Days after the first ‘Doctor Strange‘ trailer is released, we now have news Benedict Cumberbatch will be starring in a new film. This time he will be going to Who-ville as he will be playing The Grinch in a 2017 animated movie.
‘How The Grinch Stole Christmas‘ is a classic Dr. Seuss book debuting in 1957. Since then, we have had two Christmas specials; one being the 1966 animated TV-movie & a 2000 live-action film starring Jim Carrey.
How will Cumberbatch fare as the titular Grinch? His voice acting as Smaug was out of this world so I hope he can bring a little of that to this Christmas classic. Also, how will the paper-thin story of The Grinch who stole Christmas translate to a feature animated film. Carrey’s marvelous Grinch padded the live-action run time but will Benedict Cumberbatch be able to do that?
‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas‘ is set to hit theaters on Nov. 10, 2017. Will you be seeing it?
The lineup for Cannes 2016 was released this morning, and it’s absolutely loaded with talent. From legends to newbies and everything in between, anyone attending the Festival will certainly see some of the most anticipated films of the year (that are not tied to existing comic properties).
Let’s start with the big dogs: Steven Spielberg’s The BFG will debut out of competition, alongside Jodie Foster’s Money Monster – which is steadily growing more intriguing to me – and Shane Black’s noir comedy The Nice Guys. The opening film is yet another Woody Allen ensemble, Cafe Society, starring Kristen Stewart, Jesse Eisenberg (trying to wash the stink of BvS off him), Blake Lively, Steve Carell, Parker Posey, Judy Davis… you get the idea.
The competition section of Cannes 2016 includes a fascinating cross section of eccentric directors, newcomers, and seasoned vets. There is a new Pedro Almodovar film, Julieta, another one of his explorations into a woman on the verge of a breakdown. French-Canadian director Xavier Dolan has a new picture, It’s Only the End of The World (Juste La Fin du Monde). On the heels of Midnight Special, Jeff Nichols has another film, Loving, with Michael Shannon and Joel Edgerton in starring roles. Loving focuses on an interracial couple in 1958 Virginia who are persecuted for their marriage, quite a departure from Midnight Special.
Then there is Nicolas Winding Refn’s The Neon Demon, starring Keanu Reeves, Jena Malone, Christina Hendricks, and Elle Fanning. The story: “When aspiring model Jesse moves to Los Angeles, her youth and vitality are devoured by a group of beauty-obsessed women who will take any means necessary to get what she has.” Ref is a fascinating director, compelling even when his films don’t entirely work (Only God Forgives). This promises to be the divisive entry at Cannes 2016.
And Paul Verhoeven has emerged from the depths to enter the Cannes 2016 competition with Elle, and judging from this synopsis he appears to be channeling Brian DePalma:
Michèle seems indestructible. Head of a successful video game company, she brings the same ruthless attitude to her love life as to business. Being attacked in her home by an unknown assailant changes Michèle’s life forever. When she resolutely tracks the man down, they are both drawn into a curious and thrilling game-a game that may, at any moment, spiral out of control.
Other highlights include Sean Penn’s next directorial effort, The Last Face, starring Charlize Theron and Javier Bardem, a midnight screening of Kim Jarmusch’s Gimme Danger, and Agassi, the latest from Oldboy director Chan-wook Park (I doubt it has anything to do with tennis).
Disney’s The Jungle Book, directed by Jon Favreau opens in theaters this weekend. Masterfully shot in a warehouse in Los Angeles with a green screen, this is a gorgeous film. The CGI is flawless, the rainforest is dazzling and colorful, and the animals looks as if they have been ripped from the pages of a National Geographic Magazine.
One of the biggest strengths of this film is that it doesn’t waste a ton of time on a backstory that is extremely familiar. Most are already aware that The Jungle Book is based on an 1894 book written by Rudyard Kipling. A boy known as Mowgli (Neel Sethi) roams the jungle with Bagheera (a black panther Ben Kingsley) and a pack of wolves. Shere Khan (a sinister/vicious looking tiger voiced by Idris Elba) has made it his life’s mission to ensure that Mowgli’s (nicknamed man-cub) life expectancy is an extremely short one. While fleeing an attempt on his life by Shere Khan, Mowgli ends up in the care of a very chilled out, singing bear named Baloo (Bill Murray) and the two form an immediate bond.
The Jungle Book is a perfect of example of what great casting can do for a film. Each actor portrays their animal counterpart perfectly. Raksha (Mowgli’s Wolf Mother) is beautifully portrayed by Lupita Nyong’o. Christopher Walken provides comedic relief as he portrays King Louie like a 1930’s mob boss. Each animal in the film comes across as remarkably human thanks in large part to the groundbreaking motion-capture technology used in the movie.
