2015 was a pretty great year if you are a wrestling fan. Wrestle Kingdom 9, the impact of Lucha Underground, the continued ascension of NXT, and a banner year for women in sports entertainment are all testaments to how great professional wrestling can be when you have talented, passionate performers and they are given the right vehicle to showcase their talents. Here are five talents that deserve special attention for 2016.
PRINCE PUMA/RICOCHET
Ricochet aka Prince Puma Photo: Pro Wrestling Guerilla
Starting his professional career in Chikara and working through the Evolve and Dragon Gate promotions, this past year was a career year for Prince Puma when Lucha Underground debuted in late 2014 and continued his momentum into 2015 winning the inaugural Lucha Underground Championship. Fantastic feuds with Johnny Mundo (formerly John Morrison in WWE), Cage, and Mil Muertes, Puma is a dynamic performer who turns in 4 and 5 star matches consistently. The second season of Lucha Underground airs in 2016 and will provide a great platform for Prince Puma to continue to display why he is one of the best professional wrestlers out there. He also has the distinction of being one of three foreign born wrestlers to have won the New Japan Pro Wrestling Super Juniors Tournament.
SETH ROLLINS
Seth Rollins cashes in, wins WWE Title Photo: WWE
Cashing in his Money In The Bank briefcase at Wrestlemania this past April, Seth Rollins became WWE World Heavyweight Champion and continued his meteoric rise since mid 2014 when he turned on the Shield and went into singles competition. Feuds with John Cena, Brock Lesnar, and his former teammate Roman Reigns, the self proclaimed ‘Architect’ displayed his standout abilities. Currently sidelined with a knee injury and due back sometime in the summer of 2016, Rollins should be able to pick up where he left off and reclaim the title he didn’t lose.
KAZUCHIKA OKADA
Poised to become “The Man” in New Japan Pro Wrestling if he isn’t already, Okada, also known as the RainMaker is everything that a professional wrestling fan would want in a main event performer. He’s got the charisma, the attitude, and the ability to beat anyone at any time. He is the current IWGP Heavyweight Champion, having won it in what Jim Ross would call a ‘barn burner’ of a match with A.J. Styles (you remember him, he’s probably one of the best wrestlers on the planet and TNA just let him walk out the door). His first match of 2016 looks to be against Hiroshi Tanahashi, who is currently the franchise of NJPW at Wrestle Kingdom 10. Has a clothesline that will make your teeth rattle just watching him throw it.
SASHA BANKS
The Boss, Sasha Banks Photo: WWE
The Boss. That is really all one needs to know about Sasha Banks. She won the NXT Womens Championship in February 2015 from her former stable mate Charlotte, successfully defended that title through most of 2015 until meeting Bayley at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn this past summer. Sasha Banks and Bayley had one of the best matches you will ever watch, not women’s match, but wrestling match period. It is required viewing if you consider yourself a wrestling fan. The Boss made her in-ring main roster debut that weekend at SummerSlam as well, but her NXT work is what put her on the map. Having had a number of main roster matches to end 2015, the upcoming year can very well be the Year Of The Boss.
KEVIN OWENS
Kevin Steen has been a professional wrestler since 2000. He has worked in Combat Zone Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, and Ring Of Honor. It took him 14 years to get to the WWE, but when he did he made an impact immediately. He won the NXT Championship in early 2014 and then showed up on RAW, answering John Cena’s US Title Open Challenge. His first match on the main roster was at Elimination Chamber with the WWE franchise, the face that runs the place, John Cena, and he won. CLEAN. No shenanigans, no disqualification, Owens went toe to toe with “the man” and came out on top. Moving to the main roster, he claimed the Intercontinental Championship, which he has since lost to Dean Ambrose, but he is currently on the warpath to get it back. 2016 is about to get hit with a Pop-Up Powerbomb.
Agree? Disagree? Did I leave someone out?
