Road To Batman V Superman: ‘Batman Forever’

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January 18, 2016

Batman Forever is the first Batman film Joel Shumacher directed; many fans consider this film as the start of a rather embarrassing time for the Caped Crusader. Instead of continuing the dark, brooding atmospheric vision Burton had created, The executives at Warner pressured Shumacher to make the next Batman movie more fun and kid friendly. So, Shumacher made a film that still looked very much like the previous two Tim Burton movies, but tonally is more akin to the 1966 Batman show. This film is bizarre and campy, and some people say this was the beginning of the end for the Dark Knight. But there are some interesting elements brought to the table here. Or, at the very least, some really entertaining moments.

Well at least the Bat-Mobile will always look cool.

What’s strange about this movie is that there’s no real inciting incident. In the first film it was the Batman’s meeting with Jack Napier. In the second movie it was the Penguin kidnapping Max Schreck. But, this movie just starts with Two Face holding up a bank to kill Batman, and then the movie just keeps going. There are other moments in the movie that happen, such as the Riddler’s origin, Two Face and Riddler meeting, Nicole Kidman’s character arc, and Robin’s origin, but they’re not really the same thing as an inciting incident. The movie just keeps moving with very little semblance of a classic structure. It’s very crowded with new characters and plot threads, but strangely the film manages to give each new element just the right amount of screen time. It’s balanced out quite well, despite being manic.

In this film, Batman (Val Kilmer) and Two-Face (Tommy Lee-Jones) are playing a deadly game of Cat and Mouse in the typical over the top comic book fashion. But, while that’s going on The Riddler (Jim Carrey) discovers a way to increase his intelligence from other people’s minds. Meanwhile, Dr. Chase Meridian (Nicole Kidman) is obsessing over Batman while consulting Bruce Wayne over some past trauma. And on top of all that, Bruce Wayne houses Dick Grayson (Chris O’Donnell), after Two-Face murdered his parents.

Like I said, there’s a lot going on in this movie. But, every character is given just the right amount of screen time, and most of them have a lot of unique development as well. They also have a lot of stupid moments too. Lots and lots of stupid moments.

Val Kilmer plays Batman similarly to how Keaton played him. There’s a lot of subtlety in the performance, but Kilmer plays it VERY subtle and quiet. While Keaton still managed to bring out a sense of restrained rage and aggression through his actions, Kilmer plays the Dark Knight almost too quiet, to the point of disinterest. I never really saw him as Batman, but rather as a man dressed up as Batman. He’s so stiff in his movements and passive in his tone that he never really owned up to the role. Nicole Kidman’s Chase Meridian is an interesting character on paper, but instead she’s this weird sex goddess, some kinky psychologist who’s trying to get in Batman’s armored pants. I’m not sure if it was the script or Kidman’s acting, but it constantly felt weirdly over the top and borderline psychotic. Chris O’Donnell’s Robin is also done pretty well. He’s competent, but gets in over his head, and has probably the strongest arc in the movie. We’ll get into how whiney he is when we hit up Batman & Robin.

When it comes to long-standing Batman enemies, Two-Face and Riddler, Tommy Lee-Jones and Jim Carrey look like they’re having the time of their lives. They both bring an exuberant amount of energy to the characters. They’re nothing like the characters they’re based on; Riddler is just another Jim Carrey character (which was understandable. Back in 1995, Jim Carrey ruled the universe). And the tragedy of Two-Face is completely thrown out the window and replaced with Tommy Lee-Jones playing… an excitable drug addict with some weird purple latex on his face. When I was preparing myself for this movie, I was dreading the thought of watching these two. But there’s a great sense of comedic timing and energy between the two that, weirdly, works very well. I also think it’s pretty clever to have Two-Face obsess over killing Batman while Riddler obsesses over destroying Bruce Wayne. It makes for a fun dichotomy, and raises the stakes.

These two need to take this act on the road.

The best parts of the movie are actually the psychological sessions between Bruce and Chase. We as an audience get more into how and why Bruce became Batman and how it affected him as a child. There’s an overwhelming sense of sadness in his past, and it’s handled with a lot of dignity, surprisingly. There are also some compelling moments of dialogue as Robin seeks to exact revenge, and Bruce eventually accepting that Grayson will join him in his heroics. It’s not perfect, but it’s definitely entertaining to watch, and they do touch on a few interesting concepts that the previous iterations weren’t really doing.

