As previous reported the internet was not happy when ABC canceled Marvel’s Agent Carter and a petition was made almost immediately to try and convince Netflix to save the show. In five days the petition has gained over 80,000 signatures in five days and been shared by some major names within the show such as Bridget Regan (Dottie Underwood), Chad Michael Murray (Agent Jack Thompson), Hayley Atwell (Agent Peggy Carter), Tara Butter (executive producer and writer), Geoffrey Colo (Transmedia Producer for Marvel Television), and even Marc Guggenheim (showrunner for almost all of the DC shows).
The outcry has been fairly loud for the cancellation of Agent Carter compared to the other shows that were canceled this year. Maybe sign the petition just for the sake of letting Marvel know how much we love Peggy.
The recently deceased Darwyn Cooke will be remembered for many things. Though many will look towards his work on projects such as The Spirit or Justice League: New Frontier, fans of his work will definitely want to consider checking out this new series. Cooke did the character designs and has helped to reintroduce the action series of Hanna-Barbera to a new generation.
Unless the reader is a fan of older cartoons they will probably more likely recognize characters from parody shows like Space Ghost: Coast to Coast, Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law, and Venture Brothers (which often featured references to some of these old characters). There are many of these who haven’t been used in action in a long time, The Herculoids themselves haven’t been featured in a comic in over 10 years. They were long overdue to find a way back to fighting against the forces of evil
The story really explains a lot in a short amount of time. The main adversary of the series, the Entity, a being who wants to destroy everything was defeated by the Space Force, a galactic peace keeping force. Now the evil Dr. Zin is working to resurrect this creature and it’s up to the different heroes to come together to stop it. The book doesn’t take baby steps with action as many members of the Space Force and Tundro, the alien rhinoceros of the Herculoids seems to be dead in the first issue. Top marks to writer Jeff Parker for not being afraid to show a little violence in this series.
The art is great, Evan “Doc” Shaner is able to use Cooke’s designs to really showcases the characters in great detail. The action pages are incredibly intricate and help to tell the story by showcasing just how much chaos the Entity is causing. The use portals to other words helps to foreshadow all the different characters which will hopefully introduced in future issues.
When this series was announced it looked to be one of the better of the new line of books based on classic Hanna-Barbera characters and if done successfully would help to reintroduce a lot of characters to a new group of comic book fans. Luckily it appears as if they have succeeded. Congratulations to Mr. Parker, Mr. Shaner, and the late Mr. Cooke for creating an action series which will appeal not only to fans of old cartoons but will bring in others who will be able to appreciate the greatness of some of these long forgotten animated heroes.
In what can only be described as a one of the biggest head scratching decisions of the year, the cinematic adaptation of the classic video game, Tetris, will begin filming in China sometime next year. This will include a cast of both Chinese and American actors, as well as have Larry Kasanoff as one of the producers. Kasanoff credits include several forays into adapting both Lego and Mortal Kombat properties onto the big and little screens.
Though the project has been promoted to be an epic science fiction adventure, there is a lingering question on the minds of many. Why?
Why is this being done?
Why would anyone consider Tetris, of all games, to make into a movie?
Why would anyone think of putting large amounts of capital into producing this?
This isn’t to say similar films have not fared well, but let’s be real here. Most of them are just terrible. Need I remind everyone of the recent classic that is Battleship? There are some games that beg to be brought onto the silver screen. Games that pull us into the story and never let us go, even after we overcome the final quest or boss.
But this? This is a game of blocks. Literally.
I love Tetris, and I’ve wasted more hours than would likely be recommended for one’s mental health. But I see this as a train wreck waiting to happen. No, I take that back. This is a Titanic disaster waiting to happen. What scares me, personally, is that there’s eighty-million dollars being thrown into this project. I repeat, 80 million dollars. I’ll let that sink in for a second.
Granted we haven’t seen any trailers, images, or even conceptual drawing to show us what this is going to be. But I would not be surprised if this doesn’t lead to a major loss for a few of the people pouring their money into this thing.
