The Wonder Woman Comic You Need To Be Reading Right Now

April 20, 2016

Wonder Woman’s brief, but awesome role in Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice has given her a surge of popularity. Since her first live action film debut has been overwhelmingly positive it’s time to talk about some of Diana Prince’s awesome comic books that can be recommended. A comic that older fans can appreciate, and newer fans can dive into without having to constantly check Wikipedia for explanations about DC Comics ever confusing continuity. It would be extra awesome if that book was great for kids too. Thank Hera that The Legend of Wonder Woman exceeds at everything needed to get new fans hooked on the character.

This 9 issue limited series is not just a fascinating reimagining of the character that’s great for fans, but it is also a wonderful, epic, and engaging story for all ages. It retells Wonder Woman’s origin from being a princess on Themyscira, to her introduction to Man’s world, to eventually becoming the superhero Wonder Woman. The series started as a digital release first, and is now being printed at the time of this article. It’s being written and penciled by Renae DeLiz, and her husband, Ray Dillon is inking and coloring the series. Both have worked together adapting great fantasy novels such as The Last Unicorn, and Peter Pan. The idea of Legend of Wonder Woman was to create an accessible for all audiences origin story.

The key word there is “accessible” and it’s an important word in this case, because superhero comics can be very inaccessible. The Legend of Wonder Woman does away with the continuity of other books and just focuses on its own storyline. This makes it a lot easier for new readers to get into and is unique enough for older readers to see a new iteration of the classic character. Plus, so many of DC’s greatest stories are in their own little separate universes. The Dark Knight Returns, Kingdom Come, and Superman Red Son weren’t great stories because they were building off established continuity. They were great stories because they focused on their own stories.

The Legend of Wonder Woman is focusing on the origin of Wonder Woman much like how Batman Year One focuses on the origin of the The Dark Knight, or how Superman Birthright is the origin of The Man of Steel. And much like those two, “Legend” goes deeper into the character of Diana and shows us how she came to being, her desire to protect her home, and where her ideas of compassion stem from. It also borrows heavily from the world of Greek Myth, and reinforces the established lore that character came from. But, what makes the story really work, is that the it’s told simply. This doesn’t mean that there’s not complexity in the narrative, but it’s presented for the reader to want to learn more about the world surrounding Diana. The story focuses entirely on her growth, and her conflicts in becoming Wonder Woman, which is where it should be. Any good fantasy writer knows that the lore surrounding the main plot can be complicated, but the through narrative has to be presented in a simple way to hook the reader. This what makes classics like The Hobbit, Game of Thrones, and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy so strong. They gave the reader just enough to want more about their respective world, but it never took away from their main plot.

The series is similar to the recently released Wonder Woman: Earth One (which, I actually reviewed a few weeks ago), but the two are totally different in style. While “Earth One” focuses on the philosophical discussion of sexuality, and matriarchal ideals, “Legend of” is an adventure fantasy. This makes it a great book for an all ages audience; there’s an epic feeling with the mythological elements, but there are beautiful character moments that are small yet distinct and welcoming. There’s also a large cast of great characters that Diana bounces off beautifully, Etta Candy in particular is one of the best parts of series. And the book doesn’t shy away from a larger DC universe either, there are references to Plastic Man, and the Justice Society of America, great interactions with great characters like Perry White, Johnathan Kent, and a wonderful cameo from a little Alfred Pennyworth. It builds on, and embraces a full universe that’s familiar, friendly, and enjoyable for DC fans.

What also makes this story so great is how it’s still completely accessible to everyone who reads it. It’s easy to follow, but the dilemmas and emotional weight are still dramatic and effective. The audience isn’t given cookie cutter, easy morals that involve obvious bad guys fighting with the obvious good guys. Instead, we see Diana learn and grow as an individual through small moments of dialogue that stay with her and evolve her as a character. Some of these moments don’t have easy solutions, and teach us that sometimes doing the right thing isn’t easy or has an obvious answer, but we see Diana make those choices. This Wonder Woman is a character that children (and adults) would want to emulate in their own lives. We want to be like Wonder Woman: loving, compassionate, and honest with those around us and ourselves.

