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The Flash movie loses director Seth Grahame-Smith

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Warner Brothers has been hit with a minor setback. They have just lost The Flash director Seth Grahame-Smith. Studio executives are now looking for a new director.

According to Hollywood Reporter, Grahame-Smith left due to creative differences with the studio. The Flash was to be his first film as a director.

Ezra Miller will star as Barry Allen, who becomes the Flash after a freak accident grants him powers of super-speed. He made a brief cameo appearance in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Miller will reprise his role in 2017’s The Justice League Part One.

The author-screenwriter wrote the script with Phil Lord and Chris Miller of The Lego Movie fame. Despite Grahame-Smith’s decision to walk, he is attached to many Warner Bros films. However, his script for The Flash is being used by the studio.

The Flash is heading for a March 16, 2018 release date. One can hope finding a new director won’t slow the Scarlet Speedster down. After all, he is the Fastest Man Alive.

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Dylan O’Brien’s Injuries Are Too Severe ‘Maze Runner’ Put on Hold

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The cast and crew of ‘The Maze Runner: The Death Cure’ has been sent home by 20th Century Fox. The production has been put on indefinite hold due to lead actor Dylan O’Brien’s injuries, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

O’Brien injured during the filming of a stunt. The actor was thrown off a moving vehicle and hit by another vehicle. A report from WorkSafeBC described his injuries as including a “concussion, facial fracture and lacerations.”

The studio hoped that O’Brien would recover enough by May 9 to resume filming, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.

“His injuries are very serious, and he needs more time to recover,” said Jennifer Allen, O’Brien’s publicist.

“The resumption of principal photography on Maze Runner: The Death Cure has been further delayed to allow Dylan O’Brien more time to fully recover from his injuries. We wish Dylan a speedy recovery and look forward to restarting production as soon as possible,” said Fox in a statement.

‘The Maze Runner: The Death Cure’ was scheduled for released February 17, 2017.

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Big Screen Adaption For Sega’s Shinobi Announced

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One of the toughest gaming franchises in the late 80s was Shinobi. It appears the master ninja is back, and going to kick our ass on the big screen.

Producer Marc Platt has partnered with Sega to develop a film franchise based on the video game, according to Deadline.

“We love the Shinobi games and believe that the world of ninjas has never been properly explored onscreen. We now have the opportunity to do just that. With Shinobi, we hope to make a film that honors the essence of the games,” said Platt.

No production timeline or casting was announced. MFR will bring you more details as they become available.

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Review: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Season 4: Episode 5

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The Nijimura Brothers part 3

After the intense battle of the previous episode this one feels much slower. It’s not bad just a major shift in tone. The backstories of The Nijimura brothers are laid and the reason why Keicho thought the best course of action to deal with a personal problem was to use the magical bow and arrow to hopefully find a powerful Stand who could fix his problems. Unfortunately, superpowers never fix problems the way people hope they will.

It’s revealed the Nijimura brothers are tied to Dio who is revealed to have planned far ahead more than anyone originally thought. With a history of brutal methods and a possessing a wide network of connections and resources, it’s easy to see why many see Dio as one of the greatest villains in anime. Also, a new Stand appears (with a distinct musical reference) named Red Hot Chili Pepper who posses incredible electrical abilities. Whoever the Stand belongs to may be the one actually pulling the strings from here on in the series.

This season is starting to feel more bottled than previous ones. Instead of eventually expanding out and journeying to all the different corners of the world as the cast battles the forces of Dio or the pillar men, it’s starting to look like the entire season will be set in town of Morioh. It will be interesting to see how the events will keep them in the town and how the tension will ramp up from here. For now though, Josuke and Jotaro will get help from Koichi and Okuyasu to fight against the owner of Red Hot Chili Pepper.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable is streaming on Crunchyroll.

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Review: ‘Mother’s Day’ Is Bloated Predictable Garbage

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At this point, Garry Marshall has become a parody of himself.

Mothersdayart

His latest bloated attempt at pulling on our heart strings, Mother’s Day, is a film that shouldn’t have been allowed within a five-mile radius of any theater in the United States. As predictable as Garry Marshall movies are (who could forget Valentine’s Day in 2010 and New Year’s Eve in 2011?), nothing could prepare me for the tepid, ridiculously predictable, outdated garbage that is Mother’s Day.

