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.
Canadians everywhere have been planning their cottage getaways for months now. Yes, the unofficial start of summer in Canada is upon us: May 24 (AKA Victoria Day Weekend)! And, in celebration of this much-anticipated Canadian holiday, I’ve written up a very special May 24 Beer Review to give you some ideas when you’re trying to figure out which craft beer to buy for your picky relatives. One surefire hit for anyone who likes IPA’s is Railway City Brewing Co.‘s Dead Elephant IPA.
May 24 Beer Review: Dead Elephant IPA – The Brewery
Railway City Brewing Co.’s website doesn’t offer much information about its history. Instead, it provides a relatively in-depth history lesson about St. Thomas, Ontario, the brewery’s hometown. Dead Elephant IPA is named for the world-famous elephant Jumbo who, again according to the brewery’s website, died in a train collision in St. Thomas. But enough about railway history and elephants, let’s talk about beer!
May 24 Beer Review: Dead Elephant IPA – First Sip
I notice a strong malty aroma that fades into a lemon peel smell as I take a swig of this golden beer. I taste under-ripe peach or nectarine. It has a sugary taste off the top that mellows into a strong and bitter aftertaste. With a low to mid-level of carbonation and a surprisingly smooth mouthfeel, this is a very drinkable May 24 beer.
May 24 Beer Review: Dead Elephant IPA – Last Sip
Dead Elephant IPA leaves some moderate lacing on the glass. For an IPA, Dead Elephant is very smooth. Don’t be fooled though, this is definitely a hop-forward beer; its bitter aftertaste and high alcohol content (6.5% ABV) are noticeable but because of its surprising smoothness Dead Elephant IPA almost drinks like a lager.
May 24 Beer Review: Dead Elephant IPA – Other Comments
This is a great IPA to serve to people who don’t yet understand just how tasty IPA’s are. Unlike some IPA’s that can get a bit overwhelming if you have more than a couple, Dead Elephant IPA is the type of beer you’re likely to accidentally have too many of after putting the dock in and getting into a fight with your relatives about whether or not BTO is overrated … or whatever you do on Victoria Day.
This episode of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure introduces a character known in the anime community as a Yandere. This is a term used for a character who is sweet and devoted to someone on the outside but in actuality has an insane violent streak in them. This split personality usually makes itself known if they think the object of their affection is being mistreated by someone else or if their feelings aren’t being returned properly. Yukako Yamagishi is a Yandere and unfortunately for Koichi, she wants him to be all hers. Poor guy.
The episode trades the action from previous episodes for comedy as everyone has very entertaining reactions to the idea of Koichi having a date with Yukako. It still has intrigue though as Yukako’s powers are put on display and she is shown to have the ability to control her hair at will. Not only does it allow her to wrap people up but she can also embed some of her hair in others and control them. This allows her to take her revenge against a girl she thought was being mean to Koichi and let her full Yandere self come out. Tip: Do not anger this lady!
Thanks to the comedy of Koichi having one of the worst date’s in anime history, this rather slower paced episode still has some redeeming factors to it. Hopefully the plot will move a bit more and there will be some hint about who is reallying running the show in their town. At the very least the action will return as Koichi will have to do everything he can to get away from his crush. Except the episode did mention how Stand users are bound by fate to be drawn together, so it might not be very easy to get away from her.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable is streaming on Crunchyroll.
For what has seemed to be an eternity, headlines have been dominated by all the hate towards the female-centric Ghostbusters reboot. Why? Is it because they’ve replaced Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson with a group of female comedic actors? It is because popular perception is that this film will replace the 1984 original film? No, it is due to a level of irrationality that no movie has had to endure in recent memory. How can anyone make a judgement on this film with having seen the final product?
