Fox has given us a third trailer for their upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse, and it’s heavy on the action and heavier on the 90s rock-song remix. Yes, that’s a riff on Filter’s “Hey Man, Nice Shot.”
Following the critically acclaimed global smash hit X-Men: Days of Future Past, director Bryan Singer returns with X-MEN: APOCALYPSE. Since the dawn of civilization, he was worshipped as a god. Apocalypse, the first and most powerful mutant from Marvel’s X-Men universe, amassed the powers of many other mutants, becoming immortal and invincible. Upon awakening after thousands of years, he is disillusioned with the world as he finds it and recruits a team of powerful mutants, including a disheartened Magneto (Michael Fassbender), to cleanse mankind and create a new world order, over which he will reign. As the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) with the help of Professor X (James McAvoy) must lead a team of young X-Men to stop their greatest nemesis and save mankind from complete destruction.
Talk about over-the-top destruction. Rebuilding that Sydney Opera House is gonna be a tough task. X-Men: Apocalypse hits theaters May 27.
Lin-Manuel Miranda closed out ‘Last Week Tonight With John Oliver’ with an emotional song pleading with the U.S. government for debt relief for Puerto Rico.
Miranda won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his Broadway play Hamilton in which he wrote the book, music, lyrics, and stars as Alexander Hamilton.
Puerto Rico is in a financial crisis and needs to restructure its $70 billion debt by a May 1 deadline and can’t do it without help from the U.S. government due to a variety of loops in U.S. and Puerto Rican law.
The first ever Civil War Draft: Team Cap vs. Team Iron Man is in the books. The draft was held Sunday evening on Twitter and in case you missed the rules you can find them here.
As the leader of Team Cap, I had the first overall pick and my strategy was all about building a team of warriors that were as unstoppable as they are powerful. I used my first two picks on the most powerful members of the MCU I could get and added more power throughout with Drax, Luke Cage and Groot. We may go down, but we’re definitely going down swinging.
Fellow Monkeys Fighting Robots writer Kyle Lewallen elected to be Team Iron Man and took a more-well balanced approach:
I would say since I was the second pick in the draft I tried to match your picks. I also wanted an even amount of everything on my team. That means I wanted equal power, speed, knowledge, and street smarts. I also took into account how the personalities would mesh on the team.
So who did the better job? Check out the full results.
Team Cap:
Captain America, Hulk, Vision, Spider-Man, Winter Soldier, Doctor Strange, Drax, Punisher, Luke Cage, Groot, Gamora.
Team Iron Man:
Iron Man, Thor, Scarlet Witch, Black Panther, Ant-Man, War Machine, Hawkeye, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Black Widow, Falcon
So what do you think of the teams? Let us know in the comments.
Game of Thrones left viewers atop a mountain of questions and a molehill of answers when it concluded season five last year. The stakes had become so high and the circumstances so dark with Dany being captured by the Dothraki and Jon Snow being slaughtered by his own men that it’s difficult to think how things can be gathered and continued at the same pace. The opening episode of season six, ‘The Red Woman’, gives us answers to most of the questions laid at our feet while also fully embracing the ludicrousness of it all. There’s a huge task at hand when it comes to justifying the deaths of so many characters and redemption of others as we come into the home-stretching seasons of this beloved show. ‘The Red Woman’ feels like a response to all the dire deeds we have experienced, deftly weaving each loose thread into an intriguing centerpiece from which we will continue to spin out of until the season’s end.
There are two types of Game of Thrones episodes: the sprawling worldwide plot-mover and the intimate dramatic set piece. ‘The Red Woman’ falls into the former category and is by far the more difficult version to make an intriguing story. There are simply too many characters and plot lines in this world to succinctly and satisfyingly explore them all within a 50-ish minute time frame. The writers (and creators) Benioff and Weiss are fully aware of this by now and I think have finally mastered the formula when it comes to these full-world-spanning tales. The key comes with levity and ‘The Red Woman’ is maybe the most I’ve laughed in a Game of Thrones episode in a long time and I’m happy for it.