One positive that can’t be dismissed is the quality of the cast. Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Timothy Olyphant, Kate Hudson, Sarah Chalke, Aasif Mandvi, and some “Garry Marshall regulars” indeed present the appearance of a strong cast. However, not even the strongest of casts could have done anything with these vaguely constructed characters.

Now for those who are wondering about the plot of this film, if you’ve seen the trailer then you know the film’s entire plot (I wish I were Joking). Jennifer Aniston is Sandy, a divorced mom of two boys who’s holding it together but secretly wants to get back with her devilishly handsome ex-husband, Henry (Timothy Olyphant). Apparently Henry didn’t get the memo because he announces to Sandy that he recently eloped with his twenty-year-old girlfriend Tina (gee, I wonder if that will cause some faux friction). Of course, it wouldn’t be a Gary Marshall film if the plot were not intertwined and such is the case with this movie as well.

Sandy decides to call her best friend Jesse (Kate Hudson) to fill her on what’s occurred. What Sandy doesn’t know is that Jesse has the drama of her own. Jesse is married to an Indian doctor named Russell ( Aasif Mandvi), and they have a toddler son. She has, however, choose not to let her parents know about all of this because her parents Earl and Flo (Robert Pine and Margo Martindale) are both racists (I know, earth shattering news). Jesse, of course, hasn’t been honest about what’s been going on, as she’s told her husband that her parents are not in the picture and are mentally unstable.

Her sister (played by Sarah Chalke) is trying to reunite Jesse with her mother after a falling out over dating Indian men, but we come to find that her sister has a secret, she’s a lesbian (married with an adoptive son). Her rationale for not telling her parents is that they are equally as homophobic as they are racist (WOW! Didn’t see this coming).
So what we have so far are just a stew of lies and predictable, mundane storylines. Some may argue that the film is not predictable because it has no storyline involving a recently passed mother.

Enter Jason Sudeikis.

Jason Sudeikis plays a widower and father of two daughters who are still clinging to the memory of his wife who died a military hero. Of course, Sudeikis plays that active dad trying to adjust to this new role but secretly stays up watching videotapes of his recently deceased wife.

Some might be holding out hope that Mr. Marshall at least avoided doing his stereotypical mother full of regret storyline.

Enter Julia Roberts.

Julia Roberts plays Miranda, a career-driven woman who of course like everyone in this movie has a past. Britt Robertson is Kristin (AKA Miranda’s Past/Miranda’s daughter) who now herself has a daughter and is trying to decide if she is ready to marry the father of her child (Gee I wonder if somehow if Kristin and Miranda will reconnect).
This film certainly has all the trademark elements of previous Garry Marshall movies, mainly because he directly ripped from all of them. However, what caught my eye is how he handled the costuming in this movie. According to People Magazine, the wig that Julia Roberts uses in the film Mother’s Day is the same wig that she used in the film Notting Hill. Is Garry Marshall now recycling costume elements as well? Is nothing original in this film? This tripe is so full of “mail it in” performance that this film has all the qualities of a direct to DVD release ( which is what should have occurred to begin with).

If you love your mother, do her a favor and don’t subject her to Mother’s Day.

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Amsterdam’s Boneshaker Unfiltered IPA – A Strong Endorsement

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It’s been a couple of weeks since my last beer review so I’m indulging myself this week by reviewing one of the hoppiest beers I’ve yet to enjoy, Amsterdam Brewing Company‘s Boneshaker Unfiltered IPA. Don’t let the brewery’s name fool you. Amsterdam Brewing Company is actually located on the waterfront in Toronto, Ontario, their website boasting that it was the first craft brewery of its kind in the city. This thirty-year veteran of the Toronto craft brewing scene is known for its Downtown Brown, which has won more than one Ontario Brewing Award, but is also well liked by those who love a good pale ale. On top of Boneshaker Unfiltered IPA, Amsterdam has also released their “All Day Pale Ale” Cruiser, a lighter and less hop-forward pale ale, and their ridiculously strong Fracture Imperial Pale Ale, weighing in at 9% ABV. Enough about the brewery, though, on with the tasting!

