Whether audiences realize it or not, Episode 4 was a Scully love fest. For some reason a recurring theme in the X-Files is to have family members killed off as a major plot point. From the death of Scully’s father early on in Season 1, to the suicide of Mulder’s mother, the series has always mine this to bring complexity to both characters.
Another monster-of-the-week episode this one references a few classic episodes. The first is the obvious call back to the episode where Scully is in a coma, ‘One Breath.’ The other less obvious reference is the monster itself. Trash Man is obviously a call back to ‘Arcadia,’ an episode from Season 6 where a Tulpa creature kills suburban residents.
The storyline with this episode’s monster works incredibly well, especially for audiences looking for those gory details. Scully’s own storyline gives her character an emotional spotlight, and she’s definitely active in how she handles this crisis. Yet, these two storylines feel completely separate, as this IGN review points out. For Scully to connect the case to her son seems like a stretch.
But this episode is really about setting up a new mission for Scully. The events around Margaret’s coma bring up tons of unanswered questions for Scully. What is the significance of that quarter? Why did she change her living will? Scully is at her best when she gets her own storylines, as it builds her character and makes her more than just Mulder’s appendage. Hopefully the series will work off these questions, and possibly bring back Scully’s son? William Scully (the third) at this point would be in his teens, and bring up some great original storyline possibilities.
The X-Files needs to get away from the nostalgia-fest it’s currently playing at. Taking risks with stories, like bringing back Scully’s son, would bring some originality back to the show.
The John Wick sequel has a name, plot, and a release date according to Exhibitor Relations.
Keanu Reeves returns for Jon Wick: Chapter Two, as he heads to Rome to kick Common’s ass. Common is the main villain of the next chapter in the John Wick series. The film will hit cinemas on February 10, 2017.
Keanu Reeves will travel to Rome to kick some Italian ass as JOHN WICK: CHAPTER TWO drops 2/10/17.
Jon Wick: Chapter Two is directed by Chad Stahelski and stars Keanu Reeves, John Leguizamo, Ian McShane, Bridget Moynihan, Lance Reddick, Ruby Rose, Laurence Fishburne, Peter Stormare and Common. Derek Kolstad wrote the script to the sequel.
John Wick made $86 million on $20 million budget in 2014,
Andrew McIntire was hired as Vice President of Marketing and Sales of Oni Press earlier this year and just a few weeks into the job he’s sunk to lowbrow marketing techniques as the company takes a shot at DC Comics rebooting its universe again.
There are two problems with this type of marketing. Oni Press is drawing attention to a competitor (DC Comics) when the focus should be on Oni Press and its great titles. DC Comics has its own marketing budget. Secondly, negative comic book ads come off childish and counter-productive to the mainstream success the industry has had. McIntire sounds more like Jeff Albertson than the Vice President of Marketing and Sales for a great company that has published books like; Sixth Gun, Scott Pilgrim, and Stumptown.
Also, DC Comics doesn’t care. As miss-guided as it seems at times, DC Comics’ job is to create great books that audiences buy a shit ton. Nobody at the DC Comics office in Burbank is saying, “Let’s reboot the universe to spite our loyal fans.”
The comic book industry isn’t a huge business, keeping the competition civil has its benefits. Just ask IDW how the Batman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover is doing.
Some friendly advice for McIntire from the comic book universe; create excellent books, stay positive, and get a better Oni Press website. A Tumblr account doesn’t count.
Blade Runner 2 is happening whether you want it to or not, and now it has a release date that is pretty weird given the star power surrounding this thing: January 18, 2018.
January has always been the dumping ground for strange CGI disasters and movies with which the studios have little to no confidence. Now that The Hollywood Reporter tells us a sequel to one of the more influential sci-fi films of all time, with Harrison Ford reprising his role as Rick Deckard, Ryan Gosling co-starring, and Sicario director Denis Villeneuve behind the camera, is getting a mid-January release, what does that say about studio confidence?
It could say quite a bit. There are some things to consider here. First of all, January 18 will be the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend, so perhaps placing Blade Runner 2 here is an attempt to tap into extra time off for consumers. Second, maybe Blade Runner 2 will get an R rating and the recent success of Deadpool – R rated in the winter months, etc. – is expanding to release dates in 2018. That seems unlikely, but you never know.
