Review: The 100 ‘Wanheda: Part 1’ – Setting the Pieces

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January 22, 2016

The CW’s The 100 returned this Thursday evening after a long hiatus, finally giving viewers some answers to the questions left hanging after Clarke (Eliza Taylor) and Bellamy’s (Bob Morley) genocidal act which saved their people and brought an unsteady truce with the Grounders.

Ultimately, we were treated with more of what The 100 has given to us in the past, only to be a little let down with the obvious fact that it’s resetting pieces in order to hopefully kick them all over a cliff after kissing them on the lips.

Three months after the Mt. Weather incident, former members of the Ark are gardening, kids are playing soccer, contraceptive implants are being removed and people are generally enjoying life on earth. This is where we find our friends in the newly dubbed camp, “Arkadia”.

Bellamy and Lincoln (Ricky Whittle) have seemingly taken up the mantle of leading the non-adult troops and training them in the physical ways of the Grounders. Not shying away from the eye candy the show is wont to provide, we get a glimpse of Bellamy and Lincoln shirtlessly and brutally sparring. This friendship seems easy now but it is sure to be a lulling technique that I won’t trust for long.

Gearing up for a routine scout mission, they round up their crew which includes a drunken, apathetic Jasper (Devon Bostick), a now fully Grounded Octavia (Marie Avgeropoulos), Monty (Christopher Larkin) and Raven (Lindsey Morgan). On this scout, they receive a distress signal from what seems to be another piece of the Ark fallen to Earth– Farm Station. Bellamy makes the call to check out the signal without notifying the Chancellor because it’s Marty’s home station and the station from which Nathan’s (Jarod Joseph) boyfriend is from (the first sign this season that this show is indeed The 100 that we all know and love — a character is gay, no big deal). Instead of finding more Sky Folk, they are greeted by a team of Grounders from Ice Nation who have taken Farm Station’s homing beacon as a souvenir for reasons unknown. Octavia tries to deescalate the situation as the Grounder leader asks for the location of a certain “Wanheda” but an off-his-rocker Jasper gets himself in trouble, forcing a firefight which leaves the Grounders killed or incapacitated. So much for that uneasy truce…

Meanwhile, our friend Clarke is setting up panther traps with sweet innocent bunnies and jumping out of trees with a huge knife. Clarke has been surviving off these trappings and killings, taking her goods to a local Grounder trading post. Now sporting long red locks and an incessantly muddy countenance, she trades her goods with the woman at the outpost, Niylah, and their flirtatious manner isn’t subtext (in CW shows, even downtrodden outpost clerks are stunning human specimens). Soon, a member of the Grounder Ice Nation enters carrying a makeshift wanted poster depicting the Wanheda — Clarke.

The Ice Nation Grounder is sent away and the outpost woman tends to Clarke’s wounds, telling her that Waneda means “Commander of Death”. The Grounders look at Clarke as both a savior and another thing to conquer. Many Grounders believe that they can attain the powers of whatever they kill and “Commander of Death” is a pretty savory title to ingest. Clarke shifts the power back into her court as she reverses on Niylah and kisses her. Clarke and Niylah make love leaving the audience to question what Clarke is really trying to achieve with this act. Clarke is a woman who hates being out of control, but is also known to make some notable mistakes in learning her boundaries.

Soon, this mistake is personified when Clarke leaves Niylah sleeping in bed in the outpost and she is greeted outside by the Ice Nation Grounder as he places a knife against her throat.

Picking back up from where we left our Destiny-driven Jaha (Isaiah Washington) and notorious nihilist Murphy (Richard Harmon), things hang in a similarly precarious balance. Murphy ends up trapped in that strange luxury obelisk for nearly 90 days where he is forced (but seemingly just chooses to) watch that horrific home movie over and over again which details where our friendly (?) AI friend, A.L.I.E., came from and possibly how the earth was scorched over a hundred years ago. Finally let loose from this prison and on the edge of suicide, Murphy is able to make his way to the mansion where Jaha is now content with his new computer friend and disfigured servant-person, Gideon. Jaha is seen meditating where he claims that he is able to visit the City of Light and tries to persuade Murphy to ingest a strange disc so he can see it in all its glory as well. Murphy being Murphy, he isn’t about to follow Jaha on more pipe dream delusions, even in this particular one seemed to come to some sort of fruition.