Let me know in the comments or reach out to me on Twitter @MatPDouglas
One of the biggest criticisms of Paul Feig’s Ghostbuster reboot was that it would just be old rehashed material that was covered in the previous films. Well, the haters were just delivered quite a blow as news of the reboot’s plot was released this afternoon. According to Entertainment Weekly apparently, dead criminals from all eras of New York’s criminal past have returned to roost among the living in New York City. Pilgrims, old-fashioned sailors, Revolutionary War spirits, and even a couple of gangsters are ready to take on these four female Ghostbusters. This idea sounds fresh/different from the other films and will allow Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon, and Kristen Wiig to make their mark on the Ghostbusters legacy.
For those who are skeptical about whether or not this reboot of Ghostbusters will work, remember when Feig, McCarthy, and Wiig last teamed up they dominated the box-office with Bridesmaids in 2011. Feig and Katie Dippold wrote the script for the reboot. Ghostbusters also stars Kate McKinnon, Cecily Strong, and Andy Garcia as the Mayor of New York City. The film will feature cameos from Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver, Dan Aykroyd, Annie Potts, and Ernie Hudson. Ghostbusters is due to hit theaters on July 15th.
Marvel’s Daredevil released pictures for season two and showrunners Doug Petrie and Marco Ramirez spoke with Entertainment Weekly about the new direction for the series.
According to EW there will be more sex in season 2 as the complicated dating life of Matt Murdock unfolds on screen between Elektra and Karen.
“Matt’s a deeply moral complicated guy and she’s just the best bad girlfriend you can possibly have. She does everything wrong and attractive, she’s his id, the wild side. Matt is always taming his wild side. Elektra just lets it out. He’s both repulsed and deeply drawn to that,” said Petrie.
Daredevil is Executive Produced by Doug Petrie, Marco Ramirez and Drew Goddard, along with Marvel TV’s Jeph Loeb. The series stars Charlie Cox, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Jon Bernthal, Elodie Yung and Rosario Dawson.
Sarah Gailey is a writer, and on the night of December 25th, while the rest of us were playing with our latest toys and arguing with our relatives, she made a revelation on Twitter:
So my mom lent us her Star Wars dvds. She did that because she learned my biggest secret. I’ve never seen Star Wars.
That’s right! In the midst of Star Wars mania, barely a week after The Force Awakens released, Sarah was brave enough to announce to the world that she hasn’t seen a single flick from the saga.
I just never got around to it! And I caught snippets of Phantom Menace when it came out, and I was like, “not for me”. So never caught up.
That’s ok Sarah, The Phantom Menace wasn’t for Star Wars fans either.
So she undertook the task of marathoning the Original Trilogy over the course of two days, and thankfully for us, she live tweeted the experience. The result was glorious.
Immediately it becomes clear that Sarah was watching a very different movie than the rest of us…
THE DOOR TO THE REBEL SHIP IS BLOWING UP THIS IS AWESOME. Who are these dope ass white-robot soldiers w the red lasers? #starswars
Yes! Space Voldemort takes center stage, and Sarah follows him on his adventure to capture those dastardly space criminals, led by Space Indiana Jones, some whiny brat named Luke, and his companions Gold Robot Man and the Space Trash Can.
Sarah’s hatred for Luke becomes the absolute best part of this adventure, as he just becomes more and more selfish and a terrible friend…
Luke is like “hey I’m gonna bail on everyone to go to the Degobah system” WHAT A FLAKE #starswars
Of course, Star Wars is a tale full of twists and turns, and sometimes Sarah’s observations cause concern for those of us who know the ultimate outcomes.
Luke is totally hypnotized by Princess Leia. What a great meet-cute! This will go well. #truelove#starswars
Experience Sarah’s full live tweet in its entirety. The best parts were left out of this story, so you have a lot to look forward to. It gets NSFW at times, so be prepared for that, but quit being such a Luke about it and just check it out:
Assassin’s Creed has been slowly pushing out some set photos and “leaked images” over the past month or so, and the newest shows Michael Fassbender in action as Aguilar in the video-game adaptation.