Though some of the creator owned series from IDW have been hit or miss, the new series from Luciano Saracino and Ariel Olivetti definitely falls into the better side of the equation. Their new book Brutal Nature is a violent and fantastic look at a period of history which is often glossed over or romantized. Their view of the Spanish exploration of South America is far from the happy adventures shown in The Road to El Dorado.
Luciano Saracino writes an engaging story about Ich, a man who can transform into beasts thanks to the different masks he owns, and uses them to try to repel the massive invasion of Spanish Conquistadors which have laid waste to his home and his family. In the first issue alone, it’s shown despite having these mystical abilities, Ich is alone and faces a force he may not be able to stop which makes for a thrilling read.
The art for this series is insane in the best ways possible. Everything in the comic is painted and done is such flawless detail it’s hard not to appreciate the time and effort which went into making this book. The scenes of action and torture are truly made more intense thanks to Ariel Olivetti’s intense attention to detail. If he isn’t nominated for some type of award for his work in this issue, there is no justice in the world.
This new series helps to showcase an interesting story in a distinct period in history. Saracino and Olivetti truly are a winning combination and have created a book many need to check out. Fans of incredible artwork and violent storytelling will definitely want to make sure to give this book a read.
The Angry Birds Movie, unlike the smash hit mobile video game series that inspired it, lacks any sort of addictive quality for anyone above the age of 9. Yes, there’s plenty of things flying, falling and going “boom” for the kids, and lots of clever in-jokes and sight gags for the grown-ups, so the film is not without its merits. It’s a cute, relatively harmless distraction for a little over an hour and a half.
However, whereas the game offered endless moments of “okay, I want to do that again!”, both kids and parents most likely will be okay with just one go around of The Angry Birds Movie. After the first viewing, there’s not a whole lot there worthy of repeating the experience.
What’s it about?
As one might expect, the film expands on the game’s basic premise: green piggies stealing something of great value to the colorful, flightless birds, resulting in a high-flying, slingshot-powered counterattack. The film provides context for the birds’ titular anger, and in particular, the anger of the red bird with the block eyebrows, Red, voiced by Jason Sudeikis (Horrible Bosses, We’re the Millers).
Unlike most of the other super nice and blissfully happy avian residents of his home, Bird Island, Red has a bit of a temper problem. After that temper gets him in trouble for the upteenth time, the island’s Bird Court, presided over by the impressive Judge Peckinpah (Keegan-Michael Key) sentences Red to anger management therapy.
Red therapy group consists of a collection of the island’s other misfits. There’s Chuck (Josh Gad, Pixels, Frozen), who moves and talks too fast for his own good; Bomb (Danny McBride, HBO’s “Eastbound and Down“, This is the End), who suffers from very literal version of Intermittent Explosive Disorder (surprise or startle him, and he go “boom!”); and Terrence (Sean Penn), who, well is quite large for a bird and only communicates in angry growls. The group is presided over by the outwardly peaceful Matilda (Maya Rudolph, Sisters), who wants to help her group overcome their issues just as she overcame hers … mostly.
It’s this group of misfits who must save Bird Island when a ship carrying the piggies, led by Leonard (Bill Hader, Trainwreck), arrive proclaiming a desire for friendship while secretly planning their dastardly heist. While the rest of the trusting happy birds welcome their new “friends”, Red, Chuck, and Bomb work to discover their true plans, leading to the ultimate battle of bird vs. pig.
Cast lifts middling material
If there’s anything to really recommend about The Angry Birds Movie, it’s the voice cast, which injects life into a bare-bones story and concept. In particular, Maya Rudolph, Bill Hader, and of all people Peter Dinklage (HBO’s “Game of Thrones“, X-Men: Days of Future Past), who provides the voice of Mighty Eagle, the near-mythical hero and protector of Bird Island, really sound like they’re having fun with their parts.
Sudeikis, while his role is technically the lead, also really gets stuck with the wet blanket/straight man role, and so his work here isn’t as memorable. If anything, his sidekicks Chuck and Bomb and even the relatively guttural and monosyllabic Terrence steal his scenes. Perhaps that’s by design, but if it is, it’s a waste of Sudeikis, who does off-the-wall wacky as well as anyone.
