Spider-Man #1 Review: Miles Morales Swings Into the Marvel U

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February 3, 2016

Though he has been a member of the All-New, All-Different Avengers since #1 (November 2015), we would like to formally welcome Miles Morales, the Ultimate Spider-Man, to the Marvel Universe! Though he will always be “Ultimate”, Miles is here and bringing his own special version of spidey-justice to Earth-616.

With the Ultimate Universe gone and Earth restored from what was Battleworld, Miles is slowly adjusting to his new life. But being a teenage superhero is not always what it is cracked up to be. There is dating, homework and the occasional super villain who shoots electricity from his face. It can all be hard to juggle. But whoever said being the Spider-Man would ever be a walk in the park? All Miles can do is take it one ditched English class or frustrated phone call from his parents at a time.

This issue was incredibly introductory, giving us only a basic view into the daily life of Miles Morales. Yet it is still a huge deal. Not only is Miles now part of the main Marvel Universe and, eventually, taking up the gauntlet as THE Spider-Man but his original creative team of Brian Michael Bendis (Powers, AKA Jessica Jones, House of M) and Sara Pichelli (Spider-Men) have come back to tell his story!

Miles’s time in comics has been short, only introduced to us in Ultimate Comics Fallout #4 (August 2011), but his audience appeal is vast. Bendis, who said he found the design for the African American and Hispanic born character while watching Donald Glover, wearing Spider-Man pajamas, on the television comedy Community, has since seen his creation on Television (Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man: Web Warriors). In video and cellular phone games (Marvel’s Contest of Champions). And, for a brief moment, in Silver Screen driven rumors. Yet, he does not have to cross time and space with Peter Parker on DisneyXD for Miles to have one of the largest and most excited fan-bases in all of Marvel.

Bendis has kept his original concept in mind while writing this new world for the Ultimate Spider-man. Miles still has the same difficulties: love troubles, issues with his secret identity and hardships in school. But now it is… Here! In a world where Peter Parker is not dead and he does not have to bare the Spider alone. But with great power comes taking responsibility for your actions! Especially when there is a battlefield full of fallen Avengers and only one figure left standing above them. Bendis is setting the stage for Miles to officially take up the mantle of the “Spider-man” but making sure that he learns all the most difficult and challenging questions along the way. And, of course, with the most important teacher guiding him: The Amazing Spider-Man!

When it comes to the visuals it almost does not seem far to harp on Sara Pichelli, after all she was the first! Sara has a talent for defined musculature yet understanding of the human form. Not overdoing Miles’s teenage physique but allowing for proper features for older characters such as Captain America or Spider-Man. And the imagery of New York, in some of the more environmental scenes, it is almost like looking at photographs of the New York landscape. But with all the beauty it seems as if faces are a difficult subject. With artists like Jae Lee, Jim Lee and Andea Sorrentino, “sketchy” is the name of the art-game and Pichelli is still adapting to the rules. Her issues with her facial features and expressions can be hard to simply gloss over. Small eyes, overly pouty lips and ears that stick out a little too far. It can be rather distracting when trying to read the emotional spectrum (or lack there-of) on a character’s face.

But, with all the minor nuances, the colors sing a beautiful song! Those explosions jump right at you. Justin Ponsor (Star Wars) crafts Pichelli’s work into incredible art masterfully. Miles’s story has never been on the happy-go-lucky or easily-taught-lessons side like the early days of Peter Parker’s career. But Miles has always had the ability to keep himself pun-ny no matter the situation, and Ponsor helps build the environment of real life in constant conflict with saving the world, but with a hint of over-zealousness.

Miles Morales is taking on this All-New, All-Different Marvel Universe and doing it in his own spidey-style. Though the first issue was only a taste, the adventure Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli will take us on is sure to be a fascinating one. With this new story following the end of the Ultimate Universe and the re-launch of Secret Wars, this book can be easily picked up by the newest of readers, but with the return of the original creative team, can also be enjoyed by even the most devote of “ultimate” fans.

Make sure to stop into your local comic book shop and pick up Spider-Man #1.

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Focus World announces release date for action/romcom Mr. Right with poster

By

Oscar Moreno

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February 3, 2016

Focus World has announced Mr. Right for an April 8^th release date with a poster exclusively released through IMDB. The movie tells the story of Martha (Anna Kendrick), who falls in love with a hitman with a heart of gold (Sam Rockwell), who now has his old associates and enemies going after him since he’s killing anyone who hires him or has ever hired him.