Plus, from an aesthetic standpoint, the art is just beautiful. Renae DeLiz and Ray Dillon work together to create some of the most magnificent artwork in the industry. Renae DeLiz’s designs and pencils give each character a unique detailed look, and all the monsters and creatures have a level of creativity that is just fantastic. Ray Dillon’s colors are bright and diverse; each panel in the book is a gorgeous scene that is unlike most mainstream books. Hell, buy the comic just so you can look at the amazing images it has, it’s worth the price tag just for that.

So, I know what some of you are thinking right now, “okay this comic is pretty, it has a different vision of the Wonder Woman origin story, and it’s a good comic book for kids. Why is this such a big deal?” And to some extent, there’s a point to be made there. DC will print all 9 issues, there’s going to be a graphic novel version, and it’ll have a fairly large number of fans like myself. However, there are two reasons why this comic should matter to everyone who’s a fan, old and new.

First and foremost, is that it goes against the notion that modern superhero comics are inaccessible for new readers. This is a complaint I hear a lot about DC Comics in general, and since the company continues to focus on large crossover events it’s easy to sympathize with the struggles of a new reader. (Though to be fair, Marvel is not innocent of this misdeed either). As a fan, it is hard to explain to my non comic reading friends what books to read without having a ten minute conversation about what Crisis on Infinite Earths and Flashpoint are. This book is a fantastic way to herd in a new audience without making a huge event out of it, or rebooting anything. This is a form of superhero storytelling that should be encouraged in the comic book market place.

Secondly, the final issue of Legend of Wonder Woman is hopefully not the end of DeLiz and Dillon’s stories. The two have plans to continue Wonder Woman’s tale, and write a prequel story about the Amazons. But, wait there’s more! Not only do they want to do all that, but they also want to give every Justice League member their own “Legend of” series. From an artistic standpoint, wouldn’t it be awesome to see these two interpret Krypton, or Oa? Imagine this level of detail and beauty for Atlantis as Aquaman takes on a Kraken, and Gotham City during Bruce Wayne’s first night as Batman. And then after those comics there would be a “Legend of the Justice League,” where all these characters would join forces.

That all sounds pretty awesome right? Well unfortunately the sales of this book haven’t been great. They haven’t been horrible, but they could be better. However, it is disheartening to see this fantastic book get overlooked for uninteresting, repetitive (and sometimes very poorly drawn) dreck. Luckily there is some hope for this book, as the comic’s digital sales have been strong, there’s a lot of support on social media, and the comic is now nominated for an Eisner award. It is the only Wonder Woman comic to ever be nominated for an Eisner, which is pretty amazing. This is allowing DC to be more open about DeLiz and Dillon’s plan for an accessible Justice League superhero universe.

Above all else though, Legend of Wonder Woman gets to the core of what makes this character so great. It’s a genuine retelling of her origin story that doesn’t exclude anyone, and shares the love and kindness Wonder Woman is known for. We as readers have the chance to help its success by letting DC know that we want to see more of these stories. The over the top crossover events and reboots, both soft and hard, are never going to go away, and they can be very enjoyable. But, there is nothing wrong with having another series of stories that are more inviting and open to allow new readers to dip their toes in the pool. And for experienced fans to fall in love with these characters all over again.

Whether you’ve never read a Wonder Woman comic in your life, or you’re an avid collector there is something here for you. Don’t let it go away with just one story. Hopefully, I have convinced you to buy the first four issues that are in print, or to purchase the digital copies. But, let the publishers know that we want more of these stories and this fantastic art. Talk about it on social media, let your retailers know about the series, and tell all your friends about it. It’s definitely worth a higher level of attention. Hopefully, we can show DC Comics that this is a series that is worthy of its legendary status.

