REVIEW: “Carol” – Blanchett, Rooney Mara both riveting in poignant and timeless love story

December 18, 2015

In Carol, director Todd Haynes’ phenomenal adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s controversial-at-the-time 1952 novel “The Price of Salt”, cast and crew deliver a love story that, while technically a period piece, carries a power and poignancy that is undeniably timeless. Richly detailed, unfailingly character-driven, and heartbreakingly honest, it’s easily one of this year’s very best, and arguably belongs in any discussion of the best film work turned in by its leads, Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara.

Set in late 1950’s Manhattan, Carol tells the story of the life-changing relationship between the titular character, Carol Aird (Blanchett), the wife of a successful banker, Harge (Kyle Chandler), and Therese Belevit (Mara), a young department store clerk Carol meets while Christmas shopping for her daughter, Rindy. Their attraction to one another is instantaneous, but pursuing it is complicated considering the place in life in which both women find themselves. For Carol, whose marriage has been loveless for years and is in the process of ending officially via divorce, finding herself so strongly drawn to Therese is a surprising turn, one that she’s not altogether sure she knows how to handle but at the same time feels compelled to explore. It’s much more confusing for Therese, who has a loving boyfriend in Richard (Jake Lacy), but is ambivalent about his affection, as well as a great deal of other elements of her every day life until Carol comes along.

As the two women spend more time together and their connection deepens, things grow even more complicated, as the nature of their relationship begins to affect Carol’s divorce and custody battle for Rindy, as well as Therese’s own personal relationships and career ambitions. Facing disapproval from all sides, Carol and Therese find themselves faced with terrible choices, all of whose options lead to messy outcomes, unintended collateral damage, and ultimately answering the question of whether or not the love they’ve found is worth going against the grain of the entire world around them.

Someday, it’s going to be literally impossible to apply any superlatives to describe the depth of Cate Blanchett’s talent and presence as a performer that haven’t been used already. Just when one might think she’s truly set a bar for herself in terms of believability, intensity, and on-screen charisma, she delivers an even stronger, more memorable performance. Here, in Carol, she delivers arguably one of her most complex and nuanced portrayals in years, as in order to bring Carol Aird to life she’s called upon to project an astounding range of emotion and expression. Playing emotionally complex characters is nothing new for Blanchett, certainly, but what’s so striking here is how palpable she makes Carol’s uncertainty and vulnerability when it comes to her undeniable attraction to the much-younger, less worldly and experienced Therese. She’s a woman who should and does know better than to get involved with someone this way while going through her divorce from Harge, and yet she’s also driven by her heart and by impulse — all that she knows, all her previous experience, is rendered irrelevant when faced with what she comes to feel for Therese. Blanchett brings that clash of knowledge versus passion and impulse to life in a way that should be relatable to anyone watching it all unfold — such is her transcendent talent, and the quality of what she delivers in every frame in this film.

And as good as Blanchett is, Rooney Mara delivers a performance that’s every bit as compelling and riveting to watch. Mara, a truly versatile performer who thrives in challenging roles, the American adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and 2013’s Side Effects, just to name a few. At the outset of the film Therese is at that point in life where knowledge of what one really wants is elusive; until she meets Carol she’s simply going through the motions in her job, her friendships, and even her relationship with her boyfriend. In the course of the film Mara must convey nothing short of an emotional revelation and awakening in Therese, a full recognition and acceptance of the emptiness that characterized what came before, and just how much everything changes thanks to the tenderness, affection, and passion she finds with Carol. Arguably, Mara’s task in the film is the more difficult, in comparison to Blanchett’s, as Therese really is the film’s viewpoint character: it’s Therese’s memories of their relationship that form the core of the film’s plot, her progression toward “real” life versus simple existence, with all the highs and lows that such a journey must endure, that drives the film forward, and ultimately where she arrives emotionally by the end of the film that brings some sense of resolution to its conclusion. Through it all, Mara’s work is authentic, nuanced, and utterly captivating, worth of any and all accolades that have and will continue to come her way in regards to her efforts here.

