Are you a fan of making fun of bad movies? If so you have hopefully heard of Rifftrax , a group which doesn’t make movies but instead provides hilarious commentary tracks to play over them.
In their recent live presentation, the crew of Michael J. Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy decided to pull out one of the movies from their days on the TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000 but with a new script. The film, Time Chasers is what happens when you try to tell a time travel story on a budget and have to rely on period reenactors to showcase you are in the past. Nick Miller (Matthew Bruch) is a professor at Castleton (you know this because he wears a T-shirt from it for most of the film) who has turned his plane into a time machine, or as the film is quick to point out a time transport. He showcases it to a reporter (Bonnie Pritchard) and an executive (Peter Harrington) for Gencorp in hopes of getting the money he needs to continue his work. Of course the corporation is evil (because all corporations are evil in film for the most part) and it’s up to Nick to stop them from using his invention to destroy the world.
The team also brought another long forgotten short with them. This time it was Chimp the Fireman, which showcased a monkey trying to be a fireman. It also showed how putting a monkey in a film doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have a hit on your hands. With all the jokes they are able to make it’s surprising anyone would have been able to take the concept seriously.
The trio is in top form with their recent presentation. Jokes about how the CEO’s office looks like a desk at the top of a flight of stairs and how cheesy the future looks in either the prosperous or post apocalyptic timelines will have you laughing like crazy. Sadly, despite how enjoyable it is to make fun of a man with an extremely pointy chin who uses a Commodore 64 to travel in time with a plane, the jokes aren’t nearly as intense as in previous specials such as Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny or Miami Connection. Still, if you attend the show you are guaranteed to laugh at some time over the jabs made at some of the terrible effects and cheap production which went into the short and the film.
Rifftrax is presented through Fathom events. An encore screening of the movie will take place on May 17th.
The moment Hawkeye wondered what he was doing here.
Captain America: Civil War is the latest in a long line of Marvel Cinematic Universe films. Its predecessor, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, proved to be very successful. On the other hand, The Avengers and The Avengers: Age of Ultron were great and subpar, respectively. Now, the latest MCU movie increases the action and raises up the stakes a few notches. Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, Captain America: Civil War succeeds in places where Age of Ultron failed.
One year after the Sovokia incident, the Avengers are once again the centre of controversy following a mission in Lagos. Despite their best efforts, several people are killed in an explosion. In the wake of the incident, the United Nations decides to pass the Sokovia Accords to oversee the Avengers’ activities. This means they cannot act without approval of higher authority. Secretary of State “Thunderbolt” Ross (William Hurt) urges the team to accept the UN’s oversight, because it will keep them in check. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Junior) decides to support the Accords, because he feels responsibility for his past actions in being Iron Man and creating Ultron. This puts him at odds with Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), who feels people should use their faith and moral judgement.
Iron Man wonders why War Machine has yet to get his own movie
Meanwhile, Steve’s friend James “Bucky” Barnes (Sebastian Stan) is still on the lam as reprogrammed Soviet assassin Winter Soldier, but his memories are starting to return. A shady figure named Helmut Zemo (Daniel Bruhl) is hell-bent on using Bucky as part of his plan involving the Avengers. As the plot thickens, the Avengers finds the Accords and the search for Bucky are opening a rift in their ranks. Steve decides to go against the UN and rescue his friend, whom he views as having no say in his brainwashing. His team consists of Sam Wilson/The Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Clint “Hawkeye” Barton” (Jeremy Renner) and Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd).
Despite his misgivings, Tony decides to bring Steve and Bucky to justice. On his side are Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlet Johansson) Jim Rhodes/War Machine (Don Cheadle), and the Vision (Paul Bethany). Rounding out the group is Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who has been fighting crime for the last six months. Another newcomer is T’Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), who seeks revenge for the death of his father. Together, the two teams converge in Leipzig, Germany for a epic showdown.
Chris Evans does a stellar job by portraying Steve Rogers as a man struggling with morality. While Captain America can be viewed as a boy scout, Evans succeeds in showing Steve’s predicament in choosing between following his government or saving Bucky. He has a good sense of right and wrong, but he must determine whether or not this means acting outside the law. As Tony, Downey Junior is convincing in his inner turmoil at supporting the law while pursuing a teammate he views as a friend. Even more amazing is a fantasy sequence in which he plays a 20-year old Tony via CGI and camera tricks. What makes the scene work is the older man viewing his younger self interact with his deceased parents. It is a poignant, painful moment to watch.