It seems that Jaha was able to help the AI unlock the secrets in creating a sustainable energy source from the nuclear warhead. As Jaha is about to catch a boat to head back to the “mainland”, Murphy insists he’s done with this search. It isn’t until he sees the traitorous woman with the disfigured hand he befriended, Emori, (and who thusly gave them the clue essential to getting Jaha and Murphy to this point) captaining the boat. He’s back on board… for now.

The only moment that took me out of this particular episode comes toward the end when we get an unnecessary cameo from singer Shawn Mendes where he plays the piano and sings a poignant song over a montage of our heroes traveling to their next destinations. For a show that has come to redefine what it means to be a “CW show”, this struck a little too close to the dark past when many shows would end with this “hip” moment. The 100 resorting back to its most juvenile material since the pilot isn’t something I enjoy but will take with a grain of salt that we either get more of Mendes’ character, or this sort of thing is just a one-off.

This being the first entry of a two-part pilot, it leaned heavily on set up and exposition with very many questions left dangling which will certainly either be solved next week or throughout the course of the season. Bellamy has a new girlfriend. Lincoln and Octavia share a troubled Romeo and Juliet relationship, Monty deals with his best friend’s instability. Intra-Grounder politics and territories come to light. Clarke is no doubt thinking about Lexa. Kane (Henry Ian Cusick)and Abigail (Paige Turco) handle being effectively second-in-command to these kids who are no longer really kids and must come to terms with their own relationship.

There’s no reason to not look forward to more socially poignant, feminist, delicious storytelling yet to come. I can’t wait to have my heart ripped out again and again.

“The outside world means nothing. In the City of Light, we’re all kings.” – Jaha

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Cate Blanchett To Play Hela In ‘Thor: Ragnarok’

By

Matthew Sardo

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January 22, 2016

Early this month the rumor mill got very hot with the possibility of Cate Blanchett joining the cast of Thor: Ragnarok. Then Mark Ruffalo let slip in an interview that he was very excited that Blanchett was a baddie in the movie. The only two realistic options for a female villain in Thor: Ragnarok were the Enchantress and Hela. Geek is reporting that the main villain in the film will be Hela.

If you put Ruffalo’s statement with the Geek article, Marvel Studios wants Blanchet to portray Hela in Thor: Ragnarok. No official announcement has been made by Marvel Studios, at this point, we are just connecting the dots.

The article by Geek also claims to have a partial plot of the film and Hela’s impact on Avengers: Infinity War.

The article suggests that Hela could replace the physical embodiment of Death that Mad Titan Thanos falls in love with when he obtains the Infinity Gauntlet in the comic books on which the Avengers: Infinity War movies are loosely based.

In ‘Thor: Ragnarok,’ Hela and Loki will have set their plan well in motion by the time Thor gets wise to what’s going on. Hela ends up creating the incident to Thor’s journey in the film. According to our sources, when Thor confronts Hela, things do not go well. Not only does she banish Thor from Asgard, but she destroys Mjolnir!

Hela ‘Queen of the Dead’
The three Asgardian goddesses of fate, the Norns, are said to have warned the Asgardian gods that Hela would prove to be a great danger to them. Odin, ruler of the Asgardian gods, decreed that Hela would become goddess and ruler of the spirits of the dead on the day of her maturity. These spirits were in the other-dimensional realms of Hel and Niflheim, two more of the Nine Worlds, both of which Hela ruled. However, Odin himself directly ruled the souls of Asgardians and their human worshippers who died in battle as heroes, and had the palace of Valhalla built in a distant section of Asgard to house them.

Thor: Ragnarok is directed by Taika Waititi, Christopher Yost and Craig Kyle are working on the script, and the film stars Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Jaimie Alexander, Ray Stevenson, and Anthony Hopkins.

Thor: Ragnarok will destroy the universe on November 3, 2017.

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Happy Australian Day From Your Pal ‘Deadpool’

By

Dewey Singleton - Film Critic

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January 21, 2016

Deadpool will be hitting theaters in less than a month, and the Merc with a Mouth has another message for his fans. This time, he’s reaching out to his good friends in Australia. In this latest trailer, the Merc with a Mouth praises Australia, saying he’d fit right in with its

“shady criminal past, it’s predilection for blackout drinking, and unrelenting condescension towards New Zealand.” However, he says he can’t forgive Australia for giving the world Wolverine.

The character Wolverine is Canadian while

“I’ve got no problems with Hugh, I mean he’s a delightful guy,” Deadpool clarified. “But the movie [X-Men Origins: Wolverine], that was a career low for me.”