Also, you’ve got to give Shumacher credit in understanding the visual style of Burton. He managed to mirror the setting of Gotham City quite well, and still evoke the timeless feeling of the world Burton created. The action is also fairly creative and fun, the humor is on point, and admittedly I am slightly blinded by nostalgia goggles for this film.

Even though it’s kind of a crappy movie. It has a strange pacing, the story isn’t anything new, and despite it being well-balanced, there are characters that just don’t get the development that they should.

So, yeah the movie isn’t that great, and it’s clear as to why fans say this was the beginning of the end for Batman movies at the time. But I still say that at the film is campy and fun. Those adjectives don’t necessarily equate to good, but it’s still enjoyable in a vacuum. You probably know whether you like the movie already; however, if you haven’t seen it I recommend giving it a shot. It’ll definitely have a few laugh out loud moments to keep it from getting boring.

“If Adam West and Burt Ward can pull this off, so can we!”

Next time we look Christopher Reeves’ third Superman film. Where Superman finally got a sidekick… Richard Pryor. It is so much worse than you can imagine.

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‘Arrow’ Season Four – Two Suspects For Who Is In The Grave.

By

Lee Westney

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January 18, 2016

Arrow season four returns on January 20th with an episode titled “Blood Debts,” which means it’s time for those speculations to start again. In the closing seconds of the first episode this season, we saw Oliver standing by a gravestone in a cemetery, but not whose grave it was.

Stephen Amell himself has gone on record by saying he doesn’t know who the character is in the grave. This could be true, as he doesn’t necessarily have to know the answer to who is in there to shoot the scene. He could, however, know exactly who the grave is for. But he’s doing the decent thing and not giving anything away, so when it’s finally revealed it gets the impact it deserves.

People have said it is Felicity who is in the grave, but I believe that is the obvious choice. Here are two possibilities:

1. Thea Queen/Speedy

As we’ve seen in a few episodes now, Thea is constantly struggling to fight off the blood lust since being in the Lazarus Pit. The only thing keeping the blood lust at bay is if she takes someones life. I think a great story would be that, little by little, Thea loses control and starts to lose her grip. We have also seen Damien Dharke is unable to use his powers against her and it makes them backfire. Dharke is unaware of her time in the Lazarus Pit or that she’s Oliver’s sister. I think Dharke will find this out from Captain Lance after threatening Laurel. He will then use this to his advantage by pushing Thea to kill an innocent person, which pushes her over the edge where she can no longer control the blood lust. She would then go on a killing spree and Oliver would try stop her only to realise the only way to do so would be to kill her. Not able to kill his sister himself, Diggle steps in and spares his friend the grief. This would tie into the line where Oliver says “It was my responsibility”.

People have said it can’t be Thea as she isn’t buried in the family plot. Well, maybe that’s because Oliver has buried her somewhere under a different name so no one can find her to try to bring her back from the dead again.

2. Captain Lance

The theory behind him is a much simpler one. He started out working Dharke but has now become a mole for Team Arrow. I think Dharke will find this out and use Laurel against him to get information against The Arrow. This could go two ways: Lance gives Dharke the information which puts the team at risk, and he then sacrifices himself in trying to put this right. Or, Lance refuses to give up anyone so Dharke makes an example of him by killing him in front of the entire team. This would link in to Oliver’s line about responsibility as believes if he never returned then this may never have happened. The effects of this would lead to Laurel going out on her own to try to put an end to Dharke, which just puts the team in even more danger.

What do you think to these theories? Do you have any of your own? If so then please comment and let me know.

Don’t forget to tune into Arrow on January 20th.

That’s all for now.

See you soon.

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Looking Back On 2006: Lucky Number Slevin

By

Oscar Moreno

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January 18, 2016

The whole intent of this series is to look back on movies that have their big anniversaries on this year, so basically flicks from 2006, 1996, 1986, you get the idea. But not just any movie, but cult classics or forgotten films, or movies that have gotten a reappraisal over the years. We kick it off with Paul McGuigan’s Lucky Number Slevin.