https://youtu.be/H4z7Px68ywk

Even beyond the strength of the lead performers here and the supporting players as well — Sarah Paulson of “American Horror Story” fame is exceptional, as always, here in a small role as Carol’s best friend and confidante, Abby, and Chandler does very well here in limited screen time as Harge — what makes Carol such a phenomenal film is just how much its story should resonate thanks to its honesty and realism in terms of relationships in the real world. Yes, this is a love story in film, but as it happens so often in real life, it’s a love story that’s messy. It happens at perhaps the worst possible time, between people who already have commitments to others who aren’t bad people, who aren’t deserving of being hurt or betrayed. It’s a story which acknowledges that following your heart, no matter how good or right that may sound, can result in tremendous wrong, and yet without question it still must be done. At least in the case of the love discovered in Carol, a quiet yet powerful ardor found between two people surrounded by the din of a world into which neither of them really fit, it’s never in question that these two people need to follow their hearts, wherever they may lead. There’s simply nothing in art or entertainment more romantic than that.

Carol
Starring Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson, Jake Lacy, and Kyle Chandler. Directed by Todd Haynes.
Running Time: 118 minutes
Rated R for a scene of sexuality/nudity and brief language.

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Quentin Tarantino’s Beef With Disney Is A HUGE Deal

Curtis Waugh

December 18, 2015

Quentin Tarantino appeared on The Howard Stern Show this past Wednesday and made a stunning claim that is at once shocking and unsurprising. Tarantino stated that his upcoming film, The Hateful Eight, had a contract with ArcLight Cinemas to play at their famed Cinerama Dome in Hollywood, exclusively, for two weeks. This would be just two weeks after ArcLight was scheduled to show Disney’s now released Star Wars: The Force Awakens in the same theater. According to Tarantino, Disney went to ArcLight and demanded they not honor the deal they had with The Hateful Eight and would thusly continue to play Star Wars in the Cinerama Dome past the initial two weeks and throughout the holiday season. ArcLight Cinemas wanted to refuse but was strong-armed when Disney threatened to pull Star Wars entirely from the popular theater chain if they didn’t keep the movie in the Dome. Understandably, ArcLight acquiesced, unable to justify losing what might be the biggest film in history when all is said and done.

Note: This article is based entirely upon the interview as given by Quentin Tarantino on The Howard Stern Show and is published before any response has been given by Disney.

So, you might have some questions: What does this one theater matter to Tarantino? Why would Disney go to such lengths to secure this theater for as long as they could? What can we really believe? What does it all mean?

Firstly, if you’re unfamiliar with Los Angeles or the ArcLight Theater chain, the Cinerama Dome is the crown jewel of the company’s screens. Apart from the Chinese Theater, also located in Hollywood, the Dome is arguably the biggest drawing and most famous theater in Tinseltown. Having opened in 1963 and boasting state-of-the-art sound and projection, the Dome has since been declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1998.

It is also one of the very best theaters and most readily equipped to screen a film in 70mm. Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight is already famous for having been shot in the 70mm format, a dying breed of cinema since the advent of digital photography. The movie is scheduled to open in limited release on Christmas Day, featuring a “roadshow” presentation in theaters capable of screening in 70mm which also features a longer cut of the film containing scenes specifically photographed to encapsulate all of what makes 70mm such a gorgeous format. To put it simply, the Cinerama Dome is arguably the best possible theater to show a movie in 70mm. Taking this away from The Hateful Eight undoubtedly puts a dent into the movie’s earnings and also deprives large numbers of folks form seeing the film as it was meant to be seen.

Projecting in 70mm has become a lost art, with very, very few theaters still maintaining their projection system having switched out (ironically beginning with George Lucas’ Star Wars: The Phantom Menace in 1999) to digital projectors. Those still with the equipment are very unlikely to have kept up training for skilled projectionists to present the films. This isn’t something where an usher, fresh from replacing the butter “flavoring” in the concession stands just presses “Play” and goes out back to smoke a joint. Projecting a film is a lost art and going about it the wrong way could present catastrophic screenings with a myriad of problems. HitFix’s Drew McWeeny detailed the events of such a catastrophic screening of The Hateful Eight at a different LA theater intended for members of the press. The theater was forced to switch to the digital version after the 70mm print had become too problematic to continue with. This was a press screening designed to be reviewed by people who really matter when it comes to marketing, grosses and awards. Imagine what happens when this film print is being shown multiple times a day to the general public? Personally, I’m not trusting Jeff the Buttery Usher with my 70mm celluloid.