The trailer does offer some insight into what the final product might end up being. When the first trailer dropped, it was vilified as being both confusing, clunky, and offered a sporadic look at the ghosts. Even Melissa McCarthy said how confused she was with some of the choices that Feig made when cutting the first trailer. Immediately, the growing legion of reboot haters began to pummel Paul Feig, Leslie Jones, Kristen Wiig, Kate Mckinnon, and Melissa McCarthy on social media. How dare they even assume they could attempt such a layered and intricate film as Ghostbusters! What were they thinking? Then the second trailer was released two days ago.
The second trailer offered a far in-depth look into what this film could end up being that the first trailer. It offered some laugh out loud moments, CGI Ghosts, and briefly showcased the dynamic that this new Ghostbusters has. Immediately, the hoard of haters began to question their initial feelings towards the film. The tone on social media went from pure disgust to pure wonder. Could Ghostbusters be decent? Did Paul Feig work his magic once again? Then a new International trailer dropped today.
The 2nd International trailer goes even further in-depth than the second domestic trailer. It offered even more laugh out loud moments, showcased the team dynamic even more, and we got our first glimpse at Rowan (the villain in the new Ghostbusters). The tone on social media shifted from wonder to perhaps (as in perhaps this movie is great). Could this be occurring? Could this film that has been the focus of such vitriol, turn out to be the surprise hit of the summer?
Hold on a second! Before we begin crowning Ghostbusters either the best or worst film of all time, we need to realize that we know as much about this movie now as we did when the project was first announced. Yes, we’ve seen the trailers. Yes, the film is looking better than the first trailer indicated. However, it would be irrational of anyone to make a judgement simply based on a few images, just as it’s irrational to make a judgement simply on personal bias.
Fargo season 3 is already delivering the goods. Ewan MCGregor has been cast in dual roles in the upcoming season, according to a report of at Deadline.
McGregor will be not one, but TWO central characters, Emmitt and Ray Stussy (a.k.a. The Stussy Brothers). We know the third season, aside from Ewan McGregor’s involvement, is supposed to be set closer to the present day than the second season. Here’s a pretty intriguing synopsis from the Deadline report:
Emmit Stussy is the Parking Lot King of Minnesota. A handsome, self-made, real estate mogul and family man, Emmit sees himself as an American success story. His slightly younger brother, Ray Stussy, on the other hand is more of a cautionary tale. Balding, pot-bellied, Ray is the kind of guy who peaked in high school. Now a parole officer, Ray has a huge chip on his shoulder about the hand he’s been dealt, and he blames his brother, Emmit, for his misfortunes.
This is the first bit of casting news, but don’t expect it to be the last awesome addition to this incredible series. Fargo season 3 will be here some time in 2017.
Marvel Studios made some big announcements Friday afternoon concerning ‘Thor: Ragnarok.’
The studio confirmed the casting of Cate Blanchett as Hela, Jeff Goldblum will play the Grandmaster, with Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie. Things get interesting with the casting of Karl Urban as Skurge, the Executioner and romantic interest of the Enchantress.
Marvel Studios also confirmed Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk will make an appearance and released concept art of Hela.
“The continuation of the epic Thor franchise will be powerful and unique and with the additions of Cate, Jeff, Tessa, Karl, and Mark to the cast we have the makings of his most dangerous and heroic adventure yet. The sheer, raw talent each of these actors brings to the screen can’t be quantified. Having any one of them join the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be an honor, and having all of them is incredible,” said Producer Kevin Feige.
‘Thor: Ragnarok’ stars Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, and Sir Anthony Hopkins. Taika Waititi directs with Kevin Feige producing the film.
‘Thor: Ragnarok’ will destroy the universe on November 3, 2017.
Cinemax released the first episode to Robert Kirkman’s ‘Outcast’ on multiple social media platforms for free.
Based on the Skybound/Image Comics title by Kirkman and artist Paul Azaceta, Outcast stars Patrick Fugit as Kyle Barnes, who has been plagued by demonic possession all his life and has sequestered himself from those he loves for fear of causing greater hurt. Now, with the help of Reverand Anderson (Philip Glenister), a West Virginia evangelist who believes he is a soldier in God’s holy war against the forces of evil on Earth, the young man embarks on a journey to find answers and regain the normal life he lost. But what Kyle discovers could change his fate — and the fate of the world — forever.
