Me Him Her shows a few too many signs of being a directorial debut. It can’t decide what kind of reality it wants to set itself in, the camerawork is surprisingly boring and even bad in parts. But unlike so many directorial debuts, when it works, it’s quite funny and endearing.
The movie follows Corey who’s been summoned by his best friend Brendan to come to Los Angeles to help him come out as gay. Brendan and his agents fear his acting career will be demolished if he reveals his sexuality, so Corey has to help him deal with these anxieties. However, Corey becomes distracted by Gabbi, who has just broken-up with Heather, her narcissistic, manipulative girlfriend. Corey and Gabbi hook up and have mixed feelings afterwards: They both can’t understand why she’s so haunted by someone as terrible as Heather, and also, what does them having sex do to the identity they’ve defined for themselves and the rest of the world?
Me Him Her often escapes into the fantastical and the absurd with hilarious results, but the movie doesn’t keep these elements consistent enough. They come and go. They feel like they could have been a great tool to enhance the rather simple, slice-of-life story at the center of the film. But they just come off as insubstantial. We also never quite come to understand Corey as a character. He’s not the one that has to go through the most difficult journey, but the story is mainly told from his point of view. A certain nuance is missing from his character that would’ve made him more interesting as a character. At a rather scant 97 minutes, it almost feels too long. Performance-wise Dustin Milligan, Luke Bracey and Emily Meade do quite well by themselves, though. They fully commit themselves to their characters and their comedic timing is just on point. They manage to carry the movie very well.
Should Landis do another feature, I hope he makes it better than this one. There are sudden signs here and there of a better director, but too many of his choices come off as amateurish and unimaginative. One can hope that he has learned from this and make a better film next time. As a writer, he’s pretty much got it. As a director, we’ll have to wait and see.
Me Him Her is available on VOD through outlets such as amazon.com.
Batman The Animated Series is damn near perfect in just about every way. The design and art direction is unique and memorable. The stories are simple, self-contained treasures that bring a lot of complexity to our favorite characters. The animation is a triumph of traditional hand drawn work. The music is big and resonates with a full orchestra. The voice acting is spectacular, with each actor bringing out emotional performances. It’s a fantastic series that you need to watch right now. (Once again, Andrew Stewart also wrote a great piece on this series that you should check out). And just like with Superman TAS, here are the twenty greatest episodes of Batman: The Animated Series. If you’ve never seen the show, here are some good places to start.
Spoilers Ahead
20. Shadow of the Bat
Barbara Gordon is one of Batman’s most enduring characters. She’s got a lot of energy, is very funny, and is just as tough as Batman and Robin. While this wasn’t the first episode Barbara Gordon was introduced in, this was the first episode where she became her alter ego Batgirl. The episode focuses on a plot against Commissioner Gordon, and it’s up to the dynamic duo to stop it, but it doesn’t hurt to have a little help from the new girl on the block. The best parts of the episode are when Robin and Batgirl interact with each other. They’re both funny, and the show did a clever job of setting up their relationship. It has a lot of fun moments, and the mystery in the episode has a lot of great twists and turns that are reminiscent of the Noir stories the creators were inspired by.
19. Nothing To Fear
The Scarecrow’s initial design is one of the weaker looks of the show. His outfit just looked too goofy for the show’s atmosphere. They did eventually fix his design in later episodes, however, his first episode isn’t really about him, but rather about Batman. After Scarecrow douses Batsy with fear gas, Bruce Wayne gets horrid visions about the death of his parents and feels an overwhelming sense of guilt. The episode goes deeper into Batman’s psyche as he fights off the visions and eventually is able to conquer his fear and capture the Scarecrow. With the most quoted line in the show that proved that Kevin Conroy is Batman.
