HBO received 43 Primetime Emmy® Awards, the most of any network for the 14th year in a row, and the most in HBO history, in the 67th Annual Primetime Emmy® Awards competition. “Game of Thrones” led all programming with 12 Emmys®, a record for a series in one year, while “Olive Kitteridge” received 8 Emmys®, the second-most of any program this year.
HBO’s Emmy® wins this year include:
12 Emmys® for “Game of Thrones,” including Outstanding Drama Series; Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Peter Dinklage); Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (David Nutter); Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (David Benioff and D.B. Weiss); Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More); Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series; Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series; Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic); Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series; Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour); Outstanding Special Visual Effects; and Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Limited Series or Movie.
8 Emmys® for “Olive Kitteridge,” including Outstanding Limited Series; Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie (Richard Jenkins); Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie (Frances McDormand); Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie (Bill Murray); Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or a Dramatic Special (Lisa Cholodenko); Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or a Dramatic Special (Jane Anderson); Outstanding Casting for a Limited Series, Movie or a Special; and Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Limited Series or a Movie.
5 Emmys® for “Veep”: Outstanding Comedy Series; Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Julia Louis-Dreyfus); Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Tony Hale); Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche); and Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series.
4 Emmys® for “Bessie,” including Outstanding Television Movie; Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or Movie; Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series, Movie or a Special (Original Dramatic Score); and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited Series or a Movie.
3 Emmys® for “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief,” including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special; Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming (Alex Gibney); and Outstanding Writing for Nonfiction Programming (Alex Gibney).
2 Emmys® for “Boardwalk Empire,” including Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Period Program (One Hour or More) and Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or Movie.
2 Emmys® for “Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways,” including Outstanding Sound Editing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) and Outstanding Sound Mixing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera).
2 Emmys® for “The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst,” including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series and Outstanding Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming.
2 Emmys® for “Silicon Valley,” including Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half-Hour Or Less) and Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series.
1 Emmy® for “Alan Alda and the Actor Within You: A YoungArts Masterclass”: Outstanding Children’s Program.
1 Emmy® for “Citizenfour”: Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking.
1 Emmy® for “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”: Outstanding Interactive Program.
In addition, the CINEMAX series “The Knick” received 1 Emmy®, for Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Period Program (One Hour or More).
Sam Smith gave fans the first 15-seconds of his song ‘Writing’s On The Wall’ Monday morning. This will be the featured song for newest James Bond Thriller, Spectre.
Albert R. Broccoli’s EON Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Sony Pictures Entertainment today confirmed that Sam Smith has recorded “Writing’s On The Wall,” the theme song to SPECTRE, the 24th James Bond adventure. SPECTRE will be released in the UK on October 26 and in the US on November 6. The song, released by Capitol Records, will debut and be available to purchase and stream on September 25.
Multi-platinum selling artist Sam Smith has co-written the title song, “Writing’s On The Wall,” with fellow GRAMMY® Award winner Jimmy Napes. It is the first James Bond theme song recorded by a British male solo artist since 1965. Smith’s debut album In The Lonely Hour launched at No. 1 in the UK and bowed in at No. 2 in the US, and has since earned five No.1 UK singles, four GRAMMY® Awards, three Brit Awards, six MOBO Awards, Q and AMA Awards.
Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, the producers of SPECTRE, said, “Sam and Jimmy have written the most inspirational song for SPECTRE and with Sam’s extraordinary vocal performance, ‘Writing’s On The Wall’ will surely be considered one of the greatest Bond songs of all time.”
Smith said: “This is one of the highlights of my career. I am honoured to finally announce that I will be singing the next Bond theme song. I am so excited to be a part of this iconic British legacy and join an incredible line up of some of my biggest musical inspirations. I hope you all enjoy the song as much as I enjoyed making it.”
The 23 previous James Bond theme songs make up some of the most memorable movie music of all time. The previous Bond theme song, “Skyfall,” was performed by Adele, and was honored with the Academy Award® and Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, the Brit Award for British Single of the Year, and the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media.
