If you happen to be an avid bowler, an enthusiast for White Russian cocktails, or a fan of the Coen Brother’s cult classic The Big Lebowski, then head on over to Vancouver Canada this march 26th for the first Big Lebowski Brewery and Bowling Tour. Vancouver Brewery Tours is hosting their first ever tour based entirely off the movie The Big Lebowski in which participants will bowl, drink, and even recreate the famous “Gutterballs” scene from the movie (which can be seen here). 
For those of you who have absolutely no idea what any of this means, The Big Lebowski is a movie that follows Jeffery “The Dude” Lebowski” (played by Jeff Bridges) through what might be the most dynamic plot in cinematic history. The movie itself has no real consistent plot and ultimately comes together in the form of a somewhat questionable yet highly quotable experience. However, what gives this movie significance is the fact that it has spawned an annual festival called Lebowski Fest, a national bowling tournament, and even a religion called “Dudeism” that currently has over 300,000 ordained “Dudeist Priest.” The reasoning behind the commotion stems from The Dude’s philosophy and most famous quote “Take it easy man.” This quote is the essence as the film because no matter what situation The Dude is in, he never looses his cool and takes whatever life throws at him. It seems as though Vancouver finally decided to get in on the action and now for one day, tourists and residents alike can simply “Take it easy man.”
The Big Lebowski Themed Brewery Tour In Vanouver
Jeremy Renner Wants A ‘Hawkeye’ Netflix Series
At the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron, it appeared that Hawkeye’s time was coming to end. There is still a chance that the archer might not survive Captain America: Civil War.
But…
Today, at the Silicon Valley Comic Con Jeremy Renner turn the Marvel Cinematic Universe on its head with one quote. Renner was asked if he would do a Hawkeye series on Netflix like Daredevil.
“I think that’s actually a really great model, if there’s ever a way to explore the character, maybe it’s in that world. These are things that are really not in my control, but I’d be open to it. I’ve really enjoyed getting to explore the character more recently. The Netflix model is where all the character drama goes to now; you’re doing a superhero movie or a Netflix or HBO kind of model. So I’d be open to it. Not up to me, though,” said Renner.
Hey, Kevin Feige! Make this happen. Cancel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and bring a Hawkeye show to Netflix.
Renner would also like to see a Black Widow and Hawkeye movie.
“In a second. I’d love to do that,” said Renner.
Would you like to see a Hawkeye Netflix series or a Black Widow and Hawkeye movie? Comment below.
Review: ‘Daredevil’ Season 2 – Episode 3 ‘New York’s Finest’
Episode three of this new season gives Daredevil the classic morality debate between frenemies – Daredevil, chained to a rooftop, as Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, prepares to blow up the Dogs of Hell. Frank has been set up this season as the anti-Daredevil, giving the Marvel Netflix realm its own civil war, ahead of the upcoming Captain America film. As Frank puts it to Matt, “You’re one bad day away from being me.” While Frank lets Matt into his head, Frank makes it clear that he’s not trying to be a vigilante superhero – he’s on a mission.
Right from the opening image, of Matt being cleaned up by a nun, his religious convictions are set up for the crux of his argument. Matt tries to appeal to Frank’s better nature, hoping he may believe in the superhero’s code. He even asks if Frank has any connections to Christianity, but Franks shoots him down (not literally, of course). While Matt believes in redemption, Punisher has a soldier’s code. He’s a man on a mission, and he doesn’t care for masks – “[Soldiers] don’t get that privilege.” As much as Matt wants to believe he’s out protecting the city in a fair and just manner, Frank is quick to point out that Matt’s villains get back up, unlike Frank’s targets.
Matt isn’t the only Daredevil character who’s out to see the good in others. Both Foggy and Karen want what’s best for their client Grotto, despite the fact that he’s on the run following their failure to wiretap Grotto’s last Irish contact. Foggy helps out Night Nurse Claire with their excess of gang member patients, handling himself much better than with his Dogs of Hell meeting. Karen tries to appeal to Reyes’ assistant Blake Tower, in order to get more answers about Frank. While Tower’s unwilling to put himself in the fray the way Karen does, he slips her the DA’s file on Frank, which leads to the reveal of Frank’s skull wound in a not-so-subtle nod to his comics costume design. All the respective members of Daredevil’s core cast are trying their hardest to keep above the violence and crime in Hell’s Kitchen.
