doomed man, Jorah admits defeat as he becomes more Stone Man but Dany won’t have it. She directly orders him to find a cure and return to her when he does. We haven’t seen the last of old Jorah Mormont.
In the most obvious monster-making revelation, we learn that the Children of the Forest (another true otherworldly power) created the Whitewalkers in order to defend themselves from the encroaching First Men. Their Frankenstein-ian creation turned against them at some point and are now threatening to punish the world because of the Children’s arrogance.
When Bran goes wandering off into the dreams of The Three-Eyed Raven alone, he sees the repeated swirling symbol around the Weirwood tree and the hordes of Whitewalkers standing outside of it. He also gets a glimpse of the Night King.
Who gets a glimpse back.
Bran, unable to escape, is grabbed by the Night King which undoes the spell protecting their cave that bars the Whitewalkers from entering. Trapped in a glimpse of history, Bran sees his grandfather ride from Winterfell and a young Hodor being a dutiful and loquacious son.
The Whitewalkers crash into the cave, tearing apart the Children one by one. Bran just barely wakes to warg into Hodor and carries his body toward the backdoor on a cart. Allowing his master a couple extra seconds, Bran’s direwolf, Summer, attacks the horde only to be ripped to shreds***. The Three-Eyed Raven is torn in half by the Night King and the last Child of the Forest sacrifices its life to buy a little more time.
Reaching the backdoor, Meera drags Bran’s cart off into the snow and shouts to Hodor to hold the door.
Bran sees Hodor’s young eyes go white as present Hodor keeps the undead horde at bay. Young Hodor slips into a seizure where “Hold the door” melts into “Hodor”. Bran and Meera escape as Hodor is sacrificed.
…Whew, ok. Got a little carried away. Seeing the meaning of Hodor at the moment of his ultimate sacrifice was an expectation I had, but not one I was prepared to witness. Hodor, while a totally minor character in the grand scheme of things, is one of the beating hearts of Game of Thrones. He is purely and simply a good man who loves Bran and will do anything for him. That purity is missing in so much of Westeros and losing a character who embodies it is a real saddening blow.
So, what did we learn? First, Bran can seemingly control elements of the past. Those in the worlds he visited with The Three-Eyed Raven have been hinted at feeling his presence before, but now we see that they can be directly affected by Bran being there. In the True Detective flat circle, Bran (or really Meera for being the one to shout to him?) created the “monstrous” Hodor, proving that this was all set in motion long before Bran was even born. Interesting stuff but an equally problematic and powerful weapon to wield in any story.
In HBO’s post-show discussion with show runners and writers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, we learn that the Hodor explanation came from the mouth of George R.R. Martin himself. I do question if this was a good idea to follow the creator directly. How much time did Hodor’s sacrifice actually buy Meera and Bran? Hodor shouldn’t be the reason why a war is decided but his death should absolutely carry some weight for the characters closest to him. Maybe that’s the point? Maybe Bran will see that he unnecessarily created a torturous life for such a sweet soul. Consequence in action.
What did you think of the Hodor revelation? Will past manipulation be something the show explores further? In an episode that was entirely people talking in rooms, Game of Thrones manages to be just as engaging as when dragons scorch non-believers and make me cry horribly ugly tears while doing so.
“Hold the door.” – Hodor
Show Notes:
Lost alum Jack Bender directed this episode, his first of two this season.
Tormund’s fancy for Brienne is endlessly entertaining.
I’d like to tell Sansa that she’d be hard-pressed to find a house that didn’t have a hand in killing a Stark or two.
The wishy-washy nature of the Ironborn at the Kingsmoot is eerily reminiscent of the American public during a Presidential election.
“I love you. I’ll always love you.” from Jorah almost got me to tears.
What is it with me and crying with this show?
Check out my reviews of previous episodes of ‘Game of Thrones’:
There’s more than enough happening in the pilot episode of AMC’s Preacher to keep your head spinning in nine different directions. But, in the midst of all the chaos and madness unfolding – from the opening scene of a preacher in Africa exploding, to a heart-stopping fight in a car hurtling through a corn field, and all the wildness in between – a connective tissue is visible. There are seemingly two sides to Preacher, the real, violent pasts of central characters, and something much more wicked, threatening, and supernatural headed to town.
Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper), our titular preacher, is not a very good man of the cloth. He leads a congregation in Annville, Texas, a dusty land forgotten by time and occupied by scoundrels and burnouts. The words he delivers on Sunday are spoken without conviction, or knowledge, and he spends the rest of his days and weeks counseling townsfolk and trying his damnedest to remember Jesus-based catchphrases. Because Jesse Custer is a man with a past not tied in with the seminary, and we catch a glimpse of that past when Jesse has to take care of a local domestic abuser.
Our introduction to Jesse and his world is merely one cog in this globetrotting episode. The opening scene shows a preacher in Africa explode all over his congregation. We meet Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun), a supernatural Irishman of some sort who finds himself in Annville after an incredible showdown in an airplane. Then there’s Tulip (Ruth Negga), Jesse’s old partner whom we meet in that cornfield in Kansas “Not Too Long Ago.” Jesse is trying hard to avoid his old life and cling to the idea he’s a man of faith. But it isn’t working, though it seems these two worlds battling inside him may have to come together to save Annville. Near the end of the episode ,something happens to Jesse, and he’s a changed man. The wheels are put in motion.
It’s all still being set up, and it’s being done so beautifully.
Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and Sam Catlin, the developers and directors of Preacher, seem like an unusual team to adapt Garth Ennis’s popular graphic novels. But the wicked humor and grotesquery at the heart of the show starts to make that collaboration make sense as we transition from bloodshed to ketchup splatters on a dinner plate, and Cassidy chomping up a cow in a pasture into a scene inside a meat processing office. The humor is wicked and the violence unabashedly gratuitous and gleeful.
After Roman Reigns Retained His Title, Former Champ Seth Rollins Attacks!
The landscape of the WWE has changed once again. As WWE’s ‘Extreme Rules‘ came to a close, champion Roman Reigns thought the battle was over. The returning former champion Seth Rollins had something else to say about that. Storming the ring and hitting Reigns with his finishing move, Rollins made a statement to the WWE Universe that he wants the gold back around his waist.
After months away from wrestling due to an injury, it was only a matter of time before Seth Rollins would return. Many were expecting it to be early next month but the shock of seeing him after the AJ Styles v Roman Reigns match was worth it.
But what does this mean for Roman’s title and the WWE in general?
Many were expecting the Styles/Reigns feud to last longer but it looks like Seth has thrown a wrench in those plans. While I personally would have loved to see AJ keep fighting with Roman but this sudden change will keep things from being stale. Now if the 3 men could somehow face off, that would be one stellar match.
But how does Seth Rollins go about getting his title match? Was attacking the former champion enough or will he need to win the Money In The Bank match at next month’s PPV? This mystery is refreshing as we go into tomorrow’s Monday Night Raw with many questions.
Are you excited for the return of Seth Rollins? Where do you think storylines will head following this sudden change?
Let me know in the comments below how you feel about this epic comeback!
I’m not the world’s biggest Jane Austen fan. I’ll admit this upfront. Don’t get me wrong; I love a nice, well-versed sentence, and Austen certainly knew her way around a few. But I was never particularly in her target audience, admittedly, and I’m not complaining. Not everything is for everyone, certainly, and I couldn’t ever find the strength nor the energy to make my way through the adventures of the Dashwood sisters, or Elizabeth Bennet’s mangled feelings for Mr. Darcy. Even when zombies got involved.
Having said all that, I’ll always go out of my way for a new Whit Stillman film. The writer/director behind Metropolitan and Damsels in Distress might not have the same work ethic as some of his contemporaries — namely Woody Allen, Noah Baumbach or Wes Anderson — but his astute social observations and piercingly dry comedy are always, at the very least, an enjoyable watch. And his latest, Love & Friendship, is no exception. After all, it was only a matter of time before Stillman and Austen were to cross paths with one another, if perhaps not in the same lifetime. Their fortunes were practically as aligned as those at the center of some of Austen’s most celebrated works, and in some ways, Austen’s influence was always present in Stillman’s work. It’s a wonder why it took until Stillman’s fifth film for them to finally come together. But why should one question fate?