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Marvel Releases “Choose Your Side” Trailer for ‘Civil War II’

Anthony Composto - EIC

April 20, 2016

While everyone is gearing up for Marvel Studios’ release of Captain America: Civil War on May 6th, Marvel Comics has quietly been trying to build anticipation for their own summer blockbuster: Civil War II. The event is a sequel to the 2006 story that inspired the upcoming film, but doesn’t seem to share any relation in terms of plot.

Marvel revealed the teams for Civil War II last month, and the teaser shows the players in action while revealing some awesome artwork.

The drums of war beat for the Marvel Universe this June, as the Earth-shattering CIVIL WAR II #1 comes to comic shops and digital devices with a jam-packed double-size issue! Blockbuster creators Brian Michael Bendis, David Marquez and Justin Ponsor bring you a tale of hero against hero – and a Marvel Universe divided. A new power has emerged, one that can predict the future – for good or for ill. Standing on opposite sides, will the heroes use this new power to prevent danger before it happens? Or will they fight to allow tomorrow to unfold unaltered. Battle lines will be drawn. Lives will be changed. Heroes will fall. Do you stand with Captain Marvel? Or will you side with Iron Man? Choose your side!

Are you excited for this event? Let us know in the comments!

Civil War II begins this June.

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Why it’s Good if Negan killed Daryl on ‘The Walking Dead’

Jon Barr - TV Editor

April 20, 2016

It’s hard to say exactly who was killed in The Walking Dead’s season six finale. The show runners purposefully made it an ambiguous ending, giving fans ample time to argue and debate about who’s head just had a violent encounter with villainous Negan and his trusty bat Lucille. And out of the 11 main characters that could have been taken out, what would it mean for the show moving forward?

Since nearly the beginning of the show, fans rallied around the character of Daryl Dixon. His fighting skills and bad attitude made him a rough, lovable character. Daryl’s essentially the Wolverine of The Walking Dead – but, much like the comic iteration of the character, perhaps it’s time for him to meet his end.

Sure, Rick and Michonne are the leads in name, but Daryl’s the one that has “if he dies, we riot” paraphernalia. And his death would do good as far as re-shaking the status quo. It’s also not as if we’re out of badass characters. Michonne, Sasha, and Abraham are all venerable powerhouses, and this whole season’s arc has been about bringing the Alexandrians up to snuff on fighting. And now that he’s no longer under the influence of his less-than-savory brother Merle, he’s not so much of a hardcore anti-hero as much as a curmudgeonly set of muscles and arrows.

And with the absence of his key characteristics from the early seasons, it’s also easy to see he isn’t getting any storylines that are all that important. In the early seasons of The Walking Dead, he had to balance out his love for his brother with his relationship with the group, but he’d gotten past all of that by the end of season 3, when Merle got killed. After that, Daryl had a particularly Wolverine-esqe storyline, as he became a mentor-guardian of Beth after the fall of the prison. But, much like Merle, Beth died, giving Daryl nothing but a quick crying scene and a lack of things to do.

This season, he used a rocket launcher on some Savior bikers, clashed with Dwight and his sickly friends, but who cares? Everyone this season had to deal with Saviors. Maybe if Daryl had made the rocket launcher part of his permanent look, there’d be more chances of revitalizing the character. But there hasn’t been anything to make us think we’ll see that.

However, it’s hard to say what good killing Daryl would actually do. It would certainly re-cement the idea that any lead could be killed, but they could accomplish the same feeling killing a character like Michonne, Glenn, or Maggie. While The Walking Dead certainly isn’t short on viewers, the death of Daryl might be enough to push some viewers away. And while a solution to having a less prevalent character is killing them, it isn’t necessarily the best option. They could easily give Daryl more to do, based off of how he reacts to whoever’s death.

