On this episode, the Telly Buddies talk about Netflix shows like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and F is for Family, the various crime & detective TV shows currently running, and which shows that we love should have been trimmed down a couple seasons.
FAIR WORD OF WARNING: The Telly Buddies Podcast often contains spoilers, as the show is meant to be an up-to-date podcast that talks about new developments. This episode contains some spoilers for Horace & Pete, Mad Men, How I Met Your Mother, and Limitless (the movie), so if you don’t want to be spoiled, make sure you consult the time stamps listed below.
Telly Buddies podcast is hosted by Jon Barr, an avid TV fan and writer on Monkeys Fighting Robots (if you didn’t guess). Guests this week are Jake Christie, Emma Layden, and Josh Corrigan. Artwork created by Scott Ginsberg, and intro/outro music is “Nevermind the Books,” as performed by Mourning Todds.
Telly Buddies Topics Covered (In Order)
-Fate of Horace & Pete (5:32)
-Dan Harmon FX Show (9:57)
–Rush Hour/Limitless TV Shows (13:36)
–F is for Family Renewal (17:05)
–MadTV CW Reboot (21:40)
-Good Shows that Should have been Shorter (27:57) CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
–The People vs OJ Simpson Wrap-Up (45:36)
–Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt S02 (52:58) CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR MAD MEN
Do you have any topics you’d like to hear about? Send any television-related questions to tellybuddiespodcast@gmail.com. Also, follow us on Twitter @TellyBuddies, subscribe to our SoundCloud feed, and subscribe/rate/review on iTunes!
This week was the Supergirl season 1 finale. Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) has to do whatever it takes to stop Non (Chris Vance) and Indigo (Laura Vandervoort) who have turned the good people of National City into their army. Lucky for Kara she still has Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart) and Maxwell Lord (Peter Facinelli) on her side. Of course before Kara can do any saving she’ll have to deal with her sister Alex (Chyler Leigh) who is under Non’s control, armored and packing a kryptonite sword.
SPOILERS FOLLOW
The fight between Alex and Kara starts off the episode with a bang. Kara doesn’t want to harm Alex, but the feeling isn’t mutual. Alex gains the upper hand but thanks to Mom’s (ex-Supergirl herself Helen Slater) speech and some help from Martian Manhunter (David Harewood) they can talk Alex back into being Alex. Mom giving Alex hope broke Non’s control over her.
Supergirl broadcasts a message of hope that Max piggybacks onto Myriad. Benoist as always does a stellar job selling the speech. Sure, it’s a little corny but in today’s cynical world a little hopeful corn may not be such a bad thing. Hope has been the central theme to Supergirl. The message sets the human’s minds free which of course irks off Non and Indigo. They (well mostly Indigo) decide to destroy Earth. It turns out by cranking up Myriad; they can kill all the humans.
Back at the DEO, we learn Superman is still down after all this still isn’t his show. General Lane wants to tie up J’onn, but Lucy Lane actually grows a spine and fights back. But J’onn defends the General’s decision. Max clues everybody in on how Myriad is going to kill all humans. They need to find the source of Myriad’s power and shut it down. Max tells Kara it’s going to be a tough battle versus multiple super powered beings. Max has faith in her, but he also calculates her odds aren’t great. One Supergirl versus a bunch of super powered beings means this is most likely a suicide mission.
Kara heads off for nice thank you talks with Winn (Jeremy Jordan) and Cat. These are followed by an emotional heart to heart with Jimmy. A distraught Kara blows him off and tells him to find somebody who will love him for being him. Jimmy sends word to the DEO that Supergirl seems to be saying good-bye (which she was). Now time for J’onn and Kara’s emotional chat. Supergirl is worried that she’s going to die though she is determined to save Earth no matter what. I understand the sentiment, but this seemed to drag on a bit long especially considering everybody on Earth is going to die fairly quickly. At least this sparks J’onn to decide to join the battle. After some coaxing General Lane shows he’s a bit human and agrees to let J’onn help Kara.
Better Angels
Max finds the source of Myriad it’s in Nevada, it’s Fort Rozz. The government has been “hiding it” there. Their defense, “it’s hard to move a million ton building.” J’onn and Supergirl head to Nevada for the big knock down, drag out battle versus Non and Indigo. The latter two have conveniently put the rest of their super powered beings in sleep pods. That’s a bit cocky, but that’s how bad guys run. The battle itself is enjoyable especially with Manhunter ripping Indigo in half. Supergirl unleashes her pent up heat vision furry, burning out Don’s eyes. Not really sure if this kills him guess we can assume he’s just crippled. The bad duo may be beaten and fried, but Myriad is still active. The only way to save Earth is for Supergirl to fly Fort Rozz into space. Of course, she doesn’t do this until after a long heartfelt talk with Alex. Again a bit corny and the timing is kind of off since everybody on Earth has minutes to live. This version of Supergirl can lift 100 million tons and fly it into space but apparently can’t survive for long without oxygen. Supergirl saves the planet but is on the verge of suffocating. Luckily, Alex somehow knows how to fly the ship Kara came in and saves her.