ABOUT “SPECTRE”
A cryptic message from the past sends James Bond (Daniel Craig) on a rogue mission to Mexico City and eventually Rome, where he meets Lucia Sciarra (Monica Bellucci), the beautiful and forbidden widow of an infamous criminal. Bond infiltrates a secret meeting and uncovers the existence of the sinister organisation known as SPECTRE.
Meanwhile back in London, Max Denbigh (Andrew Scott), the new head of the Centre for National Security, questions Bond’s actions and challenges the relevance of MI6, led by M (Ralph Fiennes). Bond covertly enlists Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) and Q (Ben Whishaw) to help him seek out Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux), the daughter of his old nemesis Mr White (Jesper Christensen), who may hold the clue to untangling the web of SPECTRE. As the daughter of an assassin, she understands Bond in a way most others cannot.
As Bond ventures towards the heart of SPECTRE, he learns of a chilling connection between himself and the enemy he seeks, played by Christoph Waltz.
Sam Mendes returns to direct SPECTRE, with Daniel Craig reprising his role as 007 for the fourth time. SPECTRE is produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. The screenplay is by John Logan and Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and Jez Butterworth, with a story by John Logan and Neal Purvis & Robert Wade.
SPECTRE is set for release in the UK on October 26, 2015, and in the US on November 6, 2015.
This next show is a little… odd. No, this isn’t mistaken-for-gay-with-muscle-fetish odd, but it’s pretty weird nonetheless. What show? Well, the shortform comedy, seinen, super power show Onsen Yousei Hakone-chanof course. But most surprising is that it might not suck.
The synopsis is: “Hakone is a hot spring spirit who descended to a spa resort on Earth. However, with her long slumber, she looks like a little girl on the outside.The high school boy Tōya stumbles across her at a hot spring and ends up joining Hakone in retrieving her original powers.” (Source)
Ok, I actually lied. Onsen Yousei Hakone-chan doesn’t have much of a chance of being a ‘great’ show. But I’m still going to give it a shot for a few reasons.
The first being that in comparison to someothershows, this has a higher chance of faring better. The second is that Seinen tag. The last time we had a seinen shortform comedy, it was pretty great.
Because of that I feel like I need to at least give it a chance. It’s a seinen for something, right? It’ll be good, right? It won’t suck, right? Right?
Onsen Yousei Hakone-chan will begin airing October 4th, 2015, for the Fall 2015 season.
If Network is director Sidney Lumet’s high-flying satirical masterwork of media madness, Dog Day Afternoon is his antithesis, a ground-floor exploration of desperation, sadness, and anger, all told through the lens of a man whose forbidden love and inherent desire to please drives him to unimaginable depths. While I adore Network and admire its timelessness and energy, Dog Day Afternoon carves an emotional ravine. It’s a seminal work, dealing in the currency of pure despair, told across the theater of the airwaves, judged amongst the mob of onlookers.
The man in question is Sonny, played by Al Pacino in what is the legendary actor’s finest hour. Sonny has a plan, foolproof, were it not for the fools he employs. He plans to rob a bank for reasons unknown to the audience for some time, and he brings along his hapless friend Stevie (Gary Springer) and his dimwitted partner, Sal (John Cazale). Things immediately go awry in a comedy of errors and poor planning. Before long the heist has been foiled and the law is alerted. A crowd builds outside thanks to the increasing police presence, and news choppers begin circling like vultures. Desperate times give way to desperate measures as the mercury rises. What was once a simple smash-and-grab robbery for Sonny and Sal becomes a sensationalized hostage situation, a standoff between these two and the police outside, spearheaded by Moretti (Charles Durning).
It’s here where Dog Day Afternoon transforms, subverting the standard suspense thriller into a tale of manipulation in the court of public opinion. Sonny wisely plays to the crowd, exciting their anger against the police in the film’s most famous scene. The reference to Attica – a 1971 prison riot where inmates took over the New York penitentiary, demanding better living conditions, only to have the standoff end in 43 lives lost, including ten hostages – works the crowd into a rabid frenzy, turning them against the police and placing them firmly in Sonny’s corner. In a moment of despair, Sonny’s quick thinking helps create an army of allies who will, hopefully, keep him out of a sniper’s scope.