Basically, the overarching problem with recent seasons of The Walking Dead is they’ve abandoned their policy of picking off characters left and right in favor of fan service, notably with the survival of Daryl Dixon. To put it bluntly, there’s nowhere else for that character to go. We’ve seen all the development we’re likely to get for his character, and the only justification for keeping him alive is that he had some sort of survivalist upbringing. Many people may be ready to pick up their torches and pitchforks if Daryl dies, but he’s had his time on the show. His death could herald a new era for the show, and be a much-needed catalyst for kicking the show into second gear – or, as Eugene would put it, “Level 2.” Something’s got to break, and so does someone’s face. If the fans were reacting so poorly to the finale’s cliffhanger, you may as well lean into the anger and take down the biggest fan favorite.

This article is part of a ‘The Walking Dead’ series. Read also about the benefits of the death of Carl and Maggie.

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Review: Superman American Alien #6 “Super-Friends”

Gary Moloney

April 20, 2016

When this series began, I would pipe on and on about DC’s Superman problem. Outside a select few stories, the last few years of Superman media had left me weary. Fans were treated to a big-screen version of everyone’s favorite boy scout, but it was clear that Synder just didn’t seem to understand the character. We were left with a drain palettes and darker prospects. Thankfully, the story of Kal-El has always been on of hope and Max Landis’ Superman: American Alien has reminded us all of that. It has re-invigorated my connection DC’s Man of Steel in a way I didn’t think possible. Not since Red Son has a Superman series been so intellectually engaging or sophisticated in its story-telling mechanisms. It has the heart of Smallville with a frankness that we often don’t see in comics. The last few issues have been written from Clark’s perspective, but with issue six, we finally get to look at how the outside world reacts to Superman as two of the Man of Tomorrow’s best friend stop by.

This issue begins with Pete Ross and Kenny Braverman traveling to Metropolis for the first time since Clark became Superman. As they catch up with each other, the Smallville crew begin to discuss what Superman means for the world and what that might mean for their friendship. The last issue was the most “Superman-y” of the series thus far, featuring Clark’s first really super villain encounter and adopting that all-too-familiar identity, bu this entry slows the pace and examines Clark through the eyes of his best friends. What does it feel like to so close to a god? How do you react to someone you’ve known your whole life is becoming a symbol for others to aspire to? These are things Pete and Kenny are struggling to deal with as the Clark they know changes. There’s no fist fights, no jobs for Superman. The conflict here is how three close friends come to terms with the natural development of their relationships and the progress of their own individual journeys.

In a recent interview, Landis hypothesized that this issue would leave fans in tears and it’s easy to understand why. There’s a moment early on in the issue where Clark releases that he’s somehow managed to miss out on the fact Kenny is getting married, and he is distraught at the very notion of not having been there for his friend at the pivotal moment in his life. Clark is reaching that point in his life where one becomes so busy that things can slip by, when friends can grow apart and become isolated. This is a beautiful tale about close friends walking different paths, who unite to reminiscent, re-acquaint and fight, in the grand tradition of doing what best friends do best. It captures the bonds of friendship in a meaningful way. True friends are like a family; sometimes they can be brutally honest, not out of spite, but out of genuinely wanting to see you fulfill your potential. They push you to strive to be better and to be the best version of yourself. Life sends us away from those friends we need the most, the ones who are always there for you. You may be terrible at keeping tabs on them. You may fall out of contact, but those moments you spend together are among your most lasting memories. From the drama of two friends almost coming to blows over the lack of direction in the other’s lives to deep cuts at the expense of the “glasses as a disguise” trope, Landis is simultaneously devastatingly emotional and humorous in equal measures. He presents these characters, not in a cynical way, but rather a grounded one. This isn’t a “dark and gritty” take on Clark Kent’s journey. It’s a coming of age story, one of self-discovery that uses the Superman framework to tell tales about our common human experiences.