Kara wakes up at the DEO. All is right with the world. J’onn is once again put in charge. Ms. Grant promotes Kara reassuring me she knows Kara is Supergirl. We end with a nice warm and fuzzy family moment with Kara and her closest friends chowing down. Kara and Jimmy even kiss this time with feeling. They are going out of their way to make sure we realize the show is about hope and family. Oh and then, of course, we have the required “cliff hanger”. A pod very much like Kara’s comes crashing down to Earth. Kara opens it up, amazed at who or what is in the pod. Cut and hold for season 2.
Notes: Best line of the night Cat, ““You people were more punctual when you were drones…” Max and General Lane seem to be scheming something. Ms. Grant finally called Kara, Kara. Mom learned Dad is still alive, and Alex and J’onn are going to find him, which shouldn’t be hard now that J’onn is back in control of the DEO.
Summary: Not my favorite episode. How come the government didn’t do something with Fort Rozz? Why can’t Supergirl hold her breath forever in space? I like “love and hope and teamwork” but they went a bit overboard this episode. As previously mentioned it seemed a bit too cocky that Non and Indigo wouldn’t come with some backup. Non was a pretty wishy-washy main bad guy. He never seemed like an imposing threat. Still, I mostly enjoyed this show and see a lot of potential here. The fights were on the short side but enjoyable. As stated before Benoist and Flockhart are Emmy worthy. Truthfully, all the characters grew on me as the season went on – yes even Jimmy. Next season, they need to send Superman off world and leave him there. Maybe what’s in the pod can be the reason Superman takes off? If they remove Superman, get a true “Big Bad” and clean up the writing Supergirl can truly fly next season.
Comic-Con International announced the nominations for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards 2016 Tuesday morning.
Voting for the awards is now open at www.eisnervote.com. All professionals in the comic book industry are eligible to vote. The Eisner Awards will be presented at a gala awards ceremony to be held on July 22 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel.
The Eisner Awards are presented under the auspices of Comic-Con International, San Diego, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to creating awareness of and appreciation for comics and related popular artforms, primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contributions of comics to art and culture.
Best Short Story
“Black Death in America,” by Tom King and John Paul Leon, in Vertigo Quarterly: Black (Vertigo/DC)
“Hand Me Down,” by Kristyna Baczynski, in 24 x 7 (Fanfare Presents)
“It’s Going to Be Okay,” by Matthew Inman, in The Oatmeal, theoatmeal.com/comics/plane [2]
“Killing and Dying,” by Adrian Tomine, in Optic Nerve #14 (Drawn & Quarterly)
“Lion and Mouse,” by R. Sikoryak, in Fable Comics (First Second)
Best Single Issue/One-Shot
A Blanket of Butterflies, by Richard Van Camp and Scott B. Henderson (HighWater Press)
I Love This Part, by Tillie Walden (Avery Hill)
Mowgli’s Mirror, by Olivier Schrauwen (Retrofit/Big Planet)
Pope Hats #4, by Ethan Rilly (AdHouse)
Silver Surfer #11: “Never After,” by Dan Slott and Michael Allred (Marvel)
Best Continuing Series
Bandette, by Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover (Monkeybrain)
Giant Days, by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, and Max Sarin (BOOM! Box)
Invincible, by Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, and Cliff Rathburn (Image/Skybound)
Silver Surfer, by Dan Slott and Michael Allred (Marvel)
Southern Bastards, by Jason Aaron and Jason Latour (Image)
Best Limited Series
Chrononauts, by Mark Millar and Sean Murphy (Image)
The Fade Out, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image)
Lady Killer, by Joëlle Jones and Jamie S. Rich (Dark Horse)
Minimum Wage: So Many Bad Decisions, by Bob Fingerman (Image)
The Spire, by Simon Spurrier and Jeff Stokely (BOOM! Studios)
Best New Series
Bitch Planet, by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine De Landro (Image)
Harrow County, by Cullen Bunn and Tyler Crook (Dark Horse)
Kaijumax, by Zander Cannon (Oni)
Monstress, by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda (Image)
Paper Girls, by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang (Image)
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, by Ryan North and Erica Henderson (Marvel)
Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8)
Anna Banana and the Chocolate Explosion, by Dominque Roques and Alexis Dormal (First Second)
Little Robot, by Ben Hatke (First Second)
The Only Child, by Guojing (Schwartz & Wade)
SheHeWe, by Lee Nordling and Meritxell Bosch (Lerner Graphic Universe)
Written and Drawn by Henrietta, by Liniers (TOON Books)
Best Publication for Kids (ages 9-12)
Baba Yaga’s Assistant, by Marika McCoola and Emily Carroll (Candlewick)
Child Soldier: When Boys and Girls Are Used in War, by Jessica Dee Humphreys, Michel Chikwanine, and Claudia Devila (Kids Can Press)
Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: The Underground Abductor, by Nathan Hale (Abrams Amulet)
Over the Garden Wall, by Pat McHale and Jim Campbell (BOOM! Studios/KaBOOM!)