18. Mad As A Hatter
The Mad Hatter (Jervis Tetch) is one of Batman’s less well-known villains in his rogue’s gallery. He certainly has his own stories, but he’s never gotten to Joker or Catwoman levels of notoriety, and it’s a shame, because he can be really fascinating. Jervis Tetch’s introduction focuses on his obsession with a girl he works with named Alice. It starts off fairly innocent, but then it slowly grows more deranged and dark as his wants start to fully grow. The episode mainly focuses on Tetch’s point of view, and how he starts arguing with himself on his controversial methods, but then follows his wants despite growing crueller and more diabolical. And of course it has a bitter, dark ending that the show was known for doing so well
17. Appointment In Crime Alley
The very premise of this episode probably wouldn’t make it pass the writer’s room on any current superhero animated show. There’s no famous villain, it doesn’t follow the traditional story telling methods, and it’s filled with a lot of ambiguity that may not go over well with kids. But, that’s what makes the episode so fascinating. Batman has to go to the Gotham slum Park Row, now named Crime Alley, to meet Dr. Leslie Tompkins on the anniversary of his parent’s death. However, everything that can go wrong does go wrong, there’s a plot by a wealthy businessman to blow up the slum, a crazed lunatic with a gun, armed thugs, and a runaway street car. Batman saves everyone, but he doesn’t really win, again the episode is rather bitter in its ending, but it perfectly shows Bruce Wayne’s endurance and willingness to keep fighting for those in need.
16. If You’re So Smart Why Aren’t You Rich?
The Riddler’s introduction created a humorous episode for green clad question master. After getting royally screwed over by a shady Drumpf like businessman, Edward Nygma vows revenge on his former employer by kidnapping him and putting him in the center of an amusement park maze filled with death traps. Batman and Robin have to figure out how to get through the labyrinth and save someone that’s not exactly well liked by either of them, but is still an innocent man. The banter between Batman and Robin is funny, but still in character, and it’s easy to feel sympathy toward Edward Nygma as he did get screwed by shady yet legal business practice. Despite being a funny episode, it still has some of that ambiguity the show was known for.
Jim Carrey wishes his Riddler looked this dignified.
15. The Laughing Fish
The Joker was one of the show’s many crowning achievements. The range of Mark Hamill’s voice could jump from playful to terrifying in a heartbeat. There were many episodes dedicated to his special brand of crazy, but there’s something that’s both very menacing and bizarre about this one. The Joker decides that he wants to obtain a hedonistic lifestyle by creating a special brand of fish that share his smile. But, once he finds out that he can’t trademark a fish because it’s a national resource, he hunts down copyright lawyers until he can get what he wants. His plan makes no sense, and it’s really funny to laugh at it, but the episode gets haunting when Joker starts going after these poor guys who are just doing their job. But, as Batman says, “in his sick mind, that’s the joke.”
God, working for the Joker must suck.
14. Legends of the Dark Knight
When the show combined with Superman TAS, the show took a new direction in terms of look and story telling. Some episodes were fantastic, and others were just okay, but one of the best ones in the new season focuses on three kids describing what Batman is like. One views him as a monster, one views him as the classic 1966 Batman, one views him as The Dark Knight Returns, and one views him as Joel Schumacher’s films. No really, they make fun of the Schumacher films, and it’s pretty awesome. The vignettes are short and sweet, and the episode is pretty simple overall, but the episode shows just how many creators have reinterpreted Batman, and why he has a lasting impact on artists and creators.
13. I Am The Night
Here’s another episode that probably wouldn’t have made it pass the writer’s room, but this one is a little different from the “Appointment in Crime Alley.” This episode is more internal; we see Batman, tired and withered. You see him being buried by the weight of exhaustion from everything, and after a criminal named the Jazzman shoots Gordon, Batman feels that he’s failed enough and decides to not be the Dark Knight anymore. This episode is really heavy, and dark, but it never gets melodramatic. It’s interesting to see the character doubt himself so heavily that he considers quitting, and it’s genuinely disconcerting to see Gordon get shot, and be in danger. But, thankfully Batman triumphs over Jazzman, and his own insecurities.
“What do you mean there are still people who hate that Ben Affleck is playing me?”
12. The Man Who Killed Batman
One of the greatest aspects of this show was how well it made Gotham City seem like a real place. It did this very well by creating communities in its little world. It’s displayed in many episodes, but this episode does it even better, by showing the community of crime in Gotham and its hierarchy. The episode is told from the point of view of a timid little screw up named Sid the Squid and how he allegedly killed of Batman. Suddenly he’s the most popular criminal in Gotham, but his fame comes with a price, and gets him into a lot more trouble than he could have ever imagined with characters like crime boss Rupert Thorne and the Joker. This episode brilliantly made Gotham feel like a real place, and gave a lot of character to the grunts of the crime world. It’s also one of the funniest episodes ever written with great jokes and banter, particularly with Joker’s funeral for Batman. Yes, you read that right.