The unpredictability of Shere Kahn was incredibly appealing. This gave him a new dimension of evil that many Disney villains don’t have. An example of this was when he showed up to comfort Raksha’s wolf cubs in the middle of the night. This an extremely calm and terrifying moment at the same time because it’s something no one saw coming. Who knew Shere Kahn had that side to him? He uses this moment to not only gain the trust of the naïve cubs but to deliver a threatening message Raksha directly. One of my few regrets in this film is that we didn’t see any more instances of the layer of evil in the movie. Why? If we had a few more instances such as this one, Shere Kahn would have been regarded as one of the most memorable villains in Disney history.
If anyone is worried about The Jungle Book just looking great but severely lacking in substance, let me assure that this film certainly has substance. Not only is Favreau’s film visually pleasing his added mythology to the rain forest and it’s creatures creates the appropriate amount of reverence for the film’s surroundings and it’s inhabitants. My only wish is that we could have spent just a little more time in the rainforest itself. It seemed as if the film was always moving and moving and didn’t take a second just to appreciate the sheer splendor of their home.
Not only does Jon Favreau deserve credit but so does Justin Marks as well. Justin Marks, who’s claim to fame until recently was being the man responsible for writing the screenplay to Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (man’s got to work I guess), developed a very smart and entertaining script for The Jungle Book. The task of creating a fresh take on a story that’s been around for well over 100 years and do it in a way that seems at least somewhat plausible and entertaining but Marks does this. Anyone who is going into this film expecting to be entertained in the same ways that you were when you were watching the cartoon version of this movie is missing the point. The Jungle Book isn’t a film that’s just for children, it’s a movie the whole family can enjoy. This is a film for the multiple generations that grew up with the cartoon (1967) and considered it a classic. We are just fortunate that almost 50 years later, we have a brand new classic that we can now treasure.
The casting process for the new Star Wars Han Solo film has been rife with speculation and rumor. It seems that finally, we are now gaining clarity as to who could be stepping into the iconic role. According to Deadline.com, Alden Ehrenreich has now emerged as the front-runner for the coveted role. It’s been widely reported that he was one of the three finalists for the role (the others being Taron Egerton and Jack Reynor) who screen tested for the role but apparently he gave an impressive performance. Are you excited about a stand-alone Han Solo Film? Is this the young Han Solo we’ve been looking for?
The Han Solo film, which Disney is slating for release on May 25th, 2018, will be directed The Lego Movie team of by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. The picture will focus on Solo’s days before he linked up with the rebel alliance. Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy is producing. Lawrence Kasdan is exec producing with Jason McGatlin.
Calvin’s Barbershop is back once more with Barbershop: The Next Cut set to open nationwide this weekend. While it is easy to look at this film on the surface as just an unnecessary sequel, Barbershop: The Next Cut is a surprisingly solid movie balancing hilarity and poignancy. In between the antics occurring at the shop lies a powerful message about inner-city violence that is sure to resonate with audiences.
A dozen years after Barbershop 2: Back in Business, we return to Calvin’s Barbershop. It was once just for men only, but now it is co-ed. Moreover, the south side of Chicago has taken a turn for the worse. Violence is at all time high, and the crew at the shop wants to do something to help stop it. During a town hall meeting at the shop, Calvin, and his crew decides they will persuade the rival gang leaders to agree to a cease-fire so that they can “talk it out.” What’s sad is that most of what transpires in the film could have easily been ripped from the Chicago news headlines.
The movie’s star-studded cast includes Ice Cube, Cedric The Entertainer, Nicki Minaj, Anthony Anderson, Tyga, Regina Hall, Eve, Common and J.B. Smoothe. It is not uncommon, that when a film has this star-studded of a cast that everyone is trying to be in the “limelight” (ex. Oceans 12), but that’s not the case here. The actors seemed to complement one another.
Tracey Oliver and Kenya Barris (writers on the show Blackish) deserve most of the credit for a film that will connect with audiences. Oliver and Barris managed to take the characters created by Mark Brown and create a script full of unabashed honesty. Instead of having Eddie (Cedric The Entertainer) or Calvin (Ice Cube) only make jokes about these gang members attire (which is something you would have seen in the first two films), we have these two astonished and heartbroken over the state of their community. Neither Barris nor Oliver shies away from these issues afflicting the south side of Chicago, and by doing this, they’ve created an interesting dialogue.