Roller Girl, by Victoria Jamieson (Dial Books)
Sunny Side Up, by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm (Scholastic Graphix)
Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17)
Awkward, by Svetlana Chmakova (Yen Press)
Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans, by Don Brown (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
March: Book Two, by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell (Top Shelf/IDW)
Moose, by Max de Radiguès (Conundrum)
Oyster War, by Ben Towle (Oni)
SuperMutant Magic Academy, by Jillian Tamaki (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best Humor Publication
Cyanide & Happiness: Stab Factory, by Kris Wilson, Rob DenBleyker, and Dave McElfatrick (BOOM! Studios/BOOM! Box)
Deep Dark Fears, by Fran Krause (Ten Speed Press)
Sexcastle, by Kyle Starks (Image)
Step Aside, Pops: A Hark! A Vagrant Collection, by Kate Beaton (Drawn & Quarterly)
UR, by Eric Haven (AdHouse)
Best Digital/Webcomic
Bandette, by Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover (Monkeybrain/comiXology)
Fresh Romance, edited by Janelle Asselin (Rosy Press/comiXology)
The Legend of Wonder Woman, by Renae De Liz (DC Digital)
Lighten Up, by Ronald Wimberly (The Nib), thenib.com/lighten-up-4f7f96ca8a7e#.u45ffr3l1 [3]
These Memories Won’t Last, by Stu Campbell, memories.sutueatsflies.com/ [4]
Best Anthology
Drawn & Quarterly, Twenty-Five Years of Contemporary, Cartooning, Comics, and Graphic Novels, edited by Tom Devlin (Drawn & Quarterly)
Eat More Comics: The Best of the Nib, edited by Matt Bors (The Nib)
24 x 7, edited by Dan Berry (Fanfare Presents)
Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard, vol. 3, edited by David Petersen (BOOM! Studios/Archaia)
Peanuts: A Tribute to Charles M. Schulz, edited by Shannon Watters (kaBOOM!)
Best Reality-Based Work
The Arab of the Future: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1978–1984, by Riad Sattouf (Metropolitan Books)
Displacement: A Travelogue, by Lucy Knisley (Fantagraphics)
Hip Hop Family Tree, Book 3: 1983–1984, by Ed Piskor (Fantagraphics)
Invisible Ink: My Mother’s Secret Love Affair with a Famous Cartoonist, by Bill Griffith (Fantagraphics)
March: Book Two, by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell (Top Shelf/IDW)
The Story of My Tits, by Jennifer Hayden (Top Shelf/IDW)
Best Graphic Album—New
Long Walk to Valhalla, by Adam Smith and Matthew Fox (BOOM!/Archaia)
Nanjing: The Burning City, by Ethan Young (Dark Horse)
Ruins, by Peter Kuper (SelfMadeHero)
Sam Zabel and the Magic Pen, by Dylan Horrocks (Fantagraphics)
The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage, by Sydney Padua (Pantheon)
Best Graphic Album—Reprint
Angry Youth Comics, by Johnny Ryan (Fantagraphics)
Roses in December: A Story of Love and Alzheimer’s, by Tom Batiuk and Chuck Ayers (Kent State University Press)
The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal Omnibus, by E. K. Weaver (Iron Circus Comics)
Nimona, by Nicole Stevenson (Harper Teen)
Soldier’s Heart: The Campaign to Understand My WWII Veteran Father, by Carol Tyler (Fantagraphics)
Best Adaptation from Another Medium
Captive of Friendly Cove: Based on the Secret Journals of John Jewitt, by Rebecca Goldfield, Mike Short, and Matt Dembicki (Fulcrum)
City of Clowns, by Daniel Alarcón and Sheila Alvarado (Riverhead Books)
Ghetto Clown, by John Leguizamo, Christa Cassano, and Shamus Beyale (Abrams ComicArts)
Lafcadio Hearn’s “The Faceless Ghost” and Other Macabre Tales from Japan, adapted by Sean Michael Wilson and Michiru Morikawa (Shambhala)
Two Brothers, by Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá (Dark Horse)
Best U.S. Edition of International Material
Alpha . . . Directions, by Jens Harder (Knockabout/Fanfare)
The Eternaut, by Héctor Germán Oesterheld and Francisco Solano Lòpez (Fantagraphics)
A Glance Backward by Pierre Paquet and Tony Sandoval (Magnetic Press)
The March of the Crabs, by Arthur de Pins (BOOM! Studios/Archaia)
The Realist, by Asaf Hanuka (BOOM! Studios/Archaia)
Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia
Assassination Classroom, vols. 2–7, by Yusei Matsui (VIZ)
A Bride’s Story, by Kaoru Mori (Yen Press)
Master Keaton, vols. 2–4, by Naoki Urasawa, Hokusei Katsushika, and Takashi Nagasaki (VIZ)
Showa, 1953–1989: A History of Japan, by Shigeru Mizuki (Drawn & Quarterly)