11. Perchance To Dream
Imagine waking up in a world where you got everything you ever wanted, and became free of all your responsibility, but you knew that it was all a lie. Would you stay in this world? Or would the truth demand you to abandon it? This is the predicament Batman finds himself in one day, he wakes up and he’s not Batman anymore. On top of that his parents are alive, he’s marrying Selina Kyle, and there is someone to fight crime as Batman for him. It’s everything he could have ever wanted, but just as he starts to accept it, he discovers that it’s not real. So he takes on his alter ego to discover the truth, which I wont reveal here. It’s a slow burn of an episode, but it has that wonderful darkness that just plunges you into dark recesses of the mind.
10. Growing Pains
Clayface’s introduction was met with a lot of heartache and dread, as we saw his life get destroyed by a chemical compound that turns him into living mud. Most of his episodes were heavy, but this one smacks you right in the feels. Clayface creates a little girl named Annie to scout out Gotham City for him, she somehow creates her own consciousness, and asks Robin (Tim Drake) to help her out. Of course Clayface finds the two, and they try to fight him off, but Annie realizes that there’s no escape, so she latches himself back on to Clayface and is able to subdue him. Now in most kids cartoon shows this type of episode would most likely have a happy ending in some way. Not here. Annie is dead and she never comes back. Batman! It makes you feel things you never wanted to before.
“Don’t worry kids! We’ll all have emotional scarring together!”
9. It’s Never Too Late
This is an episode that gets overlooked, and it’s a shame, because it’s a real gem. Crime boss Arnold Stromwell is in a gang war with up and coming Mafioso Rupert Thorne over the flow of drugs in the city. Yeah, this show didn’t sugar coat anything, it talked about drugs in a very realistic way. Batman comes in to try and help Arnold get out of the business by showing his drug addicted son, and even tries to get a priest to talk some sense into Stromwell. The episode gave a lot of depth and humanity to a crime boss and even showed some disturbing imagery and touched on very adult themes. But, it never talked down to kids, it treated every audience member with a great level of respect. And yes this episode will also probably make you break out the tissue boxes.
8. The Joker’s Millions
This is another episode that gets overlooked, and the reason it’s on this list is because it’s a bit more of a pick me up after the last bunch of episodes mentioned. The Joker is broke, but he supposedly inherits a former crime lord’s wealth. Instead of using the money to create more crimes, Joker decides to live his life well and indulge in, and the Dark Knight is livid about his new-found wealth and freedom. But, of course it all turns out to be a sham, and Joker freaks out about the IRS. It’s a very funny episode, and definitely worth while, and it’s the only Joker episode where you actually feel kind of bad for him.
7. Trial
A common criticism of Batman is that he creates his own villains, and that his actions probably do more harm than good. This episode spins that argument on its head by having a trial in Arkham Asylum. Two-Face is the prosecutor, Joker is the judge, and new DA Janet Van Dorn Batman’s defense. The only problem is Van Dorn thinks Batman is a menace and deserves to be locked up just like the rest of them. This is a fun episode, because all the villains are together and interacting with each other. Janet Van Dorn is another great character that sadly didn’t appear much in the show, but really the best part of it is how The Dark Knight and Van Dorn realize that they are both fighting for the same goals in the end, and how they’re going to escape a courtroom of insanity.
Okay, the jury may be a little biased.
6. Heart of Ice
Mr. Freeze was one of the Caped Crusader’s sillier villains, but this show completely reinvented him as a more sociopathic, revenge driven character that had a tragic back story. The back story was so popular that the comics adopted it, and most people consider it to be the official cannon. Everyone knows it, Freeze’s wife is dying, Freeze cryogenically freezes her, Freeze gets screwed over by a greedy business man, random chemicals happen, and then the ice suit cometh. The episode did this back story so well that it turned this goofy looking walking refrigerator into a tragic character that’s almost Shakespearean. This episode was so good it won the creators their first Daytime Emmy. It certainly wouldn’t be their last.