Good for the younger kids
Again, with all the uncontrolled flying, falling, and hitting things on the way down, The Angry Birds Movie has plenty of the sort of frenetic entertainment that should garner plenty of laughs from younger kids. The musical numbers are lively, too, but not to worry: there’s nothing nearly as catchy here as “Everything is Awesome” from 2014’s The Lego Movie, so you won’t find any unwelcome tunes stuck in your or your child’s head when leaving the theater. Demi Lovato’s cover of “I Will Survive” that runs with the end credits may get you singing along for a second or two, but no more.
As for grown-up entertainment value, enjoy all the pig and bird jokes, the references to ham, porkers, and guano (“Okay, maybe it wasn’t ice cream.”), sight gags like a sign at the public bath on Pig Island marked “Hog Wash”, and other such chucklers. There’s no genius at work here, which is maybe the biggest difference between the film and the game. The game, with its simple premise and almost infinite replay value, had real genius behind it.
This film, in comparison, is the equivalent of an add-on to the game that doesn’t quite live up to its cost to download.
The Angry Birds Movie
Starring the voices of Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Kate McKinnon, Sean Penn, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, with Bill Hader and Peter Dinklage. Directed by Fergal Reilly and Clay Kaytis. Directed by Fergal Reilly and Clay Kaytis.
Running Time: 97 minutes
Rated PG for rude Humor and action.
DC Entertainment has revealed a new logo for their brand, along with the following statement:
“While comics continue to be the heart and soul of DC, the brand has evolved to now stand for powerful storytelling across so many different forms of media. DC is home to the greatest Super Heroes and Super-Villains, and the new logo has the character and strength to stand proudly alongside DC’s iconic symbols,” stated Amit Desai, DC Entertainment Senior Vice President of Marketing and Global Franchise Management.
“The launch of the new logo is the perfect tribute to DC’s legacy, exciting future and most importantly, our fans.”
Courtesy: DC Entertainment
The new logo will make its comic debut on the cover of DC Comics: Rebirth Special #1, which will be released May 25th.
“I’m very proud that REBIRTH will be the first comic book published with the new DC logo.” stated Geoff Johns, DC Entertainment’s Chief Creative Officer. “To me, REBIRTH and the new DC logo are built on what’s come before while looking to what will come tomorrow. I can’t wait for people to see it on the cover.”
DC’s digital platforms have already begun using the logo, which was developed in partnership with Pentagram.
The biggest complain with the first issue was the inclusion of modern technology and pop culture references to this franchise. Since some time has past and this awkward concept has had time to settle for the readers, this comic doesn’t seem as forced and really seems to shine. Frankly, the fact customers act like hipsters at Strawberry’s restaurant and then give her a bad ranking on the comic’s equivalent of Yelp is actually pretty funny. The way Georgia Ball writes the characters make them feel much more real and entertaining than their cartoon counterparts.
The art still looks good especially as it helps to show all the different challenges Strawberry has to endure thanks to the Purple Pieman. As long as Amy Mebberson can keep the art at this level, this series will do alright. The scenes with the obstacle course on the TV show are particularly amusing thanks to the mixture of art and story. The only downside really is the ending feels a bit predictable but this actually a bit of knitpicking as the issue was enjoyable overall and really seemed to find a voice.
The team has found a pretty good mix of comedy and visuals which will definitely be appealing to fans of the series but also offers something for those who enjoy humor in their comics. This series will probably become a must read for younger audiences but there are jokes older fans will enjoy as well. Though it’s first issue wasn’t a must read, the second issue is able to stick the landing with the two part story. From here fans will actually find themselves being able to enjoy the storylines and will look forward to more issues to come.
Paramount Pictures announced production on ‘Transformers: The Last Knight’ begins on June 6, in Detriot.