A Silent Voice, by Yoshitoki Oima (Kodansha)
Sunny, by Taiyo Matsumoto (VIZ)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips
Beyond Mars, by Jack Williamson and Lee Elias, edited by Dean Mullaney (IDW/LOAC)
Cartoons for Victory, by Warren Bernard (Fantagraphics)
The Complete Funky Winkerbean, vol. 4, by Tom Batiuk, edited by Mary Young (Black Squirrel Books)
The Eternaut, by Héctor Germán Oesterheld and Francisco Solano Lòpez, edited by Gary Groth and Kristy Valenti (Fantagraphics)
Kremos: The Lost Art of Niso Ramponi, vols. 1 and 2, edited by Joseph P. Procopio (Picture This/Lost Art Books)
White Boy in Skull Valley, by Garrett Price, edited by Peter Maresca (Sunday Press)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books
Frank Miller’s Ronin Gallery Edition, edited by Bob Chapman (Graphitti Designs/DC)
P. Craig Russell’s Murder Mystery and Other Stories Gallery Edition, edited by Daniel Chabon (Dark Horse)
The Puma Blues: The Complete Saga, by Stephen Murphy, Alan Moore, Michael Zulli, Stephen R. Bissette, and Dave Sim (Dover)
Walt Disney’s Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck: The Don Rosa Library, vols. 3–4, edited by David Gerstein (Fantagraphics)
Walt Kelly’s Fairy Tales, edited by Craig Yoe (IDW)
Best Writer
Jason Aaron, Southern Bastards (Image), Men of Wrath (Marvel Icon), Doctor Strange, Star Wars, Thor (Marvel)
John Allison, Giant Days (BOOM Studios!)
Ed Brubaker, The Fade Out, Velvet, Criminal Special Edition (Image)
Marjorie Liu, Monstress (Image)
G. Willow Wilson, Ms. Marvel (Marvel)
Best Writer/Artist
Bill Griffith, Invisible Ink: My Mother’s Secret Love Affair with a Famous Cartoonist (Fantagraphics)
Nathan Hale, Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: The Underground Abductor (Abrams)
Sydney Padua, The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage (Pantheon)
Ed Piskor, Hip-Hop Family Tree, vol. 3 (Fantagraphics)
Noah Van Sciver, Fante Bukowski, Saint Cole (Fantagraphics)
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
Michael Allred, Silver Surfer (Marvel); Art Ops (Vertigo/DC)
Cliff Chiang, Paper Girls (Image)
Erica Henderson, Jughead (Archie), Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (Marvel)
Joëlle Jones, Lady Killer (Dark Horse), Brides of Helheim (Oni)
Nate Powell, March, Book Two (Top Shelf/IDW)
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist
Federico Bertolucci, Love: The Tiger and Love: The Fox (Magnetic Press)
Colleen Coover, Bandette (Monkeybrain)
Carita Lupattelli, Izuna (Humanoids)
Dustin Nguyen, Descender (Image)
Tony Sandoval, A Glance Backward (Magnetic Press)
Best Cover Artist
David Aja, Hawkeye, Karnak, Scarlet Witch (Marvel)
Rafael Albuquerque, Ei8ht (Dark Horse), Huck (Image)
Amanda Conner, Harley Quinn (DC)
Joëlle Jones, Lady Killer (Dark Horse), Brides of Helheim (Oni)
Ed Piskor, Hip-Hop Family Tree (Fantagraphics)
Best Coloring
Laura Allred, Lady Killer (Dark Horse); Silver Surfer (Marvel); Art OPS (Vertigo/DC)
Jordie Bellaire, The Autumnlands, Injection, Plutona, Pretty Deadly, The Surface, They’re Not Like Us, Zero (Image); The X-Files (IDW); The Massive (Dark Horse); Magneto, Vision (Marvel)
Elizabeth Breitwiser, The Fade Out, Criminal Magazine, Outcast, Velvet (Image)
John Rauch, The Beauty (Image); Batman: Arkham Knight, Earth 2: Society (DC); Runaways (Marvel)
Dave Stewart, Abe Sapien, BPRD Hell on Earth, Fight Club 2, Frankenstein Underground, Hellboy in Hell, Hellboy and the BPRD, (Dark Horse); Sandman: Overture, Twilight Children (Vertigo/DC), Captain America: White (Marvel), Space Dumplins (Scholastic Graphix)
Best Lettering
Derf Backderf, Trashed (Abrams)
Steve Dutro, Blood-C, Midnight Society, Plants vs Zombies (Dark Horse)
Lucy Knisley, Displacement (Fantagraphics)
Troy Little, Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Top Shelf/IDW)
Kevin McCloskey, We Dig Worms! (TOON Books)
Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
Alter Ego, edited by Roy Thomas (TwoMorrows)
Back Issue, edited by Michael Eury (TwoMorrows)
Comic Riffs blog by Michael Cavna, washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/
Hogan’s Alley, edited by Tom Heintjes (Hogan’s Alley)
Jack Kirby Collector, edited by John Morrow (TwoMorrows)
Best Comics-Related Book
Harvey Kurtzman: The Man Who Created Mad and Revolutionized Humor in America, by Bill Schelly (Fantagraphics)