Boneshaker Unfiltered IPA – First Sip

Boneshaker Unfiltered IPA’s relatively high level of carbonation and its intensely bitter flavour give it a unique mouth-feel, smooth but lingering. I smell sour apples as I take a big gulp of it, although I know other reviewers frequently comment on its piney aroma. Boneshaker Unfiltered IPA has the notes of citrus and the barely noticeable malt presence typical of most IPA’s but it is its level of mouth-watering hoppiness that sets this beer apart from others, putting it on par with other strong IPA’s like Flying Monkeys Smashbomb Atomic IPA, only stronger … !

Boneshaker Unfiltered IPA – Last Sip

Boneshaker Unfiltered IPA
What a terrible movie! And then they gave him the keys to the kingdom! Sorry, this is my 3rd Boneshaker (hic!)

As with most unfiltered beers, Boneshaker Unfiltered IPA is so cloudy I can’t see my hand on the other side of the glass as I drink it. Not to be a nag, but I suggest pouring this masterpiece of craft brewing into a glass before taking your first mouth-puckering draught. And, weighing in as the strongest beer I’ve reviewed so far (I think) at 7.1% ABV, one or two of these potent brews is generally enough to get me embroiled in conversations I’d be better off avoiding …

” … and furthermore, why Zack Snyder was allowed to direct another movie after directing the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead is beyond–”

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Episode 72: ‘Game of Thrones’ ‘Keanu’ ‘Captain America: Civil War’

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The calm before the storm of ‘Captain America: Civil War’ takes the shape of an adorable kitten named Keanu. Also, HBO tries to dampen our spirits with the body of Jon Snow.

EJ and Matt review ‘Keanu’ opening up this week, reflect on the first episode of Season Six of ‘Game of Thrones,’ and they gauge their expectations for ‘Captain America: Civil War’ opening next week.

Articles mentioned in the podcast:
‘Keanu’ Review: Kittens & Violence Makes For A Great Time
‘Lemonade’ Album Review: Beyonce Goes In For The Kill
Robert Downey Jr. Has One More Solo ‘Iron Man’ Film in Him

Do you have a question that you would like answered during the show?
Email your questions to matt@popaxiom.com.

If you are looking to sponsor the podcast email matt@popaxiom.com as well.

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Never heard of Matt Sardo?
For starters, he made the Kessel Run in less than 11 parsecs. Prior to that, he gave Doc Brown the idea for the flux capacitor and led the Resistance to victory over SkyNet – all while sipping a finely crafted IPA. As a radio host, he’s interviewed celebrities, athletes and everyone in between. He’s covered everything from the Super Bowl to Comic-Con.

Who is EJ Moreno?
Is he a trained physician? No. Is a he a former Miss Universe contestant? Possibly. But what we know for sure is he’s a writer, filmmaker, and pop culture enthusiast. Since film school, EJ has written & directed several short films. He’s used his passion of filmmaking to become a movie critic for MonkeysFightingRobots.com.

Places you can find the show:
iTunes
Stitcher

Reviews are greatly appreciated – How to Rate and Review a Podcast in iTunes

Thank you for listening!

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Review: Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress – Episode 3

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Episode Summary

Mumei and Ikoma are confronted by the military and forced to stay in the back of the train until they get to Kongokaku. Mumei starts Ikoma’s training so she can use him as a shield when she fights. They stop in their route to Kongokaku to fix a water tank and pay their respects for the dead. Ikoma tells Mumie the story of his sisters death. A small gang rallies together to try and kill Ikoma and Mumie but the Ayame stops them, and tests mumie’s and Ikoma’s loyalty. Mumie goes out to have fun only to ask people for some blood to eat. This conversations interrupted by a pregnant kabane that Mumei kills. Ikoma similar needs blood but goes out of control and attacks Ayame in the rail car.

Review

Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is still at eleven. Which is surprising to see. I though for sure that they would slow it down after getting on the train. Sure the events aren’t all that intense but the way they are presented still keep with the shows tone and pacing style that even some conversations can be jazzed up with a punch and a kick now and there. This formula works and I found myself wondering where the time went more than the last two episodes.