Lucky Number Slevin tells the story of Slevin, who has been mistaken for Nick,a friend in trouble with gangsters, leading him to having to do a hit that Nick was originally going to do, all under the eyes of two different mob gangs, the police, as well as the mysterious Mister Goodkat.

Upon its release the film received very mixed reviews from critics, with a 51% on Rotten Tomatoes. It struggled in the North American box-office, pulling in just under its 25 million dollar budget, but doubling it up overseas. Audiences warmed themselves better to the film, which now scores a 7.8 rating on imdb.

But who is right at the end of the day? The critics or the audiences? I would say, the audiences. Lucky Number Slevin is an entertaining, stylish ride with great characters and decent performances. McGuigan is an underrated filmmaker, who perhaps doesn’t make consistently good films, but always makes them with a vibrant, memorable style. In Wicker Park, he made great use of mirrors and split-screens to tell a story of obsession, lies and mistaken identity. Here, him and production designer François Séguin give the film a vibrant, dizzying look, perfect for the movie’s labyrinthine story. It manages to tell us everything about the characters and period setting when we’re jumping around chronologically. That makes it all the easier to remember the visual clues we’re given throughout the film. Peter Sova’s cinematography is excellent as well, making great use of the widescreen frame and providing some very creative angles. But what McGuigan excels at here is providing enough information to make the story clear so we can follow it, but hiding it enough so we can keep wondering where it’s going.

In terms of character and story, we’re provided with enough development to care about the characters and follow them on their journey. Josh Hartnett does a good job playing the everyman role here, and when the time comes for him to change, he rises to the occasion. Him and the likes of Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman and Ben Kingsley give the best and most memorable performances, but that’s because they’re given the best roles. Unfortunately, the movie couldn’t quite do the same with Lucy Liu’s Lindsey, who does the best with what she’s given, which sadly isn’t much.

The movie may seem like it’s just a darkly comic thriller, but it ends up having a surprisingly tender center to it. For better or worse, in order to achieve it, the movie goes through some strong tonal shifts. It starts off as a violent drama, turns into a violent dark comedy and ends as a violent thriller. These sort of shifts are probably part of what didn’t sit easy with critics at first and in a way, they are jarring, but they work because by then we’ve gone along with the ride. The tone changes, but character consistency and stakes never do. If anything, we feel like we’re being put in Slevin’s shoes as he tries to figure out this crazy situation himself. There’s also the great score by J. Ralph, which includes the ultra-catchy “Kansas City Shuffle.” The score is rather minimal but it works great in following up and making the tonal shifts work.

All in all, maybe Lucky Number Slevin isn’t a great movie, but it’s a good one and well-worth seeing at least once. If you have the means, I highly recommend the Blu-Ray which makes the cinematography and production design pop-out all the more, and you can get it right here.

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Quentin Tarantino’s Greatest Female Characters

By

Anthony Composto - EIC

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January 18, 2016

*This story contains NO plot spoilers for Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight! Enjoy!*

Having strong female characters is very buzz-worthy these days. It makes sense: men and women are equals, so it stands to reason that well-written female characters should be just as popular as well-written male characters. Unfortunately, in the grand scheme of film history, they haven’t always gotten their day in court. That’s why it’s so great when filmmakers put out characters like Furiosa and Rey, showing that a woman can take center stage and hold a story without her gender even playing a role. Yes, 2015 has been a year to make Alison Bechdel proud.

But one filmmaker has been utilizing strong female characters for over two decades: Quentin Tarantino. Long ago, in the wild west that was 90’s film, Tarantino proved that women make for interesting, badass characters, sometimes even more so than their male counterparts. He has consistently written women that captivate viewers’ attention with much more than just their looks. He’s done it yet again with The Hateful Eight and Daisy Domergue. With that in mind, it seems like a great time to look back and remember the very best women of the Tarantino-verse:

Honorable Mentions

Mallory Wilson Knox, Natural Born Killers, Alabama Whitman, True Romance, & Kate Fuller, From Dusk till Dawn

These three were ultimately passed on to other directors who brought them to life. But Tarantino created them with his writing, so they get honorable mention, at the very least!