Based upon Marvel Comics’ most original anti-hero, Deadpool tells the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, he hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life.Starring Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller, Ed Skrein, Gina Carano, and Brianna Hildebrand, Deadpool is set to be released on February 12.

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Meet The Squad – Amanda Waller

By

Mat Douglas

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January 21, 2016

The world is abuzz with the recent trailer for Suicide Squad and a more thorough introduction of the characters we’ll be meeting this summer. Now while Harley Quinn and Deadshot get the focus of the trailer, the hand that guides the team makes a small appearance. Talking about finding ‘the worst of the worst’ and ‘throwing them in a hole and throwing away the hole’ is Amanda Waller, and she just might be the most dangerous character in the film.

Portrayed by Emmy Winner Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder), Amanda Waller is a serious mover and shaker in the DC Universe. Making her first appearance in 1986, Waller is one of the few non powered characters you don’t want to cross. She is usually seen as tasked with recruitment and assignments for the Suicide Squad, but has filled other roles in her various appearances throughout the DC Universe.

Amanda Waller - Suicide Squad — Amanda Waller (voiced by CCH Pounder)

Her first appearance outside of the comics was in the Justice League Unlimited animated series as director of Project Cadmus. She was responsible for various plots to discredit the Justice League. She commissioned the creation of the Ultimen, a corporate sponsored superhero team, and also helped to engineer Galatea, a clone of Supergirl. Waller would end up assisting the Justice League at the end of season one and help them to defeat a merged Lex Luthor/Brainiac super entity. Also known as ‘The Wall’, she has made multiple appearances throughout various DC animated movies and a video game appearance in Batman: Arkham Origins.

Her prior live action appearances in the ninth season of Smallville, and currently in Arrow and The Flash have her as head of Checkmate and A.R.G.U.S. respectively. No powers, but all the stroke and influence she needs to get the job at hand done. One of her defining moments is during season one of JLU is when Batman asks who she is and her response is “I wouldn’t probe too much, rich boy”.

She has little problem telling the most powerful beings in the world what the score is, and has a penchant for getting them to do what she wants them to do, be it by leverage, blackmail, or other means.

If you would like to familiarize yourself with Amanda Waller prior to seeing Suicide Squad this summer, you can find her in Justice League Unlimited on Netflix, various episodes of Arrow or The Flash, season nine of Smallville, and the direct to video release Batman: Assault On Arkham

Suicide Squad releases nationwide on August 5, 2016

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Review: ‘The X-Files’ Revival is Off and Running

By

Dewey Singleton - Film Critic

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January 21, 2016

The X-Files make it’s highly anticipated return to television and finds itself in a world not all that different from the one it left behind. The X-Files was groundbreaking and ushered in a new age of science fiction television. However, the show fizzled out in May of 2002 as the world sought out television that had heroes thwarting terrorists and avoided programming where the government was the bad guy.

It’s 14 years later; The X-Files certainly has a place in the post-Snowden world. The mistrust of our government is at an all-time high, and outsiders like Fox Mulder are getting more brazen as they attempt to figure out the truth. Even with the right sentiment, the premiere episode of this revival will turn the hardcore fans into skeptics. At the beginning of the first episode, the audience is treated to a rousing refresher course on the X-Files and opening notes of Mark Snow’s iconic theme song hits positive notes that few shows have during the recent TV revival craze. FOX is not trying to play only to the die-hard fans of the series but appeal to a new audience in concert. It gets fans, new and old, hooked right away.

This first episode is a bit of a slow burn. Writer and Director Chris Carter didn’t attempt to cram a whole mess of nostalgia into the first episode but certainly laid the groundwork for a potentially fantastic six episode arch. Joel Mchale plays a political pundit whose interests are similar to Mulder’s. Mchale’s character claims to not only know the truth about aliens but claims to have proof, which he will share with the world on his TV Show. Mulder and Scully stumble into a conspiracy that could center around government deceit about the alien phenomenon. Are we alone? Not likely… but are there darker presences controlling all of this? That’s the question left unanswered.

David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson have a realistic amount of chemistry in the first episode. It would have been highly suspect if Scully and Mulder picked up right where they left off, so having a guarded amount of chemistry was the right call. We have to remember, Scully and Mulder have a history together, and it wasn’t all moonbeams and sunshine.