Now, don’t think this film is all super serious because it would not be Barbershop: The Next Cut without some wisecracks and humor. Eddie (Cedric The Entertainer) truly dominates the one-liners. The highlight is when he gives an unruly kid the “George Jefferson” haircut. If you’re not old enough and are wondering what that might look like, google a picture of George Jefferson.
It seems that the Barbershop franchise is getting better with age. Instead of buffoonery and hijinks, we have a film that’s both fun, delivers a solid message, but asks some important questions about the world we live in today.
‘Barbershop: The Next Cut’
Rated: PG-13. Running time: 111 MIN
Crew
Directed by Malcolm D. Lee. Screenplay, Kenya Barris, Tracy Oliver, based on characters created by Mark Brown.
Starring
Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, Regina Hall, Sean Patrick Thomas, Eve, Anthony Anderson, Jazsmin Lewis-Kelley, J.B. Smoove, Common, Nicki Minaj, and Lamorne Morris
This week is the penultimate episode of Supergirl season 1. Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) has her hands full as Non (Chris Vance), and Indigo (Laura Vandervoort) have unleashed Myriad on National City, turning the good people into a slave army. The super powered Maxima (WWE’s Eve Torres) is also on hand for a cameo.
SPOILERS FOLLOW
The action starts from the first scene with Non ordering the DEO to release all their prisoners. Leading to one of the show’s best opening moments with Supergirl battling Maxima (no push over) while also handling the mind controlled agents. Supergirl literally punches Maxima back into her cell then smashes the DEO’s control panel, assuring that the prisoners will stay locked up.
Supergirl heads to the Fortress of Solitude looking for Superman. Sadly her cousin is off Earth after all this isn’t his show. Kara learns from her holographic mother how dangerous Myriad really is. Kara heads to Catco, not sure why, but probably to check on her friends. She is dismayed to discover they too are all under Non’s control, except for Cat (Calista Flockhart). The situation gets a bit brighter as Superman informs them, he’s on his way to help. Kara and Cat hearts rise as they see the Man of Steel streaking towards them. Their hearts drop through their stomachs as Superman falls from the sky. Apparently, Superman has spent so much time around humans his brain has become “more human” making him vulnerable to Myriad. Kind of a “far-fetched” excuse but this still isn’t his show. They could have just left Superman off world, but you can’t blame the writers for wanting to put some more distance between Kara and Clark’s Earth experience.
Maxwell Lord (Peter Facinelli) arrives at CatCo. Max has figured out what Non and Indigo were up to and invented ion blockers to protect his mind. It turns out, Max made a pair of diamond encrusted blockers for Cat, hence the reason she is okay. He correctly reasons the world needs Cat’s mind. This begs the question if Max could make ion blockers, why couldn’t he make more for some of his guards? Also, why didn’t he bring a few anti-kyrptonian weapons with him? For a smart guy, we expect better.
The good news is Max has a plan to stop Non and the rest. The scary news is Max’s plan is to set off a kryptonite dirty bomb that will kill all the bad guys along with about 300K innocent humans. Even scarier, Supergirl is considering the idea. Her mom failed to save one planet; Kara doesn’t want the same fate to befall Earth. Kara’s mental state isn’t helped by Non showing up to brag and taunt. For a display of power, he orders three of Kara’s friends: Jimmy, Winn and a random woman to jump to their death. Kara is only able to save Winn and Jimmy making her even more desperate to stop Non. Kind of silly as if you can move almost as fast as the Flash saving three falling people should be child’s play. Apparently the writers wanted to build the stakes, but they could have done better than killing a random friend we’ve never seen before. The more I see the wishy-washy Non, the more I believe Indigo is the one pulling all the strings.
An on the lam Alex (Chyler Leigh) and Hank (David Harewood) show up at Alex’s mom, Eliza’s Danver’s (Helen Slater) house. The two heroes are somehow unaware of everything going on in National City. After Eliza first freaks out then geeks out about Hank being an alien she fills them in on the chaos. A call from Supergirl (what Network does she use?) and Hank knows he must to go back. Hank being an alien will be immune to Myriad. Alex convinces Hank to bring her along too and to shield her mind. You can tell that’s a bad plan for so many reason, but Hank agrees. Soon as Hank and Alex touchdown in National City the terminator like Indigo confronts them. This creates another great action piece that seems to culminate with Hank tossing Indigo into an exploding fuel depot. We learn this version of Martian Manhunter isn’t deathly afraid of fire and it takes a lot more than that to stop Indigo. Indigo reforms, stabs Hank and nabs Alex.