The thing is, Disney knows this. They know just how special the Cinerama Dome is to LA moviegoers. It is a gigantic theater where each screening brings in thousands of dollars in income. Star Wars is going to be the biggest movie of the year and is almost guaranteed to sell-out marquee theaters for quite some time. I don’t believe it’s so much Disney going after Tarantino or his movie, it’s the fact that they want their movie shown on the biggest, best screens for as long as possible. After two weeks, the movie won’t yet be cooling down.

Tarantino himself stated in his Stern Show interview that he doesn’t hold The Force Awakens or its director, JJ Abrams, to blame for this debacle. It’s very reasonable to believe the creative forces behind the movie had no input or idea as to what Disney would try to do when it came to distribution techniques. I’ve no idea where the blame really belongs or where this decision ultimately came from, but it would be too easy to merely pass blame on some slicked-out suit fresh off greenlighting the 10th Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Releasing a movie as large as The Force Awakens presents huge issues across all fronts of marketing and distribution. I’d like to believe that this all is the result of a small bit of oversight coming from an aggressive department.

At the same time, if this mustache-twirling exchange did occur between Disney and ArcLight and Disney knowingly kicked Tarantino’s film from the schedule, it truly is a sad day for film fans as a whole. Star Wars will live on. It will echo throughout eternity until the actual Luke Skywalker, galaxies away (yes, in the future and not a long, long time ago) finds a DCP of Episode MCMLLV in the sands of New-Tatooine. Tarantino’s film prints will be long gone but his impact on the medium will also never be over or forgotten. It’s probably likely that Future Space Luke finds a Stormtrooper action figure in the sand instead of the actual film. The impact Star Wars has on the world’s culture is gargantuan and will outlive us all tenfold. Each Tarantino film is something slightly more special. It is a footprint in clay where Star Wars is a fabricated mold.

I don’t for a second want to diminish the impact Star Wars has had on my life and I’m forever grateful of its existence and how much has been created in its wake. I bought my tickets for The Force Awakens as soon as I possibly could and am knowingly giving money to the corporation that is also taking something equally important away from me. Is that hypocrisy? Maybe but it shouldn’t matter. If the people at Disney truly loved film and valued the artistic endeavor, they would celebrate Tarantino’s movie and not slash its tires. Not playing The Force Awakens in the Dome for more than two weeks won’t put the slightest dent in its grosses. It’s a drop in the worldwide bucket. For The Hateful Eight, the Dome is its livelihood. I’ll be seeing The Hateful Eight in 70mm wherever it’s most readily available but I’ll also be wishing I could be having that experience in the glorious Dome, where it’s meant to be seen.

Please, Disney, JJ, whomever you may be, give the Dome back to film.

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A ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Experience From the Mentality of a Hater

Robert Franco

December 18, 2015

Okay, when I say I’m hater of “Star Wars,” it’s more towards the intense hype and the extreme fanaticism. I grew up with my father showing me the original trilogy, and taking me to the newer less regarded Episodes I, II, and III. I played with Star Wars legos, toys, video games, plastic lightsabers, the whole nine yards. It just never had the impact for me as it has for others. Oh and by the way, I promise there will be NO SPOILERS. This is just a reaction piece with added tidbits from “Conan” and his special Star Wars episode.

Basically, I feel like Bill Burr, as he explains here:

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi_Ojd0yHeU[/embedyt]

I think maybe the reason why I’m not so crazed about this franchise is based on the fact that blockbusters and pop culture doesn’t exactly thrill me. As a good friend of my mine once put it: “You’re not a mainstream dude.” And he’s right. I like indie music with lyrics of substance and movies with great emotional or character development. These aspects are generally not in the money making machines produced for the masses. Also, Disney owning it and realising an infinite amount of spin-offs doesn’t help. It’s overkill, similar to Marvel and probably DC once or if they get their act together. I read people complaining about screenshots as spoilers, or review article titles and I honestly think like Harrison Ford in this clip (eyes rolls and all): excitement:

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_FieJToFKc[/embedyt]

To me it’s frightening similar to tweens going clinical for Justin Bieber, but hey maybe I’m just a cynical jerk!