Tom Holland’s Spider-Man provides some of the film’s wittiest lines
The cast does great in their roles. Johansson is tough as Black Widow, but she does have some moments to showcase her skills. Her vulnerability in choosing friends or follow orders is gripping. Sebastian Stan is excellent in showing Bucky’s struggle to evade his captors while regaining his humanity. His recollection of childhood memories with Steve is quietly moving. Anthony Mackie is given more to do as the Falcon, and he proves himself to be quite good. Don Cheadle provides maturity and reliability as War Machine, and he shows himself to be a man of his convictions. Elizabeth Olsen brings sincerity and conflict to Wanda, who struggles with her power. Paul Bettany is hilarious as the Vision, and it is refreshing to see him interact more with the Avengers. Paul Rudd is hilarious as Ant-Man, and he has a very big surprise during the airport showdown. Bozeman brings a quiet intensity to the Black Panther. His philosophical, thoughtful outlook on life is unique and positive to hear.
It is refreshing to see William Hurt’s “Thunderbolt” Ross again. After his last appearance in The Incredible Hulk, he is more weary and run-down by having to deal with the Avengers. One can hope Ross will return for more MCU instalments in the future. Daniel Bruhl’s Baron Zemo is a modernized version of the villain with a relatable motive for his actions. Unlike Loki or the Red Skull, he intends to seek revenge on the Avengers for the loss of his loved ones in the Sokovia attack. While there is no purple hood or references to the Zemo legacy, it is not out of the realm of possibility for future films to introduce these parts of the character.
Captain America and his team strike a pose
Tom Holland delivers a good performance as Spider-Man. Whereas his predecessors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield looked long in the tooth, the 19 year-old actor feels just right in the role. By contrast, Holland is a teenager coming to grips with his powers. His witty banter with Downey Junior and quips feel appropriate. It is also worth noting his interest in engineering, which is shown by his mechanical web-shooters. No doubt fans will be anticipating the 2017 Spider-Man Homecoming film.
The Russos are successful in balancing action and humour within the plot. Unlike Age of Ultron, this movie gives focus to the characters. Each Avenger is given his or her own moment to shine. Fans will be pleased to see references to the Marvel canon, such as Falcon’s Redwing, Vasil Karpov of the USSR, and Ant-Man riding on Hawkeye’s arrow. Those who love the classic Avengers will not be disappointed by Ant-Man’s newest ability, which will make Ant-Man and the Wasp interesting. The film has several sequences to balance the characters and increase the stakes. It is the tense airport stand-off that audiences will remember most.
Civil War struggles under its own weight at times. With all the characters and arcs, there is a risk of too much material in a plot, such as the Vision’s awkward relationship with Wanda. There are some nice moments between the two, but there is little explanation or resolution. Likewise, Rhodey’s choice to support the Accords is one of careful deciding, but this isn’t given much depth or exploration. Frank Grillo’s Crossbones is brought back to antagonize Cap, but he is reduced to a minor threat. Furthermore, Zemo’s motivations are more personal than wealth and power, yet he isn’t given more to work with.
Captain America: Civil War is a stellar action flick. By far, it is one of the best Avengers films in the Marvel canon. Evans, Downey Jr., and cast are outstanding in their performances. The Russos have done well in building on what has gone on before and raising the stakes. While not better than The Winter Soldier or Guardians, the movie succeeds where Batman v Superman should have triumphed. In a way, it could be considered Avengers 2.5.
The answer of “What’s inside the egg is finally revealed” this episode as Koichi steals the show. He becomes the target of a hustle by a con man named Tamashi Kobayashi, a man whose Stand power allows him to create a lock powered by guilt on a person which weighs on their heart. He first tries it on Koichi but is stopped by Josuke. Tamashi’s Stand is pretty lame as he really has to find a way to make people feel guilty for the way they have treated him for it to do any real damage but he somehow is able to make it threatening enough at least for the episode.
After swearing revenge Tamashi shows up at Koichi’s house and takes his mom and sister hostage. This causes his anger to overflow and Koichi is able to awaken his Stand. His Stand, Reverb marks a person with a sound effect which rings in their body constantly until they can’t take anymore. It’s a pretty impressive power compared to other Stands out there and it bears a striking resemblance to Hierophant Green, the Stand which belonged to Noriaki Kakyoin from the previous arc, Stardust Crusaders. It will be interesting to see how Koichi uses these sound powers in the future.