5. Mad Love
So, remember that little talk about this show not sugar-coating anything? This episode goes up to 11 on the disturbing factor as it looks closely at the relationship between Harley Quinn and the Joker. Here we discover that the Joker manipulated Harley when she was a psychiatrist at Arkham and warped her mind. Before she was independent, but now she is a tool for the Joker’s disposal, and she doesn’t even realize it. She gets abused for almost killing Batman, all of her love is not reciprocated, and The Joker just keeps reinforcing the idea that it’s all her fault. She doesn’t get the joke. But, there isn’t a joke to get, the Joker is a monster that will continue to torture Harley Quinn until the day they die. The episode is based on a comic that Paul Dini and Bruce Timm worked on. The comic goes into more detail, but the voice actors in this episode really give it their all, and create one of the most heart breaking episodes ever.
4. Almost Got Im
Gotham City’s infamous rogue’s gallery is often considered to be the best aspect of Batman. The criminals are so creative, and interesting that they often steal the show. So having five of them in the same room together bouncing off each other is somehow so perfect. Two-Face, Joker, Killer Croc, Poison Ivy, and Penguin are hanging out in a speakeasy playing poker. They’re not planning anything, they’re not there to pull off a heist, they’re just hanging out, and swapping stories about how they almost killed Batman. The conversations these characters have felt so real, and funny. It’s not loaded with quips either, the dialogue feels natural, and brings life to these characters. They poke fun at each other, they comment on all the stories, and they seem to weirdly get along for homicidal maniacs. The little stories they all tell are wildly entertaining, and funny on top of the banter, but the episode never loses the Noir atmosphere it creates. It’s a great episode that works well with so many awesome baddies.
3. Baby-Doll
Many of Batman’s villains are outcasts shunned from society, and take their rage out on those who cast them out. Mary Dahl is no exception, but this episode plays with the concept in a different way. Mary Dahl (a character created for the show) was the star of a cheesy 50s style sitcom called Baby Doll, a show where she played a tiny tot that caused a lot of trouble. She was born with a rare condition called systemic hypoplasia that causes her body never age. When she was on the show, she was loved, but laughed at and it started to do things to her mind as she grew older. When she tries to quit the comedy routine and do Shakespeare it doesn’t go well. She goes insane and ends up kidnapping the cast, so she can feel that sense of love attention again. This episode is heartbreaking, because we feel her pain just moments after we laughed at her antics. It’s silly on paper, but handled really well in this episode and it just hits you right in the gut. It’s funny yet tragic, colorful yet dark, sympathetic yet horrifying.
2. Robin’s Reckoning
Another episode that earned the creators an Emmy; this episode explores Robin and Batman’s relationship and how they’re both very similar and yet very different. The episode goes back and forth between Bruce and Dick’s first meeting, and how their viewpoints on each other can escalate. We see Dick’s parents die, and the fallout of his guilt, and Bruce’s quest to find their killer, a sleazeball named Tony Zucco. The Dynamic Duo get at each other’s throats, and go hunting for Zucco each on their own. What’s great about the episode is that we see how personal both take this case, and how Batman trained Robin so well. It also shows that both heroes really care about the other, and wouldn’t know what to do if one died. Also this episode had a lot of atmosphere and mood by showing the even sleazier side of Gotham, there was even a hooker in it, again this show didn’t sugar coat anything. It’s a great story about the Dymanic Duo, a great introduction to Robin’s character, and is a bit of a tear-jerker.
1. Two-Face
Two-Face is the perfect episode. It has a tortured soul, a strong Noir atmosphere, and shows that Batman just can’t save everybody, no matter how hard he tries. The episode is all about Harvey Dent’s transformation, and how he battles a dark other side to himself named Big Bad Harv. As Dent gets more stressed from the weight of his job, the criminal enterprises blackmailing him, a broken legal system, and a fiancé to satisfy, Big Bad Harv starts taking over Dent’s mind and body. His severe split personality disorder comes to full fruition when an explosion destroys half of his body. What’s really sad about this episode is that Harvey Dent was well established in the show before this. He was Bruce Wayne’s friend and was working as the district attorney for Gotham City. So, to see this character completely transform into this monster, and then to see Bruce’s guilt for being unable to save him is diabolically depressing, and the episode doesn’t have a happy ending like most of these. Harvey Dent becomes Two-Face, and he’s forever tortured by himself and has to be stopped by his former friend. It’s the best episode of the series.