Back to the film experience. It was a solid movie. The atmosphere was a bit odd, as I saw the movie alone and was serenaded with a mixture of cycling Star Wars music, Christmas music, and commercials. Applause erupted for both the opening and closing credits. The visuals were excellent; I didn’t find too much CGI that bothered me, and the writing from J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan was a huge upgrade, especially regarding the dialogue. They impressively managed humor through natural human/character behavior. I found that both the new and old cast really embraced their roles. Daisy Ridley’s character kicked the most rears. She displayed an incredibly strong female that really made this movie pop. Harrison Ford was back to his old awesome grumpy self, but my favorite roles came from Oscar Isaac and BB-8. In the past my favorite was R2-D2, so it’s no surprise I went from droid to droid. There’s something about their interactions I just really enjoy. They just amuse me, and I feel more attached to them.

I did find some issues with the movie as it deals with some developments towards the end; however for the sake of the public, I won’t delve further into. Even with some minor issues, I believe this is a much watch. It’s still incredibly fresh. Even for a blockbuster, it’s admirably risking in how they dealt with characterization. For me, it’s the best Star Wars my eyes have seen. Go see it, it even swayed a hater!

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z36TWbEpsSk[/embedyt]

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Best Anime of 2015

Logan Peterson

December 17, 2015

I don’t care what anyone says, 2015 was a great year for Anime. Rarely do I have the problem where I look back on the year and try to think of the good shows that aired. This year however, I didn’t even have to look at a chart of past seasons to remember the shows I loved. Trust me there were a lot, definitely more than in 2014. However having such a big list of great anime to choose from makes it harder for me to narrow down the best of the best. And after two weeks of agonizing analysis I think I have determined the best anime of 2015.

5. One Punch Man

One Punch Man is sort of boring subject to talk about because everything it has to offer is very simple. However it shines in its simplistic fact making One Punch Man stand out as one of the most purely entertaining shows I’ve seen in years. It looks great and nails the wide variety of tones it tries to hit every episode. All of the characters are interesting and sometimes I even feel deep emotion from them. It’s clear that this is a show that was destined to be adapted into Anime and even if we don’t get more of it, I am more than satisfied with what I got.

4. School Live!

A sleeper hit for sure. I haven’t really seen people talking about School Live in the circles I run in. That is, other than the shocking twist of the first episode. It’s a shame too, because I feel that School Live has so much more to offer than its fluid mix of “Moe Slice of Life” and “Zombie Apocalypse” scenario. The themes it handles are heavy and sincere. Everything the characters are feeling, even the laid back fun times gave me a sense of pure emotion. Rarely do I see a show that is able to tie in such deep and meaningful themes in a seemingly hidden package. School Live certainly does this and is a show I’ll surely be revisiting.

3. Blood Blockade Battlefront

There needs to be a word to describe this sort of Action/Slice of Life scenario that Blood Blockade Battlefront finds itself in. Much in the like of similar shows like Cowboy Bebop, BBB is mainly about the day-to-days of slightly unordinary people, in an interesting environment. Every episode I got to see something new about Hellsalem’s Lot or a new member of Libra I would truly feel the fun nature that this show emanates. That’s because Blood Blockade Battlefront takes characters, who in all reality I should have no relation to, and manages to give me a connection with. And if I can ground my connection with the characters it makes the maniacal world they inhabit seem much more digestible no matter how insane it gets. If One Punch Man exuberates the light-hearted nature of being a super hero, then Blood Blockade Battlefront does the same thing but with slightly unordinary people in their more than ordinary lives. It gives that sense of relate-ability that most shows set in such an environment simply cannot do. And once you have that relate-ability it makes Blood Blockade Battlefront a ride that you won’t want to get off.

2. Death Parade

Now this show is great just for the discussions it can bring up. Every episode of Death Parade comes with a moral scale that you have to personally take part in. Whether something is right or wrong, whether someone lives or dies, it’s up to you as the viewer to decide which is right. Sure the show has its own set of outcomes, but its true strength is making you care about characters every episode and ponder on the fact that judgment needs to take place. And somewhere down the line you come to the realization that you have no right to be judging. Death Parade cleverly invites you and its characters to do a job that is not possible for someone like us. So what are you to do once you cease being able to judge other? There is nothing else to do but try to understand them. Death Parade deals with the ultimate question of what comes after death, and whether you are prepared for it or not, it urges you to live your life as best you can and hopefully die with as little regrets as possible. Death Parade lets you ponder all these deep questions inside a lavish bar, with some equally lavish characters. Never before have I had such a fun time pondering the deep questions of life or death, let alone relate to some other worldly being who has the power over such things.