Emotions stretch thin throughout the film’s first half, where the heat rises and the desperation of the situation becomes more and more apparent. The FBI intervenes. And then, out of left field, comes one of the finest twists in cinematic history. Enter Leon, Sonny’s gay lover played by Chris Sarandon. As it turns out, Sonny is robbing this bank to get Leon his sex-change operation. And the layers of the onion peel back further and further, while the crowd shifts from supportive to snarky and mocking of poor Sonny.
The twist is a watershed moment for Dog Day Afternoon, and for the very idea of a cinematic protagonist in 1975. It is a bold stroke from Lumet. Despite borrowing from a true story, he could have easily eschewed the homosexual about face to deliver a more conventional thriller. He opted in, however, and the decision sets Dog Day apart from its heist-film peers. It becomes less a story about desperate thieves, and more a social commentary. Just as Sonny gained the favor of the masses, he now loses it, simply because he is no longer like them. He is a joke. The rise of hope falls to the depths of despair once again, and it is Sonny against the world. Desperation is back; Sonny handles it by trying to think his way out of his current conundrum, the simple-minded Sal is itching to go out in a bullet-fueled blaze of glory.
Relationships are captivating all throughout. From Sal and Sonny, to their burgeoning friendship with the hostages – a band of female tellers and one bank manager – to the situational rapport Sonny builds with Moretti, all of the players involved are feeding off their own unique desperation. Consider for a moment the kinship Sonny builds with the tellers; it is not a simple case of Stockholm Syndrome, but an understanding from the women that Sonny is a nice man, lost in despair, eager to please, albeit in the worst way imaginable. These women do not commiserate with Sonny because he is their captor, but because they secretly pity him. He is no longer a threat to them, but a sad man whom they want to survive this ordeal.
These crucial narrative threads create an undeniable fluidity, making Dog Day Afternoon not only a film, but a living thing. While the amassed crowd outside the bank flips from admiration to disgust with Sonny, Pacino’s performance commands nothing but empathy from the viewer. His desire to please anyone and everyone brought him to this situation to begin with, and most certainly was the reason for including the dangerous Sal in the plan. Sonny is adrift in this 70’s world of unemployment, though his heart is full of love. Except his love is not accepted, not in these times. Pacino conveys the sadness, hidden beneath the despair of the situation. He looks appropriately exhausted, and we feel his fatigue.
Forty years later, Dog Day Afternoon feels as relevant as ever. Given the subtext of homosexuality and gender reassignment, it almost feels like essential viewing in our modern culture. Desperation leads people to do things they would never have considered, as is the case with poor Sonny. Sidney Lumet’s film is essential, unforgettable, a timeless masterpiece.
Florida largest convention MegaCon, announced a second show Monday morning. MegaCon Fan Days will be a two-day show November 21-22.
“Join us for a new exciting event this Fall! We are proud to announce the inaugural MegaCon Fan Days event to take place at the Orange County Convention Center on November 21-22, 2015. Come and have some fun with us before the hectic holiday season begins and maybe you can get some of that Christmas shopping done early!”
Tickets go on sale Wednesday morning at 10am. For more details visit MegaConFanDays.com
Back in April Informa Pop Culture Events purchased MegaCon, Elizabeth Widera is still the executive director of the event but Informa will look to expand the brand. The first example of this is MegaCon Fan Days. Informa also runs six other pop culture conventions in Canada and Texas.