And there you have it guys the 20 greatest episodes of Batman The Animated Series. Looking back on these episodes it’s amazing how much this show got away with, and it probably wouldn’t do as well in today’s market, so it’s pretty fantastic that we got such a great show at the time it came out. Do you agree with the list? Or did you not see some of your favorite episodes on there? Let us know in the comments below. And in just two weeks Batman V Superman will be here, and we still have more animated awesomeness to cover. Next time we’re looking at the adaptation of one of the most well-known Superman story of all time, his death. Join us next time as we look at Superman Doomsday, the animated adaptation of The Death of Superman.
Waterloo Brewing Company started out in 1870 in Formosa, Ontario. Since then, Waterloo Brewing has changed with the times and, though still brewing craft beer, is now the craft beer division of Brick Brewing Company Limited. Waterloo Brewing and its parent company have both won many awards for their brews at both the provincial and international level. In fact, Waterloo Classic Pilsner won the Gold Medal in the Pilsner category at the 2014 Ontario Brewing Awards. I’ve never been one to scoff at a pilsner crafted in accordance with the German Beer Purity Law. I decided to have a couple.
Waterloo Classic Pilsner – First Sip
As I take a big gulp of this frothy golden pilsner, I immediately taste its undercurrent of bitterness. The bitterness of Waterloo Classic Pilsner gives way quickly, though, to a semi-sweet aftertaste. Its high carbonation level accentuates its taste making it almost as crisp as a cider. The high carbonation level also gives this beer a lingering effect. Its semi-sweet flavour crackles on the inside of my mouth between each sip.
Waterloo Classic Pilsner – Last Sip
This beer’s drinkable but complex flavour make it a tough one to put down. Don’t be surprised if you feel like having a few of them. As the brewery’s website suggests, this is a great beer to have with deep-fried food, especially fish and chips or deep-fried pickle spears. As usual I suggest drinking Waterloo Classic Pilsner from a glass but because of its smooth, crisp taste it’s a beer that won’t suffer too much from being enjoyed directly from the bottle or can.
Waterloo Classic Pilsner – Other Comments
As I stated in a previous review, my regular beer is a pilsner so it’s easy for me to enjoy the finer points of this beer. It’s hard for me to imagine people taking issue with this finely tuned pilsner, though. Its complexity of flavour and well considered aftertaste make it a beer that many will appreciate.
John Goodman has agreed to star alongside Mark Wahlberg and J.K. Simmons in Patriot’s Day, Wahlberg’s Boston Bombing Marathon films (not to be confused with Jake Gyllenhaal’s). Goodman will be playing Boston police Commissioner Ed Davis.
Director Peter Berg spoke to The Wrap about Goodman’s involvement, saying “Commissioner Davis is an American hero, and John Goodman brings the extraordinary combination of humility, gravitas and empathy to portray him.”
Davis worked with the FBI and the Massachusetts State Police in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon Bombing to bring in the two suspects. Maybe now, after 10 Cloverfield Lane, John Goodman will become a fabric of cinema for a few years. Goodman has been a great actor for a very long time, easily the best part of Roseanne not to mention countless other supporting roles. The more Goodman, the better.
Patriot’s Day will beat Gyllenhaal’s Stronger to the punch. Filming will begin next month and it will get a friendly New York and LA release this December in time for awards season.
Luke Cage himself, Mike Colter, made a surprise appearance at Marvel’s Daredevil season 2 red carpet premiere in New York City. During an interview with the cast of Daredevil, Colter revealed that Luke Cage would have “action from beginning to end.” He also revealed that his series would come out September 3oth of this year. Check out some of the interviews with the cast, some fun times with Marvel’s Contest of Champions, and Mike Colter’s reveal below.
Details about the show have been kept on the down low (like most Netflix shows), so everything has been pure speculation about the show and the tone. But, it definitely sounds like Colter is excited, and that Luke Cage is going to be one hell of a good show.
2016 is clearly the year of the superhero genre.
Are you guys excited? What do you want to see in the show? Leave your comments below to let us know your thoughts about the two upcoming series.
Daredevil season 2 debuts worldwide on March 18th. Luke Cage debuts September 30th.
Christopher Nolan’s next massive, sweeping epic, the World War II drama Dunkirk, might bring on One Direction pop star Harry Styles in a supporting role, according to a report at Deadline.
One Direction’s Harry Styles. In a Christopher Nolan epic.