Cat and a distraught Supergirl have a chat on the balcony were they like to hang out. Kara is desperate to stop Non and Indigo. Cat is as always, the voice of strength and reason, insisting they can’t be motivated by fear. There has to be a better way. This is a touching scene that cuts to the heart of the show, which is all about hope. Flockhart and Benoist knock it out of the park. Both of these actresses need to be nominated for Emmys. The flaw here is that no way the extremely sharp Kat can’t figure out Supergirl is her AWOL assistant Kara. (Also Kat really should have known something was up on her way into the office as the entire town is acting like Zombies…but let’s just say she drives herself and was in the zone.) Supergirl is inspired. Cat, Supergirl and Max come up with a plan to use old broadcast signals to piggyback a message of hope onto Myriad. As far as science fantasy, superhero shows go, not the worst plan.
Back in the bad guy cave, Indigo tells Non she has a way he can make Kara suffer. Non in his own demented mind believes he is making Earth better but seeks revenge for his beloved Astra. Indigo seems to crave total destruction. The two big baddies send a mind controlled, armored, kryptonite sword wielding Alex to confront Supergirl to a death match. On one hand it makes an interesting dilemma for Supergirl kill her sister or be killed. On the more practical hand, Supergirl can move way faster than Alex. Still the stage is set for what promises to be an action packed last episode.
Best line of the night: Cat: “Tell Harrison Ford I’m flattered but I don’t date older or married men…” Ha!
Notes: We had three actresses who have played Supergirl in this episode. General Lane made an appearance and wasn’t a total jerk. They also made mention of “madam president” who looks like she will be played by Linda Carter next season. We better see more Maxima!
Summary: As always Benoist and Flockhart did amazing jobs with their roles. They make the show a joy to watch. The action scenes were fantastic on a TV show budget. Yes there were a couple of questionable character choices that were mainly used as plot devices. This being the next to last episode suffered from the cliffhanger syndrome, as the writers needed to ramp up the drama without giving any closure. All in all, good episode that left us anxiously awaiting next Monday!
This is extremely early in the negotiation process, but Michael Keaton is being considered for the villain role in the upcoming Tom Holland Spidey flick, Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Judging from the early reactions to Captain America: Civil War, a Spider-Man solo film will be a hot commodity for Marvel. Sure, early reactions were great for Batman v Superman, but these early reactions – some massive critical praise for one – were a little different.
Which leads us to Michael Keaton, who is “being eyeballed” to play the villain in Spider-Man: Homecoming, according to the report at Variety. Nothing is confirmed, nothing has evolved beyond simple flirtations, but let’s just assume the Marvel Machine convinces Keaton to hop on board (and he should, the guy’s been killing it recently). Is there any other villain he’d be playing besides The Vulture?
Michael Keaton is a nice fit for The Vulture, and not just because he looked damn near like The Vulture in Birdman. It would continue the tradition of the MCU casting legends to fill out periphery and villainous roles around its heroes. Keaton would fit in right alongside Jeff Bridges, Robert Redford, and Michael Douglas.
Regardless of what he plays, here’s hoping he plays something in the MCU. The more Michael Keaton, the better.
Spider Man: Homecoming will hit theaters July 9, 2017.
Comics offer the ability to tell stories in interesting and creative ways. The team behind this series has worked hard to show it can be more than simple supplementary material to go along with the TV series. This issue demonstrates times when they not only succeed but excel in being a must read series.
Modeled after a kids storybook (complete with a “This comic belongs to” page in the back of the issue) and narrated by the rhyming zebra Zecora, the issue talks about Rainbow Dash on her way to get a book and getting annoyed at another pony on her way, creating a bad mood spirit known as Dreary which seem to spread and soon everyone in Ponyville is affected. Simple premise but thanks to the art the issue becomes one fans won’t want to miss.
The issues uses different art almost every page and becomes the most memorable aspect of the issue. Though each page varies in its art style, it’s easy to tell artist Andy Price’s intent was to make each page contain a familiar feel and call back to show love to old picture books of yesterday. He did a fantastic job and really helped to make the issue stand out.
The pop culture references fans look forward to are spread throughout the issue. The title calls back to the kids book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and is even parodied like in for the Hot Topic exclusive cover but there is also clear references to Peanuts and the Blues Brothers. This issue helps to show the benefits of telling stories using the Comic Book format and is one fans shouldn’t pass up.