Carter does an excellent job laying out a plausible set of events that not only draw Scully and Mulder into investigating the X-Files, but it sets up who potentially could have been at the center of all this intrigue from the start. Carter does this in such way, X-Files superfans will swoon. And the new fans (like myself) will be deeply satisfied and wanting to see where this all leads. Overall, after a 14-year-old layoff and everything that this first episode had to accomplish, the first episode of the X-Files revival is a rousing success, and there is ample reason for optimism.

At the helm of the middle episodes are Glen and Darin Morgan, who wrote or co-wrote some of the series’ all-time classics (“Blood,” “Humbug”, and “Jose Chung’s from Outer Space”). “The Truth is Out There” and the truth is that the X-Files reboot is off to a great start.

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Musicians of New York: Late Cambrian

By

Robert Franco

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January 21, 2016

Late Cambrian is a Brooklyn based Indie Electro/Pop/Rock band that creates catchy tunes from the mind of the band’s frontman John N. Wlaysewski, who is involved in practically the whole process of making the songs. I met him through my pals, Regret the Hour, at an event they both played called Converse Get Out Of The Garage Music Contest for 2015 at Rubber Tracks. You can’t meet a nicer human being than John, as it was incredibly easy to invite him to my college radio program at Hunter College, and we produced a great conversation that you can listen to HERE. John is a highly creative and experimental musician, who has undergone many phases; impacting him to continuously create original sounds, melodies, and vocals. He feels that he’s been really hitting his stride creatively, and finally starting to produce music that sounds more and more of where he wants to go. He just hopes his fans will be go along with the ride he wants to take them on. In our interview, John divulged on his process, his evolution, and the future of Late Cambrian, so fans and newcomers will get juicy and informative details of this up-and-coming band! Enjoy!

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO1QhCdYkR4[/embedyt]

Bob Franco: Let’s start with your musical influences and how music has been involved in your life?

John N. Wlaysewski of Late Cambrian: When I started playing guitar i was listening to a lot of classic rock; Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and other bands from the 70’s. It informed my playing a lot, those bands had great guitar players with really creative riff ideas. I’v gone through a lot of different phases of music. I was really into Weezer – Pinkerton for a while. I spent a summer absorbing Radiohead albums and another summer listening to Phoenix and Battles. Every new band teaches something new about production and recording and singing. I’m always learning something new about how to express myself through songwriting because of all the great music out there.

Bob: Describe how you evolved as a musician, particularly your transition from guitar player to lead singer…

John: It took a long time to get from guitar player to singer. I’ve always been the guitar player in a band, giving my input from a musical perspective. Learning to sing was the best thing. It opened the doors to new forms of expression. The new music we have coming out soon was written without a bass player. I am so happy I got to play bass and synthesizer on the new music. The guitar has kind of taken on a different role in the music now. It’s more of the atmosphere and lead instrument, whereas, earlier on in the band it was the main rhythm and the driving force behind the sound. I can’t wait ti unveil the new songs and put them on stage!

Bob: How would you describe Late Cambrian in sound? How have you evolved since your recent album Golden Time?

John: Late Cambrian has grown up in public, that is to say, we’ve been in a constant state of evolution since we got together. The first album , The Last Concert, sounds like crunchy college rock with squealing guitars and distorted bass. Social Season and PEACH were Power-Pop records. Golden Time was really close to where I want the sound to be, it’s more of an electro pop/rock record, but the newest stuff that we are writing and recording is what excites me most. Our first single, ‘Dark Heart (Where Can We Go Now?)’ is straight up Electro-Pop, almost EDM but with live drums. We have a second single coming out real soon called ‘Yearbook Photo’ that moves into Passion Pit territory and I love it. I’m feeling really good about the new music after Golden Time. Our bass player left the band after Golden Time, and I’ve been writing a lot of the new stuff starting with bass lines. I love playing bass and I feel like the new EP will be a great new sound for us.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_aSLMV-SKo[/embedyt]

Bob: So you have a hand in writing the lyrics, the constructing instrumentation, and mixing; what’s the most difficult aspect of that for you?

John: Among other things, I’m also a producer, and I love putting on the producer hat when looking at Late Cambrian stuff. Creating the riffs and melodies and filling out the music with strings and percussion is so much fun. I think the hardest part for me is writing lyrics. They tend to just show up when I’m not expecting it and I have to be ready to write them down, and then grab a guitar and play and sing the song in order to create more lyrics. For me, writing lyrics is about tapping into the song emotionally and letting the universe speak to me through the music. When I sit down to write I don’t always get good lyrics. I feel like a medium channelling lyrics rather than a writer. Sometimes I wish I could just write them.