This is the big breath of relief before things really start to hit the fan again in this world. Starting at The Wall:
Jon Snow is dead as dead but Ser Davos’ cunning logic and brashness clashes nicely against Thorne’s prickly orders and his sudden trust in Melisandre roots our trust in his character and Melisandre’s just as she’s become the actual least-trustful person in the show.
Melisandre is more interesting than ever in that she’s been proven wrong at least twice now with Stannis’ defeat at Winterfell and the reveal that she saw Jon Snow fighting at Winterfell as well. She is a character who has been known for being absolutely correct against all odds and common decency in the past and these two miscalculations humanize her. Ser Davos coming to her side, now that he’s been given the ultimatum by Thorne, is proof that she holds a certain power despite her inaccuracy. Plus, we’re now privy to knowing just how old Melisandre’s true form is in a scene that is at once sexy and beautiful, horrific and sad. Surely, this woman will be able to bring Jon Snow back to us in some way, right?
RIGHT?!
Ahem… elsewhere:
In the only big bummer of the premiere, we’re shown that Sansa and Theon were completely unharmed by their gigantic fall from the walls of Winterfell. This disappointment is quickly erased by the reunion we’ve been waiting years for with Brienne coming to their aid as Ramsey’s troops have closed in on them. Brienne and Pod (!) dispatch six Bolton men in a sword fight that proves Game of Thrones showcases the best action on TV which occurs fifteen minutes in and feels like a gauntlet thrown down to the rest of the industry. The writing only elevates things from here. Brienne swears her allegiance to Sansa and Sansa has to look at Theon for approval to commence while Pod also has to give Sansa the verbal cues to accept Brienne’s allegiance. It’s a quick exchange but one that immediately defines each of these characters as a new family and roots our own allegiance with them all. This may be the group for which I root most dearly the rest of the season. Surely that means they’ll all die…
Jaime brings the corpse of his daughter Myrcella home to mommy Cersei and Cersei has another humanizing moment after her public humiliation that suggests, above all else, she truly loves her kids. I wouldn’t bet against these two in the immediate future.
Queen Margaery is still being tortured through verse and isn’t allowed to see her brother, Loras. The High Sparrow enters and feeds some nonsense down Margaery’s throat that suggests she may try to see the way of the Sparrow soon.
The Sand Snakes have become slightly more interesting in that they’ve now taken over Dorne in a coup that places them at the head of the table. These women are fierce and fun and I hope they’re given better things to do this go-round.
Tyrion and Varys are searching through the political rubble of Meereen to discover the best way to rule the city while Dany has gone missing. The back and forth between these two characters is strong as ever and we see Tyrion being placed behind another iron wall as the ships of Meereen burn in front of him, signaling no travel to Westeros in the foreseeable future. They’ve got to build something here first.
Jorah and Daario have discovered the trail left by Dany when she was captured by the Dothraki Horde. Jorah’s clock ticks as he becomes more Stone Man by the day.
Dany is taken and subjected once again to gross reduction by her Dothraki captors. They belittle her worth in as many ways as they can but she does not let on her true value until the most opportune moment. The exchange between Khal Moro and his lieutenants is one of the highlights of the episode as we’re of the belief that Dany is in a world of pain when she enters this hut (and it’s not like she still isn’t) but we’re instead given levity by the fact that this Khal has to suffer the idiocy of his subordinates in a memorable segment that tears apart the Conan “what is best in life” mantra before our eyes. This is the show masterfully walking the tightrope of tone and subverting our expectations in delightful ways and not just surprising ones. We also learn that Khal Drogo’s name isn’t as sullied as we once believed and respect must be paid to each Khal widow. Unfortunately, that means Dany will be sent to Vaes Dothrak to live out the rest of her life with the other Khal widows.
‘The Red Woman’ took what was the ultimate cliffhanger of a season finale* and went to the next logical yet surprising step in giving us comedy in resolution. At this point the majority of the audience has been onboard for a while now and we know what expect from Game of Thrones. There will be heartbreak, there will be death, there will likely be another castration. ‘The Red Woman’ let us know that Benioff and Weiss care about us but are whole-heartedly pushing this story ahead in some serious ways.