Almost “Dark & Gritty”; ‘Jungle Book’ Isn’t So Lighthearted Anymore
2016 continues to be a year that Disney releases mature animal-themed films. Following the socially conscious ‘Zootopia‘, the latest re-telling of ‘The Jungle Book‘ is not the laugh-out-loud family film it once was. Replacing the laughs are straight-up murder & Mowgli’s attempts to stay alive.
The changes from the original animated film to this are abundant. Jon Favreau’s ‘Jungle Book‘ skips the origin of Mowgli (Neel Sethi) and jumps right into the action. From there, we quickly make stops in various locations where Mowgli finds himself getting into trouble each time. One of the major complaints with the original film and this film is the lackluster story. It feels choppy & segmented; Mowgli’s story in film is told in chapters but never seems to flow into one another well. While the 2016 version transitions from one to another better than the 1967 version, the problem is still apparent.
One of the biggest changes that was brought to my attention is the lack of a chase. In the original, villainous tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba) was constantly on the hunt for Mowgli. While in this film, Khan murders Mowgli’s adopted wolf father and impatiently waits for the message to get back to him. Although Mowgli was constantly in danger throughout the film but it wasn’t always due to Shere Khan expect for encounters at the beginning & the very end.
What stayed the same for me is Disney’s breathtaking visuals when it comes to this story. 67’s ‘Jungle Book‘ was an achievement for their animation and the recent rendition is a milestone for visual effects. The animals created by Moving Picture Company and Weta Digital were outstanding; each animal having such photorealism that you could count the hairs on their bodies.
The acting was another major positive for me. Neel Sethi’s Mowgli is far less annoying than his animated counterpart & he showed amazing range in the film. He was really the only source for humor to me. His comedic timing was on point but that didn’t take away from the passion he showed. I hope to see more of Sethi in the future. I was letdown with the character of Baloo though. While Bill Murray did his best Bill Murray impression, Baloo was watered down compared to the original. Also, Scarlett Johansson as Kaa is a wasted role. Only used for short exposition, the role felt forgettable by the film’s end. Even though Idris Elba’s Shere Khan had limited screen-time, he was terrifying when shown.
And to whoever put the cowbell in King Louie’s temple was genius. The Bornean orangutan voiced by Christopher Walken didn’t get the chance to ask for more cowbellthough.
I’m usually an advocate of making things darker but there was a pure joy from the Disney animated ‘Jungle Book‘ that is missing with Disney’s live action version. Even the songs like ‘I Wan’na Be Like You‘ & ‘Bear Necessities‘ were half hearted karaoke versions of their former selves. Fun moments like Mowgli’s bond with a baby elephant and the happy ending of Mowgli seeing his first girl were removed for a more “serious” approach. If we wanted to make more gritty ‘Jungle Book‘, I want to see what a feral Mowgli would be like trying to live among man.
Give me something different…not less than what we previously had.
Rejoice, fans of surreal millennial comedy! FXX has renewed the excellent Jay Baruchel-led Man Seeking Woman for a third season.
Deadline reports on the renewal. Also starring Eric Andre and Britt Lower, Man Seeking Woman is the brainchild of former SNL writer Simon Rich, based on his collection of short stories entitled The Last Girlfriend on Earth. It centers on the quasi-literal world of Josh (Baruchel), a love-sick 20-something navigating the troubled waters known as the Chicago dating scene. The proper text message becomes a life-and-death situation, for instance, and it’s not out of the question for someone to wind up on a blind date with an actual troll, have their right hand break-up with them or start an affair with Santa Claus. Produced by SNL creator Lorne Michaels under his Broadway Video banner, it’s among the first original programs created by the toddler channel — if not the first.
And while it hasn’t killed in the ratings department, Man Seeking Woman has earned a firm, respectable cult following since its first season, now available on Hulu. It wasn’t clear whether or not FXX would move forward with a third season or not — as it’s not a particularly cheap show to make, and it likely hasn’t earned the return investment the station hoped it would. But with only a few original programs to their name right now, they’re going to continue riding out the notoriety and goodwill the sitcom has (justifiably) received from fans and critics thus far.
Rumors that Rich’s first show-running gig was terminated began to arise when FXX renewed their other two currently-running comedy series, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and You’re the Worst, while staying mum on Man Seeking Woman‘s fate. But it looks like they’re all going to remain bedfellows after all, and the world is all-the-better for it. Josh might not have had much lucky in his dating life, but at least his fate hasn’t been sealed just yet. While the second season, in my opinion, didn’t quite capture the magic of the first season to a T, it’s nevertheless still among the most imaginative and creative television series on the air right now, and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you watched it. Check out our review of the season two premiere right here.