Focus World bought the film last year at the Toronto International Film Festival. The movie is directed by Paco Cabezas, director of the Spanish thrillers The Appeared and Neon Flesh, and written by Max Landis of Chronicle and American Ultra fame. Focus World will give Mr. Right a limited theater and Video-on-Demand release on its April date. The movie has gotten mixed reviews at the festivals it’s played at, some praised the performances and the film’s blend of comedy and action, and others derided its style and humor. The Holywood Reporter’s John DeFore calling it “a crowdpleaser”, while Nikola Grozdanovic of The Playlist called it a “one-dimensional, lazy, mildly offensive attempt at entertainment and humor.” We’ll have to wait and see how it’s received by audiences at large.

Nevertheless, it’s shaping up to be a good year for Cabezas, Landis and Kendrick. Cabezas will do his cable television directing debut in the third season of Penny Dreadful. Landis will premiere his shows Channel Zero and Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency on Sy-Fy and BBC America respectively. Meanwhile, Kendrick has Get a Job, Trolls, The Accountant, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, Table 19 and the Sundance hit The Hollars being released later this year.

Here’s the poster:

And if you want it on high resolution, here it is.

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Looking Back on 2006: A Prairie Home Companion

By

Oscar Moreno

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February 3, 2016

A Prairie Home Companion was Robert Altman’s last film before he would sadly leave us on the very same year of its release. It was inspired by the home variety radio show of the same title, with the story focusing on various performers and the people running the show as the’ve gathered for one last episode. The all-star cast includes Meryl Streep, John C. Reilly, Woody Harrelson, Lindsay Lohan, Kevin Kline, Lily Tomlin and Virginia Madsen.

Altman is known as the master of the ensemble film, and A Prairie Home Companion best showcases his abilities in telling that kind of story. A lot of films of its ilk make the mistake of simply cutting away just to move on to the same scene. Not Altman. Altman and screenwriter (and also, one of the stars of this movie) Garrison Keillor let each moment breathe, even if it’s just for one little gasp. Scenes have a beginning, middle and end, no matter how brief, always having a delightful and surprising pay-off. At the same time, and perhaps for this very reason, the movie never feels overwhelming and we never lose track of who’s who and what everyone’s doing. He uses the widescreen frame to great advantage, with gracious camera movements that enhance the actions.

The all-star cast does not disappoint. Every single performance is fine-tuned and wonderful to watch. It’s actually sad to see Lindsay Lohan in this movie, she does a great job and even sadder than in ten years, her career hasn’t quite found another opportunity like the one she had here. Everyone else delivers the golden performances you’d expect from them and a whole lot more.

Another great aspect of this movie is the music. I wouldn’t call myself a huge fan of the music portrayed here, but compared to Nashville, another Altman movie where I struggled to enjoy the musical performances, here it was the complete opposite. I had a blast watching these characters perform, maybe because they were so endearing.

And that’s the key to this whole movie, it’s just so endearing. It brushes with darkness quite often, but it’s an optimistic, sweet film about accepting the bad in your life and the fact that some day we are going to die. Altman himself knew that his age and health weren’t on his side when he made this film; he had to get Paul Thomas Anderson as a back-up director for insurance purposes, and in a lot of ways this movie feels like him accepting what was to come. But the movie doesn’t wallow in sadness or in regret, instead, it seems to apply the little mantra that he taught to Anderson on set: Giggle and give in.

You can get A Prairie Home Companion right here.

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Hyperloop Capsule from MIT Awarded, Robotic Mark Twain Reporting

By

Michael Bedford

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February 3, 2016

The future of mass transit is uncertain and, though traveling by steamboat was a viable option for my non-robotic original, not everyone can rely on the Mississippi River to get them to where they want to be, especially if they want to get to Los Angeles. One futuristic option put forth by increasingly industrious SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is the Hyperloop, a system which essentially involves electromagnetically propelling capsules at speeds of up to 1,220 kph (760 mph) through a pressurized tube that would stretch from LA to San Francisco. Interested or skeptical readers can learn more about the ambitious project here.