All of these women can be defined in two words: Bad. Ass. They’re survivors, and they do/kill whoever they need to ensure the continuance of their story. Their intentions may not always be pure (looking at you, Mallory), but their will is strong and their drive is endless. Most importantly: they’re interesting and fun to watch. If these names/films don’t sound familiar (shame on you), head to your local Blockbuster today (or Netflix/Amazon)!

6. Mia Wallace, Pulp Fiction

Mia Wallace is the reason this list went from a Top 5 to a Top 6. Honestly, she doesn’t do much, other than dance, accidentally snort heroine, and almost get John Travolta killed by Ving Rhames. But she has some of the best dialogue of the characters on this list, and “Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace’s Wife” is one of the most re-watchable sequences Tarantino has ever done. Her character comes down to one word: mesmerizing. She may not play as large of a role in the grand story as Marsellus or Butch, but she just may be the most memorable character in the film, earning her place on this list.

5. Abernathy Ross, Kim Mathis, & Zoë Bell, Death Proof

Death Proof is easily Tarantino’s weakest film (it’s still awesome though; how many filmmakers would make a purposefully bad movie this beautifully?). However, that doesn’t negate the strength and bravery of these three. They do insanely awesome stunts even before their showdown with Stuntman Mike, like riding on the hood of a 1970 Dodge Challenger going at top speed. That move alone should get Zoë consideration on this list. Then they throw the cherry on top by being the three who finally put an end to Mike’s homicidal run. Doubt their ferocity? Just watch the flick’s NSFW, spoiler-filled ending.

4. Jackie Brown, Jackie Brown

“Aw, the milk went bad while I was in jail.” How could we have a “Women of the Tarantino-verse” list and not include the filmmaker’s first solo female lead? Jackie Brown may not be Tarantino’s biggest film, but it is a fascinating character study of what a person will do to get across 110th Street. Jackie is at rock bottom when the movie starts. Tired of being kept there by people and circumstance, she decides to seize an opportunity that falls in her lap, and pulls some pretty bold moves to make off with half a million dollars in cash. Brown may be Tarantino’s first strong, independent female character, who doesn’t even acknowledge the story’s romantic element until the final minutes.

3. Daisy Domergue, The Hateful Eight

Keeping it spoiler-free. The Hateful Eight has only been in theaters a short time, but Daisy Domergue has already established herself as one of Quentin’s more fun female characters. Her name alone is fun to say. Rumor is that Jennifer Lawrence was the director’s first choice for the role, but now it’s hard to imagine anyone but Jennifer Jason Leigh as The Prisoner (especially in light of her Oscar nomination). Daisy is dark yet hysterical, twisted yet lovable, and she steals whatever scene she’s in (which is most of them). She is the glue that holds the story together, and, out of the eight hateful performances, hers has the most staying power.

2. Shosanna Dreyfus, Inglourious Basterds

This woman played a role in killing Hitler! Shosanna, like many women on this list, just lives her day-to-day life the best she can. She bides her time, and when opportunity comes knocking, she spares no expense to get revenge on the Nazis who killed her family. Jews who survived the Holocaust are strong to begin with, but the patience and perseverance that Shosanna showed is jaw-dropping. She had some (unneeded) help from Aldo Raine’s Basterds, but there’s no doubt that Shosanna was the film’s real hero.

Plus, the final message that she splices into the film reel is chilling. Burn it down? Oui, Shosanna.

1. The Bride, Kill Bill

Any of the female characters from the Kill Bill duology could have made this list. Unfortunately, all but one of them were killed; the women on this list are survivors (mostly). The one who eliminated them stands supreme at #1: Beatrix Kiddo, Black Mamba, The Bride.

An essay could be written on why The Bride is not only Tarantino’s top female character, but one of the greatest female characters of all time. She’s strong; she’s lethal; she’s loving. She’s damn complex, is what she is. Her dichotomy is perfectly expressed between the two films, and yet she leaves fans wanting more. She’s sympathetic enough to justify the bloodshed, and scary enough to make men act extra nice to their girlfriends. A simple blurb can’t do her character justice, and that complexity is what makes her the best.

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Do you agree with this list? Who do you think is missing? Who would you rank differently? Sound off in the comments!