This issue’s artist is Jonathan Case (Batman 66′ and The Creep) and he done an amazing job. He isn’t given as much to work with in terms of action scenes, but his style is reminiscent of the relaunched Archie series. It’s the perfect fit for a character-drama and that, ultimately, is what this issue and the series has been geared toward. The use of graffiti and street art to highlight Superman’s growing influence in Metropolis is used to exquisite effect and really gives Case the chance to show off his more creative side. The cover artwork, also done by case, is also worth mentioning. This is my favorite cover of the series with “Where Wally?” motif that is quite evocative of the inspiration that Superman instills in the public consciousness. As good as the others have been, if they don’t use this as the cover for the collected edition, they’ll have missed out on an amazing opportunity.

When I compare this series to Smallville, understand that there is no higher praise I can give a Superman comic. In the wake of Rebirth, DC is going to be pushing the Superman family of books harder than we’ve seen in many years. The future is bright for the Last Son of Krypton, Superman: American Alien has given all other books in the line an ideal to aspire to. Let’s pray that one day they join it in the sun.

A review copy was kindly provided by the publisher.

SUPERMAN: AMERICAN ALIEN #6 Five-Page Preview

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‘The Huntsman: Winter’s War’ Review: Maybe Winter Isn’t Coming

EJ Moreno

April 20, 2016

The Huntsman Is At War With Winter And Bad Writing

What did you expect from the prequel/sequel to a quasi-reboot of a classic fairytale?

No one thought ‘The Huntsman: Winter’s War‘ was going to be a stellar film but there was glimmers of something better among the icy rumble. Where this film fails the most is trying to tell too many stories about events leading up and following the fairly simple story in 2012’s ‘Snow White & The Huntsman“. Focusing efforts into only one of these plots would have helped center the film.

Going into the movie, my expectations were low. All I really wanted were some fairytale elements & stunning visuals. While I got a wonderful storybook-style narration from what sounds like Liam Neeson, the CGI was a bit lackluster. For the director Cedric Nicolas-Troyan to be a visual effect artist, I expected some insane visuals but most were repeats from the first film & generic landscapes. With such bold elements like gold and ice, the effects could have been so striking when facing each other but it was wasted on cheap tricks.

Problems can also be found in the film’s pacing. The fight scenes would start to get good but then stop early in order to have more melodrama. Action wasn’t the only thing cut short. So was the tension. The film had a long enough running time that it could have prolonged a few reveals. Things were rushed in order to get to the next scene but they never paid attention to the moment at hand.

One of the few saving graces were the dwarves. Played by the returning Nick Frost and new faces Rob Brydon, Sheridan Smith, and Alexandra Roach, the team provided some laughs from even the most cynical viewers at the press screening. I don’t want to sing their praise too loudly as the studio might catch wind & give them an unnecessary spin-off…

Speaking of unnecessary, why would Charlize Theron attempt to match the accents of the film when she knew she wouldn’t keep it up throughout. This was Halle Berry in ‘X-Men‘ level bad. She would sometimes dip out from her faux-English accent to her regular voice within the same sentence. We know she is a powerful actress but why did she try that? At least it was better than Jessica Chastain having to do her best Merida from ‘Brave‘ impersonation.

Rounding out the cast was Emily Blunt as Elsa, I mean Freya and Chris Hemsworth as the titular Huntsman. Yes, The Huntsman does have a name but no one cares about some dude named Eric. Blunt’s performance as Freya was a few ice-puns away from Mr. Freeze level of ridiculous. Her character did have the best arc but it was thrown to the background as Hemsworth & Theron fought for all the attention. Chris “Forever Thor” Hemsworth did his best axe-swinging & mumbling; basically all I was going to be getting from this role.

Will you be seeing ‘The Huntsman: Winter’s War’ this weekend? The film starring Chris Hemsworth comes out April 22nd, 2016. Expect it to have fairly weak competition at the box-office.