This is the best answer I could ask for.
*Yes, Jon Snow’s death is a cliffhanger. The Walking Dead could learn a thing or two about how to actually satisfy an audience in this regard.
‘Lemonade’ is a short film scored to the songs from the latest Beyonce album also titled ‘Lemonade’. Debuting on HBO, Queen B used the network as a launching pad for her new era.
After releasing the controversial “Formation”, the hype for the latest Beyonce album reached an all-time high. Then she announced a tour for an album she had yet to release. This was some of the most intriguing marketing she has done since the sudden release of her 2014 album ‘Beyonce’.
Pray You Catch Me:
-Used as an introduction for the film and the album, the airy vocals of Beyonce welcomes you into this new world she’s created. The song is fairly simple compared to how amazing the rest of the album is but even the worst song on the album is better than some’s best.
Hold Up:
-The first time I heard this, I knew this was instant single material. The lyrics are tinged with the scolding of a cheater but the beat that is under the lyrics is so fun. Probably the most easily accessible song on the album, I can’t wait to see how many people quote “What’s worse? Looking jealous or crazy?” after this.
Don’t Hurt Yourself (ft. Jack White):
This grooving reggae inspired jam is one of the biggest highlights from the album. It has such a 70’s vibe to it and the Jack White hook is the icing on the cake. The video for this song is also one of her best; her destroying cars while she sings is exactly the bad-ass Beyonce we expected.
Sorry:
One of the most transgressive beats on the album, “Sorry” continues the theme of cheating which seems apparent. The song is fun and catchy; it reminds me of her recent hit “711”. Along with “Formation”, I can see this song impacting Urban Radio stations with ease.
6 Inch (ft. The Weeknd):
If you want to make a hit song in 2016, just invite The Weeknd. Upon early listens, I think this may be my favorite song on the album. Her cockiness oozes with each verse & The Weeknd’s parts are smooth. This is the perfect song to dance along with your friends in a club or when you are getting ready for a sexy night.
Daddy Lessons:
This song makes me instantly think of a backyard BBQ in the south. It has a soulful blues jazz feeling. Stripping away her usual heavy production, the acoustic guitar & hand claps are enough to accompany the bluesy vocals from Bey. One of her most obscure songs to date; so different from anything she’s released. Love the use of real instruments on the piece.
Love Drought:
Slowing down the album a bit, “Love Drought” is one of the sexiest songs on the album. That breathy singing Beyonce does at times works amazingly here. She seduces you with each word like she’s moaning it into your ear. Glad to see a bit more love on the album after all the early cheating tones. This would go great with some makeup sex.
Sandcastles:
We forget Beyonce has such a powerful voice at times. She’s best known for her fun dance songs but strip all that away, Bey is one of the best voices of her generation. “Sandcastles” helps back up that claim; I expect many covers of this in the future. This is another one of the slower songs.
Forward (ft. James Blake):
Will James Blake be this year’s Bon Iver? His soulful vocals blend beautifully with Beyonce’s. The shortest song on the album is also one of the most beautiful. I want “Forward” to be a few minutes longer. It’s such an easy listen.
Freedom (ft. Kendrick Lamar):
With the featuring artist and the song’s title, I knew this would be an empowering anthem. I wasn’t wrong. “Freedom” is another song deeply rooted in soul music but has a bit more hip-hop influence. With lyrics like breaking the chains off, watch for the predominate black imagery scare off the average listener. I was actually hoping for more songs like this.
All Night:
Mixing all the elements that make Beyonce great, “All Night” is like textbook Beyonce. An outstanding beat, heavy bravado, and of course Bey’s awesome voice; that’s all you need to make a Beyonce worthy banger. This would be the perfect finale for the album but we have one more amazing tune before it’s all over…
Formation:
-Debuting the day before her Super Bowl performance, the banger that is “Formation” caused an uproar. The world wasn’t ready for a song where Beyonce proudly calls out the haters and embraces her roots. Even ‘Saturday Night Live‘ made a skit in response to this song called ‘The Day Beyonce Turned Black‘. No longer could white soccer moms jam out to Bey; this was targeted for a specific group and she doesn’t care.