Hyperloop sketches — These sketches are the basis for Hyperloop capsule designs

Although some preliminary sketches of what capsules might look like were presented when the idea for the project was announced, little new information has been learned about the Hyperloop for some time. Recently, though, a design contest for the capsule was held, the winner of the contest getting a chance to test their designs this summer at the SpaceX Hyperloop test track. Perhaps not surprisingly due to the involved school’s prestige, the team from MIT was awarded the top honour.

Although not much information has come out about how this test run will work aside from the statements that the track would not be built to scale and that no humans would be aboard any test pods, it goes without saying that this test likely won’t address technical concerns such as how to deal with a capsule that’s stuck somewhere along the ride or how an earthquake could affect the structural integrity of the pressurized tube. In an interview at the Texas Transportation Forum Musk described the event basically as a glorified speed test acting as the first of many in what he envisions as a years-long, multi-billion dollar process.

Hyperloop sketch from MIT — A sketch of MIT’s capsule exterior

Such infrastructure-related difficulties bring into question the validity of the project, but Musk has proven that he and his various properties, including Tesla Motors and SpaceX, are nothing if not resourceful and tenacious. Until all the tests are run and the full scale project is complete, though, my screenplay about a super-powered Mark Twain robot will have to wait: I’ll just stick to piloting my steamboat on the Mississippi River. The traffic on the Santa Monica Freeway is unbearable.

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Crossover Between ‘The Flash’ and ‘Supergirl’ Confirmed

By

Anthony Composto - EIC

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February 3, 2016

After much speculation, DC has confirmed a crossover between The Flash and Supergirl.

The report states that Grant Gustin will play the Scarlet Speedster on an episode of Supergirl, set to air March 28th.

“We are so incredibly excited to announce something that we have dreamed of happening since we starting making Supergirl—The Flash and Supergirl are teaming up!,” said The Flash and Supergirl Executive Producers Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg. “We want to thank Grant Gustin for making the time to come visit (on top of his already immense workload) and all of the folks at CBS, The CW, Warner Bros. and DC for working this out. And finally thanks to the fans and journalists who have kept asking for this to happen. It is our pleasure and hope to create an episode worthy of everyone’s enthusiasm and support.”

The Flash Supergirl Greg Berlanti — Grant Gustin and Melissa Benoist with Greg Berlanti, producer of both shows. Photo courtesy of Variety.

DC also asks fans who they think would win in a footrace between the two heroes. Could they be teasing something that will play into the actual episode? Barry was known to race Kara’s cousin in the comics, sparking a friendly rivalry between the two.

Supergirl airs Mondays at 8pm on CBS; The Flash airs Tuesdays at 8pm on The CW.

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Arrow’s Mystery Grave: Who Dies This Season?

By

Jon Barr - TV Editor

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February 3, 2016

CW’s Arrow hasn’t killed off any main characters for a while now – in fact, they just resurrected one so she could hop on Legends of Tomorrow. But for their fourth season, they have teased the death of a presumably major character, showing Oliver Queen, distraught, at a grave site. While we know it’s not Oliver, Felicity Smoak, or Barry Allen (The Flash), the question remains – what character is Arrow preparing to kill off?

Thea Queen/Speedy (90% likely)

The major deaths we’ve already seen in Arrow are (SPOILERS!) Tommy and Moira. Moira, Oliver’s mother, was killed when Deathstroke made Oliver choose between Moira and Thea, his sister. Thea’s still alive today, but she is likely next up on the chopping block. Technically, she shouldn’t be alive, as she was brought back to life by the Lazarus Pit. Because of this resurrection, nowadays she’s erratic and violent in battle, which could lead to an impulsive decision that gets her killed. Damien Darhk is also fascinated by the dark energy that’s now flowing through her, and he nearly killed her earlier to get back at Oliver. While he didn’t know Oliver was the Green Arrow then, once he knows, Thea’s the logical target. Now it’s possible Darhk’s interest in Thea will mean he tries to keep her alive, for experiments or as a potential pawn, but she seems to be the most likely death of the show’s main cast.

John Diggle/Spartan (85% likely)

Diggle has really left his mark on Arrow, becoming so important in the TV show that he was actually added into the comics. His death would seriously upset Team Arrow, as he’s been there since the first episode. But as a character created for the TV show, he’s arguably less iconic, and therefor more expendable. There’s also the fact that Arrow has now introduced Andy, John’s younger brother, and they’ve made him more important as this season has progressed. It’s quite possible that he’s been built up as a replacement for John. Arrow doesn’t do a lot of big deaths in their show, at least not since Season 2, so it does seem a bit unlikely that they would kill such a key character. But clearly they want to stress how big this death is, and it’s hard to think whose death could be as moving as John’s.