For Matt, this comes to a head once Frank pulls out Grotto and has him confess to the murder of an old woman. Frank then gives Matt his ultimatum – Matt can either kill Frank before he kills Grotto, or kill Grotto himself. Matt opts for neither, instead shooting his chains off to try and fight Frank one-on-one. Frank does kill Grotto, and blows up a couple of Dogs of Hell bikes, but DD knocks out Frank before he can kill anyone else. This then leads to a great fight scene, as Daredevil uses his chain as a weapon to take out all the gang members by himself, in a fight scene that feels reminiscent of the big fight scene from last season.
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B66feInucFY[/embedyt]
While Matt is the winner, this time, around, it doesn’t solve the conflict of morality that will likely inform the rest of Daredevil’s second season. With Elektra coming soon, and with Kingpin still alive somewhere, Matt will have to decide which of his enemies he can let live, and which ones he may have to put down for good. On the flip side of that, his conflict with Punisher may put Matt in a situation where he may have to defend more criminals like Grotto. Matt will also have an enemy similar to Punisher in his legal life as DA Reyes is a ruthless player who could pound his firm into dust. And while Matt’s righteousness has kept him alive for one season and three episodes, there’s no doubt that this season will make him decide to turn one way or the other at least once. The only question is who else will end up dead because of his choices.
C2E2 Exclusive: Spotlight on Eliot Rahal
Eliot Rahal is a new name on the comic book writing block, but he’s slowly gaining more steam with his comics through Heavy Metal publishing. He attended C2E2 promoting two of his newest books, The Paybacks and The Doorman at the Heavy Metal booth. He excitedly talked about his newest series, his experiences at Dark Horse, and how he broke into comics as well as his other love of stand up comedy.
Rahal started off doing stand up in Chicago when he was a college student at DePaul University. While he liked comic books, he described himself as a late bloomer and didn’t start reading until he was about 17. He read Garth Ennis’ Punisher run, Y The Last Man, Sandman, Joss Whedon’s X-Men run, and other hits that he loved. But, he didn’t even think about being a comic book writer until his college days.
“I didn’t know it was a job you could get and then when I was in college, I was a pretty active reader, still am, I came across [editorial] internships at Marvel,” said Rahal. “I got the internship, and ever since then I’ve been working on my own stuff, and pushing it out there and trying to fight the good fight.”
His first break was a four issue mini series called The Paybacks through Dark Horse comics. The series focuses on a group of b-list former heroes who repossess items of superheroes who are late on their payments. While it’s a story set in a universe of superheroes, the story is about the heroes who lost.
“Something I like about The Paybacks is that [it’s] telling stories about heroes who lost,” Rahal explained. “These are not… the Supermans, and the Batmans, these are the betas. I like telling stories about people you wouldn’t normally hear stories from.”
Rahal’s other book, The Doorman (written with Late Night show writer, Daniel Kibblesmith and drawn by Kendall Goode) is a sci-fi adventure series that focuses on a series of stargates all over different planets that are operated by elevator operator style “doormen.” Described as a parody of shows like Stargate and Doctor Who, but through a different perspective.
Rahal is attracted to these characters, and ideas because they both seem like background characters. “If you pause the screen for a moment, you realize that, ‘oh my God’ that’s a whole life, and there’s something really to explore there.”
While Rahal loves his comic stories, he also makes a career as a stand up comedian, and finds that the two genres can help each other when they need to. He includes a lot of humor in his books, but he finds that stand up comedy has offered him other tools when it comes to his writing. Particularly when it comes to knowing when and how to end the story when it should.
“Stand up gave me the ability to know when to stop, [when writing a story] whether that story is looking for a way to end itself cleanly,” Rahal explained. “Stand up taught me how to do that. I don’t always follow that in my own stand up, but when I’m objectively looking at other mediums I can apply that knowledge there.”
Eliot Rahal still performs comedy in Minneapolis and wherever he can, and has a slew of shows throughout the weekend of C2E2. One of which is a release party for The Doorman at the comic book store Challengers. You can find out more information about Eliot, his comic books, and his comedy shows at his website.