Empire has the new Assassin’s Creed photos, one of Aguilar in battle, and another of him as his modern-day ancestor, Callum Lynch:
The film is another teaming up of Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, and director Justin Kurzel, whose adaptation of Macbeth is currently in theaters. This has potential to be a little more than just another video-game adaptation with such artistry and firepower involved. Let’s hope Assassin’s Creed has a little more to offer than the typical PlayStation mimicry.
45 Years seems on the surface to be nothing more than another milquetoast domestic drama set in the English countryside. Make no mistake 45 Years is the furthest from a bland domestic drama, even if the central characters are a childless retired couple, Kate and Geoff (played by the amazing Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay). Their marital bliss among the English Countryside is shattered when an unexpected letter arrives a week before their anniversary party.
Considering what is contained in that epistle, the situation that they suddenly find themselves in rocks the foundation of their marriage to the core.
All the credit in the world should go to the director Andrew Haigh, who put his faith in his two leads and allowed them to show just how this revelation (of which kate knew very little) is about to change their entire perspective on the present. The tension in 45 Years builds like a Bronte story as the films tension grows and grows as we learn more about the new haunting presence in their relationship. The cracks in their relationship appear in tiny nerve racking increments.
While Kate and Geoff resume their routines as best they can – Geoff tries to fix a broken toilet and relaxes reading Kierkegaard, Kate walks the dog and tends to finalizing the party details (they are planning on having a 45th wedding anniversary party) – it becomes quickly apparent that something has changed in Geoff; he seems to have become very distracted since receiving the letter and resumes his old smoking habit despite having had bypass surgery five years ago. Kate grows very concerned when her husband sneaks off to the travel agent in town to find out about the possibility of going to Switzerland.
Well, matters come to a head that evening. As a way of deflecting from what’s going on Geoff spontaneously decides that he wants to dance with a wife and put on the oldie Stagger Lee. Geoff then decides he’s going to show her how he really feels and want to take her to bed. Just when we started to feel at ease, even after Geoff utters “ I hope I remember what to do”, Kate utters three words that often signal something is very wrong Mid-coitus: “Open Your Eyes.” And just like that the mood is gone and they are off to bed.
45 Years is a simply told tale with little dialogue, but Haigh uses a number of subtle reminders to clue the audience in to what is transpiring without resorting to cheap gimmicks. It was a brilliant decision to have Kate consider buying her husband (Geoff) a watch, but then fail to do so. Even the lack of photos of Kate and Geoff’s life together certainly convey the distance that Geoff must have always felt towards Kate. Haigh was very adept at pinpointing stellar musical selections that not only provided telling commentary but was unobtrusive as well. The highlight had to be the musical selection playing in the car when Kate was telling her friend about Geoff’s behavior Young Girl, Get Out Of My Mind by Gary Puckett.
The music plays an essential element of what is the most shattering and stunning conclusion of any film in 2015. It was naïve of anyone to hope that this tale was going to end with those two walking off into the sunset happy. Alas, what we have here is a fantastic, human tale, full of truths and sadness and history.
Daredevil Season 2 returns to Netflix in 2016 and Entertainment Weekly released the first official photo from season two featuring Jon Bernthal’s The Punisher.
The magazine also reports that The Punisher will be introduced in the first episode.
“Viewers watching the show will be rooting for this guy with a gun but we’re also going to force people — the way we force Matt — to second-guess themselves. Taking lethal justice into your own hands in America in 2015 is tricky s–t. We have not shied away from the rich complicated reality of Now. If you’ve got a gun and you’re not the police you’re going to incite strong feelings. We’re stirring the pot and we’re aware of the headlines where we live and we’re trying to get people to think,” said showrunner Doug Petrie.
Daredevil is Executive Produced by Doug Petrie, Marco Ramirez and Drew Goddard, along with Marvel TV’s Jeph Loeb. The series stars Charlie Cox, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Jon Bernthal, Elodie Yung and Rosario Dawson.
With Christmas now in the rearview mirror, I feel safe to share with you all what I’ve asked Santa for, and because it’s me it was all, of course, Wrestling related. But instead of a Sheamus 4:15 t-shirt or John Cena gravy boat I’ve actually asked for what I want to see happen in 2016. To increase my chances I’ve actually been a bit realistic, so Santa doesn’t have to work so hard with the politics.