1. Yuri Kuma Arashi

Most of the themes of this show I had to look up given that I am not a gay woman who lives in Japan. Much like Kunihiko Ikuhara’s other works, Yuri Kuma Arashi tends to deal directly with issues that face modern society today. With its surreal artistic nature Yuri Kuma is able to capture all the emotion of being someone who will not back down on their love, even at the cost of being brutally ostracized by society. Yuri Kuma is funny when it wants to funny, light heated when it wants to be and serious when it needs to be; and it demands that the viewer is prepared for that. Yuri Kuma Arashi shows that something as complex as love isn’t as easy to tie down into a single definition. It brings to life true cruelties that society can sometimes nonchalantly sweep under the rug, and the people who these stigmatizations effect. It’s a rare event when we get to see such a tight fusion of pure art and pure entertainment which defines Yuri Kuma Arashi. Surely an utterly complex show with meaningful questions about society and love, making it easily the best show I saw in 2015.

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REVIEW: Shomin Sample ‘Is this not the sky that Kimito-sama was looking at?’ – So formulaic

Anthony Wendel

December 17, 2015

Summary: Reiko offers to give Kimito one-on-one tutoring to help him with his flower arranging class. Reiko’s mother and brother come to visit the school, with news that promises to change Reiko’s life forever.

Now for the those following at home, the main complaint levied against this show is how much it follows a formula. This point is truly solidified with today’s episode as the all too predictable “false drama penultimate episode” airs. What does this have to do with anything? You will soon find out.

See in a harem show there is often an episode right before the last one wherein a dramatic event threatens to change the lives of the characters in a very permanent fashion. Now if all the manga is complete there is a small change the change will be permanent and the story will evolve or come to an end entirely. Unfortunately, Shomin Sample is still in publication this means despite the fact it seems like the characters are about to change they aren’t. This makes the show less than entertaining to sit through because all the talk about Reiko having endure an arranged marriage will be a mute storyline by the end of episode 12.

Tune in next time when a marriage between two rich families is called off because the cast doesn’t want to see anything change and there is absolutely no repercussions for it at all. No, it’s not a joke, but a safe bet how this is how the series will come to a close. Can this show please just end.

Shomin Sample is streaming at Funimation.

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AMERICAN ALIEN: “DOVE” AND “HAWK”- SUPERMAN HUMANIZED

Oscar Moreno

December 17, 2015

American Alien is Max Landis’ seven issue series that explores Clark Kent’s life from his childhood to a young adult. Two issues have been released so far and both astound in entirely different ways. Issue one (“Dove”) deals with Clark as a child, realizing that he can’t keep himself on the ground, affecting not only the secrecy of his powers, but also the lives of Ma and Pa Kent. Issue two (“Hawk”) has a hesitant teenage Clark going after the people responsible for a horrendous crime in Smallville.

“Dove” is a sweet story. A testament to the Kents’ love for their adopted child. It shows Clark at his most insecure, and his most alienated. It may seem obvious given that Clark came from Krypton, but even though many kids will never have Clark’s powers, it remains a relatable tale. It’s all about realizing that you’re different from the rest and how uncomfortable that can make you feel, but also, how ultimately that will define who you are and how you can use it for good. The artwork by Nick Dragotta is simple and beautiful, bright and colorful. The writing and imagery together create an emotional volume that will leave you smiling and probably, with a tear in your eye.

“Hawk” is a whole other ball of wax. It plays more like a crime drama, almost like one of the Coen Brothers’ darker movies. It’s surprising and even scary. But Landis doesn’t sacrifice tenderness for darkness here, much like the Coens would do it; there are brush strokes of comedy and just about enough light to let us know that despite this dark episode has changed Clark, it hasn’t changed him for the worse. In this issue, the art by Tommy Lee Edwards is done in a rough, almost desaturated style that perfectly suits the story. If “Dove” was a representation of nostalgic Americana, “Hawk” is about its hidden, seedier side.