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‘Suicide Squad’ Wayne’s World Reshoot Trailer

Matthew Sardo

April 19, 2016

‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ polarized audience to where the one glimmer of hope for the DC Cinematic Universe, ‘Suicide Squad’ is taking some flack for its reshoots to inject more comedy into David Ayer’s film.

Yet…

You knew it was only a matter of time before someone made a ‘Wayne’s World’ remix of the ‘Suicide Squad’ trailer. That someone is the fine folk over at Lowcarbcomedy.com. Like the celebration of Festivus, there is an ‘Airing of Grievances’ in this teaser. Watch with caution DC Cinematic Universe fans.

‘Suicide Squad’ gets the big screen treatment on August 5.

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Rock And Rose: Axl Rose Joins AC/DC

Jonathan Bruce

April 19, 2016

Do you like AC/DC? Do you like Guns N’ Roses? Do you have an appetite for rock?

Fans of rock music will no doubt be tickled pink to hear the good news. Axl Rose is set to join AC/DC for their 2016 tour.

The Guns N’ Roses frontman replaces Brian Johnson, who left the hard rock band due to hearing loss. He will perform with the group for the European leg of their Rock or Bust Tour. According to Rolling Stone, AC/DC released a statement confirming Johnson’s retirement. They stated, “As much as we want this tour to end as it started, we understand, respect and support Brian’s decision to stop touring and save his hearing.”

AC/DC, 2016 tour — Brian Johnson performs with AC/DC guitarist Angus Young

It should be noted Rose is just filling in for Johnson. He will not become an official member of the band. When the tour ends, Rose will rejoin Guns N’ Roses bandmates Slash and Duff McKagan on the Not in This Lifetime Tour.

Curiously, this is not the first time Rose has ventured into AC/DC territory. In 1987, Guns N’ Roses covered “Whole Lotta Rosie” during a show at the Marquee Club.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04_XJZ67MIA[/embedyt]

AC/DC’s tour resumes on May 7 and ends on June 12. Their planned American dates will be rescheduled in the near future.

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‘Holidays’ (2016) Anthology Celebration of Hits and Misses

Stephany Slaughter

April 19, 2016

Whether you hate them, or love them, yet another horror anthology was birthed with the 2016 April release Holidays. Here we will break down each segment with a clue of what each segment entails without the spoilers, with a hint of opinion and personal reactions. What’s your personal favorite day to celebrate?

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpsN2JaWEwc[/embedyt]

Valentine’s Day

Starting the movie right along comes the visually striking Valentine’s Day story directed by Dennis Widmeyer and Kevin Kolsch. If you’re a fellow fan of their 2014 film Starry Eyes, you’ll feel semi at home with their genius way of creating a bully that you seriously just want to see get stabbed in the throat, and the familiar repercussions of kicking a dog that’s already down. The too familiar tale centralizes around a teenage girl who is constantly teased by the other girls on her high school swim team. It often reminded me of classic humility gym scenes such as in The Craft (1996) or even Carrie (1976) but brought up to current times with the mentioning of school talent shows allowing teenagers to perform “twerk” routines inspired by Nicki Minaj and some lovely gore to wrap it all up. Certainly a strong punch to start off the series!

Overall reaction: Couldn’t help making me think of Japanese school girls but if Americans did yandere.

St. Patrick’s Day

Next up on the calendar comes the disturbing story of St. Patrick’s Day directed by Gary Shore. After further research of this director, I was highly impressed with having only one horror movie under his belt with Dracula Untold (2014). The plot immediately starts off with a red headed little girl who’s new to the school but is completely stand offish with the teacher’s friendly attempts of trying to make her feel more welcomed. You soon discover that although the teacher loves her job caring for the students, she wishes more than anything to have a child of her own. At the end of this Irish holiday she discovers a cute little handmade coiled snake trinket on her desk with a note that reads “only your deepest wish can make me smile” and the baffling events take off from there. Without giving out any spoilers, I will say this is one of the strangest stories in the mix. By the end of tale, I wasn’t sure whether to appreciate the oddness as I do in the king of weird movies Gozu (2003) or to simply object it due to the lacking visual effects and numerous loopholes.