Sami Zayn Vs Kevin Owens At Wrestlemania
I think this one is one of the most likely to happen now that Sami Zayn has returned. While the obvious barrier is that Kevin Owens is now on the main roster while Zayn has remained on NXT, this would be the perfect debut feud for Zayn’s step up to the big time. While their NXT matches were very good, I know they can take it to the next level because of their work together in ROH when they had multiple big matches when Zayn was El Generico, but that’s not the prime reason I want this to happen at Wrestlemania.
It’s because it’s an opportunity to finish the story of Owens crippling Zayn, taking his NXT Championship and causing the injury that sidelined him until now. It would require storyline from NXT to be directly incorporated into the main show, something the WWE doesn’t seem too keen on but surely, in this case, it’s what’s best for business. Besides it gives the WWE an opportunity to resolve a long-term story, something nearly forgotten in today’s landscape, as by Mania it will be just over a year since Owens did the damage at Takeover. Above all, it’s a Wrestlemania moment-in-waiting, with the heroic face finally getting his revenge on the obvious heel and this one I really want to see.
Undertaker To Retire
With each year that passes it feels like the chances of The Undertaker retiring with his incredible legacy and aura intact diminish that much more, so I ask for this with everyone’s best interests at heart. Knowing the matches that came afterwards and the resonance of the moment, I think Undertaker’s best moment to step down would have been Wrestlemania XXVII, not to have it as a retirement match but still have the streak extend to 20-0 and bill it as the end of an era. The match was the last really great one in a sequence that Taker had been having with Shawn Michael’s and Triple H and would have capped everything, as well as you, could.
What we’ve had instead is matches ranging from the good (Lesnar at Hell in a Cell) to the outright bad (Lesnar, Wyatt at Mania), which for the run he was on for quite a few years, and the incredible legacy of the man is a shame. Perhaps worse than the quality of the matches is that particularly before his comeback at this year’s Summerslam he was looking more than mortal, to the extend more than a few were concerned for his well-being. With his health looking markedly better hopefully, this year he can go out on a high, with a high-quality match against Daniel Bryan or a big event match against John Cena at a major event. I also want to see him lose, something I know it felt he did a lot of against Lesnar but after the damage done to the Wyatt Family he needs to put over someone who needs the kind of rub The Undertaker can still provide. Remember Taker, it’s because I love you.
More Wrestlekingdom
I ask for this not so much in reference to the event itself but to what was done with New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestlekingdom 9 this past year. Through a tie-up with Jeff Jarrett and his fledgling Global Force Wrestling promotion, Wrestlekingdom 9 was available direct on PPV in the USA and across the world online, critically it also had commentary in English for these outlets provided by a top tier team of Jim Ross and Matt Striker. This was the first time a major New Japan event had been available like this, and I want more, Wrestlekingdom 9 featured some of the best talents in the world putting on some of the best matches in the world with each other so why wouldn’t I? I’d watch more New Japan, but a block to that is having trouble connecting with anything beyond the matches themselves which isn’t always enough. Having English commentary went a long way to solving this problem as much as you can when everything original is in Japanese.
More presentations like this could also open up other promotions to the rest of the world, AAA and CMLL in Mexico for example. The only caveat I have on this is if someone is going to do this then do it right, AAA tried it but the production values and distribution were so poor that if it was your first exposure to the product, you were unlikely to go back.
But the opportunity to see other major shows from the other biggest promotions in the world is one I definitely want more of.
NXT booking for the main women
Several of my favourite matches this year have been women’s matches in NXT, likewise, several of my favourite performers this year were women in NXT. These same women who were involved in all of those matches, at least partially, are now on the main roster in WWE. And I just don’t care. Well actually that’s not strictly true, I do care but only as far as hoping Becky Lynch has the chance to put on more match of the year contenders, that Charlotte can get to play the same character for more than a month at a time and that Sasha Banks can be allowed to go on to be one of the biggest stars in the industry like she should. So what’s changed?