Dunkirk revolves around the evacuation of the French harbor during WWII – under the code name Operation Dynamo – which took place in May and June, 1940. Tom Hardy is on board, as is recent Oscar winner Mark Rylance; Kenneth Branagh is the third major star of a large ensemble which will be filled out by relative unknowns.
And Harry Styles, apparently.
Styles is not confirmed, but has been offered a role. There is certainly a reason behind casting the One Direction front man. Dunkirk is going to be an extremely expensive endeavor for Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros., and is set up for a very meaty July 21, 2017 release date. But it will most certainly be an historical epic with (somewhat of) a niche audience of Nolan fans and WWII aficionados. Having Harry Styles in the marketing campaign could stretch the demographic target and bring in an audience – of tween girls? – who would normally never see the film. It’s weird, but in it’s own weird way it makes sense.
Hopefully, Styles can act. There’s no reason to believe he can’t, as plenty of pop stars have transitioned from music to movies. Justin Timberlake is probably the best example. Nevertheless, it’s a pretty strange reach for Nolan and Co.
We’ve now reached the halfway point in season three of The 100 and the fates of many of our beloved characters dangle by a thread. ‘Terms and Conditions’ opens with Bellamy directly rejecting said terms and conditions provided by two grounders who have come bearing the viscera of two patrolling members of Arkadia. The masked Grounders state that the blockade is in effect and that they would only leave once Pike has turned himself over. Well, Bellamy has another idea: just shoot them both.
‘Terms and Conditions’ essentially serves as the tipping point for Mr. Bellamy Blake. Exactly to what ends will he go in order to see Pike’s plans through? Who must he betray? Who must he use to betray their own loved ones?
Camp City of Light also has another idea. They aim to steal back their evil chip-making doohickey so that they can recruit some more lemmings to lead to the field of cyber-slaughter. I realize, by the way, that I’m pointing out the obvious when it comes to the evil-doings of the City of Light. I get why this way is enticing for people like Jaha (who needs validation for his torture) and Raven (who needs actual pain relief) but this group is painted in such broad colors in “Terms and Conditions” that the moment when Raven realizes she’s become a brainwashed zombie comes not a moment too soon.
In a master move, the attempt at using and recruiting a willing Jasper backfires because he’s simply too much of an emotionally ruinous time bomb that no inhuman computer program can counter. In a handful of dick moves after having broken into Pike’s office, Jasper keeps reminding Raven of the pain and anguish she should be feeling by remembering Finn. The necklace he made for her, his death, their first kiss. Jasper just won’t shut up. This triggers Raven into remembering, rather, remembering that she doesn’t remember Finn at all but knows that she should. At the last second, she aborts the mission in front of A.L.I.E. and they flee Pike’s office without the doohickey. Score one for team Human.
Kane, now all-in on a couple of coups, enlists Sinclair to hijack Pike’s plans to send a rolling bomb into Grounder frontlines. The only problem is that Pike has discovered the chip in his office that Kane has been using to listen to their plans. When Sinclair tries to sabotage the jeep, Bellamy sniffs out the plot and has Sinclair arrested for treason. Kane can’t be tried on any charges yet, but Pike is close.
In another move to make Pike more of a fascist, he suggests spying on everyone in Arkadia. This is quite obviously a heavy subject and one that I don’t believe is handled deftly enough in this script as it’s simply used as a lightning rod for the sane crowd to more staunchly defend Kane’s actions. I get that Pike wants to spy on everyone. That’s not surprising. What IS surprising is when he sentences Sinclair, Pike states that he won’t execute him because that’s what would’ve happened on the Ark. He is aware that this is a new world and wants to treat things differently. Except, he backtracks that a bit later…
Becoming another shade more nefarious, Bellamy recruits Miller’s boyfriend in lacing his jacket with a listening device. The scene was crucial for this moment but stuck around a bit too long, leading the audience to question why these two were getting exponentially more screen time than they’d ever gotten before. Weighing upon Bellamy’s conscience now is Monty, who he has strung along in undermining Kane’s efforts (also, Monty’s mom has become a really irredeemable POS, right?).
Kane’s final plan involves Sinclair and Lincoln (making a rare appearance this season, having been imprisoned for seemingly years now) striking up a faux fight in the cell which causes Bellamy to rush in unbeknownst to the fact that the prisoners mean to stage a riot. The riot is also a ruse so that Kane is able to get Pike alone, knock him out and try to take him out of the camp and to the Grounders.