Review: ‘Daredevil’ Season 2 – Episode 1 ‘Bang’
The first season of Daredevil was a surprise for many. Before it’s release, fanboys complained about the lack of the character’s red suit and the lamented the lack of more traditional elements such as Bullseye and Elektra. Others were more optimistic given that the Netflix platform allowed for more darker storylines and more of a rough gritty street-level take on the Marvel Cinematic Universe that gelled well with the universe that Frank Millar and Brian Michael Bendis had operated in. The only consensus that existed was that it was sure to be better than the character’s 2003 film that starred Ben Affleck. Few thought that the series would end up being not only one of the greatest pieces produced by Marvel Studios but one of the greatest comic book adaptations out there. Daredevil wasn’t meant to have a second season this soon, if any at all. We were supposed to wait until after The Defenders mini-series to receive a follow-up, but critical acclaim forced Netflix’s hand and that presented its own concerns with regards the speed at which it was put into production and the necessary change of show-runner. Now, all thirteen episodes of Season 2 have dropped with new characters, mysteries and suits to admire.
“Bang” is an apt title as the first episodes starts and ends with one. Matt Murdock, having finally embraced the mantle of Daredevil, has become a legend in the community. The people know that a devil haunts Hell’s Kitchen. Daredevil inspires the righteous and terrifies the wicked in equal measure. Over at Nelson and Murdock, things aren’t going quite as well. The two attorneys-at-law are as busy as ever, but their clients often lack the means to pay them properly. As such, Matt’s fancy suit isn’t the only thing that’s in the red. There seems to be a concerted effort focus on Matt and Foggy’s roles as lawyers. Some may argue this is boring; I would say that it’s one of the most interesting things about their characters and should be exploited as much as possible. The contradiction between Matt’s bona fide belief in the justice system can work and his extrajudicial activities as Daredevil is something that tears at him and is rife with storytelling potential. Elsewhere, Karen is still struggling to overcome her own demons as the lingering impact of Wesley’s death begins to show itself.
Each of the three leads continues to do a fine job in their roles. Charlie Cox maintains the dignity of a local neighbourhood lawyer as Matt Murdock, but there is a little bit of extra confidence in his performance as Daredevil this season. He is shown to enjoy being a vigilante rather than being compelled to by duty alone. This evolution of his character is indicative of the character’s swashbuckling roots and is what makes Daredevil’s occasional dissents into darkness all the more saddening. Elden Henson plays Foggy wonderfully, carefully balancing the character’s need to mask his self-doubt with humour with the most serious moments of concern for Matt and their firm. He ups his game from last season where often he was limited to comic relief and unable to develop his character himself. This season gives him ample room to work his acting chops. We all know there is a darker side to Karen Page that she has yet to reveal to her friends and Deborah Ann Woll portrays that beautifully. Last season, she proved to be the heart of the show, and it’s clear that Karen will be given a lot more room to develop this season.
On a side-note, a lot of criticism was made towards Daredevil’s red suit, when it was shown in last season’s finale, but the naysayers should be silenced after watching this episode. The suit looks a lot better in motion and is portrayed in more elegant ways than in its last outing. This could be a result of the audience getting more used to seeing Daredevil in his traditional costume as opposed to the black ninja suit that we had grown accustomed to, but there is a certain way to how this episode is shot that allows it to distinguish itself from what has come before.
One of the key selling points of this season was the introduction of Frank Castle aka The Punisher(played by Jon Bernthal) to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and his debut does not disappoint. The Punisher enters the story as a force of nature, rather than a fully-fleshed out character. Throughout most of his appearance in this episode, his face is never clearly shown remaining off-camera or obscured. Indeed, up until the closing act, all we are shown is what is left in his wake: utter destruction. Hints are given to his backstory, with the police and those investigating his attacks all hinting at his ability to carry out raids with military precision. Such is his skill that many suspect this to be the work of a paramilitary group rather than a lone gunman. The cinematography presents us a man engulfed in shadows, who blasts through anything that he comes across and is unperturbed by anything that tries to stop him. The Punisher is a different sort of antagonist to intellectual machinations of Wilson Fisk and presents Daredevil with a more physical challenge. This set-up allows him to appropriately act as a foil for “The Man Without Fear”. One of the best things about Season 1 was its ability to portray Fisk and Matt as two-sides of the same coin. Both wanted Hell Kitchen’s to be a better place but had to radically different ways of achieving that goal. Ultimately, Matt’s moral philosophy won the day, but Season 2 has now cleverly allowed this theme to continue through his conflict with The Punisher. If vigilantism is justified, then to what extent is there a clear distinction between one who uses lethal force and one who doesn’t?
Daredevil continues to be one of the finest shows around. This isn’t a show where you switch your brain off and just enjoy the pretty pictures; it’s a series that demands you engage with it on an intellectual. It’s The Wire with superheroes and Daredevil demonstrates how to elevate yourself above the limitations imposed on your genre by the hive-mind.