No matter how many times the words “Divas Revolution” are said, it doesn’t change things by itself. Despite putting much of the on-air talent responsible for the NXT women’s division onto the main roster and giving them more air time it’s still resulting in the same poor, nonsensical product that’s been produced for years, and this is a result of how it’s being handled creatively with characters constantly changing, flipping non-stop between face and heel, with little reason behind anything. Not that the matches have been stellar so far but with a lack of any reason to care it doesn’t matter.
So this year I want stability and reason to be applied to women’s wrestling on the main roster. If Ronda Rousey can be the biggest star in MMA and they can do it in NXT, it can surely happen on the main roster.
A Chance For Cesaro
There are multiple wrestlers in WWE who need a decent chance but I’m of the opinion Cesaro is top of that list. While others have had the occasional but maybe too brief main event program or decent program with a main guy, Cesaro hasn’t, at all. Despite crafting an entertaining tag team with Tyson Kidd out of nothing and putting on awesome matches with John Cena among others, Cesaro just can’t seem to catch a break. Whether it was Vince McMahon’s infamous statement that he can’t connect with the audience or a less than great run with Paul Heyman as his manager, Cesaro has had his level set. He’s also now been a victim of bad luck as he’s suffered a long term injury just when he may have had a chance there.
So what I want this year is when Cesaro returns, to see him in a true feud with someone. My pick would be Brock Lesnar, as aside from what would be incredible matches, there’s history to draw on there. But being realistic, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens, John Cena, Rusev or Daniel Bryan would all fit the bill. Surely one of them is free for a couple of months.
A Job For JR
To provide a quick history lesson Jim Ross began his career in professional wrestling in 1974, has been a referee, announcer, booker, on-air talent and various backstage roles. He’s generally considered the greatest play-by-play announcer in the history of the sport and had this role as well as operating as vice-president of talent relations for the then-WWF during the company’s most successful period ever. Basically, he hired much of the on-air talent that made the WWF successful during the Attitude era then help tell the stories through his announcing role. Yet, not one promotion can find a role for him.
Now I appreciate the man is semi-retired and would only take certain roles, but even a part-time announcing gig or consultant would surely benefit all concerned. Imagine the likes of ROH or PWG getting someone with the experience and knowledge of JR to turn to when they needed to. How about JR working with their announce teams? Or as an announcer? And before this gets dismissed as fantasy JR has said via Twitter he’d be up for calling an ROH show alongside their current announce team. His work for GWF calling Wrestlekingdom 9 was as good as it always has been but left us all wanting more. If there really is no opportunity or desire for him in wrestling anymore then fine, in 2014, he called a boxing event and an MMA PPV in 2014. But if I never get to hear another thing labelled a Slobberknocker again, it really will be a tragedy for the wrestling industry.
Hopefully, this all comes true for 2016 as I don’t think I’m being selfish or ridiculous at all. But if I am, as ever please let me know in the comments or twitter @themarcuswood
Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, known for his role of Dr. Hannibal Lecter in the NBC show Hannibal, has been revealed as the main villain in Marvel’s upcoming Doctor Strange. In Entertainment Weekly‘s New Look issue, executive producer Stephen Broussard breaks the news and Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios, confirms it:
“Mads’ character is a sorcerer who breaks off into his own sect. [He] believes that the Ancient One is just protecting her own power base and that the world may be better off if we were to allow some of these other things through.”
As secretive as Marvel execs tend to be, this is quite a revelation in and on itself, but they don’t give out any character names for free. In fact, there are still several characters who remain a mystery next to the list of stars who will appear in this movie.
What’s funny is that this is the second “Mikkelsen villain” Benedict Cumberbatch has had to deal with, since Mads brother, Lars Mikkelsen, played blackmailer Charles Magnussen in Sherlock‘s latest season.
Will we find out who exactly is Mikkelsen playing before Doctor Strange is released in November 4? It’s time now for speculation. Who do you think is the villain in the film?