Starting today, the full first episode is available to stream for free on YouTube, Facebook and watchoutcast.com. HBO and Cinemax subscribers will also be able to sample the full episode from Max On Demand and HBO On Demand, in addition to the authenticated streaming services Max GO and HBO GO, and via Free On Demand and authenticated affiliate portals. Additionally, the episode will be available for free on Playstation 4 consoles.
Outcast is created and executive produced by Robert Kirkman, and executive produced by showrunner Chris Black. The series is produced for Cinemax by FOX International Studios (FIS), and also executive produced by David Alpert, Sharon Tal Yguado and Sue Naegle. The pilot was directed by Adam Wingard (“The Guest”). Other cast include Gabriel Bateman, Wrenn Schmidt, Reg E. Cathey, Kate Lyn Sheil, Julia Crockett, David Denman and Brent Spiner.
Charlize Theron is the new baddie in Fast 8, which is somehow managing to keep a stronghold on its franchise quality over the span of 8 (!) movies. Now, we have the first look at Theron’s villain Cipher, who looks like she means business standing next to all these guns:
And if the cache of weaponry wasn’t enough to show us Cipher isn’t messing around, she’s wearing a super-edgy Metallica vintage t shirt (that probably cost $200). I kid, she looks incredible as always, and judging from her work in Fury Road it’s clear she knows how to handle big-budget action spectacle. And boy is Fast 8 ever going to be a big-budget action spectacle.
There isn’t a synopsis yet, but we do the action is headed to New York City, and we know director F. Gary Gray is jumping on this train of souped up speedsters. Scott Eastwood is also joining the fray, probably as a sort of hunky white actor transition from the late Paul Walker.
Black magic, witch craft, folklore, and ominous cinematography… sounds like the perfect concoction for any horror fan right? Meh, I didn’t love the film and probably one of the very few who didn’t.
I applaud the use of a refreshing and different setting of the modern norm in which we time travel back to 1600s New England to pure colonial times. The story starts off with a Puritan family in court as they are banished by the Church away from the local town, in which they find refuge on an isolated farm near the daunting forest. They seem to have a steady team working household until the newborn baby mysteriously vanishes under the watch of the eldest daughter, in which ignites the cascade of mistrust, suspicion, and further unfortunate events. Without giving too much away, it sincerely had an intriguing premise. The set up for conflict was excellent and as a viewer, it was at times hard to decipher who or what was causing such sinister acts.
The Witch did include practical effects which is always a win with me, and the acting was also on point. There were definitely some cool concepts that we stereo-typically portray with witchcraft and black magic in which Robert Eggers executed quite nicely in compliment to the eerily desolate, remote farm house.
The overall mood of the film was quite suspenseful with a mix sense of panic, and utter gloom but found some characters just borderline annoying. In some cases this works well in horror films, but in this particular case, I just couldn’t help but feel an underlying irking sensation. Alongside this factor, another dilemma arose as I discovered a newfound distaste of the heavy English accents, in which I practically needed captions to understand some of the dialogue. However, it was manageable and didn’t COMPLETELY hinder my viewing experience, as actions were more valuable than words in this film.
Apart from the minor petty issues, by the ending of the movie I just wasn’t satisfied. I felt like the mystery started off very well, story line progressed into further terror, and then at one point it just lacked luster. It doesn’t have to be a complete blood bath for me to like a horror film, as I admittedly found it enjoyable to a certain extent, but I guess I’m beginning notice a pattern in my amusement levels if the antagonist doesn’t meet a certain criteria of malevolence.
However to each his own, not the first time a highly critically acclaimed horror didn’t tickle my fancy and I’m sure it will not be the last.
The Witch is now available on Blu-ray, DVD and on numerous online streaming outlets!