If I have a complaint about these issues is that they feel too short. You’re left wanting more, but that’s a sign of how good this series is. It’s propulsive storytelling at its best, with not a single page or dialogue wasted. It’s kind of a shame that we have to wait a month for each issue to be released. Nevertheless, both stories are absolutely satisfying.

Both issues contain a little epilogue afterwards, and because they’re so short, the less said about them, the better. But one provides a glimpse into the Kents’ past, it’s almost like a puzzle, where you’ll find yourself crying or on the verge of tears once you start figuring it out. The other…well, let’s just say it involves a certain famous (or infamous) character of Superman lore. Depending on your feelings about that character, you will either groan or you will cheer. But American Alien so far has been one of the most exciting, emotional reads I’ve had this year or in a long time. I can’t wait to see where it goes next.

You can get the first two issues issues of American Alien at your favorite comic book shop, or right here or here.

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Meet The New ‘Ghostbusters’ – Posters and Descriptions

Matthew Sardo

December 17, 2015

Sony Pictures released character posters and descriptions for Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters featuring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones.

Kristen Wiig plays Erin Gilbert, a particle physicist, academic firebrand, spectral warrior.

Kate McKinnon is Jillian Holtzmann, a nuclear engineer, munitions expert, and proton wrangler.

Melissa McCarthy is Abby Yates, a paranormal researcher, supernatural scientist, and entity trapper.

Leslie Jones is Patty Tolan, a ghost tracker, municipal historian, and metaphysical commando

(h/t to Collider)

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.

The plot is still unknown, but they’re probably going to bust some ghosts.

The new Ghostbuster will be in theaters on July 22, 2016.

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LEXCORP To Spend $2 Billion On Defense R&D In 2016

Matthew Sardo

December 17, 2015

As Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theaters this weekend, the next blockbuster on the horizon is Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and the viral marketing for LEXCORP has just begun.

WIRED just conducted an interview with Lex Luthor and the mad scientist will spend $2 billion on defense research and development to combat the alien known as Superman. Luthor also has a few words for Batman.

“Any objective analyst will tell you that his brand of justice, vigilantism, is painfully outmoded, designed to be effective in an age when the law carried billy clubs because crime carried knives,” Luthor says of The Batman. “The most dangerous guy on the street worked in the shadows because he was cowardly and superstitious. That’s all you needed to play upon in order to disrupt their operations. You want to clean up the streets? Dress up like the boogeyman, switch on a fog machine and lower your voice.”

RON TROUPE: Nice digs.

LEX LUTHOR: We’re not doing that.

RON TROUPE: Doing what?

LEX LUTHOR: We’re not opening with a wide-eyed layman’s description of the hotel room that makes me look unrelatable just to set up a dramatic twist wherein, lo and behold, you discover I’m surprisingly down-to-earth because I know the score of the last Metros game.

RON TROUPE: Do you?

LEX LUTHOR: Metros 102, Guardsmen 86.

RON TROUPE: Weird. (it’s the correct “relatable” small talk, but coming out of him, it sounds less like a basketball score than a set of algebraic integers.)

LEX LUTHOR: Which is why we’re not doing it.

RON TROUPE: Would you say you’re a man who’s always gotten what he wants?

LEX LUTHOR: Nice pivot. Here’s mine: What I want is to leave the planet in better shape for the next generation. To make the world and its children safer. I want it. And I bet you do too, Ron.

RON TROUPE: You sound like someone running for political office.

Read the full Lex Luthor interview by clicking here.

Warner Bros. paid WIRED for the sponsored content. Ron Troupe is a character from Superman and there are several references in the article to the expanding DC Cinematic Universe?

About Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Gotham City-based vigilante Batman travels to Metropolis to preemptively combat Superman, fearing what would happen if the latter is kept unchecked, while another threat endangers humankind.

Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice stars Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jason Momoa, Ben Affleck, Jesse Eisenberg, Gal Gadot, Jena Malone, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Diane Lane, Ezra Miller, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter, Michael Shannon, and Laurence Fishburne.

The film is set to open worldwide on March 25, 2016

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REVIEW: “Sisters” – Latest Fey, Poehler team-up falls flat

Felix Albuerne

December 17, 2015

Sorry, SNL Weekend Update and Baby Mama fans: your favorite comedic tag team misses the mark with their latest effort, but not for lack of trying. Sisters, starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, brings a few solid laughs scattered throughout its overly-long running time, but for the most part is a pretty forgettable feature film foray for these two talented comedians who have each starred in far better, smarter projects in recent years.