You can say that all you need is a Region-free DVD or Blu-Ray player, but sometimes you just don’t want to deal with the hassle of importing movies, plus the extra costs. And sometimes, you really do need quality English subtitles that these releases don’t have. So, here’s to hoping that these films find a way to the United States soon because they do deserve some more eyes on them.
Shiki-Jitsu (Ritual)
Directed by Neon Genesis Evangelion’s Hideaki Anno, this is his second foray into live-action. It tells the story of a depressed, anti-social filmmaker who meets a strange young woman who has a ritual of claiming that every day is her birthday. They both attempt to connect to each other, but they are separated by their own anxieties and mysteries. It’s a beautiful, haunting film that sadly has not seen any release of any kind in the USA. Worse yet, in its origin country of Japan, the DVD is now out of print. Given that Hideaki Anno has his niche among anime fans and Japanophiles in the USA, maybe it’s time to give this movie a proper release, especially on Blu-Ray. Perhaps his upcoming Godzilla: Resurgence movie will inspire someone to do so. And while we’re at it, could they also please release the soundtrack? The beautiful score by Takashi Kako deserves its own album.
Speaking of Hideaki Anno, his first live-action film, the shocking and moving Love and Pop has also gone out of print.
Strumpet
Made as part of a deal with the BBC that had Danny Boyle make two movies on digital format for them, Strumpet is about a homeless angry poet who teams up with a young woman to create a music duo, as they’re represented by a bigshot-wannabe agent who wishes to take them to the Top of the Pops and beyond. This charming, surprisingly poignant and energetic film features an electric performance by Christopher Eccleston, and Danny Boyle’s powerful, gritty direction. Unfortunately, it’s not been released in the States at all. The strange part is that the other film of the BBC deal, Vacuuming Completely Nude in Paradise does have a DVD release. Why release Vacuuming and not Strumpet? Who knows. Regardless, it’s a decision that has left one of Boyle’s most interesting movies unwatched by many.
If you have the means, you can get a UK copy of Strumpet here.
If you wish for an appetizer, feel free to get Vacuuming Completely Nude in Paradise right here.
Melody
A sweet and funny, romantic comedy about two kids who decide to marry, this movie was long absent from the DVD format in the States. It was made available in an NTSC all-region release. Although this is one way to check it out without much hassle, the release is in Pan and Scan, and the video quality isn’t anything to write home about.
If none of that matters to you, you can get the low-quality NTSC release of Melody here.
Macario
Based on the novella by B. Traven, Macario shows what happens when a peasant makes a deal with Death to give him miraculous powers under the condition that Death chooses who lives or dies. Captivating, funny and haunting, it is well-deserving of the classic title. Unfortunately, the DVD offered in NTSC doesn’t have any English subtitles or any subtitles of any kind. An odd choice for a multi-region DVD. On top of that, the picture quality doesn’t do justice to Gabriel Figueroa’s gorgeous cinematography.
La Noche de los Lápices
A frightening true story about an Argentinian student protest gone wrong, La Noche de los Lápices, unfortunately, hasn’t seen made available for the US. For now, it remains one of those movies that people catch thanks to borrowing copies or catching on TV.
After Life
In the world of this movie, once you die, you’re allowed to pick one memory to take with you to the rest of your after-life. Once you’ve made a choice, officials in the after-life work to recreate the memory and film it like a movie. This is a fantastic, bittersweet and thought-provoking comedy that would sit well with fans of Charlie Kaufman. The film used to be readily available on DVD, but now it has gone out of print and used copies are available for more than 90 dollars.
The Day of the Beast
A stylish and fun take on the Apocalypse, Alex de la Iglesia’s Day of the Beast hasn’t fallen under consideration for a more serious, proper DVD release that includes English subtitles.
Bleeder
Perhaps Nicolas Winding Refn’s most underrated film. More of a relationship drama in contrast to Refn’s other work, it plays like a love letter to movies, as well as a cautionary tale of obsession and love gone sour. Given that lead Mads Mikkelsen and Refn himself have gone on to gain international success, it is high time for this movie to get a proper home video release in the States.
If you have the means, you can get the UK DVD here.