Now, we can shout and cheer for Kane all we want but that is truly an effed up plan! He wants to essentially murder a man for his beliefs. That is interesting material! It isn’t until Bellamy catches wind of the situation and stops Kane in his tracks that he doesn’t succeed with his murder plot. Kane is arrested and when Pike brings him up on charges, he’s totally in the right. Pike deserves punishment for his extreme actions. Kane is sentenced to death and Bellamy almost breaks rank. Pike seemingly settles him but it isn’t until Monty’s mom confronts Bellamy and Monty asking about any others who may be following Kane. Before Monty can shout “Miller!”, Bellamy speaks up and says they’ve found no one.
There it is. We’ve found the stretching point. Bellamy rounds the corner and now must answer and make up for all the blood on his hands and all the blood about to be on his hands. This may feel like a sudden turn back to the light for the character but when we think of everything that Bellamy has done against his friends, this is a good point for the character to realize his wrongs. It is definitely a little too convenient but we’re now guaranteed to see Bellamy not just fight for his friends but his own soul. Again.
‘Terms and Conditions’ concluded this stage of Bellamy the Bloody and had some deliciously well choreographed fighting during the prison riot. To the detriment of the City of Light storyline, it showed Jaha and A.L.I.E. to be a little more sociopathic than I think they’re meant to be but there’s obviously something up with Raven to be keying her return to the real light so soon.
Biggest bummer this week: We have to wait three weeks for episode nine.
“When this ends with Arkadia victorious, you’ll only have yourself to blame for choosing the wrong side.” – Pike
Check out my reviews of previous episodes of ‘The 100’ here:
“Crazy Is Building Your Arc After The Flood” – Howard Stambler
This review will contain some minor plot points. I advice you to see this movie before reading ANYTHING about it. It’s worth it but I do want to talk about some interesting facts. This will be lightly spoilerish.
The mystery surrounding ‘10 Cloverfield Lane‘ was unlike anything I’ve seen as of late. In the time where every film is announced years in advance and we get constant updates, the semi-sequel to 2008’s ‘Cloverfield‘ managed to surprise everyone by being announced out of the blue. Since the announcement, the team for ‘10 Cloverfield Lane‘ went into over-drive with their viral marketing schemes; similar to what they did with the original. And that’s where the similarities to ‘Cloverfield‘ end…
There is something so bizarre about ‘10 Cloverfield Lane‘ right from the very start. With striking cinematography & minimal budget, the film felt like an art-house film. The introduction of the film starts off a wonderfully loud orchestra score and barely any dialogue expect for surprise cameo voice pestering our lead female Michelle, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, as she is seemingly storming out of town.
Then suddenly…a car slams into Michelle’s.
Now we enter one of the most suspenseful & tense segments I have seen in a very long time. We know the film is set in a bunker and that bunker is where Michelle awakens after the car accident. John Goodman plays Howard, Michelle’s captor in this bunker. He says it’s for her safety as the world above them is a toxic wasteland. She smartly doubts him. There is also another person in the underground bunker, a farmer boy named Emmett who desperately wanted to be in there.
As an unknown amount of time passes, life in this doomsday shelter gets more & more hostile. Goodman as Howard is one of his most unnerving performances ever. He constantly makes living in that place miserable. As the mystery of Howard, why Michelle is here, and his much-talked about daughter Megan starts to unfold; so does the mystery of how this connects with ‘Cloverfield‘.
Without giving much away, the best way I can describe this movie is like Cloverfield’s very distant cousin. Hardcore fans know ‘10 Cloverfield Lane‘ exist in the same world as the original film. Examples being things like Slusho, a drink in which one of the main characters in the first film was going to work for, displayed at a gas station at the beginning of the movie or a Japanese company’s name appearing in the social media marketing for both films. There is a few more things but you have to dig deep to figure it out.
Those are things only die-hard fans would enjoy but for a casual fan, the movie will stand alone very well.
It’s a strange & suspenseful horror surprise. Some of the moments of the film are so unexpected. One of the most unexpected things are the actual comedic moments between the tension. Just when the drama boils over, there is a light moment to undercut the situation; this is used as a distraction from an even more dramatic moment. For this being the feature film debut of Dan Trachtenberg, the guy shows such great mastery of how to handle all of what makes the movie enjoyable.