Laurel Lance/Black Canary (75% likely)

As terrible as it sounds, I want it to be Laurel. Not because I especially hate her, but because she hasn’t really been as important or interesting this season. Now that Thea and John are more regularly joining Oliver in the fighting, there’s less of a need for the Black Canary to be there. It would be karma for brining Sara back to life – there could be some moment where Nyssa pops back up and says “this is what happens when you bring people back to life.” Also, it’s possible Darhk would want to kill Laurel as retribution for Quentin, her father, betraying him. However, it seems more unlikely that they would kill off a character as iconic as Black Canary, who is married to Green Arrow and a Justice League member in the comics. It’s improbable they’d be willing to kill her off, but it is clearly meant to be a big, earth-shattering death, and the death of Black Canary could be that big of an event.

Quentin Lance (70% likely)

He’s been working for Darhk, and he’s now betrayed him for Oliver. Darhk’s not dumb. If he doesn’t know now, it certainly won’t take him long to figure out. And it makes sense that Darhk would use the death of Quentin as a message to Oliver not to try and cross him any further. However, the dynamic between Quentin and Oliver is constantly shifting between the two of them working together, then being enemies with different views of justice. I think it’s more likely they’ll go back to the latter dynamic, where whoever died makes Oliver vengeful, while a still alive Quentin Lance will tell him to keep a level head.

Donna Smoak (65% likely)

Now while it’s possible Darhk killed someone to send Oliver a message, it’s also possible Darhk wants to send Quentin a message for betraying him. And now that Quentin has sparked up a relationship with Donna, he’s got an emotional connection beyond his daughters. She’s not really been around enough to be that major of a character, and she’s usually only brought in for some easy comedy/emotions for Felicity, so I doubt it’s her, but it’s possible, now that she’s also got the connection to Quentin. And since Oliver and Felicity are married, it makes sense that they would be the two faces we see, anguished and ready to strike back at Darhk.

William, Oliver’s son (50% likely)

If you don’t know who this is, no worries – William has only appeared on Arrow a couple of times, hence why he’s so low on the list. Oliver impregnated a young woman, Samantha, back in his playboy days, and Moira paid her off to never tell Oliver. But Oliver does eventually find Samantha, and meets his son William. So far we’ve only seen William in a handful of episodes, and he and Oliver have only talked once in “Legends of Yesterday.” It’s possible they brought in William only to have his death be a serious gut-punch to Oliver, but that seems like wasted potential, and therefor unlikely. It’s more likely that he’ll be kept alive and pop up whenever the writers need a B or C storyline.

Roy Harper/Arsenal (45% likely)

While Roy has officially been off the main squad for a while, the fact that he left Starling means that he’s still alive, and can still be killed off. We do know from a series of promo pictures that Arsenal does step back into the show, even if only for a single episode, to help Team Arrow take down classic DC villain The Calculator. He hasn’t really mattered in a minute, so it seems unlikely that they’d write him off the show, then immediately write him in and kill him. I’d only expect Roy to die if the actor, Colton Haynes, is trying to cut all ties to the show.

Lyla Michaels (30% likely)

Talk about a wasted character. Since Lyla quit A.R.G.U.S, she’s shown up rather infrequently, often only coming in to tell John he’s being stupid while holding their daughter, Sara. With the death of Amanda Waller, it’s possible Lyla will take over A.R.G.U.S. and thereby put herself in more potential danger. However, it seems far more likely the writers want to kill off A.R.G.U.S. so people focus on the Suicide Squad iteration, which means Lyla is likely going to remain alive and somewhat relevant for at least the rest of this season.

Andy Diggle (25% likely)

Out of all the characters who could conceivably be killed, Andy would be the worst and most nonsensical choice. Having only been around for five episodes, killing him off this early would be premature, to say the least. Also, it plain wouldn’t make sense for Oliver to be the one mourning, as opposed to John or possibly Lyla. While I’m interested to see what the writers continue to do with Andy, he flat out doesn’t matter enough right now to be the death that has been hyped up for so long.