If tradition is to be believed, this is a strange release date for a film that, however unnecessary, has a built in following given the expansive reach of the original film (it can be debated whether or not the original is really that good, but it’s influences are undeniable). Warner Bros. release schedule for 2018 includes The Flash, (presumably) the second Justice League film, Godzilla 2, Aquaman… their tentpoles are all but set. But they have room in October 2018. Even November. Anywhere but January, where films come and go in the wake of Oscar hopefuls expanding wide and awards season dominating most of the film landscape.
Maybe it’s a radical new test, but maybe the studio realizes this isn’t really a necessary film no matter where it lands on the calendar. Hopefully that its the case.
Do you remember that time Deadpool killed the Marvel Universe? Or that time Wolverine tried to kill Deadpool 400 times in a row. Or when Deadpool got his head severed from his body, grew another head, and talked to the old one.
Needless to say, Deadpool mania is in full swing, and Paul Wernick talked with Cinemablend about how insane future films will be.
“I think some things work better in a comic than it might on screen. That’s not to say we can’t explore some of these crazier things, but whether you’re talking about a severed head that’s talking, or Squirrel Girl, or any of the number of crazy things that have happened, I think we just have to be careful to take baby steps into territory like that and not get too crazy too quickly. We’ve got to lead a broader audience slowly down that road, and I think if you were to look two or three movies down the road, you’re probably going to see a lot crazier stuff than you’re going to see in this movie number two necessarily. So I think we’ll push it for sure. We’re certainly not shy about pushing the envelope,” said Wernick.
Deadpool 2 is in development, and the sequel will feature Cable. No release date has been announced. Ryan Reynolds will return as Deadpool, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are working on the script.
Emma Watson infiltrates a cult in the new domestic trailer for Colonia. The film also stars Daniel Brühl and Michael Nyqvist, and tells the true story of the Colonia Dignidad, a religious cult which also served as a house of horrors for General Augusto Pinochet.
Chile, 1973. Lufthansa flight attendant Lena (Watson) is in Santiago to visit her boyfriend, Daniel (Brühl), a talented graphic artist creating images in support of embattled President Salvador Allende. When Allende is violently ousted, General Augusto Pinochet’s forces begin rounding up dissidents. Daniel is taken to the remote stronghold of Colonia Dignidad (“Dignity Colony”), home to a secret agricultural commune and crypto-fascist sect led by sinister minister Paul Schäfer (Michael Nyqvist). Daniel is interrogated and tortured, but feigns severe mental deterioration to stay alive. Valiant and wily, Lena travels to Colonia and offers herself up to Schäfer as a follower. She is determined to find and free Daniel — but first she must ensure that she herself can survive Schäfer’s crushingly oppressive, viciously misogynistic practices.
I’m a sucker for movies about cults, and the true-story angle on top of it raises the stakes for sure. It’s also nice to see Emma Watson (and Daniel Radcliffe for that matter) continue to work away from her Harry Potter image with challenging, adult-oriented films.
*Warning: Very mild Spider-Man spoilers ahead. Nothing major, just enough to explain the general gist of each story.*
The 1980’s were an amazing time in comic book history. Pioneers like Alan Moore and Neil Gaimen took the medium to new heights, writing stories with depth and gravitas. Frank Miller, on the the other hand, took it to new lows, in the best way possible, telling street-level, gritty tales. Some of the best story arcs were written in the 80’s, especially for Spider-Man, who was previously known for light-hearted romps. Here are the web-slinger’s best stories from the 1980’s!
Amazing Spider-Man #200
The decade started with a bang for the web-head: Amazing Spider-Man #200 was published in January of 1980.
This landmark issue features the return of Uncle Ben’s killer, The Burglar. Peter hunts down his first foe, seeking revenge, and willing to stoop to great depths to get it. The whole notion of “closure” permeates the issue, and many elements from Amazing Fantasy #15 are revisited. Marv Wolfman and Stan Lee clearly did everything they could to ensure that their readers felt fulfilled after reading. Whether or not Peter achieves closure, though, is better left unsaid.