Overall Reaction: Still undecided.

Easter

Ok, so if you’re into creature features, this will probably be your favorite out of the bunch. Nicholas McCarthy’s Easter delivers a tale of a little girl who is completely confused by which parts of this particular holiday should be deemed as truth or fiction. The creepy atmosphere easily develops as the little girl starts to overthink the popular concepts of Easter and her mother accidentally adding even more fear with a bed time story of how it’s important for the little girl to keep her eyes closed until morning. Like clockwork the little girl gets thirsty in the middle of the night and fights a shocking surprise down stairs that personally left me utterly giddy of how well it tied the story all together. Loved the creature design, the transition from the fairy tales, and just the overall eerie feeling from an obedient little girl’s perspective.

Overall reaction: Very pleased.

Mother’s Day

And then there’s the Mother’s Day bit directed by Sarah Adina Smith… The story features a young woman who keeps getting pregnant regardless of the numerous contraceptives procedures she partakes in. She is recommended to visit a fertility facility owned by the current doctor’s sister that is located in the middle of the desert. An unsettling atmosphere is met once you realize that all the women attending this fertility ceremony are either infertile or looking to get pregnant as the main character just wants her ovaries to just give it a rest. As the ceremonial practices begin, everyone gets naked, Ayahuasca is ingested and the mysterious experiences for protagonist take off from there. In retrospect, this potentially sounds like an interesting story but it really fell short for my tastes. Nothing really memorable, nothing really intriguing, just a bunch of “meh” followed by an annoying ending.

Overall reaction: You’re better than that.

Father’s Day

Now if you’re a fan of mystery done CORRECTLY, then the Father’s Day short will perk your mood right back up! Anthony Scott Burns grabs the viewer’s attention immediately as the adorable teacher played Jocelin Donahue retrieves a random Father’s Day package from her doorstep. She soon unravels a cassette player with a tape already inside in which happens to be a message from her father. As the story progresses, you discover that her parents were separated during early childhood along with her father supposedly deceased. The mysterious audio tape soon presents a quest for the heartbroken young woman to meet him at an undisclosed location by following his step by step directions. Without heading into a spoiler zone, this was possibly the best story among the 8. The audio tape idea also brought out my Fallout fandom which added even more kudos than the massive amount it already had. From beginning to end, I was incredibly enthralled with the story progression, character investment, awesome cinematography, and seriously wanted more.

Overall reaction: IT’S OVER?!?

Halloween

On the complete opposite side of the spectrum, I could’ve completely done without Kevin Smith’s lazy excuse for a Halloween story. This short is basically about a scum bag cam girl business owner who lives out in Hollywood and has girls work out of his residential home. As the viewer is introduced to the three girls currently living in his home, they have a mini discussion about the witch cartoon playing on TV and cam life. The owner makes his way home throwing cheap candy at the girls, instigating a confrontation, a name calling fury and a subpar aftermath. As TrueHorror.net wrote in their recent review of the film,

“Imagine you are handed the keys to the coveted Halloween based segment in said holiday horror anthology film. Now imagine you take the keys and segment and piss all over it. Sadly that is exactly what Kevin Smith has done with Halloween…”

“This would be fine for “Kevin Smith’s Anthology of Whatever the Hell he feels like”, but for a Halloween segment in a horror film about holidays, it is a complete and utter disappointment and failure.”

I honestly couldn’t agree more with those statements. I’m not sure if Kevin Smith was attempting to spread his wings in a B-Rated fashion of writing, but it left me overall irritated especially with the undertone message of the ending.

Overall Reaction: Just stop.