After all the introductions are done with, the Kiznaivers are free to go back home while awaiting their final mission that is to come this summer. Katsuhira and Tenga have moved in with each other to make sure Katsuhira doesn’t get bullied anymore. They all then get a mission to track down the seventh Kiznaiver. Who turns out to be a shut-in masochist. The gang chases him around for an afternoon until Katsuhira incapacitates him by jumping off a bridge.
Review
If Kiznaiver is working towards something, it sure likes to explain it in complicated ways. One quick line from Chidori basically spells the intention of this episode and the seventh Kiznaiver, Tsuguhito. She talks about the difference between residual pain and initial pain and why only the Kiznaivers can feel the initial pain. Theme wise this could be a very interesting plot line to explore since even though they are connected they still only feel the short-term effects of each others pain. However everyone knows that pain can last long after the initial wound, both physically and mentally, so I’m interested where they’ll go with that concept.
The events are still rather dry in concept this episode, but the execution keeps it engaging. I’m not sure how long I can keep from wanting to brush of the script if it continues at this dry pace. I’m all one for cool ideas, but those ideas need to be weaved into the narrative well, and Kiznaiver seems to be all ideas and visuals, but not much else. The position where everyone is at, now having learned something deeply personal about each other seems to be rather brushed off in a sense. There is some dialogue between Chidori and Katsuhira that seems compelling, but I was sort of expecting everyones viewpoints of each other change once they found out that secret. I can’t tell if this story is going to be a bout Chidori and Katsuhira or not. Basically, I guess I don’t actually know what I want at this point, and the show isn’t giving me enough to care about in the mean while.
So far the writing has been really shallow and only played with the idea of big themes. Those big themes and the promise of them going somewhere later isn’t enough to keep me invested in a show. So Kiznaiver better gets its act together and pull together a gripping narrative worth its messages.
The Walking Dead season six finale is without question one the most highly debated finales in the show’s history. Many fans were disgusted at the show’s decision to shoot the final scene from the victims perspective so as to conceal the identity of the person Negan beat to death. Now it’s never fun to be the guy to break the bad news, but I guess someone has to do it. I’m sorry, but the evidence is undeniable that it was, in fact, Glenn who was beaten to death by Negan at the end of the season six finale. Now, before you start to blow up my Twitter feed and tell me that this is nonsense, let’s take a look at the facts.
1. We’ve tried to warn you from the beginning –
Mere days after the finale, we published an article outlining who was killed in the finale ( with audio), and it seems some of you have forgotten that. Here the article.
2.The start date that filming for Season 7 of The Walking Dead begins
According to the website TheSpoilingDead.Com, filming for season 7 will begin between April 25th and May 2nd. They even posted these observations on their Facebook page.
Filming is coming…. That’s right, buttercups! Filming is quickly approaching, which means that the off season is about to get a whole lot more interesting! Woo hoo!!! We still have not confirmed an exact filming start date yet. It looks like it could be either April 25th or May 2nd. Once we know an exact date we will keep you posted.
There has already been some activity back in Georgia:
– Do Not Mow signs are up at Crook Rd. in Senoia. This is near the Gin Property and was used frequently last year.
– Do Not Mow signs are also up at Old Griffin Rd & Highway 3 bridge in Hampton. This is the same location where the burning log scene and the man hanging from the bridge from episode 6.16 was filmed.
– Tom Payne (Jesus) was spotted around town last night in Senoia
Why does it matter when season 7 starts filming, we will outline why in just a moment, but keep those dates in the back of your mind.
3.Daryl did not die in the finale
Check out this video of Melissa McBride (Carol) and listen to how she discusses Season 7 of The Walking Dead
The part that sticks out to me is when McBride says
“It’s going to be interesting in Season 7 to see how these characters alone deal with the situations they’re in.”