It’s good to know Koichi will be able to offer his help to Josuke and Okuyasu as the different antagonist Stand users start to make themselves know. Fans always like to see the little guys who try hard get some self respect. Much like those who can’t help but love Krillin from Dragonball Z, a guy who is willing to fight against some of the most powerful beings in the universe despite having no transformations to back him up.
With the issue of the egg solved, their next order of business will be to track down the Stand user of Red Hot Chili Pepper. He’s still out there and will no doubt be a thorn in Josuke and his team’s side very soon.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable is streaming on Crunchyroll.
Ben Affleck is taking on more than just Batman’s cape and cowl for the Justice League. Deadline reports that Warner Bros. had named Affleck the executive producer for the film. Affleck’s role in Warner Bros. DC Universe continues to grow after starring as the Caped Crusader in this year’s Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. Deadline reports Affleck will work alongside Justice League director Zack Snyder and the writing team. Despite big box office numbers, Batman V Superman was not well received by critics and the hope is adding Affleck as an executive producer will help improve Justice League. Affleck will also appear as Batman in the Suicide Squad this fall and is set to co-write, star in and direct a solo Batman film. Production of Justice League is underway and it’s slated to hit movie theaters in November 17, 2017.
Movie trailers are a marketing tool aimed at making you want to see the movie. Some movie trailers do that using ambiguity to build intrigue (Star Wars: The Force Awakens). Others like Bad Moms just come right out and say what it is. In this case, Bad Moms is a big, raunchy comedy that’s targeting one really specific group: overworked supermoms.
Mila Kunis plays Amy Mitchell who’s attempting to be a supermom but is mostly failing and failing miserably. She seems to be struggling with everything: the kids, the dog, her workout routine and her job. Finally, at an emergency PTA meeting she snaps; tired of all the mom rules she’s supposed to follow and just plain tired. Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn feel the same and since misery loves company they form an all-female wolf pack.
Bad Moms is from the same writers as The Hangover and the trailer feels that way. The Hangover appealed to the male desire for bachelor party debauchery the same way this one is playing to the pent-up frustration of the do-everything mom who wishes she could just let loose. Between the grocery store gorging, the house-party whip-its and the brassiere bashing, letting loose might be an understatement for this trio.
While there’s nothing particularly original in this trailer, there doesn’t have to be. It doesn’t even have to be a good movie. It already has a built-in audience. Take a look at your Facebook feed, how many of your mom friends have already shared the trailer? Marketing 101: know your audience and know how to get its attention. Moms behaving badly are going to do just that.
I can easily see Bad Moms following in the footsteps of Bridesmaids in becoming the big, raunchy comedy hit of the summer and making stars (or at least bigger stars) out of its cast.
Ikoma is interrupted before he can bite Ayame. The camp is ambushed by Kabane and everyone has to make a break for it on the train. Some passengers get the key from Ayame and start taking control of the trains heading, going through a mountain. The train is again ambushed by kabane, one of which wields two swords. Kurusu goes sword to sword and loses. Ayame offers her blood to a tired Ikoma and he finishes the sword Kabane off. Everyone decides to trust the Kabaneri and help them by all giving them blood.
Review
So this episode had a few more glaring problems with its flow that I can only attribute to the scenario that was written for this episode. For me Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is at its best when everyone is immediately acting to whatever is happening. However, this week the formula is slightly different. Now we have our Kabaneri having to plan things out and approach the situation and it sort of felt off for me. Sure it was only brief but it was enough to take me out of the show for a good few minutes. This was the first time watching this show that I’ve started to think about why things were happening the way they were and started seeing how ridiculous things were. Once Mumei and Ikoma started moving towards the fight, I was back in. Partly because of Hiroyuki Sawano’s insert song that kicked things off. Damn I love that guy.
Now I’m not saying that this show is only enjoyable if you don’t pay attention to whats happening. I’m saying Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is a masterful at directing your attention to what it wants you to focus on to give you the best experience. And yeah, there were moments in this episode that felt lacking in that. For one I thought it was super awesome when Ayame shot an arrow out of her steam punk bow..and then ceased to fire another one after. Did you run out of arrows? Did you only bring one or did you drop the rest? I also didn’t understand why Ayame just gave the key away to some random guys to take control of the ship. She was like, “I’d like to see you do better, hmph.” Don’t really think she would give up power so easily especially if she knows she’s right. Maybe I misjudged her character or something.