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The Pros And Cons Of Movie Trailers

By

Cade Onder

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February 3, 2016

Movie trailers are a powerful tool used by movie studios. Sometimes they don’t use this tool properly though. Some studios have actually started unintentionally ruining key moments in movies through its promotional material. It’s gotten to the point where you want to plug your ears and close your eyes during most trailers for fear of seeing just about everything the film has to offer.

Movies like Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice have marketed in such a way that there is a little mystery or intrigue surrounding the plot. We already know Doomsday is the main villain, which seemed like it was supposed to be a surprise but due to some leaks and rumors they just dropped him into a trailer. They’ve heavily implied Darkseid is in the movie, and we’ve seen a barrage of the cool action moments. If someone just edited every trailer, TV spot and clip into one video, you could probably piece together a good chunk of the movie. Just imagine sitting in the theater and seeing Doomsday show up having no knowledge of him being in the film, or seeing Robin’s costume in the Batcave. Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice will probably be a satisfying, enjoyable, fun film. DC and Warner Bros. have a lot riding on it, so it has to be good. It just would’ve been nicer if Warner Bros. stopped showing so much.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fis-9Zqu2Ro[/embedyt]

It’s not a problem with just Batman V Superman though, that’s just one of the most recent examples. It’s happened to The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Avenger’s: Age of Ultron, and many others. Here are some pros and cons surrounding the current state of movie trailers…

Pro: A good movie trailer builds excitement for fans and can even attract new fans

There are times where a movie gets announced, and the initial announcement doesn’t excite, causing the film to drift off my radar. Then, an amazing trailer gets released and my hype muscle flexes! The most recent example of this is Suicide Squad; the first trailer didn’t do a whole lot for me and the images we got for The Joker were a major turn-off. Then we got the beautiful second trailer. This second trailer is edited perfectly to the beats of Queen’s classic song, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” we get the perfect taste of action and humor and our first extended look at the craziness of Jared Leto’s Joker, and it teases us with an interesting story without giving too much away. This trailer completely changed people’s opinion of the film and attracted more fans, all by crafting a well-made trailer.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmRih_VtVAs[/embedyt]

Con: A bad movie trailer can spoil too much of the plot or show too many crucial scenes

I mentioned this in my first few paragraphs: if you aren’t careful with how you edit and release trailers you can potentially spoil a movie. Some trailers go the extra mile and show the very last shot of the movie (hello, The Amazing Spider-Man 2). Obviously, you’d want to share some details of the plot before the film’s release, but don’t release so much that it’s easy to predict the movie from start to finish. We shouldn’t be sitting in the theater thirty minutes away from the end of the film thinking “Oh, here comes that cool shot from the trailer!” We should be engrossed in the movie. There should be genuine surprises. Not every cool thing needs to be in the trailer. The easiest way to prevent a film from being spoiled in previews is to shorten the trailer. A trailer should give you a brief taste of the film and make you want more. You shouldn’t feel like you don’t have to see the movie because of the trailer. In my opinion, a trailer shouldn’t be more than a minute or two.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlM2CWNTQ84[/embedyt]

Pro: A good movie trailer can create lots of buzz and intrigue around the film

Look at the trailer for 10 Cloverfield Lane; we pretty much have no idea what’s happening in the movie. Everyone wants to know how the hell this is tied to Cloverfield and the audience’s interest in the film is at its peak. You could say “Well, it has the branding of Cloverfield attached to it so of course people are interested.” Which is true, but let’s look at the first trailer for the original Cloverfield. You weren’t given a title at the end of the trailer, literally no one had any clue what this movie was, and it had the haunting image of The Statue of Liberty’s head lying in the middle of the street of New York City. It’s probably one of the most brilliant trailers ever created; fans scoured the internet for more information on the film. Was it connected to Godzilla or Voltron, yes I said Voltron I know it’s silly. If the marketing for Cloverfield wasn’t so brilliant, Cloverfield might not have been the success it was and we probably wouldn’t be here eagerly awaiting 10 Cloverfield Lane’s release.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saHzng8fxLs[/embedyt]

Con: A bad movie trailer can mislead people in a bad way

Some movies don’t even know how to market their film, or a studio tries to sell the movie in a certain way that doesn’t accurately portray the film. The most recent and prominent example of this is The Gift. The movie was advertised as a relatively generic horror film while in reality the film was a dramatic thriller with a pretty good life lesson. If the option of seeing either The Gift or the travesty that is Fantastic Four (2015) hadn’t been given to me I would have probably never watched The Gift. Only a few days before I saw it was when the film had been brought to my attention, and it didn’t look particularly good, it just seemed incredibly generic. Once the credits had rolled for the movie, I instantly knew it would make my top 10 films of 2015, maybe even top 5. I expected this movie to blow up all over the place, but I have barely seen anyone talk about it aside from some YouTube channels that review movies. I genuinely believe the film was affected by its misleading marketing. There are many ways to edit a trailer together, but if you’re advertising a dramatic thriller advertise it as a dramatic thriller, not a generic horror movie!