By both Austen and Stillman’s standards, Love & Friendship is a rather frivolous affair. Based on the author’s unfinished, previously unpublished novella Lady Susan, it’s not what either are going to be remembered or celebrated for, and that kinda makes it better as a result. The story is almost refreshingly minor in the scheme of things, especially with our impending summer movie season upon us, but still a study of manners, reputations and etiquette, just like everything that’s come from both writers prior.
It focuses mainly on the once-titular Lady Susan (Kate Beckinsale), a privileged widow who flees to her brother-in-law Charles Vernon (Justin Edwards) and his wife, Catherine (Emma Greenwell), once rumors regarding her private life spin around town. Susan has been known to coast by her beauty and charm in situations like this, notably around men allured by her radiance, but Catherine isn’t as easy to convince. But the lady is nevertheless able to work her magic on the young suitor of the house, Reginald De Courcy (Xavier Samuel), Charles’ handsome younger brother, and soon her plans for reformed prosperity and comfort are in formation.
But it’s not long before Frederica (Morfydd Clark), Susan’s 16-year-old daughter, comes back into her life, and she unwillingly works her magic on Reginald. Susan is quick to take notice, however, and she takes this opportunity to try to court her daughter with Sir James Martin (Tom Bennett), a well-meaning but constantly bumbling idiot, instead. Frederica isn’t necessarily charmed by James, to say the least. But Susan never lets her eye off the prize, and she constantly tries to assure she has the proper suitor in-arm. And aided by her ever-supportive American best friend, Alicia Johnson (Chloe Sevingy), Susan won’t stop until she gets what she feels entitled to.
As stressed before, Love & Friendship wasn’t ever meant to become Austen’s legacy nor Stillman’s masterpiece. This is merely a charmingly cutting comedy of calculations, and one that’s perfectly fine with no big reveals, large set pieces or fussy fights. It’s about as basic as Austen can be, in some ways, and maybe that’s what separates it from becoming as good as it could have been. That’s not to say Stillman’s latest is bad; it’s not at all. It’s consistently lighthearted, filled with witty asides and completely in-tune with itself. It’s not going to play for everyone, but if you love Austen, you’ll probably find this one hard to resist. It’s a delightful treat —especially in the right moments — but not much more.
That said, the performances across the board are never less than respectable. Beckinsale, in particular, may never have been better. The actress owns the role like none other in her career, and shows much more quick wit and sensationally good timing than she ever did in, say, the Underworld franchise. And her chemistry with her Last Days of Disco co-star, Sevigny, hasn’t missed a beat despite 18 years apart. Even though Sevigny feels a little out-of-place in the part, but that perhaps has more to do with her limited screen time than anything else.
And while both do some nice work, along with a promising young Clark, it’s ultimately Bennett that steals the movie, and the some, here. His scenes never fail to impress or crack a smile on your face, and whether it’s an off-handed remark about the changed “12 commandments,” fumbling the name “Churchill” or trying desperately to keep his arm attached to his side, all while failing to untie himself out of a four-minute spiral of a ramble, he’s an absolute stitch whenever he’s on-screen. And he’s always missed whenever he’s not. Thankfully, however, Stillman never fails to make great use of him, and even if he’s merely marveling at the most mundane of peas, he grabs more than a handful of great laughs along the way. And it helps ease the fact that Stephen Fry is introduced and sorely, sorely underused throughout. He’s perfect for this sort of tidy comedy, and it’s almost sacrilegious that he isn’t used to his fullest, nor much at all.