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HBO’s ‘Westworld’ Faces a Major Setback

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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January 18, 2016

HBO’s series adaptation of Westworld has been delayed for a few months, adding to the growing list of delayed, high-profile HBO projects.

According to Variety, Westworld is closing down for a couple of months while writers Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy work on the final four screenplays to tie up the series. “As we head into the final phase of production on ‘Westworld,’ we’ve made the decision to take a brief hiatus in order to get ahead of the writing,” said HBO in a statement.

This is merely the latest in a string of delays and cancellations plaguing HBO these days. David Fincher’s Utopia series went through a roller coaster of on-again-off-again production delays before finally being scrapped altogether. Then there is Casey Affleck’s Lewis and Clark series, which was initially delayed but now has gone all the way back to the drawing board after creative differences upended any progress.

Despite the two-month delay, HBO still plans of having Westworld premiere in 2016. It’s reasonable; the show will wrap up shooting in November, with the majority of the season presumably already in the bag. We shall see if Nolan and hs writing team can get all their ducks in a row before they resume filming in March.

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Why DC hasn’t learned from ‘Green Lantern’

By

Anthony Wendel

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January 17, 2016

After watching the new trailers for the upcoming Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, one thing has become incredibly obvious: DC comics did not learn their lessons from Green Lantern. What did they miss? Why do they continue to make the same mistakes?

The Green Lantern film came off as a disappointment to the studios after it earned $116 million at the box office and a 26% on Rotten Tomatoes. The biggest flaw in the film was it stuffed far too much into one film. If you think about it the story in the film could have been spaced out into an entire trilogy. In movie one, Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) gets his power rings, trains with it, and defeat Hector Hammond. Movie 2: Sinestro gets the power ring of fear and released Parallax. Movie 3: Parallax who has been mentioned and eluded to in the first and second film increasing its danger and threat is now on the loose and it’s up to Hal to defeat him and restore order. Doesn’t this layout sound much more preferable than the product we got? But DC is far too busy to look back and instead charges forward and make similar mistakes.

The trailer for the upcoming movie has a pretty basic lay out on how the film will break down. Batman wants to take down Superman who he sees as a threat, Lex Luthor will create Doomsday as a way to fight Superman, Wonder Woman will arrive to aid in the fight. Now there is even talk of the film introducing Bizarro while Lex Luthor is experimenting on General Zod`s corpse. Just like how they tried to introduce too much in Green Lantern, they plan to introduce far too much in the upcoming Batman v. Superman all in an attempt to get to Justice League faster. Why haven’t they learned their lessons and insist on getting to Justice League as quick as possible?

The reason is not hard to see, DC wishes to obtain the same success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They have been trying to copy the formula Marvel introduced which led to the Avengers. Green Lantern was to be the original starting point for DC’s cinematic universe but after the disappointment with its reception this plan was scrapped and they instead decided to make the marginally more successful Man of Steel, the new starting point to work toward a Justice League movie. Now with the coming of the second film in their cinema universe you would think they would make sure to not repeat the mistakes they made with Green Lantern. Unfortunately it looks like they still have a lot to learn. Batman vs. Superman sounds just as complicated and cumbersome as Green Lantern.

Could Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice still be a good film? It’s possible but the writing’s on the wall. The film will have a lot of moments it wants to feature. Not to mention they will have to starts whispers of some type of ultimate threat the heroes will have to face in the Justice League movie the studio wants more than anything. Don’t count on them learning from their mistakes anytime soon.

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Blackstar Captures The Beauty Of The Life and Death of David Bowie

By

Sam Casale

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January 17, 2016

On January 10 of 2016, the world lost one of the greatest music legends that has ever lived. David Bowie, who tragically died of liver cancer passed away at the age of 69. But before he left us, he managed to give us one last gift in the form of the masterpiece that is Blackstar. I was in a lucky scenario in which I was able to listen to this album both before and after learning about his death. Though the album itself remained the same, the messages and themes that this project contains were only more fully revealed through the death of David Bowie. This album is amazing. Even if Bowie had not died, critics across the world would agree that this album is quite possibly one of his greatest and most thought provoking projects. Yet at the same time, his passing compliments and in a strange way, fulfills the message of this album. Considering the circumstances, it is almost certain that Bowie made this album knowing that he was approaching death.