“The Spider and The Burglar…A Sequel” is a story full of angst and rage, an early indicator of what the new decade would offer.
The Alien Costume Saga
Up until the 1980’s, costume changes were just for C and D-List characters on the brink of disappearing. So when Marvel took their most iconic character and put him in a stark black outfit, the world went nuts. It may have been a pure marketing ploy, and an effort to sell more toys, but it made for a classic storyline.
Peter Parker didn’t just sew up some new duds out of boredom; the black costume is actually an alien symbiote! The symbiote bonds itself to Spidey, slowly tries to take him over, and generally screws up his personal life. That’s what makes this story so great: it’s a Peter Parker story even more than a Spider-Man story. It marks a landmark moment with Mary Jane, and showcases one of the darkest periods in the character’s life.
Do not let Spider-Man 3 spoil this story for you; the original comic is far superior to its campy big screen adaption.
Venom
“Venom” is the natural follow-up to “The Alien Costume Saga,” and the start of a legendary run on Spider-Man by Todd McFarlane.
Eddie Brock has inherited the symbiote, and they both seek revenge on Spider-Man. Their hatred runs deep, fueling one another. And, because the symbiote was previously bonded with Spider-Man, that means that Brock now knows all about Peter Parker’s life and secrets. He’s even invisible to Pete’s spider-sense. Never had Spidey faced a villain so lethal before this terrifying tale.
McFarlane just wanted to draw a jacked up version of Spider-Man, and, in doing so, he created one of the webhead’s greatest rogues.
The Death of Jean DeWolff
This may be the best Spider-Man story that you’ve (probably) never heard of. Police Captain Jean DeWolff, close friend to the web-slinger, gets murdered in cold blood by the Sin-Eater, and the hero seeks justice.
“The Death of Jean DeWolff” is great because it is not a super-villain tale; it’s Spider-Man versus a maniac with a shotgun. It’s dark; it’s gritty; it’s real. The notion of justice gets explored (with a little help from a blind attorney from Hell’s Kitchen), as do mental health issues. Peter David writes Spider-Man at his best: as a street level hero, fighting street level crime.
Most importantly, this story humanizes Peter Parker. Whereas Superman and Captain America have always symbolized ideals to strive for, Spider-Man is supposed to be relatable. His reaction to his ally’s murder, and the lines he crosses thereafter are not very hero-like, but they are genuine.
Hobgoblin
The Green Goblin has always been one of Spidey’s greatest rogues, but it was the Hobgoblin that captivated readers during the 1980’s.
Writer Roger Stern created Hobby without any strong idea of who was under the mask. He decided on an answer after three issues, but wanted to keep it a secret for just one issue longer than Stan Lee had done with the Green Goblin (Hobgoblin may have been a knock-off, but he was a great knock-off). To complicate matters further, Tom DeFalco took over writing duties before Stern could do his reveal. He disagreed with Stern’s choice for the Goblin’s identity, and thought that the mystery should go on even longer. Then, editorial disputes led to more disagreements and sabotage, prolonging the process, until Hobgoblin’s identity was finally revealed in Amazing Spider-Man #289, more than four years after his introduction.
This may sound jumbled and convoluted, but it actually led to one of the greatest mysteries in Spider-Man history, and Hobgoblin was a better character for it. Read his full publication history here.
Kraven’s Last Hunt
Kraven hunts down Spider-Man, shoots him, buries him, and then spends weeks trying to prove himself the superior vigilante.
Pretty dark, right? It gets darker. “Kraven’s Last Hunt” is probably the Spidey story that stands out most from the 1980’s. It visits themes of mortality and purpose, and it’s actually pretty terrifying to boot. J.M DeMatteis took a lame villain and went full Dostoyevsky, all because he was flipping through a Marvel Universe Handbook and noticed that Kraven was Russian.
Peter digging himself out of his grave (no spoiler; he obviously didn’t die) is also one of the most chilling sequences of his publication history.
Kid Who Collects Spider-Man
Break out the tissues. In this one-issue story, the hero reads about a boy claiming to be his greatest fan, with a collection of every article ever written on him. He swings into his fan’s bedroom, and the two converse for hours. It’s a deeply intimate tale that’s left its mark on Spider-Man history. Google “Best Spider-Man Stories of All-Time,” and this will be on every list.