But Love & Friendship, again, isn’t really meant to be a perfect film, despite the exquisite backdrops and near-flawless period costumes suggesting otherwise. Just like Stillman’s other films, it’s well-postured, carefully considered, razor-edged and dry to the bone, but more so than his other films, it’s almost glib to a fault. There’s not enough commentary or hard laughs to really warrant it a must-see, but to miss out, especially if you’re taken by Austen’s work, would be a shame. It’s easily among the funniest and most cutting adaptation of her work to come in a good while, but with Stillman involved, you do expect a little more than you’re ultimately given. And that, unfortunately, left a little cold by the end. But perhaps it is I who needs to learn to be content with being happier than I deserve. For there’s enough good here to make it a more enjoyable and easy romp than most that come my way this season.
Kabaneri of The Iron Fortress is maintaining its favoritism of the spring 2016 anime season. And rightfully so people are comparing it to Attack on Titan. Given that it’s basically the whole team who worked on the 2013 Attack on Titan anime, but now its just the director Tetsuro Araki’s own story, you can see where the comparisons are warranted. However it seems the poisonous mindset of the internet is starting to feed its way into this discussion. As of now the resounding cry is that Kabaneri is better than Attack on Titan. To be fair some of the arguments brought up are valid criticisms about Attack on Titan, but I find it funny how easy it is to throw away one show when a similar one comes by to take it place. Kabaneri wasn’t probably intended to overthrow Attack on Titan but it seems that’s the way its going, so I’d like to take the time to ponder why that it. As a person whose immensely enjoying Kabeneri right now, but who also still holds Attack on Titan up to par, I think I can try to figure out why this shift and downright abandonment in fandom is taking place. Then I’ll try to explain my feelings on the matter.
Attack On Titan isn’t in the forefront anymore
One of the biggest reasons that Attack on Titan is being pushed aside is the fact that its been three years since its been released. There is still a lot of content there to be adapted and without a satisfying conclusion, or any conclusion, the show feels like its floating in limbo. I don’t think anybody likes “read the manga” endings and as of now that’s really all there is for Attack on Titan. As a person that doesn’t read the manga, my feelings for Attack on Titan can’t really be decided until I see it conclude. It’s a show that highly relies on its mystery and how hard they are going to pay off and what the price of getting there is going to be. So if I don’t have the answer to the mystery or know the complete cost of the show its hard for me to have concrete feelings for it. This is where I get confused when people say that Kabeneri is already better than Attack on Titan. Kabaneri isn’t over yet. I have an idea what people mean when they say this but I’ll get to that near the end.
Kabaneri is Still Insular
While Attack on Titan is a giant success that exceeds the anime fandom, Kabaneri (while having the same potential) is currently giving every anime fan who watches it a straight adrenaline rush to 11. People are eating this shit up, myself included, and when you see something you really like and think is good justification comes into play. And boy does part of the anime community pride themselves on being the hippest of hipsters. See Kabaneri has yet to break into the demographic that Attack on Titan has. So if you wanna prove what an anime fan you are, what do you do? Do you commune with the people who like the same thing and introduce them to something similar in quality? Well that would make sense, so no. You bash the older and more accepted show against your new bias to prove how devoted of an anime fan you are, and how not the other people who like Attack on Titan are. This is considerably low portion of anime fans, but they are so vocal that you would think otherwise. I’ve seen this same situation happen with enough shows to get the subtext behind why they’re saying it.
So which is Actually Better
I don’t think the majority of people actually think that Kabaneri is better than Attack on Titan. What I think they mean is that when they watch Kabaneri it makes them feel better than thinking back on watching Attack on Titan. I went back to watch some Attack on Titan episodes to see how I felt about it. Every big beat still hits me like a ton of bricks and the tension and emotion is still effective even though I know whats going to happen. Attack on Titan and Kabaneri both present themselves in a way that makes for compelling television at the moment you watch them. They’re awesome when you watch it and even more so when you think back or talk about it. In the long run though I think that Attack on Titan is the better show and it doesn’t really have to do with the art aspect or the fact that its genuinely more digestible than Kabaneri. Because while its characters aren’t as likable as Kabeneri’s they fit the world they live in better. Kabaneri is like a heavy metal guitar solo and Attack on titan is like a well composed rock song. One has intensity while the other has lyrics to connect with the listener. I think Attack on Titan isn’t just about its hook and spectacle and focuses on actual themes. Maybe this is just how I enjoy shows as a whole. Kabaneri is fun, but fun only lasts in the forefront of my mind for so long. I need more than that to hold onto a show. And a show I can hold onto is better than one that fades.