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzWd71frxhY[/embedyt]

Obviously, I am no Don Draper from Mad Men. My marketing degree has yet to arrive in the mail, but the fact that someone can write an opinion piece on what is wrong with trailers is a problem. Trailers aren’t a bad thing; they are exciting and fun to watch! Studios just need to be more careful on how they edit a trailer. Hopefully, we can bring back the amazing trailers that we got in the early 2000’s that give you butterflies in your stomach but don’t show much of the actual plot, similar to the phenomenal trailer we got for Spider-Man 2 (2004). Do you agree with what I have said or do you have anything you want to add? Let me know in the comments below!

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The 10 Essential Movie Car Chases

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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February 3, 2016

Car chases are a staple of action cinema. They can serve the story, or seemingly exist in a vacuum outside the plot. The best car chases in film history have a mixture of sharp camera work and visceral street-level anxiety. They make you lean to the left or the right in your chair, grab the armrest, or shield your eyes as the subjects narrowly avoid certain disaster. Obstacles and tricky street navigation, pedestrians and precarious situations all play into the best car chases, and here are ten of the very best.

Quick Disclaimer: There’s no need to include any Fast and Furious chases here. There are seven of those films already, and their entire existence is predicated upon the car chase. The best Fast and Furious car chases is a list that could expand beyond ten by itself. The same goes for Mad Max, The Road Warrior, or Fury Road… these are chase films, not films with chases in them. For the sake of diversity, let’s leave those on the side.

10. Jack Reacher – In the middle of what was an otherwise average film is a muscle-bound, three-pronged car chase. Tom Cruise’s Jack Reacher is chasing the villains, while Reacher is being pursued by the cops, and Chris McQuarrie’s camera work is stellar. And more than anything else, this is a master class in sound design.

9. The Seven-Ups – this relatively unseen crime drama apes on the success of The French Connection two years earlier, and even has Roy Scheider to bridge the gap between the two. This busy chase is all screeching tires on the soundtrack and 70s cars, heavy, the size of small freighters.

8. The Blues Brothers – One of the rare car chases in film working on comedy rather than tension. This pursuit was famous for using more cars than any other chase, and the pursuit through a mall creates some wonderfully insane laughs.

7. Ronin – Much like Jack Reacher, this chase elevates what is an otherwise middling picture. The tight city streets of Paris and other foreign ports always welcome in an all new set of obstacles and potential for disaster, and John Frankenheimer plays up these elements to perfection.

6. Drive – The opening scene of Drive, incredible in its own right, might deserve a spot here. But that was more an elusive cat-and-mouse pursuit. And when held up next to the brief chase in the middle of the film, with Gosling’s car flying down the road backwards, it doesn’t have the same hard-charged muscle. Short, and to the point.

5. The Bourne Supremacy – Paul Greengrass’s frenetic camera work creates a sense of disorientation in this chase. This is a heap of twisted metal, racing along wet city streets and crushing cars and obstacles until the final crash in the tunnel, which almost comes as a relief.

4. The French Connection – This has always been one of the defining car chases in action cinema. William Friedkin opted to not worry about permits or any sort of legal permissions before he shot this inventive chase between a car and an elevated train. As important as this is in the realm of movie car chases, it’s not even Friedkin’s finest hour in this department.

3. The Dead Pool – What is often overlooked, mostly because this is the last and most forgotten Dirty Harry film, is the wonderful inventiveness in this chase. A remote control car wired with explosives chases Harry and his partner through the rolling San Francisco streets. Never mind the logistics of this, it’s purely delightful, amusing, and thrilling.

2. To Live and Die in LA – This is William Friedkin’s finest hour when it comes to car chases, and probably filmmaking in my opinion. It’s amazing to even think about the logistics of this chase, with so many cars in danger as our hero hurtles down the freeway on the wrong side. The chase builds and the scope expands the entire time.