King of the Comics: One Hundred Years of King Features Syndicate, edited by Dean Mullaney (IDW/LOAC)
Only What’s Necessary: Charles M. Schulz and the Art of Peanuts, by Chip Kidd and Geoff Spear (Abrams ComicArts)
Out of Line: The Art of Jules Feiffer, by Martha Fay (Abrams ComicArts)
Will Eisner: Champion of the Graphic Novel, by Paul Levitz (Abrams ComicArts)
Best Academic/Scholarly Work
The Blacker the Ink: Constructions of Black Identity in Comics and Sequential Art, edited by Frances Gateward and John Jennings (Rutgers)
Boys Love Manga and Beyond: History, Culture, and Community in Japan, edited by Mark McLelland et al. (University Press of Mississippi)
Graphic Medicine Manifesto, by M. K. Czerwiec et al. (Penn State University Press)
Superheroes on World Screens, edited by Rayna Denison and Rachel Mizsei-Ward (University Press of Mississippi)
Unflattening, by Nick Sousanis (Harvard University Press)
Best Publication Design
Beyond the Surface, designed by Nicolas André, Sam Arthur, Alex Spiro, and Camille Pichon (Nobrow)
The Eternaut, designed by Tony Ong (Fantagraphics)
Eventually Everything Connects, designed by Loris Lora, Sam Arthur, Alex Spiro, and Camille Pichon (Nobrow)
King of the Comics: One Hundred Years of King Features Syndicate, designed by Dean Mullaney (IDW/LOAC)
Only What’s Necessary: Charles M. Schulz and the Art of Peanuts, designed by Chip Kidd (Abrams ComicArts)
Sandman Gallery Edition, designed by Graphitti Designs and Josh Beatman/Brainchild Studios (Graphitti Designs/DC)
The first image of Elizabeth Banks as Rita Repulsa in Lionsgate’s ‘Power Rangers’ reboot has hit the internet via People Magazine.
“It’s definitely a modern and edgy re-imagining of the original Rita Repulsa. I’ve never played a villain before. I’m looking forward to looking forward to “world domination – and being unpredictable as a character,” says Banks.
‘Power Rangers’ is directed by Dean Israelite, and stars Elizabeth Banks as Rita Repulsa, Dacre Montgomery as the Red Ranger, RJ Cyler as the Blue Ranger, Naomi Scott as the Pink Ranger, Becky G as the Yellow Ranger and Ludi Lin as the Black Ranger.
‘Power Rangers’ is set to hit theaters in March 2017.
Sadly, no, the featured image from an alternate cover for this issue is a lie. Optimus Prime doesn’t ride Sky Lynx into battle in a homage to ‘Transformers: Age of Extinction.’ Instead, Optimus has a bunch of meetings to discuss intergalactic protocol. Yay?
The issue is very character-based issue. This means lots of dialogue and not much action. Still in the All Hail Optimus storyline, Optimus Prime is dealing with his decision to save the Earth by making it part of Cybertron’s Council of Worlds. This time, he takes meetings with the leaders of different factions, and none of the them are pleased with his decision. Starscream gives him a guilt trip, The Mistress of the Flame thinks Earth should belong to a Prime, and Soundwave agrees to work with him only because Optimus has dirt on him. It’s Transformers: West Wing.
The art adds atmosphere to the issue. Ramondelli, employs his usual gritty art style which is great to look at and gives a feeling of dread throughout. The fight scene between Galvatron and Arcee in an active volcano is the highlight of the issue and wouldn’t have been as epic without Ramondelli’s art. Unfortunately, it’s one fight sandwiched between dialogue filled scenes.
Its an issue of politics and negotiations. Not as brutal as ‘Star Wars: The Phantom Menace’ but not nearly as good as ‘House of Cards.’ It’s somewhere in the middle which is the overall feel for the entire issue. In the middle with a few bright moments here and there. The story is building to something but for right now it could go either way.
Get your first look at Vincent D’Onofrio, Martin Sensmeier, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Ethan Hawke, Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, and Byung-hun Lee in Antoine Fuqua’s remake of ‘The Magnificent Seven.’
USA Today released the images early Tuesday morning. Fuqua talked to the paper about the day Washington agreed to be the film.
“Denzel just smiled and said, ‘All right, let’s do it.’ I walked out of the restaurant and said to myself, ‘Denzel Washington is getting on a horse for The Magnificent Seven,'” said Fuqua.
The trailer for ‘The Magnificent Seven’ will hit the internet Wednesday morning, with the film release on September 23.