Every Genre Suffers From Bad Remakes. These Just Happen To Be The 10 Worst!
This recent ‘Ghostbusters‘ controversy got me thinking about movie remakes. All of a sudden, everyone’s favorite childhood franchises were getting re-imagined. But remakes have been around longer than you think. The classic 1982 horror film ‘The Thing‘ is a remake. 1922’s ‘Nosferatu‘ was remade in the 70’s. Even modern hits like ‘Ocean’s Eleven‘ or ‘3:10 To Yuma‘ are remakes.
So with this being such a common thing, why are there so many horrible remakes?
The answer may never be known; sometimes, Hollywood just loves to letdown cinephiles. I had the “pleasure” of going through some of the most cringe-worthy films that have underwent a makeover. Trying to just name 10 of the worst was hard but this list highlights the ones we know are real cinema abominations.
The only qualifications for this list are the original film has to have some acclaim to it. Also, the remake has to have failed across the board. While some didn’t like Rob Zombie’s ‘Halloween‘ remake, it did prove to be successful.
Honorable Mentions:
-Assault On Precinct 13 (2005)
-Clash Of The Titans (2010)
-Red Dawn (2012)
10. Point Break (2015)
Do you even remember this movie being released? Exactly. NEXT!
9. Planet Of The Apes (2001)
This film started a long string of remakes from Tim Burton but none stink more than his unnecessary ‘Planet Of The Apes‘ remake. Other than Rick Baker’s insane makeup effects, the movie adds nothing new to the franchise.
8. Breathless (1983)
Taking one of the most influential films of all times and making it a Richard Gere 80’s film is a crime against cinema. The original 1960 French ‘Breathless‘ basically started the French New Wave movement while the 1983 film fell into obscurity.
7. The Karate Kid (2010)
One of the most obvious cash-grabs when it comes to remakes. The casting of Jackie Chan in the Mr. Miyagi role was obvious but attempting to cash in on the quick fame of Will Smith’s son Jaden ruined any chance for the project.
6. Carrie (2013)
2013’s ‘Carrie‘ failed because it didn’t even try. While Chloe Grace Moretz is a wonderful actress, she doesn’t embody who Carrie is. You can’t mess up her hair, throw frumpy clothes on her and then expect people to buy her as this character.
5. Oldboy (2013)
The big flaw with Spike Lee’s ‘Oldboy‘ is how good it would have been if there was no original to compare it to. You try to separate the remakes from originals but everything this tried looked weak compared to its Korean counterpart.
4. Total Recall (2012)
Other than keeping the three-breasted alien, 2012’s ‘Total Recall‘ is utterly disappointing. Paul Verhoeven’s 90’s niche sci-fi movie surprisingly worked but trying to capture that magic again proved to be impossible.
3. Godzilla (1998)
Roland Emmerich is a polarizing director but there’s nothing polarizing bout this ‘Gojira‘ remake. This massively marketed film was inescapable in 1998 but now, people wish they could forget the first American ‘Godzilla‘ movie.
2. A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010)
A collective tear was shed while the iconic Freddy Krueger was completely destroyed with a pointless remake. This ‘Elm Street‘ remake took all the nostalgic fun of the ’84 movie and made it looks like dreary joke.
1. Psycho (1998)
How do you make a shot for shot remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho‘? Well you don’t but director Gus Van Sant sure tried. Other films turned iconic moments into cheap imitations but this Vince Vaughn-led stinker is the king of bad remakes.
Do you agree with my list? What horrible remake would you add to it?
Paramount Pictures released the latest trailer for ‘Star Trek Beyond’ at midnight on Friday. The footage reveals the first look at Idris Elba as the villain Krall. This trailer feels more in line with the Star Trek universe compared to the Beastie Boys motorcycle trailer we got last year.
Simon Pegg and Doug Jung scripted the film, with an emphasis on Star Trek’s roots.