1. Bullitt – Here it is, the godfather of car chases. Filmed three years before The French Connection, this is the template for cinematic car chases each and every chase of its kind was built upon. Steve McQueen’s Mustang screams off the soundtrack, and the extended chase moves with a rapid fire intensity.

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Review: ‘The People v. O.J. Simpson’ Starts Strong

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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February 3, 2016

Ryan Murphy’s The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story is a larger than life story, filled to the brim with bombastic personalities, loaded with salacious tabloid fodder. The trial of O.J. was, at least in a way, responsible for ushering in the reality TV craze, redefining our penchant for true-crime narrative. So it’s only fitting the FX show fills out a cast with easily recognizable personalities in central roles, rather than disguise these central figures with relative unknowns to avoid distraction. It makes perfect sense, and even when you see the likes of Cuba Gooding Jr. and John Travolta chewing scenery, their ham-fisted deliveries work in concert with the subject matter.

This is not an exercise in subtlety, and it shouldn’t be. Gooding is O.J., “The Juice,” and this first episode focuses on the night of the murder, the investigation, and the way the investigation slowly but surely lands at Simspson’s feet. There is the discovery of the body, where we meet Detective Mark Furman, and the chaos that ensued. On the county side, Sarah Paulson absolutely embodies prosecutor Marcia Clark, an angry and eager district attorney whose tunnel vision ultimately unraveled the prosecution’s case. She has it out for Simpson, not because she had any idea who he was beforehand, but because he has been getting away with abuse for years.

Simpson’s friends and his ultimate all-star team of defense lawyers each get their moment in this first episode. We get a few small scenes with Kato Kaelin, Simpson’s pool house leech played by Billy Magnussen with a sharp angle of stoner moron. David Schwimmer is Robert Kardashian, desperate to help his friend because he just can’t believe Juice could do such a terrible thing. Schwimmer plays Kardashian as a tamped down version of Ross, sad-eyed and mopey, but he isn’t a distraction. Courtney B. Vance is Johnnie Cochran, a celebrity lawyer who we first meet in his closet – larger than most two-bedroom houses – trying to pick out a suit for the day. His wife suggests lime green, but he doesn’t think it’s the best choice because he has to go out to Neverland ranch and “MJ is afraid of that color.” Cochran was a shark seeking out fame at every turn, and despite the sensationalism surrounding Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman’s murder, he wants nothing to do with it. Yet.

And then there is Robert Shapiro, Simpson’s lead attorney played here by John Travolta. I don’t know much about Shapiro beyond what we all saw on Court TV, but Travolta is decidedly over the top. He plays Shapiro as an eccentric, flamboyant a little, with a measured cadence and a slightly effeminate disposition. It’s weird, but perhaps Shapiro was that way; I doubt it, however, and it seems this is simply Travolta’s oddball present-day acting shining through. But you buy into it, because the momentum of the show pushes forward and you don’t worry about technique from the performers.

Ryan Murphy’s melodramatic tendencies are on display in The People v. O.J. Simpson, but I can’t imagine a story more deserving of said theatrics. There is no actor disappearing into a role here, it’s big personalities playing even bigger personalities, living on tabloid pages and in the media. For that reason it works. We end episode one with the white Bronco driving erratically down the freeway, so clearly this show isn’t going to let up any time soon.

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Does Anyone Want To Own the Bat-Signal?

By

Dewey Singleton - Film Critic

-

February 3, 2016

Batman fans have a unique opportunity to purchase some ultimate memorabilia, by bidding on the Bat-Signal used as a prop in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, per an e-bay listing, that went live this week.

The prop, identified as a modified WWII searchlight Military Army Jeep, has been listed for sale at $65,000 on the popular online auction site. Here’s the link to the E-Bay auction. E-Bay Bat Signal

According to the E-Bay Listing-

“The WWII General Electric searchlight was leased to the movie production company at the Michigan Motion Picture Studios in Pontiac, Michigan in the summer of 2014,” reads the auction description in part. “I have full documentation on this light being used on set for the movie. After production, the searchlight was returned without the “bat logo” which I replaced with an exact duplicate. The large knife switch seen sparking in the trailer was added for dramatic effect, and is not part of the searchlight.”

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 mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before. Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice opens in March.

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