Some of the reasons why this episode went so fast for me is the sheer amount of things being said, and the importance of those things. Kabaneri of the Iron fortress really knows how to make a seemingly mundane scene like, giving out food rations, and making it engaging. At the same time building future plot points and giving us more character growth. Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is tying everything together so that the viewer won’t lose their high that they gained from the first two episodes. Which is a difficult task. None the less, they’re nailing it.

Of course the high tension still doesn’t seem like its something being forced. Everyone is rightfully on edge with these Kabaneri on board. Thus dealing with this unknown threat is plenty to keep the blood boiling in the passengers as well as the guards. Plus Mumie continuously beating the shit out of Ikoma helps keep the action quota up. All I’m gonna say is that it must hurt like a bitch, hitting the steel floor so much. But I guess thats how she’s gone toughen him up.

Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress always has its breathing room where we can unclench our fists. This episode that breath is some deep and interesting back story for Ikoma. It really solidifies his character and where his resolve comes from and where his growth may lead him. His hatred for running away and his weakness is understandable and relatable. It shows that he is still trying to fight with the vow he had made that day. In his eyes he still isn’t strong enough. When he will be, we don’t know. I don’t even think Ikoma knows. Mumie hints at a similar scenario but we don’t get to hear her story. I assume her brother is still alive and is going to be crucial in the plot. I’d like it to show up earlier than later, and not be some cheap reveal near the end.

As for the Zombie/vampire hybrid, I could go either way on that idea. It ultimately depends on how important it is to the story and how everyone else reacts to it. I don’t wanna say it feels like cheap tension without knowing the purpose of it thematically. But i’ve been burned by a similar concept before *cough cough* Valvrave the Liberator. Even if its just another way to raise the “metalness” of this show, that’ll be fine too.

So far everything is going smoothly for Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress. The characters that its focusing on are just enough to keep me invested in this steampunk zombie story, with promise for future bad-asses to take the spotlight. The only thing I didnt understand about this episode is how Ayame could be everywhere all the time. I mean she shows up out of nowhere all the time. Must not be a big train or something. Either way, if there are problems with Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, they’re so small and insignificant, or I’m having too much fun to notice. Nothing glaring yet but there still is a whole load of track to ride on this zombie train.

Episode Rating: A

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Is Dazzler making a cameo in ‘X-Men: Apocalypse?’

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The Marvel character Dazzler is a mutant who can convert sound vibrations into light and energy beams. Although she had a brief solo series, Dazzler has never been adapted into a live-action medium. Yet that might change with the upcoming movie X-Men: Apocalypse.

In a new still from the film, Scott Summers (Tye Sheridan) and Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) are hanging out at a record store. Scott is holding up an album cover with Dazzler’s image. The cover reads “Dazzler: Sounds of Light and Fury.” Turner posted the image on her Instagram account, writing #FlashbackFriday to that time Cyclops and I went shopping at the mall and found our favorite singer’s album (pre 1989, of course). Dazzler

Ironically, Marvel Comics created Dazzler with the intention of launching a multimedia franchise with Casablanca Records. In the early 1980s, there were plans to adapt the character into a feature film starring Bo Derek, but the project fell through and never got made. Whether she will appear in the movie remains to be seen, but it is a nice Easter egg for X-Men fans. At least the character does exist in the Fox Marvel X-Verse. Since the film is set in 1983, it would be appropriate.

In 2013, director Bryan Singer’s Twitter page hinted at casting singer Lady Gaga as Dazzler in X-Men: Days of Future Past. However, this was revealed to be an April Fools’ Day joke . Last year, it was alleged that Taylor Swift would appear as Dazzler in a cameo for X-Men: Apocalypse, but producer Simon Kinberg said it was not true.

X-Men: Apocalypse will be released in theatres on May 27, 2016.

X-Men Dazzler
Is it true that Dazzler might be appearing in the new X-Men movie?
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Netflix Orders A ‘Punisher’ Series From Marvel Studios

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Marvel’s ‘The Punisher’ starring Jon Bernthal will get its own Netflix series, according to a report by Entertainment Weekly.

Netflix and Marvel are expected to make an announce later Friday. The report also states that writer and executive producer Steve Lightfoot will serve as showrunner.

Marvel’s ‘The Punisher’ will be Netflix’s sixth Marvel Cinematic Universe series.

EW also had the first teaser image for the new series:

Marvel's 'The Punisher'

And @netflix posted this quick teaser:

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