Springing from the legendary Akira Kurosawa’s epic ‘Seven Samurai,’ released in 1954, and being adapted into a what became a legendary Western in 1960, ‘The Magnificent Seven’ told the story of seven outlaws and gunfighters hired to defend a Mexican village in the face of a very large opposing force.
The Hollywood Reporter has announced that J.A. Bayona has been named the director of whatever Universal decides to call Jurassic World 2. 2015’s Jurassic World was directed and co-written by Colin Trevorrow. Presumedly the only reason Trevorrow isn’t returning as director (he’s still co-writing the script with JW scribe Derek Connolly) is because he’s going to be directing a small little trifle of a movie called Star Wars Episode IX.
Jurassic World made a ton of money. A TON. Universal made the decision to get back to the roots of the franchise with this third sequel and soft-reboot of its classic modern dino-franchise. There was definitely no guarantee in turning a profit from a new entry to a series which had already shown a decreasing return of profit, directed by an unproven blockbuster entity in Colin Trevorrow. Color everyone surprised when this paid off in spades as Jurassic World raked in a massive $652 million domestically, only to be eclipsed by Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015.
And Jurassic World was terrible.
I believe Trevorrow to be a potentially interesting director but so many of the problems with Jurassic World stem from things that Trevorrow actually believed to work but were train wrecks (the wanton torture and death of the “Bridezilla” comes first to mind).
J.A. Bayona has an interesting background having made The Impossible, which is an ok example of pitting high human emotion against even higher physical and environmental destruction. The Orphanage also proved he can more than handle the horrific elements inherent to a dinos-run-amok tale. He’s in post-production on his intriguing adaptation of A Monster Calls which brings in a high fantasy element. I think we’ll know what we’re in for regarding Jurassic World 2 after we see what that film is like.
Color me intrigued but cautious because this series has historically pushed to meet release dates over being certain of having good material.
While the superhero genre has seen its fair share of massive blockbuster, there are just as many blunders. For every ‘Dark Knight‘, there is a ‘Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance‘.
It goes without saying that any genre suffers from this problem but unless it’s horror films, nothing comes close to the level of how many bad superhero movies exist. As a known lover of really bad movies, I have respect for some of the campiest & hated comic book movies in history.
Except 2008’s ‘The Spirit.’ That was just unwatchable…
So I had the pleasure of going through the dreadful list of the worst superhero films of all time. I pick out the shining stars of the much hated. Does your favorite “bad movie” find its way onto the list?
5. Howard The Duck (1986)
Marvel’s first major film, ‘Howard The Duck‘ nearly derailed any other big-screen Marvel attempts. The movie stars Howard The Duck, an anthropomorphic duck who crash lands on Earth in the 80’s Ohio. He befriends a girl and uses his martial arts knowledge of “Quack-Fu” to save the day from mad scientists & evil band managers. This ridiculous comic book adaption flopped with critics but somehow became loved as a “cult classic“. Marvel eventually recovered greatly but Howard The Duck’s solo film remains a blemish on their record. He has made a post-credit appearance in 2014’s ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy‘. “No one laughs at a master of Quack Fu!”
4. Batman & Robin (1997)
The king of all bad comic book movies. ‘Batman & Robin‘ was the reason we didn’t get any Batman films until 2005′. Filled with nipples on the bat-suit and Mr. Freeze’s “ice” puns, Joel Schumacher crafted this most infamous masterpiece. The 1997 film can be found on many “worst movie ever list” but many see it as a throwback to the 60’s era Batman. Things were handled much lighter; this tries to re-create that feeling. George Clooney’s only outing as The Caped Crusader is memorable for all the wrong reasons but I do love Uma Thurman’s, Poison Ivy.
3. Catwoman (2004)
Another blunder in the history of DC films, ‘Catwoman‘ is a ridiculously campy film which tries to re-do the entire background of the beloved anti-hero Catwoman. Casting Halle Berry as the new version of Catwoman named Patience Phillips was problematic from the get-go but add in horrendous CGI with bad acting and you got a recipe for a bomb. Somehow with all these faults, the movie has found a home with some loyal fans. LGBT channel Logo even plays the film on a regular basis.
2. Green Lantern (2011)
2011’s ‘Green Lantern‘ was hopefully the last major flop in the DC film list. In the midst of a Batman resurgence, DC was hoping to bring Green Lantern to the big screen. What we got is the punchline to many jokes. Ryan Reynolds tries to make the most out of a flimsy script & more laughable visual effects but nothing could help. Maybe the worst offense in this movie was making comic book villain Parallax a giant cloud. Luckily Reynolds recovered wonderfully with 2016’s ‘Deadpool‘.
1. Fantastic Four (2015)
The biggest issue with the latest Fantastic Four film is how mediocre it is. ‘FANT4STIC‘ suffered from a much-publicized studio/director battle that harshly affected the final product. Without all the petty drama, this film could have been the first good movie about Reed Richards & crew. Presented to us was a plot-hole riddled story with a serious lack of tension. Now fans heavily debate on the future of the F4 franchise; do they stop making them or give them to Marvel Studios?