Fey and Poehler star as the Ellis sisters, Kate and Maura, respectively, who are called back to their childhood home in Orlando, Florida by their parents (James Brolin and Dianne Wiest) to clean out their bedrooms, as the family house has been sold. Though the two sisters couldn’t be more different — always responsible, always overbearing nurse Maura versus temperamental, ne’er-do-well nail technician Kate — their reaction to their folks’ decision to ditch the house the girls grew up in without so much as a head’s up is very similar: they freak out, each in their own signature ways.

Once resigned to the fact that they can’t talk their parents out of the sale, they throw themselves into the task at hand, and in the course of putting on old clothes and reading old diary entries, inspiration strikes: one last mega-party at the Ellis house, one final blowout, with all their old high school mates invited, this time with the specific intent of Maura getting to cut loose, rather than filling the role she always filled back in the day, that of the “party mom” that stays sober and makes sure the damage to life and property remains at a minimum.

Of course, there are a few subplots at work here, as well, which all come out at the worst possible times as the party kicks into gear: Kate’s broke, homeless, and jobless, while Maura has been secretly harboring Kate’s exasperated teenage daughter Haley (Madison Davenport) for the whole summer. Drama just waiting to explode as the shots get served, the house gets wrecked, and general chaos ensues. Sounds hilarious, right?

Okay, maybe that wasn’t exactly the best way to sell the sizzle, but even so, it’s pretty clear there’s not a whole lot of inspired stuff here.

The script for Sisters comes from longtime SNL and “30 Rock” writer Paula Pell, and had she perhaps stuck to the just the sisterly/family upheaval stories as well as the comedy inherent in a group of early forty-somethings kicking it at the party-to-end-all-parties, perhaps things might have flowed smoother. But Pell overstuffs this script with running gag on top of running gag in addition to the aforementioned subplots, and most of the extra stuff may have sounded funny on paper, but in execution just doesn’t work. Add to that a belabored sense of comic timing on the part of director Jason Moore (Pitch Perfect), who time and again throughout the film lets jokes run far too long, and its no wonder Sisters clocks in at nearly two hours. This is a film that’s desperately in need of editing, one that would have benefited greatly from a “theatrical version” versus an “unrated” home video version which could feature the longer running time and all those extra gags.

To be fair, it’s not all terrible. Arguably, the one recurring bit that does work best is the one featuring WWE superstar John Cena, playing a very intimidating and stoic drug dealer named Pazuzu who does his part to liven up the Ellis’s party just when things reach their most “adult” (translation = dull and depressing). There’s also a romantic story here involving Maura and her ridiculously awkward courtship of the neighbor from down the street, James (Ike Barinholtz), which is for the most part tedious to watch but does lead to one of the film’s funnier sequences involving a ballerina music box finding its way into a very uncomfortable place — to say anymore would be to ruin the joke, so you’ll just have to see it for yourself.

As for the film’s leads, there’s a little bit of fun to seeing Fey in particular play against the type we’re so used to seeing from her — Kate is as far removed from “30 Rock”‘s Liz Lemon as is imaginably possible — but oddly, her effort and Poehler’s both feel forced, as though they’re really trying to sell the funny in Pell’s script when maybe it’s not as funny as it was when they read through it. It’s actually very surprising, considering the talent involved here, how flat everything falls in Sisters — everyone involved here, including the supporting cast, which includes Maya Rudolph and John Leguizamo, is certainly capable of better.

To sum up, if you do choose to see Sisters, do yourself a favor and wait for home video. Yes, quite likely the digital/blu-ray edition will be even longer, but at least you can turn it off or switch to something else if you reach an “I’m done” point in the course of watching it. And yes, no matter how much you love Tina Fey and Amy Poehler in everything else you’ve seen them in, you WILL reach that point.

Sisters
Starring Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Ike Barinholtz, James Brolin, John Cena, John Leguizamo and Dianne Wiest. Directed by Jason Moore.
Running Time: 118 minutes
Rated R for crude sexual content and language throughout, and for drug use.

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