Bob: How do you incorporate the other members of your band?

John: With most songs I have written and mapped out the music at home and recorded a demo of the song. I send it to the band and they write parts and we eventually get in a studio and work out how to play and record the new music. We all add our special feeling to the songs to make the Late Cambrian songs, but they do start as demos that I send around to everyone.

Bob: What do you consider your greatest success as a musician?

John: When Late Cambrian toured the UK, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, The Netherlands and Germany opening for Wheatus (Teenage Dirtbag). We played non-stop, 26 shows in 30 days. I learned so much on tour, and met so many new friends and fans. The shows went so well that we sold out of our merch twice (I had someone mail me new stuff from the USA). It showed me that taking our songs to another country might be the best option for Late Cambrian to get our music to new people.

Bob: Thanks John, you’re always a great interview! Is there anything you’d like to plug?

John: Please visit our official website: http://www.latecambrian.com and check up on our progress, watch music videos and stay up to date on new shows and music. Thank you Bob.

Late Cambrian is on Twitter, Facebook, and most social media.

Also, click HERE to experience Late Cambrian’s musical evolution on SoundCloud!

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Road to ‘Batman V Superman’: ‘Superman III’

By

Nick Enquist

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January 21, 2016

Superman III is bizarrely similar to Batman Forever: they both focus on comedic appeal rather than a devout adaptation, they have weird new villains that weren’t met with the most praise, and they both try to do something new with their respective mythos. The difference is, while Batman Forever raised some interesting ideas, Superman III didn’t. The film suffers heavily from jarring choices to reexamine the character of Superman, and overly complex story elements that are confusing at best and boring at worst. It also wastes one of the greatest comedy legends of all time. The film is not good, and commits the crime of establishing the public perception that Superman is boring.

Richard Lester returned to direct, and screen writers David and Leslie Newman returned to generate a script that could evolve Clark Kent and his adventures. So, where do you take arguably the most famous of superheroes? What daring exploits could the invulnerable, all-powerful Superman find himself in? His high school reunion… I wish that was a joke (Though I do suppose that it’s a slight step up from prom, but not much of a step). Of course, after the awful opening slap stick sequence involving a blind guy, a mime, and a literal pie in the face, I’m not sure why I’m disappointed.

Ah yes, the true essence of comedy are mimes and pratfalls.

So, yes, Clark Kent pitches a piece to his editor, Perry White, about the all American tradition of the high school reunion. It is an interesting concept to see Clark go back to his roots, but there are so many opportunities and places for the character to go that sending him to something as mundane as a high school reunion just squanders any excitement the film might’ve had. Did anybody really want to see Superman interact with the cliché high school bully who’s now a pathetic loser? Or reconnect with the girl who got away?

Speaking of the girl who got away, Lois Lane has a very small part in the film because Margot Kidder vehemently disagreed with Richard Donner being replaced with Richard Lester during the production of Superman II. So instead of seeing more of the great interaction between Clark Kent and Lois Lane, we get actress Annette O’Toole (who also played Martha Kent on Smallville) as high school sweetheart Lana Lang. Lana does have a long and varied history in Superman comics, so it’s nice to see her on the big screen. However, O’Toole plays Lana Lang like a character from a romance novel. She’s very wistful, and yearns for something more in her life, but has responsibilities and just doesn’t know how break free from the invisible chains Smallville has wrapped around her. Her scenes definitely slow the movie to a crawl, but they aren’t bad necessarily, they just feel like they’re for a different movie.

While Clark is at his high school reunion, a new villain enters the picture with a convoluted plot to start importing coffee from Colombia, but then it evolves to importing oil, then evolves to killing Superman, and then finally evolves to creating a computer that can do anything, which in turn creates artificial intelligence. The plot is so baffling and confusing compared to the simplicity of the other stories. The villain behind it all doesn’t sell the ridiculousness of the plot as well as Gene Hackman did. His name is Webster, played by Robert Vaughn, and he diet Luthor; same evil millionaire, half the interesting. It wouldn’t be as glaringly thin if Webster was puppet master for another villain like Metallo, or Parasite, or Toyman, but he’s the main bad guy…

Along with Richard Pryor.

We interrupt your Superman movie for the elegant art of wasting time.