For the record: the above image may be considered a spoiler by some, but trust that it wouldn’t have been used if the story wasn’t much larger than just that one panel.
The Commuter Cometh!
Here is another outstanding single-issue story from the 80’s. Spidey tracks a common crook out of the city and into the suburbs, and quickly realizes how ill-equipped he is without any skyscrapers to swing from. While it’s amusing watching the hero interact with suburbanites and get stuck in trees, writer Peter David throws some existentialism into the mix for good measure.
Simple Spider-Man stories are usually the best, and “The Commuter Cometh!” is all the proof that you need.
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Is your favorite story missing from this list? What other characters thrived during the 1980’s? Frank Miller revolutionized Daredevil and Batman, but what’s your top pick? Sound off in the comments below!
Where were you when JFK got shot? 11.22.63. It’s one of the most significant points in American history, and one of the best-known pop culture references. JFK, the man himself, is legendary and radical. One of the most popular conspiracy theories on JFK is his own government organized his assassination.
It’s likely all of these and other ideas will take up a bulk of the show. Without getting into any spoilers, there are several elements that add a science fiction feel. Stephen King, notorious for writing about horror and science fiction, used the not-so-simple concept of time travel. 11.22.63 takes all the paradoxes that come with time travel and immediately go out to hash out the dirty details. What are the repercussions? Will they make a difference?
There’s an added detail that doesn’t come up often enough in time travel narratives: will time fight against change? There’s a strange supernatural force at work, and it gets more violent whenever Epping (James Franco) does anything incredibly out of line. It’s like some unknown, greater force can feel a grandfather paradox coming on. This gives the writers the opportunity to put in the stuff of nightmares. These added details always follow the phrase, ‘you’re not supposed to be here.’ Well no kidding.
Despite all this added detail to make the story richer, the show is entirely lacking on complex female leads. Executive producer J.J. Abrams doesn’t have a great history how he writes in female characters. Epping even walks into a tavern with a sign that reads ‘Men Only.’ This show feels like an old boys’ club, and the concept of how ‘this is the 60s’ is a shoddy excuse. Mad Men, which is set in the same time period, has several complex female leads. Two women show up in 11.22.63 with significant screen time. One of them is Epping’s ex-wife, Christie. The second woman is a beautiful blonde named Sadie, who’s clearly Epping’s new love interest. A Hulu Original series can do much better than that.
Anyway, every time James Franco gets closer to finding information about JFK’s assassination there’s always this supernatural crap literally pushing back. It’s hard to say why Hulu cast James Franco. The man does a great job carrying the show, but there’s nothing audiences haven’t seen before. Franco has the same comedic relief, the same charming expression, and the same ‘whoa did that just happen,’ reaction. Al, played by Chris Cooper, brilliantly upstages Franco in spite of having so little screen time. It’s obvious Hulu cast Franco to appeal to the generation where the events on 11.22.63 seem outdated, before their time.
A ‘Deadpool’ themed petition was created this afternoon on Change.org for the film’s star Ryan Reynolds to host Saturday Night Live in character as our favorite merc with a mouth.
The petition is directed at NBC and SNL creator Lorne Micheals. Reynolds once hosted in 2009 and discussed superhero films in his monologue. With as aggressive as 20th Century Fox publicity is, it wouldn’t be shocking to see this petition become a reality soon.
Kanye West went on an epic rant before his appearance on Saturday Night Live, last week. According to the New York Post, Kanye was upset that staffers ripped up some shiny flooring from his set because it was reflecting the stage lights, creating a confusing effect on the video wall behind him.
“Are they f—–g crazy? Whoa by 50 percent [I am more influential than] Stanley Kubrick, Picasso, Apostle Paul, f—–g Picasso and Escobar. By 50 percent more influential than any other human being. Don’t f–k with me. Don’t f–k with me. Don’t f–k with me. By 50 percent dead or alive, by 50 percent for the next 1,000 years. Stanley Kubrick, ‘Ye,” said West.
Apparently West wanted to bail on the show, but Lorne Michaels brought him back to perform.
Listen to rant below. We apologize for the New York Post’s long commercial.