The film stars Peter Cullen, Mark Wahlberg, Isabela Moner, and Jerrod Carmichael. ‘Last Knight’ is written by Art Marcum, Matt Holloway, and Ken Nolan
Michael Bay’s fifth Transformers film will crush the box office on June 23, 2017. A spin-off film featuring Bumblebee has a 2018 release date and ‘Transformers 6’ hits theaters in 2019.
The first set photos of Idris Elba as the last gunslinger hit the internet, via The Daily Mail. ‘The Dark Tower’ is currently filming in Cape Town.
The movie is based on the first ‘Dark Tower’ novel by Stephen King, ‘The Gunslinger.’ There are eight books in the series. The Gunslinger (1982)
The Drawing of the Three (1987)
The Waste Lands (1991)
Wizard and Glass (1997)
Wolves of the Calla (2003)
Song of Susannah (2004)
The Dark Tower (2004)
The Wind Through the Keyhole (2012)
“The opening chapter in the epic ‘Dark Tower’ series. Roland Deschain, the last gunslinger, in a world where time has moved on, pursues his nemesis, The Man in Black (Matthew McConaughey), across a desert. Roland’s ultimate goal is the Dark Tower, the nexus of all universes. This mysterious icon’s power is failing, threatening everything in existence.”
‘The Dark Tower’ is written and directed by Nikolaj Arcel and stars Idris Elba, Katheryn Winnick, Matthew McConaughey, Abbey Lee, and Jackie Earle Haley. The film is slated for release on February 17, 2017.
Shane Black has, over the years, invented and re-invented the buddy cop formula, all the way up to this weekend’s The Nice Guys. Most of the time in his films, the “buddy cops” aren’t even cops, but private eyes. Or, in the case of The Last Boy Scout, a disgraced former Secret Service agent turned private eye and a disgraced former Quarterback railroaded out of the league. This is a film unlike anything we’ll ever see again – had it come out today the PC police would have a field day – and the fact it ever made it through the production and editing process is a minor miracle.
Not to mention the fact it’s actually a great film, warts and all.
The Last Boy Scout is, in essence, another Shane Black buddy cop flick, rife with witty dialogue and full of homophobic bro-ness that was still very much a part of the action cinema scene in the late 80s and early 90s. That’s not why it’s great (that’s why it’s dated and seemingly a time capsule film that would never happen today. And shouldn’t ever happen today), it’s great because of Black’s writing and Tony Scott’s direction. Not because of what Scott delivered on screen, but what he managed to make it through behind the scenes.
Back in 1991, Bruce Willis was slowly morphing into the egotistical, unmanageable prick he is today, and teaming him up with mega-producer Joel Silver was a match made in hell for Scott and Black. Willis and Silver hijacked the set, changing entire scenes to their liking, threatening to fire Scott, and angering everyone else on set. Willis and Damon Wayans, who plays disgraced QB Jimmy Dix, hated each other, which was effective for the majority of the picture since Dix and Joe Hallenbeck (Willis) butted heads throughout the film.
The working print of The Last Boy Scout was rumored to be unwatchable, mostly because of the strife between everyone behind the scenes. Warner Bros. brought in Stuart Baird to re-edit the print to try and give it some sort of linear narrative. He did the best he could, but the continuity issues are still noticeable. One particular sequence at Hallenbeck’s home seems to move from dark to light and dark again. And yet, with all the issues surrounding the film, Shane Black’s razor-sharp wit still manages to define the film.
The strength of the script, which Black sold for a record $1 million at the time, elevates this pulp narrative beyond something easily forgotten. Willis and Wayans, despite their hatred for one another, manage to carry the film with a surprising amount of rapport and charm. And the late arrival of Taylor Negron as the prim-and-proper villain Milo ramps things up to eleven. The action set pieces are astounding, and the story surrounding corruption in pro football still feels relevant; though we’ve still never had any player open fire in the middle of a game.
The Last Boy Scout was Tony Scott’s miracle in Los Angeles, and he (along with Silver) called it one of the worst experiences of his professional life. It’s no coincidence that Lee Donowitz (Saul Rubinek), the sleazy producer in the third act of Scott’s True Romance, bears a striking resemblance to Joel Silver.