Pryor’s role in this film is a bit of a sore spot for me. Richard Pryor was one of the funniest people to ever live, is still one of my comedic idols, and a huge influence for dozens upon dozens of comedians. So, being a huge fan of the stand-up legend, it is beyond painful to see him perform a character that is basically Jar Jar Binks… Yes I said it. There is nothing funny about his performance, every joke he makes is awkward and easy to predict, his timing is completely off, and he is the worst part of this movie. Maybe it was a terrible script and bad direction to blame, but honestly it doesn’t matter. The movie wasted a great talent on this performance. I suggest we find a way to edit him out of the movie as a benefit to Pryor’s legacy and not the Superman franchise.

Pryor’s role in the film is a bumbling computer genius named Gus who steals from Webster to try to make ends meet. Webster notices Gorman’s computer abilities and forces him to help with all the nefarious deeds. It’s worth repeating the plot is convoluted and unfocused. We’ve got the Smallville connection, Gorman’s story arc, Webster’s evil plot against Colombia, Gorman carrying out Webster’s evil deeds, Webster’s evil plot to get oil, Lana Lang as a potential love interest, Webster’s sister and his girlfriend/secretary/hooker included in the story, the creation of fake Kryptonite, Superman still saving people, and on top of all that, we have Superman becoming a jerk.

“Bow before the intellectual might of Luth- I mean Webster! Webster! That’s my name. My name is Webster.

That’s right, the kryptonite Gorman and Webster create isn’t true kryptonite. It’s red kryptonite (except it isn’t actually red) and red kryptonite turns Superman into an asshole. After he gets exposed, Superman flies around blowing out torches, straightening the Leaning Tower of Pisa (isn’t that a good thing though? I thought the tower was supposed to fall some time soon), sleeps with a woman, destroys a boat, and even gets drunk. This all leads to a showdown between the new, douche bag Superman, and his alter ego Clark Kent. Goodness eventually wins out over evil, and Superman is just the way he was.

Again, while the concept of Superman facing his alter ego is intriguing, there’s never a feeling that this conflict is taken seriously. We as an audience all know Superman will win and overcome his dark side. The first thirty minutes of the movie is of Superman being same old cookie cutter, American boy scout, and then when he becomes this jerk it just feels disingenuous and a desperate attempt for feigning interest. This is partly because, Superman never does anything that cruel except destroy an oil tanker. Maybe this is partly due to Christopher Reeve, we just can’t see him be a mean Superman partly due to the fact that we’ve seen him play the ultimate nice guy superhero. And of course, because the film goes back to the status quo, it makes the character less interesting. I never feel like Superman learned anything other than, “don’t touch any green rocks anyone gives me.”

The one plus this film has is that it’s a technical marvel just like the previous two. The flying scenes are nice to see and still very seemless, the practical effects make every stunt and action look realistic, and admittedly some of the action scenes (particularly the final climax) is fairly entertaining. Though they all raise a lot of logistical questions, the Superman films threw out logic a long time ago. Overall, this is definitely a Superman movie you can skip.

Next time, on the “Road to Batman V Superman” I look at the film that killed the Batman film franchise. That’s right kids, next on my list is Batman & Robin, starring everyone’s favorite Batman, George Clooney…. Crap.

Maybe if I keep drinking I’ll forget about Superman IV.

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REVIEW: “The 5th Wave” plodding and predictable, wastes talented cast

By

Felix Albuerne

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January 21, 2016

Poorly-paced, predictable, and teeth-gnashingly cheesy in moments of “high” emotional drama, The 5th Wave is representative of Hollywood studios doing the worst possible disservice to an author and a popular novel series in its efforts to bring the novel’s story to the screen. While the sci-fi backdrop of the film’s story brings a great deal of potential for original suspense, what happens in the foreground is teen-romance-by-numbers, resulting in a wholly uninteresting and underwhelming cinematic experience.

Chloë Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass, If I Stay) plays Cassie Sullivan, a middle America teen whose most standout qualities prior to the end of the world as she knows it are that she’s actually a good, sweet girl who follows the rules, gets home before curfew, and enjoys tucking her little brother Sammy (Zackary Arthur) in at night by singing him to sleep. But her “normal” life, as well as the normal lives of everyone else on Earth, comes to a crashing halt with the silent arrival of “the Others”, aliens who, upon their arrival, at first simply hover ominously above the planet in space ships the size of cities. But within days the invaders begin their onslaught upon humanity in catastrophic “waves”, the first three of which decimate the planet’s population.