Everyone wants to know if there is a monster or will there be any creature connections to the first film. I will not give a definitive answer as what happens truly needs to be seen to be believed.
The press tour for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice starts to pick up this week, as we are less than two weeks away from the release of the film. Ben Affleck spoke with Entertainment Weekly about the impact the death of Robin has had on Batman in this new DC Cinematic Universe.
“He’s bitterly disappointed in the past that he’s lost this guy who fought by his side. That character’s death must have been devastating to him, and he’s suffered. We get the sense that he’s suffered a lot of devastating losses before this movie even starts,” said Affleck.
Are you disappointed that the DC Cinematic Universe has jumped so far ahead in the Batman mythos?
About Superman v Batman: Dawn of Justice
Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, violent vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting the world in greater danger.
Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice stars Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jason Momoa, Ben Affleck, Jesse Eisenberg, Gal Gadot, Jena Malone, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Diane Lane, Ezra Miller, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter, Michael Shannon, and Laurence Fishburne.
Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice has a worldwide release on March 25.
10 Cloverfield Lane rolls into theaters this weekend with 90 minutes of anticipation, trap setting, dark moments that will engross audiences, and leave you breathless at times.
J.J. Abrams describes 10 Cloverfield Lane as something very different from Cloverfield. For spoiler sake, let’s just say it’s is a blood relative of Cloverfield. The setup for the film is very straightforward. Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) has an argument with her fiancé and decides that it is time to move on. She packs up her things and drives off into the night sky. While driving late at night, something catastrophic occurs.
No worries, this will stay relatively spoiler free. The less you know, the better.
Michelle awakens, injured, and shackled in a windowless concrete room. She is a prisoner of Howard (John Goodman), an unhinged survivalist who would argue he’s just fine. He saves her life by bringing her to a bunker beneath his farmhouse, after some attack (chemical? Alien? Biological?). Howard sounds like a complete lunatic, but we start to wonder if he’s right. 10 Cloverfield Lane is fantastic at taking what information we do have in the film and allowing us to experience it through the characters. Howard has his moments where it seems he’s lucid and truly is doing right by Michelle and Emmit (John Gallagher Jr.), a willing lodger who helped build the bunker. Then in the blink of a nanosecond, Howard will snap into a psychotic rage.
In the current climate that we live where movie studios are constantly rebooting and rehashing old ideas, then inundating us with clips and trailers, seeing a film like 10 Cloverfield Lane is such a breath of fresh air, from its sneaky marketing campaign to the result on screen.
The “freshness” of this movie is a result of the stellar writing from Josh Campbell, Matt Stuecken, and Damien Chazelle. Every line has a purpose, is rich with detail on just about every level, and makes the catastrophic circumstances deeply personal to all involved. Director Dan Trachtenberg shoots the picture (his first feature) with such precision, artistry, and imagination.
Skill and precision were crucial here, as this is a chamber film, taking place primarily in four rooms. Trachtenberg uses wide lenses and, almost unnoticeably, scans this claustrophobic setting, keeping the viewer’s eyes working consistently. It’s an interesting and subtle technique. His use of light and shadow emphasizes moods at all the right moments, enhancing dread, and even playing tricks on the audience.
Winstead’s interpretation of her character is marvelous. She runs a gamut of emotions from happiness to horror. No one ever questions the authenticity of her performance. Here we are, front and center, to see Michelle’s world crumble, and Winstead pushes that pain through the screen.
But the story of this film will be the performance of John Goodman. Goodman is in control of every one of his scenes. One moment he is a towering inferno of terror, the next he’s a teddy bear. Goodman’s ability to turn his emotions on a dime is what makes the film soar. Just as he pulls us in, he terrifies us.
There is nothing more satisfying than walking into a movie theater and having your expectations subverted. Unpredictability has indeed been missing in recent years in film, and seeing it come back in 10 Cloverfield Lane is a pleasant surprise.
10 Cloverfield Lane
Director: Dan Trachtenberg
Cast: John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher Jr.
Screenplay: Josh Campbell, Matthew Stuecken, Damien Chazelle
Rating: PG-13; brief strong profanity and violence, disturbing images