“We want to make a Star Trek for today that doesn’t forget where is came from,” said Pegg.
The studio also released a new retro poster for the film.
Star Trek Beyond stars Idris Elba, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, John Cho and Anton Yelchin with direction from Justin Lin. The film opens July 22, 2016.
Prepare yourselves, True Believers, the third Agents of SHIELD season finale recap and critique is upon us! Daisy is “dope-sick,” as she termed it in “Absolution” and is in the process of begging Hive to take her back. Hive is suffering from an attack on his psyche that has disrupted his ability to compartmentalize the various personalities he’s absorbed over time. Giyera and Hellfire are en route to rescue Hive from the SHIELD base. InhumanPrimitives are running amok through the base turning several nameless SHIELD agents into Primitives themselves by forcibly exposing them to Holden Radcliffe‘s modified terrigen mist. And, the gold crucifix that figures in Daisy’s Hinton-inspired vision of the death of one of her teammates is in Fitz’s jacket. Now, let’s get to the ultimate Agents of SHIELD Season Three recap …
Agents of SHIELD Season Finale: “Ascension” – My Recap
Daisy kneels in front of Hive and begs to be taken back. She has a serious tentacle monkey on her back and can’t stand the withdrawal. So, Hive, saint that he is, accepts her back into his fold. Much to Daisy and Hive’s dismay, though, after her interaction with the late Lash in “Emancipation,” she is now immune to Hive’s mind-altering infection. Daisy’s frustration builds to a fever pitch and she takes her anger out on Hive. The two duke it out a bit but the stakes are pretty low, especially since this is basically the first scene in the episode. Hive eventually knocks Daisy out and seals her up again in her containment unit.
Mac and Rodriguez attempt to secure the base’s armoury since the freshly made Primitives, who used to be SHIELD agents, retain basic memories of their previous lives. And, unfortunately, these memories include the location of the armoury and how to use the weapons inside. But, as Mac and Rodriguez breach the armoury’s entrance, a Primitive fires several shots at Mac’s chest. He stands stunned for a moment and then turns around to find that Rodriguez, using her super-speedy powers, had stepped in front of him and took the bullet herself. She collapses. The Primitives cut power and Mac and Rodriguez are trapped without the possibility of getting medical attention, so Mac, intent upon doing whatever he can to stop Rodriguez from bleeding out, uses a blowtorch to try to cauterize Rodriguez’s wound.
Meanwhile, Simmons, in an apparent attempt from the writers to have her play a larger role in this episode beyond just being Fitz’s new girlfriend, realizes that heat effectively blinds the Primitives. She turns up the temperature on the boilers and waits with a gun in Coulson’s office.
Mac and Rodriguez, with Radcliffe and Coulson realize that the room they’re in is getting hotter. Radcliffe figures out that Simmons has raised the building’s heat having determined that heat blinds the Primitives. They find Simmons in Coulson’s office. They realize that May and Fitz have made their way to Zephyr One in an attempt to stop Hive from releasing Radcliffe’s Primitive concoction into the atmosphere. Coulson reveals that he has a remote Quinjet inbound, having called it from his prosthetic hand.
Hive, using Will Daniels and Grant Ward’s memories, is able to take off and pilot Zephyr One. On their way to the upper atmosphere, Daisy, May, and Fitz discuss how to take Hive down. Daisy is unsure of herself: she doesn’t think her powers will be strong enough to do the job. May reminds her that it was May who made Daisy and agent, not her powers. As they’re having their heart to heart, Giyera bursts onto the scene and attacks them. Fitz, using what appears to be an invisible gun of some kind, manages to shoot Giyera in the chest. The immediate problem dealt with, the three take a seat as Zephyr One continues to climb.
Fitz gives a shivering Daisy his jacket with the crucifix in the pocket.The Quinjet carrying the rest of the team attaches to Zephyr One and they make their way on board. Coulson uses a hologram of himself to trick Hive into thinking that he’s sacrificed himself in order to cause a diversion. Hive shows his true tentacle face for a bit but turns back into his regular Grant Ward self once he realizes he’s been set up.