Cassie, Sammy, and their father Oliver (Ron Livingston) survive the first three waves, and are among a small group of survivors who believe their salvation is at hand with the arrival of U.S. Army Colonel Vosch (Liev Schreiber) and troops from a nearby Air Force base. But Cassie’s encounter with Vosch and his men heralds the fourth wave, and is the real beginning of her survival story, not the end, as soon she finds herself separated from Sammy, alone in the wilderness and hunted by the Others, who seek to eliminate the last remnants of Earth’s once-dominant species.

Determined to re-unite with Sammy, Cassie carefully makes her way across a now-desolate and lifeless landscape toward her only clue to his whereabouts, while Sammy himself, along with hundreds of other children and teens, including Cassie’s one-time classmate crush Ben Parish (Nick Robinson, Jurassic World) find themselves facing their own test of fortitude, as they are tasked with nothing less than becoming soldiers and driving the Others from the planet. But can any of them — Cassie, Sammy, Nick, or their fellow survivors — trust anyone or anything, including each other, in their efforts to simply survive?

The script for The 5th Wave, by scribes Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich), Akiva Goldsman (I am Legend) & Jeff Pinkner (The Amazing Spider-Man 2), is by far the weakest link here, as it fails to even once deliver a twist or a plot turn that doesn’t feel obligatory to the genre and the target audience. First-person narration by the main character to retain character interiority and the feeling of “reading” the story, the likable, easily sympathetic every-girl main character who must find inner strength and fortitude she didn’t know she had, a love triangle (or, at least, the beginning of one), and an ending that naturally points to sequel films — it’s all here, and in addition to it all unfolding seemingly at half-speed — The 5th Wave clocks in at under two hours but feels more like three — now, in the post-Twilight, post-Hunger Games glut of films derived from profitable YA properties, it all comes off as uninspired, regardless of the talent on screen attempting to make that material compelling.

Speaking of that talent, it’s worth noting that they do their with what they’re provided. Chloë Grace Moretz is certainly no stranger to action at this point in her career, so she handles the physicality necessary demanded by the role of Cassie with comfort and ease. She’s also a performer of considerable acting skill, which she demonstrates over and over again in The 5th Wave while making even the silliest, most contrived scenes, most of which center on the film’s main romantic subplot, even remotely watchable. Meanwhile, Nick Robinson, who spent most of his screen time in last year’s Jurassic World either in moody-teen-mode or running for his life from CGI dinosaurs, gets to show a bit more dramatic range, as he capably handles the change All-American football star and good guy Ben undergoes, transforming into the guy his squadmates come to know as “Zombie.” As for Liev Schreiber, his talents are hardly challenged here. He’s asked to be charismatic, complex, and intense — hardly a stretch for the actor who leads the cast of Showtime’s “Ray Donovan” every season.

Put all that together, and you have in The 5th Wave a film that underwhelms in every measurable way. The novel, which was published in 2013, got its sequel, “The Infinite Sea” in 2014, and the conclusion of the series, “The Lost Star” is due out later this year. If the result of this production and its high box-office bomb potential has anything to do with it, however, it’s quite unlikely that the film series will enjoy the same longevity.

The 5th Wave
Starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Nick Robinson, Ron Livingston, Maggie Siff, Alex Roe, Maria Bello, Maika Monroe, and Liev Schreiber. Directed by J Blakeson.
Running Time: 112 minutes
Rated PG-13 for violence and destruction, some sci-fi thematic elements, language and brief teen partying.

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Five Potential Titles for the ‘Spider-Man’ Reboot

By

Chris Hartmann

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January 21, 2016

After many long years, the much beloved Spider-Man character will finally join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a deal that was announced in 2015 between Sony and Marvel Studios. Spider-Man will first show up in this summer’s Captain America: Civil War. The next time we catch up Spidey will be in his latest reboot and one thing we still don’t know is what this film could be called, with the assumption that it won’t be either Spider-Man nor The Amazing Spider-Man as not to be confused with the previous movies. Let’s take a look at some potential titles for the reboot.

Spectacular Spider-Man

To date, there has been over 700 issues that fell under the The Amazing Spider-Man banner, and it was no surprise when Sony rebooted the movie franchise in 2012 they went with this to differentiate it from Sam Raimi’s series. With another reboot coming our way, the smart money could be on The Spectacular Spider-Man which is the second longest running Spider-Man comic title. This was also the name of a short-lived animated TV series that aired between 2008-2009.