What’s your favorite bad superhero movie? Did you guilty pleasure make this list?
Despite the fact crime drama series Castle has yet to be renewed for a ninth season, it appears if the show does come back it will be filled with changes. Stana Katic has decided not to return as police captain Katherine Beckett. Also dropping from the cast is Tamala Jones, who played medical examiner Dr. Lanie Parish. Though the loss of Jones from the cast alone would come as a blow, fans are curious how the show will continue without Katic as her chemistry with Nathan Fillion who played main character Richard Castle was the driving force of the series. The characters become so close they were able to grow from colleagues, to lovers, and finally got married in season seven. What will the show become without her?
Speculatively, the show is primed to jump the shark (the expression used when a show goes far away from its original premise) without being centered on the relationship between Beckett and Castle. Since the first episode it was the interaction between the characters which made it possible for the series to have eight seasons. What will they do without this appeal? Try introducing a new character? A love interest for Castle with Beckett gone? Have the show focus more on Castle playing a private investigator? Whatever the case, the premise sounds weak without the dynamic of the Castle and Beckett relationship. It may be time to pack it up and call it quits. Without the magic which made the series so appealing, talks of cut backs, and major cast members jumping ship, the ninth season has all the makings of becoming another tacked on unneeded season in the same vein of Scrubs: Med School.
Another week, another episode of Outlander. And, as I predicted, it seems as though the bulk of the show will be set in the 18th century and will focus on Jamie and Claire‘s efforts to put an end to the Jacobite uprising. Claire’s relatively stable life in the 20th century will likely be revealed to the audience in snippets few and far between over the remainder of the season. It’s likely, then, that there won’t be too much discussion of time travel or other standard fantasy/science fiction fare in the second season of Outlander. Instead, the show will probably revert back to its first season format, that of historical fiction melodrama. It is possible, of course, that Claire and company may meet other time travelers along the way: last season Claire met the ill-fated Geillis Duncan (Lotte Verbeek) who had traveled to the 18th century from the 1960s. Enough speculation, though, on with the recap …
“Not in Scotland Anymore” – The Recap
Jamie’s night terrors are straight out of a Tarantino film
“Not in Scotland Anymore” began with a relatively familiar scene: Jamie and Claire engaged in connubial bliss. Their passion is interrupted abruptly, though, when Claire turns into “Black Jack” Randall (don’t you hate it when that happens?). Jamie in a fit of rage stabs Randall repeatedly but Randall doesn’t die. Instead, Jamie wakes up from his night terror, startling a sleeping Claire. Jamie says that he won’t be able to fall asleep again that night. While Jamie battles his inner demons, though, Claire is busy learning the ins and outs of running an 18th century household in France.
“Not in Scotland Anymore” worked to situate Claire, Jamie, and Murtagh in their new surroudings. One strong element in this episode was making Jamie and Murtagh seem more out of place in France than Claire. Claire’s unflappable 20th-century nature and comparative worldliness makes her seem more fashionable and more intimidating than the two Scotsmen. That being said, Claire’s decidedly modern approach to housekeeping isn’t making her servants happy: in one scene, Claire’s chambermaid makes her promise to stop making her own bed.
Having been called out for her domestic improprieties by her maid, Claire decides to do what she knows best and takes a carriage to the local apothecary shop. After a brief discussion of her credentials and identity, the apothecary, Master Raymond (Dominique Pinon), admits to knowing the name “Claire Fraser” and having heard of her involvement in the burning of St. Germain’s ship. Raymond claims that he is no friend of St. Germain and that any enemy of St. Germain’s is a friend of his. He warmly provides Claire with a gift of the herbs she needs to make a sleeping potion for Jamie.
Jamie, meanwhile, is attempting to ensure that he sleeps through the night in a different way. He and Murtagh, both longing for their home, engage in Highland training and strengthening exercises. Jamie still hasn’t regained the full use of one of his hands after his torture by “Black Jack” Randall. The two draw quite a crowd of nosy onlookers during their practice duel, but these quickly disperse after a few prophetic words from Murtagh involving the fate of each person’s balls should they continue to gawk. As the crowd disperses, the two Highlanders discuss how they can go about stopping the Jacobite uprising. Murtagh suggests murdering Charles Stuart, the Pretender to the English Throne and figurehead of the uprising. Jamie rejects this idea, though, reminding Murtagh that Charles’s father, the deposed King James, would likely take up the Jacobite Cause to avenge his son’s murder. Murtagh wants action but Jamie wants a plan.
Like most royalty, Charles III’s a bit full of himself
Claire, Jamie, and Murtagh, perplexed as to what this plan should entail, happily receive a letter from Charles Stuart (Andrew Gower) requesting that Jamie meet with him concerning the willingness of the Scottish tribes to engage in a war with England on his behalf. Jamie and Murtagh meet the “Bonnie Prince” in a bordello and while the three talk it becomes apparent that Charles is little more than a petulant boy who wants his throne back. Jamie tries to convince the Pretender to the Throne that the Scottish tribes are in disarray, unable to agree on “the colour of the sky.”