Christmas

So to be completely honest, one of the leading factors that led me to wanting to see this film was my inner love for Seth Green. I’m not exactly where it spawns from (he’s not my dreamy blonde haired Viking-esque type whatsoever); whether it’s the whole Scott vs Dr. Evil imagery that never leaves my head or my immense adoration for the 1999’s Idle Hands but I love Seth Green! In any event he is featured in the Christmas segment of the film directed by Scott Stewart. The tale involves a desperate father who is in need of the latest virtual headset glasses to complete his family’s Christmas holiday. One thing leads to another, he acquires the glasses but with major consequences on multiple scales. This certainly isn’t one of the stronger films on the list but I didn’t hate it. If anything it left me with a light hearted giggle that was constant until the end.

Overall Reaction: Ha ha.

New Years

The popularity of online dating is a topic that I am 100% ok with in use of horror story form. Adam Egypt Mortimer directs quite a satisfying tale for the New Year segment. The story starts off with a creepy serial killer who ironically captures and murders the same actress who was first killed off in the brilliant 2012 remake Maniac. (Poor Megan Duffy, I would really love to see her in a revenge redemption film!) A lovely transition from brains to cherry ice cream introduces the another sobbing young female who is yet again on her couch dateless and of course on New Year’s Eve. A message suddenly pops up on her laptop from her online dating account from a new prospect – guess who! With the mindset of “can’t be worse than the last one”, they end up going out for dinner, and just having one of the most awkward first dates possible as you catch yourself shuddering at the serial killer’s disturbing unkempt teeth. Stepping away from the spoiler zone, this was another favorite on my list. I found myself intrigued with both characters, the story line, and wouldn’t be disappointed if this segment was drawn out into a longer movie.

Overall Reaction: no other words but YASSSSSS.

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The Turnbuckle Bandwagon: You Are Supposed To Hate Eva Marie

Mat Douglas

April 19, 2016

Welcome to the Turnbuckle Bandwagon, MFR’s semi regular column on professional wrestling and sports entertainment. Today, we are going to discuss one of the most divisive talents in the WWE, Natalie Marie Coyle, better known as Eva Marie.

Debuting in 2013 alongside the Bella Twins, Eva Marie quickly gained notoriety as being a fairly inadequate wrestler. So much to the point where the WWE was forced to remove her from the main roster and has sent her down to the Performance Center twice since her 2013 debut. Her most recent tenure in NXT has shown very little in-ring improvement but a small change in her already heel character. Embracing the boos and the chants of “You Can’t Wrestle”, Eva Marie would thank the crowd for their support and pledge to “do her best” to make them proud of her. She would train with Brian Kendrick aside from her Performance Center regimen in an attempt to get her in-ring performance to an acceptable level, it did not work all that well, but after some mediocre matches, Eva Marie would take some “me time” and share her vacation videos with the NXT crowd, much to their chagrin, and upon her return would gently call her dissenters, which is 99 percent of the NXT audience, “jealous”..but in the nicest way possible.

Here’s the thing, the NXT and WWE audience doesn’t WANT to like Eva Marie, and while that viewpoint is definitely justifiable, there is every reason to embrace it. Eva doesn’t wrestle all that often, not as much as a Bayley, Asuka, or Sasha Banks. She wrestles just enough to keep the crowd invested, because even when a crowd sounds like they are about to break out torches and pitchforks, they are involved. If there was nothing there to work with, the crowd would go silent, much like they do when Dana Brooke performs, but the fans WANT to hate her, so having her play the “nice” card is easily the best way to go about it. She could show up tomorrow, have a 5 star Match Of The Year candidate, and the WWE and NXT audience would still hate her guts, so why not embrace it.

Starring on E!’s Total Divas has raised her profile, her recent tenure on NXT and possible return to the main roster has incensed the WWE Universe, so use it, and make her worthy of the boos and vitriol with her perfect smile and blazing red hair.

Agree? Disagree? Think I should be put through a table?

Let me know in the comments or on Twitter @MatPDouglas

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