I truly believe that Bowie made this album to tell to the public that he was dying, and I can not imagine a better way to do so than through this album. While there are a few blatant examples such as when he quite literally says “I’m dying to” in the track “Dollar Days,” he is a bit more discreet yet open about his feelings of his approaching death in the song “I Can’t Give Everything Away.” The first time I heard this (which was before his death), I distinctively recall thinking about the classic religious teaching that we can not take material objects with us into the world beyond. During my first listening after his passing, I was blown away for a lack of a better term. Everything that I had briefly questioned about this album from the first few times I had listened were answered. David knew that this was it. Though I wont go as far as to say that he knew exactly when he would die despite the lyric ‘Where the fuck did Monday Go?’ in the track “Girl Loves Me,” I do believe that he knew that death was on the horizon. The title of the album can even be perceived as a reference to how his life has run out of light, making him the Black Star. There are too many examples of this foreshadowing to fit into one article. I imagine that there are still references to his death that we have yet to discover. All that I can say is that David Bowie left an impact on the Earth that changed music forever. From the standpoint of a reviewer, I honestly believe that most of the music that I love and enjoy would not exist without the life and talent of David Bowie. From the perspective of a life long fan, I am deeply saddened by his death and I will always remember him for being one of the biggest musical influences and icons in my life. I hope that the rest of the world will remember the Starman himself in a similar way.

Blackstar Forever

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The Crescendo and Decrescendo of River Song

By

Anthony Wendel

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January 17, 2016

SPOILERS SWEETIE

With the recent Dr. Who Christmas Special, “The Husbands of River Song” it looks like the fans have seen the last of Dr. Song. The character came in like a hurricane but somewhere along the way momentum was lost and her appearance was less of a treat. What went wrong? How did this character go from being a fan favorite to having a less than welcoming appeal? It should be noted the fault was not with Alex Kingston, the actress who portrayed River as she always seemed to come in and put all she had into the character. Instead, it would be better to look at River Song’s complicated backstory.

The character was introduced in “Silence in the Library” as a mysterious woman who knew the Doctor in a very personal way. Fans were immediately hooked on this peculiar woman and intrigued with what connect she may have with the Doctor. Unfortunately, in the very next episode, “Forest of the Dead”, River died saving the consciousness of many innocent individuals. The incomprehensible nature of the character was still fascinating and fans wanted to see more of her and learn about the intimate connection she shared with the Doctor.

Though her death was inevitable, with the Doctor’s ability to travel through time it would not be long before the two would meet again. Sure enough in the two parter, “The Time of the Angels” and “Flesh and Stone” River returned with more intrigue about who she really is. This time it was revealed she murdered someone, saying it was “The best man I ever knew”.

With the curiosity of the character at an all time high fans were hoping questions would be answered in the 5th series finale. Unfortunately, a side track would occur with “The Pandorica opens” and “The Big Bang” as the bigger threat of the Legendary Pandorica was revealed. River was still a welcome addition though as few beings in the universe are able to get a Dalek to beg for mercy.

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

It was in the next two part story line (“Impossible Astronaut” and “Day of the moon”) where people seemed to have had enough of the question “Who is River Song?” A much more pressing issue had been introduced with The Doctor fated to die (permanently) by the Impossible Astronaut. This grim impending future was much more of a concern than whatever the truth behind River Song could possible be. Fans had waited long enough and seemed to scream in unison “Just tell us who she is already.”

This time the wait only a few weeks as in “A good man goes to war” the truth was finally revealed. River Song was the daughter of Rory and Amy and her ability to regenerate came from being conceived in the TARDIS. This was what the fans had been waiting for and they weren’t really happy with it. Frankly, it felt uncomfortable. The daughter of one of the Doctor’s best friends would grow up to have a relationship with him. It didn’t really help their were blatant suggestions to the idea Melody Pond (River’s Birth name) was actually the child of Amy and The Doctor. It was an awkward situation to say the least.

In “Let’s Kill Hitler” it was further revealed Amy’s childhood friend Melody was in fact River before her regeneration into her more recognizable form. This additional information just complicated the character’s origin even greater.