Hellfire and Lincoln have it out but Lincoln suffers what appears to be a mortal wound in the process. He and Daisy have a tender moment together: Daisy apologizes for mistreating him while she was under the influence of Hive’s mind control. He forgives her. Coulson’s final solution for their Hive dilemma is to load the warhead on their Quinjet and pilot it into space remotely where it will detonate harmlessly. Lincoln notices that Daisy is wearing the crucifix that figured in her vision of someone’s death.
Daisy uses her powers to finesse the warhead into the Quinjet while the rest of the team concentrates on taking out the remaining Primitives. Mac gets a chance to try out his new and improved shotgun axe and the whole team goes to work taking out baddies. Back at the Quinjet, Hive arrives on the scene. He intends to use Grant Ward’s memories to pilot Zephyr One to the appropriate altitude and release his Primitive compound.
The team’s plan looks pretty knackered but who should appear in the pilot’s seat claiming to have destroyed the Quinjet’s manual controls? Yeah, it’s Lincoln. He swiped the crucifix from Daisy. He zaps Daisy out of the Quinjet as its cargo bay door closes before he, Hive, and the warhead-laden Quinjet take off for space.
Daisy and Lincoln share a final tender moment by way of the Quinjet’s communications system but the line goes dead shortly after Lincoln tells Daisy he loves her. Hive and Lincoln, allies now that death is imminent for both of them, share a final reflective moment. Lincoln releases the gold crucifix, we see a replay of Daisy’s vision, and the warhead vaporizes them.
Morale is pretty low back on Zephyr One but an inquisitive Fitz asks, “So what now?” A “Six months later” title flashes across the screen. We see Coulson and Mac walking down the street and Coulson makes reference to “the Director.” They discuss the target they’ve been tracking saying that today could be the day. We see newspaper headlines that say such things as “Who is Quake?” as a now black-haired Daisy walks onscreen, stops, and talks to a woman with her young daughter. We hear the woman thank Daisy, and Daisy gives the young girl a carved wooden bird saying that the girl’s father made it for her and that he loved her very much. Coulson orders the team to move in on Daisy, she is apparently their target, but she disappears down an alley and quakes herself into the air à la Neo at the end of The Matrix. And, that was it for the third Agents of SHIELD season finale.
Agents of SHIELD Season Finale: “Ascension” – My Critique
Dr. Hall never got to put on the spandex
Part Two of this Agents of SHIELD season finale was a better standalone episode than its counterpart, “Absolution.” “Ascension” had lots of action, featured the deaths of two main characters, and resolved a storyline that had been ongoing for quite some time. So, not a bad episode. But as an Agents of SHIELD season finale, I thought it could’ve done more. As I said in my recap & critique of “Absolution,” it would have been good to see some familiar faces, like Mockingbird or any of the others.
The “six months later” was odd. I’m glad that this Agents of SHIELD season finale gave us a glimpse into what we’ll be dealing with next season but why six months later? Also, if the new season is going to concentrate on getting Daisy back, that’ll be boring. I will admit, I was intrigued by the idea that Coulson may no longer be Director of SHIELD … does this mean Nick Fury‘s back?
I can also rest relatively easy in the notion that this Agents of SHIELD season finale will be the last episode, at least for a while, in which Brett Dalton appears as the main villain. Whoever comes to haunt the haggard members of Coulson’s team next season, since we’ve already spent almost an entire season with Hive, it’s unlikely to be him again. Personally, I’m hoping for Graviton. Dr. Hall never really got his moment in the spotlight.
It focuses mainly on the once-titular Lady Susan (Kate Beckinsale), a privileged widow who flees to her brother-in-law Charles Vernon (Justin Edwards) and his wife, Catherine (Emma Greenwell), once rumors regarding her private life spin around town. Susan has been known to coast by her beauty and charm in situations like this, notably around men allured by her radiance, but Catherine isn’t as easy to convince. But the lady is nevertheless able to work her magic on the young suitor of the house, Reginald De Courcy (Xavier Samuel), Charles’ handsome younger brother, and soon her plans for reformed prosperity and comfort are in formation.