Dumb things aside there was still plenty of pulse pounding action and movie style framing that makes this show so exciting. The dynamic between Mumie and Ikoma still is strong and we got a good dose of Ikoma getting better through Mumie’s training. Also that shot of Ayame offering her blood was awesome in its composition and build-up. That would have been such an easy shot to screw up and would have seemed cheesy as all hell, but they pulled it off. Which is what Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress consistently does, it pulls it off. It takes the things that should be utterly ridiculous and handles them in a way that makes you want to see more.
I know I’m making it seem like this episode had a lot of that, but it hasn’t really showed up before so I wanted to give my thoughts on it now instead of down the line in such detail. I’ll still bring it up when it happens in the future, but not to this extent. Unless it’s really bad. But I don’t think Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress will have too many slip ups. So far its been pretty on the mark. Even the best marksman don’t hit the bullseye every time. I just hope Kabaneri keeps its grouping close enough for me to enjoy myself all the way through.
One of the more interesting side effects of the Internet age is that it takes almost no time for things to get meta. There doesn’t seem to be a better way to get recognition from geek culture than to point out how insane geek culture can sometimes be. Enter Alan Tudyk (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Firefly, Frozen), Nathan Fillion (Castle, Firefly, Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog), author PJ Haarsma, and $3.2 million dollars funded by fans via Indiegogo. They created the web series Con Man about the post-show life of a man who starred in a cult classic TV show canceled before its times that runs in the convention circuit now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBEUfh09ExA
“Loosely based on Tudyk’s and Fillion’s experiences starring in Firefly, Con Man centers on the post-show life of Wray Nerely (Tudyk), the co-star of “Spectrum,” a sci-fi TV series canceled before its time that later became a cult classic beloved by fans. Wray’s best friend, Jack Moore (Fillion) starred as the series’ Captain and has gone on to become a major celebrity while Wray continues to struggle to find his big break. While Jack enjoys the life of an A-lister, Wray is the begrudging guest of sci-fi conventions, comic book store appearances, and different pop culture events. The series explores these events and all the crazy and real things that happen behind the scenes in the world of fandom.” said the press release provided by Comic Con HQ and Lionsgate.
It sounds like a way to print money, and now it will become the first major piece of call the new streaming service Comic Con HQ home. The streaming service is designed to extend the experience of San Diego Comic Con into a year-long event where you don’t have to sleep outside on concrete for twelve hours to see the content.
“Season one of Con Man will be exclusively available for streaming on Comic-Con HQ when the platform launches this summer. Comic-Con HQ will also produce a second season of the series which will debut on the service later this year.
“Comic-Con HQ is all about capturing the spirit of the fan community, and in its own way, so is Con Man. Alan uniquely understands all sides of the fan experience, and he’s captured it in such a farcical way that it’s as much parody as it is commentary on the power of fandom,” said Seth Laderman, EVP and General Manager, Comic-Con HQ.
“We are thrilled to be a part of the Comic-Con HQ family,” said Tudyk. “For a series that was born out of a passion for the genre and support from the fans, we couldn’t think of a better way to connect with our community.”
This is a walking example of the modern Internet, so we’ll have to see how this all turns out. Season 1 will be available via Comic-Con HQ next month, following the platform’s beta launch on May 7th, Free Comic Book Day. Fans who join Comic-Con HQ during the first two weeks of beta launch will be entered to win an all-expenses-paid trip to San Diego Comic-Con 2016. For more details and to sign up for free beta access, visit Comic-ConHQ.com.
Marvel Studios’ filmmakers are usually experts at keeping things under wraps, but the Russo Brothers may have just accidentally revealed a major spoiler for Avengers: Infinity War Part One.
During an event at the Smithsonian Institute, the Russo’s were speaking about the upcoming Infinity War, when they mentioned Captain Marvel by name. A fan quickly pounced, asking “did you just confirm Captain Marvel”. Russo replied “Um….Captain Barvel. Totally different character.”
The (poor) recovery seemingly infers that the Russos had no intention of making the reveal, and had no planned recourse.
Carol Danver’s solo flick isn’t scheduled until afterAvengers: Infinity War Part One, so it’s been a mystery whether or not she would show up in the film.
Neither Marvel nor the Russo Brothers have issued any sort of statement as of yet.