The final nail in the coffin would come with “Closing Time” and “The Wedding of River Song.” It was disclosed River was the Impossible Astronaut and tied together early clues which showed she had been manipulated by the creatures known as the Silence into killing the Doctor. The quick save for fixing was she had killed a robot and not the actual Doctor. This tepid ending and the feelings for River Song had reached a new low. To quote from “The Wedding of River Song” itself:

River: “I’m his wife.”
Amy: “And I’m his mother in law”
River: “Father: dear I think mummy might need a drink.”

The fans felt the same way and wanted to drink away the bad taste in their mouths which was the mystery of River Song. This feeling of disdain would continue in her next appearance (“The Angels Take Manhattan”) where by the end of the episode the married companions of Rory and Amy were sent back in time by the Weeping Angels to be stuck in a paradox which cut them off from the Doctor. The feeling of malcontent was cemented. River was a bad penny, whose appearance was a cause for dread, and she had delayed her death long enough.

She would make a brief appearance in “The Name of the Doctor” which seemed to reflect the fact fans could only take a brief appearance of her anymore. She was too complex and burdensome of a character. The love was gone and fans wanted her to take her trip to the library as soon as possible.

Now with the most recent special it appears as if fans have gotten their wish and seen the last of her. The episode showcased her next mission would be to the library where she would meet her end. Knowing her fate the Doctor took her to a planet where the two of them could enjoy one last night together but revealed a night on the planet was 24 years. River had finally found the moment where she and the Doctor could be together, truly and it was this touching moment which made fans remember, why they fell in love with her in the first place.

Though the complications behind her backstory had spoiled the sentiment a bit, overall she was another of the Doctor’s great companions who kept the fan community hooked on the show for quite a while. Farewell, Dr. Song. Perhaps, further down the road, the Doctor will pop into the library you now reside and seek solace from his journey with the woman he once called his wife.

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‘Jessica Jones’ renewed for Second Season at Netflix

By

Dewey Singleton - Film Critic

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January 17, 2016

It was announced at the Television Critics Association winter press tour that Marvel’s Jessica Jones will return to Netflix for a second season. Jessica Jones is the second of five planned Marvel dramas for Netflix, joining Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and the miniseries The Defenders. It’s executive produced by showrunner Melissa Rosenberg (Twilight, Dexter) and Liz Friedman (Elementary). Regarding when we should expect season two, that wasn’t released, but Season two will consist of 13 episodes.

When pressed for more information, Netflix chief content officer Ted Sardos said “The Defenders production will really determine” season start dates for other Marvel series like Jessica Jones as well as Daredevil, which launches its second season on March 18. Showrunner Rosenberg told THR at the top of the freshman run that she hopes it would arrive before The Defenders.

Melissa Rosenburg added:

“There certainly is storytelling wise. The question becomes is there actual time? There are logistics involved, because Defenders has to shoot by a certain time, contractually,” she said. “Actually, I’m not sure; I’m not at all involved in those conversations, much to my dismay. The first question is whether or not we will even get a second season. The second question is, if so, when? Will it be before The Defenders or after? I’d certainly love it to be before but there are things that play into that — time, availability.”

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“Apocalypse Is The Biggest X-Men Film We’ve Done” Says Writer

By

EJ Moreno

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January 17, 2016

What’s In Store For The X-Men When Apocalypse Arrives?

X-Men Apocalypse producer & screenwriter Simon Kinberg has declared the upcoming film will be the biggest X-Men film of all-time during a question and answer session with fans. While answering fan questions, Simon teased, “I think in some ways it’s the biggest X-Men film we’ve ever done.”
“We’ve never done one of these movies where the whole world — there’s like an extinction-level threat to the world,” Kinberg said.

Will the X-Men be able to come together to stop the super-villain & his Four Horsemen or will ‘The First One’ En Sabah Nur prove he is really the greatest mutant of all time?

Find out on May 27, 2016!

X-Men: Apocalypse stars James McAvoy as Charles Xaver, Michael Fassbender as Magneto, Oscar Issac as Apocalypse. Also Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, Nicholas Hoult as Beast, Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert, Lucas Till as Havok returning to their roles.

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