Peter Parker, Spider-Man

Another former comic title, Peter Parker, Spider-Man. Mostly known for its part in the Clone Saga throughout the 90s, Peter Parker, Spider-Man was the banner for over 150 issues of Spider-Man comics. One of the criticisms of the previous movies was that neither tapped into the true essence of Peter Parker and Spider-Man as two different personalities. This may set the tone that the film is about portraying the true Peter Parker as well as Spider-Man.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Brand New Day served as the title of a relatively unpopular storyline that witnessed Peter’s life with Mary Jane erased from history. This film will probably not be an adaptation of that storyline but this would serve as a great title for this movie. A new take on Spider-Man and a new day for the MCU with a brand new type of hero.

Spider-Man: Kraven’s Last Hunt

The title of one of Spider-Man’s most famous story arcs, although I’m rooting for Kraven to appear this is not a direct suggestion, but more an idea that the subtitle may directly reference the antagonist. This is a possible option as we’ve seen it done already in the MCU with Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Spider-Man: The New Avenger

Spider-Man traditionally refused to join any Avengers team in the comics until Brian Michael Bendis’ New Avengers series in 2004. Marvel will probably not echo his reluctance in the MCU, but they may choose to nod to his first official appearance with the reboot. This title would also reflect the first appearance of Cap in The First Avenger.

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Review: Serial Season One (Podcast) – Worthy of Close Examination

By

GJ Corban

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January 21, 2016

In the past week, I have been dragged into the world of podcasts as of late. Listening to tens of hours of content while running, doing household chores, and my work. Within the past 10 days, I have become addicted to podcasts, this is due, almost entirely, to the WBEZ Chicago, This American Life spin-off Serial.

“Serial tells one story—a true story—over the course of a season. Each season, we follow a plot and characters wherever they take us. We won’t know what happens at the end until we get there, not long before you get there with us.”

The first season of Serial covers the murder of Hae Min Lee. The incomplete nature of evidence has attracted people to take sides, demands for retrials, and the interest of reporter Sarah Koenig.

“On January 13, 1999, a girl named Hae Min Lee, a senior at Woodlawn High School in Baltimore County, Maryland, disappeared. A month later, her body was found in a city park. She’d been strangled. Her 17-year-old ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, was arrested for the crime, and within a year, he was sentenced to life in prison. The case against him was largely based on the story of one witness, Adnan’s friend Jay, who testified that he helped Adnan bury Hae’s body. But Adnan has always maintained he had nothing to do with Hae’s death. Some people believe he’s telling the truth. Many others don’t.”

The first season is broken up into twelve episodes, with an average length of any given episode being about 42 minutes (the longest is 55 minutes, shortest being 27 minutes), this gives Serial almost 8 1/2 hours of time to delve into the details. Each episode has a rough focus, on the body location, on Jay’s account, on the investigative process. This is where one of Serial‘s strengths is apparent, its focus on detail.

Unlike TV murders, Adnan’s case is very messy, full of contradicting accounts and evidence, details that may or may not be useful, and general chaos. Serial is not afraid to closely examine everything, presenting any and all evidence to its audience, both for and against Adnan. Serial‘s greatest asset is the power it gives its audience.

Unlike TV murders, the answer is not obvious, unlike TV murders, the liars are not clear, unlike TV murders, Serial is interesting. Serial lets you see the evidence up close, Serial lets you choose how important each piece is, Serial lets you decide what to make of the case. Sarah Koenig does not present herself as the one who knows everything, the one who will guide you through this case towards the conclusive answer. By the finale, Sarah is just as confused, unsure, and conflicted as you are.

The quality of the podcast is just as great. While quite a few clips are a little hard to hear (most were recorded in 1999 after all), Sarah’s voice is crisp and clear. The music was never too obtrusive, and it helped add to the atmosphere. The theme, in particular, was exceptional, setting the perfect mood while also playing clips from earlier to refresh the memory. The true stamp of quality, however, is that every time the theme played the only thought that went through my head would be, ‘I cannot wait for what’s about to come.’

Serial is a chance to really sink your teeth into a criminal case, turning every stone, chewing on each new development. The only flaw to be found in Serial is that, unlike TV murders, the conclusion is not satisfactory. Despite the hours of interviews and research Sarah Koenig does not have a conclusive answer, and despite the hours of listening, neither does her viewers.

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