Stuart, though, takes no heed of Jamie’s warning saying that his own divine right is undeniable. He is convinced that the Scottish tribes will unite around him because he is an extension of God’s divine will. In addition to not heeding any of Jamie’s advice, Charles charges him with the task of meeting with the French Finance Minister at King Louis XV’s Court to soften him up to the Jacobite Cause. Their meeting over, Charles takes his leave of the two Scots in order to pursue his favourite pastime, whoring–truly, a sage and holy man. Murtagh reminds Jamie that it’s not too late to kill him.
Claire, intent upon getting Jamie into Court in order to butter up the French Finance Minister, pays a visit to her friend Louise de La Tour (Claire Sermonne) in the middle of a very revealing waxing session. Claire is able to secure an invitation to Court and also meet Mary Hawkins (Rosie Day), a young woman de La Tour is chaperoning before she gets married off to a much older man with warts on his face. Claire remembers the name “Mary Hawkins” from somewhere but can’t quite put her finger on where.
Claire’s wasn’t the lowest neckline at Louis XV’s Court
That night Claire reveals not only the fact that she secured an invitation to King Louis’s Court for Jamie, herself, and Murtagh but also the fact that, after being inspired by de La Tour, she is now hairless below the waist. Jamie is quite intrigued and it seems for a few moments that Claire’s change of grooming may just be the change the Frasers need to get their sex life started again. That hope is short-lived, though. After just a bit of kissing, Jamie experiences flashbacks to his brutal rape at the hands of “Black Jack” Randall, making Claire’s painful sacrifice a source of frustration more than anything else.
So it’s off to the Court of King Louis XV for Claire, Jamie, and Murtagh. Claire meets some resistance on her way out the door, though, because of her dress’s plunging neckline. Jamie is concerned that Claire’s dress will be considered scandalous but Claire’s tenacity wins the day and the three set off in their carriage.
The zany action starts pretty quickly at Court. The French Finance Minister, Joseph Duverney (Marc Duret), under a false impression from Louise de La Tour, believes that Claire is sexually interested in him. After a pronounced rebuff from Claire and a toss in the river from Jamie, though, this misunderstanding is quickly set straight. Luckily, Duverney wants to keep the whole misunderstanding a secret from his own wife and seeks, ironically, to ingratiate himself to Jamie.
King Louis XV, everyone!
The audience was also subject to one of the strangest bits featured on Outlander so far, namely Jamie’s witnessing of King Louis XV’s “dressing,” which involved not only the King’s getting dressed but also his trying to take a Royal Crap. The King’s advisors, all gathered around the “throne,” offer advice, “Relax!” “Bear down!” Jamie’s advice, though, seems to be the key: eat porridge. This odd scene allowed Jamie to ingratiate himself with King Louis XV (Lionel Lingelser) and offer some comic relief, but over the top doesn’t even begin to describe it.
“Not in Scotland Anymore” offered one final bit of drama when Claire and company ran into the Duke of Sandringham (Simon Callow), whom they met last season in an attempt to file a complaint against “Black Jack” Randall. He apologizes for his inability to have the complaint filed, telling the three that Randall had prevented him. In an attempt to keep things civil, Claire suggests that Murtagh and Jamie go and talk with Duverney: the Duke remarks that Claire is adept at finding powerful allies through any means and introduces her to his attendant Alexander Randall, brother of “Black Jack.” Aside from Claire’s conflicting feelings about Alex’s courtship of the young Mary Hawkins, Claire also learns from Alex that his brother is still alive, having only suffered some minor injuries during their last en-cow-nter in season one. “Not in Scotland Anymore” ends with Claire trying to decide whether or not to tell Jamie of this news.
“Not in Scotland Anymore” – My Critique
“Not in Scotland Anymore” helped get a couple of balls rolling in terms of the plot but did so in a drawn-out way. The majority of the episode dealt in character development and setting up Outlander’s new setting. I think it’s good that the audience sees some of the effects of Jamie’s PTSD, not glossing over the long-term effects of rape in order to keep the show’s titillation factor up.
I was also happy to learn that “Black Jack” Randall, the real villain of the show, wasn’t unceremoniously trampled by a herd of cattle. A story is only as good as its villain is awful and conniving, and you can’t get much worse than “Black Jack.”
I was a bit distracted by the opulence of King Louis XV’s Court. And, though I imagine that “Not in Scotland Anymore” showed a relatively accurate depiction of a typical night there, this was such an active setting that it took over. The scene depicting the Royal Constipation was as ridiculous as I hope the show gets. The historical accuracy of having to witness a monarch trying to take a dump notwithstanding, this was a bit too much comic relief for me, reminding me of the nigh-unwatchable first-season episode that depicted Claire roaming the Scottish countryside singing her own version of “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” set to traditional Scottish folk lyrics in order to locate a kidnapped Jamie.