C2E2 Exclusive: Rafer Roberts on Valiant’s Archer and Armstrong
Valiant Comics has been exploding recently with a slew of original titles in their own shared universe of superheroes. One of Valiant’s biggest breakout hits has been their run of Archer and Armstrong. Though the characters originally appeared in a 1992 series written by Jim Shooter, Barry Windsor-Smith, and Bob Layton, the characters got a resurgence in 2012 under the helm of writer Fred Van Lente and artist Clayton Henry. That series ended in 2014, but the duo is making another comeback in The Adventures of Archer and Armstrong drawn by David Lafuente and written by Rafer Roberts.
The creator of Plastic Farm was promoting the book at Valiant’s booth at C2E2, and was excited to take on Archer and Armstrong for this new run. The comic writer had a big smile as he talked about the pressures and expectations of writing the fan favorite characters.
“Well both [the 1992 and 2012 series], they’re both amazing, and honestly to try and follow in those footsteps is a bit intimidating at first, but I think over the past year I got more comfortable with the characters, and I think they’re pretty consistent with previous iterations,” Roberts said. “I think fans of the older books will still appreciate what we’re doing.”
Roberts discussed further about what the older books had and how each series some personality of the writers working on it. The first series had a more underground, “indy” feel to it, but was still superhero like. Fred Van Lente’s series was humorous, and historically accurate with its storytelling. Roberts is coming at it from another underground, “indy” perspective, promising to have more weirdness added in the series.
“There is some weirder stuff. That’s just how my brain works,” Roberts joked. “From my older books there’s always been a level of trippiness to it. And I think you see that in the first arc when they go into the satchel and its like this weird, surreal landscape with monsters and creatures.”
However, despite the inclusion of more bizarre ideas, Roberts is taking, the consistent focus of all the series is on the friendship of the two mismatched protagonists. Roberts believes that the heart of the two characters is one of the more important factors for the book to have.
“No matter who’s writing it, I have to remember that this book is about these two very strange best friends who just get on each other’s nerves,” Roberts said. “But, have each other’s backs when it counts.”
The Adventures of Archer and Armstrong is on sale now. Check your local retailers to find out where you can purchase the first four issues.
Batman v Superman Soundtrack Available to Stream
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice may not be released for another week, but for those fans of Han Zimmer and Junkie XL, the Orchestral Soundtrack (OST) has been released for all to enjoy (which you can listen to below). It’s been a good year for Junkie XL, with the composer also scoring the critically acclaimed Deadpool that came out just last month. Out of context, many of these songs may not prove to be as impactful as they would be otherwise, but it’s a nice tease for fans ahead of the film’s premiere. If you are like me, then OSTs are the perfect background noise for getting work done. On first impressions, even if the film turns out to be a disappointment, then you can count on it having an impressive score. You may want to be careful though, as the soundtrack to Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace provided with “Qui-Gon’s Funeral”, these things can be full of spoilers. So that leaves us with only one question; whose side are you on?
“Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before.”
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will release worldwide on March 25th, showing in all good theaters and some crap ones as well.
First Impressions: Miitomo
March 17th saw the release of the first smartphone app by Nintendo, the polished game developer oft stuck in the past. Also on that day was the release of Miitomo, part social network, part Nintendo experience. So, just what is Miitomo and how does it fare?
In Nintendo’s own words, “Miitomo is a smart-device app that sparks one-of-a-kind conversations between you and your friends.” Essentially your Mii will ask you questions and will share your answers with your friends Miis. The goal being that you’ll learn something about your friends you might not have considered asking.
As soon as you open the app Nintendo’s touch is immediate. The graphic design, the sound effects, this is without a doubt a Nintendo app. It then prompts you to make your Mii.
The Mii making process is very similar to what’s found on the Wii U and 3DS, using your camera the app will attempt to make your Mii for you, use the Mii face most similar to your face, and polish the results. After choosing a voice and personality your ready to go.
Miitomo is often compared to a hybrid of Tomodachi Life and the Everybody Votes Channel, this is a mostly accurate comparison, though Miitomo has one additional component in the mix, interpersonal interactivity. Tomodachi Life is a lone experience, just you and your Miis, and while the Everybody Votes Channel is a group poll, you know little about the masses that voted with you, while in Miitomo, the entire point is to get to know those around you.
There are a few other features lifted from Tomodachi Life in Miitomo, including the various clothing articles and outfits, as well as the Mii voices. The Miis will repeat whatever you answer and comment on it, as well as reporting your friends answers.