Does that sound like Daryl was killed at the end of Season 6? It Certainly looks like he’s very much alive and has an important story line upcoming with Carol in Season 7. It’s also important to note that the video was shot on April 15th, so this was a recent interview. So for those who were hoping that it was Daryl who died in the finale and not Glenn, sorry to disappoint you.
4. Steve Yeun was cast in a Major Film
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Steve Yeun (Glenn) has been cast in the science fiction film Okja. He’s joining a cast that already includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano, and Tilda Swinton. It has a fantastic director in Bong Joon-Ho, whose most recent success was a politically charged sci-fi action flick Snowpiercer. Now what’s important about this news isn’t that he was cast in this film but when the production begins, and that’s today. He’s taken on a role in a role in a major movie right around the same time Season 7 of The Walking Dead is to begin filming ( remember they are starting to film between April 25th-May 2nd). Why do you think that is? Either the producers are very flexible, or he has just one scene he needs to shoot in Season 7. For those who are leaning towards the idea that perhaps the producers are very flexible, Okja is set to film in Hong Kong, Canada, and The United States. It doesn’t seem likely that he’s going to be flying in on the weekends from Hong Kong just to film scenes with Andrew Lincoln.
As much we have grown to love Glenn and root for his survival, the evidence can no longer be ignored. We all knew that this moment was coming ( especially if you were a fan of the comics). At least now that we have connected the pieces, it will give us a chance to mourn the loss of a beloved character before the show returns in October.
Pearl Mackie has been named the new Doctor Who companion alongside Peter Capaldi’s Time Lord in the Tardis, according to the BBC. The announcement appeared on BBC One during half-time of the FA Cup semi-final match between Everton and Manchester United.
What the first Doctor Who appearance of Mackie with Capaldi in the video below.
Mackie replaces Jenna Coleman, after Coleman asked to be to be written off the show. Big changes are ahead for the series that starts filming season 10 this year, but won’t air till 2017.
In January, it was announced that head writer Steven Moffat was stepping down after season 10. Chris Chibnall will replace Moffat.
There are times when a show loses its original purpose and doesn’t deliver on what it once was. This is never the case in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure as just as it seems things have become normal or predictable they introduce an element which reminds the viewer just how crazy the story can get.
This is case with Nijimura Brothers: part 2, as Josuke has to fight with the other Nijimura brother Keicho who is preventing him from getting Koichi to safety. Nijimura reveals his Stand, Worse Company (which is actually Bad Company but they have to subtitle it as something different for copyright reasons) which proves to a formidable force. You’ll have to watch the episode yourself to see what it really is. Also, it looks like Okuyasu will soon be part of the popular fighting anime trope of switching sides after initially proving to be an adversary. This shouldn’t come as a surprise as he is standing next to Josuke in the opening.
This episode is filled with bizarre and strange things the creator puts the characters though. All the more reason to keep coming back for more. The action will make you anxious for the next one. Especially as it looks like another individual will reveal their Stand’s powers and be joining Josuke in battle.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakble is streaming at Crunchyroll.
Disney has pulled Marvel’s ‘Inhumans’ from its July 12, 2019, release and did not establish a new date, according to Deadline.
Fans knew this move was coming when Disney and Lucasfilm announced the next Indiana Jones film would hit theaters on July 19, 2019.
Vin Diesel was rumored to play the leader of the Inhumans, Black Bolt. In October, Diesel laid out the conditions that it will take to get him to play Black Bolt to MTV.
“It’s not a matter of me wooing Marvel, it’s a matter of Marvel wooing me. And I love them, but I’m just saying, show me a dope script and show me a great director, all of which I know that Kevin Feige is capable of, because he dazzled me when he suggested Groot. That was, like, profound to me,” said Diesel.
Marvel Studios can not use the term ‘mutants’ because FOX has the rights to the X-Men franchise. The Inhumans were supposed to be the mutants of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The race was introduced in the ABC series Marvel’s ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’
Disney's INHUMANS is now without a current release date.