Fans are reacting to the news using the Twitter hashtag #MarvelAtSI — follow it here.
—
Avengers: Infinity War Part One doesn’t hit theaters until 2018, but Captain America: Civil War is in theaters NOW. Read my review of the film here, and get the full Monkeys Fighting Robots perspective here!
‘Captain America: Civil War’ brought in $25 million Thursday night at the box office. Last year ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ made $27.6 million, and ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ holds the record at $30.6 million.
In the international market, the Russo Bros. directed film has already grossed $261 million.
2014’s Captain America: Winter Soldier did a great job of grounding the admittedly science fiction world that The Avengers took place in. Personally, I found the mix of Bond/Bourne spy thriller elements and sci-fi elements (like Dr. Zola being trapped in a really old computer) refreshing. Let’s face it, there are a lot of spy thrillers where the hero will do something ridiculous than would kill them in real life and it takes you out of the movie. Like Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond using a parachute to surf on an avalanche in Die Another Day. The gadgets are ridiculous in (earlier) Bond films, but at least Q explains the flame thrower shoe or poison dart cufflinks at the beginning of the movie. That is precisely the point. The sci-fi elements in Captain America, the fact that he got super powers in a lab, actually made the movie’s crazier action scenes more believable because you knew what you were watching. The stunts in Fast and Furious movies, on the other hand.
Well, there is more of that kind of spy thriller meets superhero stuff in Captain America: Civil War. It feels like a sequel to Winter Soldier, because it is. Not Avengers 2.5. By watching the trailers, you probably know that this movie centers around a conflict between Iron Man and Captain America. The government wants the Avengers to be under the control of the United States government, after an international incident that Scarlet Witch feels really bad about. Iron Man agrees. The ironically-named Captain America doesn’t think they should answer to America. He thinks they should act independently of any politicians with their own agendas, which nods back to his experiences with Hydra in the last film. This splits the team (again), but the focus of the story is really on Cap and Iron Man and their difference of opinion. The other Avengers are just supporting characters with various sized roles.
Cap wants to protect his old friend Bucky/Winter Soldier from a mysterious villain (Zemo, not yet a “Baron”) who has learned to control him the same way Hydra did in the last film. This technically makes him and the Avengers who side with him fugitives. Iron Man is on the side of the government and (General-turned) Secretary Ross, whose daughter used to date the Hulk. Both Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. are given a lot to do and give great performances. Same with Elizabeth Olsen who also stands out. Her scenes with the Vision, where they show their affection for each other, is one of the more interesting subtle touches in the film.
And any discrepancy in a superhero’s screen time is made up for in the airport fight scene that you saw in the trailer. Any characters with small roles in this movie are given something show-stopping to do to make up for it. And there is a lot in this scene that the trailers didn’t spoil and I liked that about this movie. Lots of surprises that were not spoiled by trailers.
The moment Hawkeye wondered what he was doing here.
This movie also gives the new movie version of Spider-Man and Black Panther a great introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Black Panther is a diplomat turned King of Wakanda who blames Winter Soldier for his father’s death. But he later does what Sinead O’Connor once suggested on Saturday Night Live and fights the real enemy. His fight scenes kick butt and his suit and accent are great.
Peter Parker/Spider-Man is recruited to the team by Tony Stark himself, who flirtatiously tells the uncharacteristically young-looking, sexy new version of Aunt May (Marissa Tomei) that Peter has won a grant from his company. This is the best version of Spider-Man that we have seen on the big screen yet (nostalgia leanings aside). The way he moves, his quips, the character itself. Very well-done.
The Russo Brothers, who also directed Winter Soldier, once again do a wonderful job of grounding sci-fi/superhero elements with drama and emotion. I am looking forward to seeing what they will do with the (about 60?) large number of characters in the next two Avengers films, which they also are directing. My only minor gripes with this movie are some of the scenes that go on too long. There are talky scenes that beat the same points to death and fight scenes that beat the same characters too much, creating minor pacing problems. They are few and far between and easy to overlook in a very entertaining addition to the MCU.
RATING: 8 shields out of 10.
Now, about the sexy Aunt May. Anybody remember the movie Friday, with Ice Cube and Chris Tucker? Remember the mature lady who was watering her lawn in short shorts and all the kids were checking her out? Her name was Miss Parker. Imagine if Ice Cube DOES end up playing J. Jonah Jameson and you see him checking out “Miss Parker” again.