The Miis have various gestures based on what they’re saying, you’ll hear a cat’s ‘meow’ every time the word “cat” is spoken, or a coin sound when your Mii says “Nintendo” and so on. The Miis are oddly charming, speaking almost deadpan while wildly jumping around excitedly.
Your friends can heart or comment on your answers, this typically results in 10-15 mini conversations about the best features of a cat, to your favorite color, to your dream date. Hearting, commenting on, and giving your own answers all give you various amounts on coins, this coins can be spent on the aforementioned outfits.
The outfits seem to be directly lifted from Tomodachi Life, including astronaut suits, hot dog costumes, and like, fifty types of jeans. The coins can also be spent on Mii Drop, a pachinko style game that can win you other outfits as well.
Your Mii can visit your friends, talking with their Mii and asking them special questions, “Just between us, what do you think is my best quality?”
The only other feature Miitomo has is Miifoto. Here you can make your Miis pose, give them crazy expressions, with explosive backgrounds. This feature is pretty divisive, I don’t find much appeal in it, while other believe it to be Miitomo‘s best feature.
So, the final question is… is Miitomo any good?
It depends on what you want. Miitomo is by no mean a game, nor will it ever replace Facebook or Twitter, instead Miitomo has found its own little niche. Miitomo finds itself somewhere in between a game and social network, and seems to be happy with the way it is.
Miitomo certainly won’t be for everyone, but for me, well it’ll stay on my homescreen for quite a while. The plain and simple truth is that Miitomo is fun, it’s hard to express the joy of being read quirky little facts about friends by their little doppelgangers read in a deadpan tone while leaping about. It’s honestly something you should try out for yourself.
*The copy of Miitomo used was the Japanese version, thankfully the game had a comprehensive English mode, US release is rumored to be by the end of the month.
First Teaser Trailer For Marvel’s ‘Luke Cage’ On Netflix
For those of that have binge watched Daredevil season two and are feeling a little down, Netflix has a pretty killer suggestion. At the end of Daredevil’s final episode, it’s hidden, the first teaser for Luke Cage, another Marvel superhero featuring a character that many fans met in Jessica Jones. Check out the teaser.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IP2U9X5U8w
Marvel’s Luke Cage will premiere on September 30 on Netflix. After a sabotaged experiment leaves him with super strength and unbreakable skin, Luke Cage becomes a fugitive trying to rebuild his life in modern day Harlem, New York City. But he is soon pulled out of the shadows and must fight a battle for the heart of his city–forcing him to confront a past he had tried to bury.Mike Colter leads a cast that also includes Simone Missick as Misty Knight, Frank Whaley as Rafael Scarfe, Mahershala Ali as Cottonmouth, Theo Rossi as Shades, Alfre Woodard as Mariah Dillard, and the return of Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple.Cheo Hodari Coker (Notorious, “NCIS: Los Angeles”) will serve as executive producer and showrunner of the anticipated series, Marvel’s Luke Cage. Coker is writing the first two episodes of the series that will premiere everywhere that Netflix is available.Created by Archie Goodwin and John Romita, Sr., Luke Cage is one of the most popular street level heroes in the Marvel Universe who possesses superhuman strength and impenetrable skin. He’s also a friend and frequent business partner with Danny Rand aka Iron Fist, who will also be getting his own series on Netflix starring Finn Jones.
‘Star Wars Rebels’ Finale Teaser: “Anakin & Ahsoka So Far”
Star Wars Rebels has been slowly building up to a confrontation between Darth Vader and his former apprentice, Ahsoka Tano.
A new teaser trailer from Lucasfilm reveals that fans will finally get the battle they’ve been waiting for when Rebels‘ season ends on March 30th. The video reviews Anakin and Ahsoka’s relationship, highlighting key moments from The Clone Wars TV show, and showing just a brief clip of their upcoming lightsaber duel.
The video came courtesy of i09’s YouTube page:
io9 and Gizmodo are excited to debut this exclusive video direct from Lucasfilm. In anticipation of the March 30 season 2 finale of Star Wars Rebels, they’ve cut this refresher video explaining the relationship between Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano leading up to their ultimate showdown. Be sure to watch to the end for a very exciting new line of dialogue.
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0mHM5vIirE[/embedyt]
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The episode is entitled “Twilight of the Apprentice” — will Ahsoka make it to season three?
The one hour finale airs March 30th on Disney XD.