Outstanding Drama Series
“Better Call Saul” (AMC)
“Downton Abbey” (PBS)
“Game Of Thrones” (HBO) *WINNER
“Homeland” (Showtime)
“House Of Cards” (Netflix)
“Mad Men” (AMC)
“Orange Is The New Black” (Netflix)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Kyle Chandler, “Bloodline”
Jeff Daniels, “The Newsroom”
Jon Hamm, “Mad Men” *WINNER
Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”
Liev Schreiber, “Ray Donovan”
Kevin Spacey, “House of Cards”
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Claire Danes, “Homeland”
Viola Davis, “How to Get Away With Murder” *WINNER
Taraji P. Henson, “Empire”
Tatiana Maslany, “Orphan Black”
Elisabeth Moss, “Mad Men”
Robin Wright, “House of Cards”
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson, “black-ish”
Louis C.K., “Louie”
Don Cheadle, “House of Lies”
Will Forte, “Last Man on Earth”
Matt LeBlanc, “Episodes”
William H. Macy, “Shameless”
Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent” *WINNER
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Edie Falco, “Nurse Jackie”
Lisa Kudrow, “The Comeback”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep” *WINNER
Amy Poehler, “Parks and Recreation”
Amy Schumer, “Inside Amy Schumer”
Lily Tomlin, “Grace and Frankie”
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Jonathan Banks, “Better Call Saul”
Ben Mendelsohn, “Bloodline”
Jim Carter, “Downton Abbey”
Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones” *WINNER
Michael Kelly, “House of Cards”
Alan Cumming, “The Good Wife”
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Joanne Froggatt, “Downton Abbey”
Lena Headey, “Game of Thrones”
Emilia Clarke, “Game of Thrones”
Christina Hendricks, “Mad Men”
Uzo Aduba, “Orange Is the New Black” *WINNER
Christine Baranski, “The Good Wife”
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Niecy Nash, “Getting On”
Julie Bowen, “Modern Family”
Allison Janney, “Mom” *WINNER
Kate McKinnon, “Saturday Night Live”
Mayim Bialik, “The Big Bang Theory”
Gaby Hoffmann, “Transparent”
Jane Krakowski, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
Anna Chlumsky, “Veep”
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Andre Braugher, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”
Adam Driver, “Girls”
Keegan-Michael Key, “Key & Peele”
Ty Burrell, “Modern Family”
Tituss Burgess, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
Tony Hale, “Veep” *WINNER
Outstanding Television Movie
“Agatha Christie’s Poirot: Curtain, Poirot’s Last Case” (Acorn TV)
“Bessie” (HBO) *WINNER
“Grace Of Monaco” (Lifetime)
“Hello Ladies: The Movie” (HBO)
“Killing Jesus” (National Geographic)
“Nightingale” (HBO)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
Timothy Hutton, “American Crime”
Ricky Gervais, “Derek Special”
Adrien Brody, “Houdini”
David Oyelowo, “Nightingale”
Richard Jenkins, “Olive Kitteridge” *WINNER
Mark Rylance, “Wolf Hall”
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
Felicity Huffman, “American Crime”
Jessica Lange, “American Horror Story: Freak Show”
Queen Latifah, “Bessie”
Maggie Gyllenhaal, “The Honorable Woman”
Frances McDormand, “Olive Kitteridge” *WINNER
Emma Thompson, “Sweeney Todd”
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
Richard Cabral, “American Crime”
Denis O’Hare, “American Horror Story: Freak Show”
Finn Wittrock, “American Horror Story: Freak Show”
Michael Kenneth Williams, “Bessie”
Bill Murray, “Olive Kitteridge” *WINNER
Damian Lewis, “Wolf Hall”
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
Regina King, “American Crime” *WINNER
Sarah Paulson, “American Horror Story: Freak Show”
Angela Bassett, “American Horror Story: Freak Show”
Kathy Bates, “American Horror Story: Freak Show”
Mo’Nique, “Bessie”
Zoe Kazan, “Olive Kitteridge”
Outstanding Variety Talk Series
“The Colbert Report” (Comedy Central)
“The Daily Show” (Comedy Central) *WINNER
“Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC)
“Last Week Tonight” (HBO)
“Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS)
“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC)
Outstanding Writing For A Variety Series
“The Colbert Report” (Comedy Central)
“The Daily Show” (Comedy Central) *WINNER
“Inside Amy Schumer” (Comedy Central)
“Last Week Tonight” (HBO)
“Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS)
Outstanding Directing For A Variety Series
“The Colbert Report” (Comedy Central)
“The Daily Show” (Comedy Central) *WINNER
“Inside Amy Schumer” (Comedy Central)
“Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS)
“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC)
Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
“The Amazing Race” (CBS)
“Dancing with the Stars” (ABC)
“Project Runway” (Lifetime)
“So You Think You Can Dance” (FOX)
“Top Chef” (Bravo)
“The Voice” (NBC) *WINNER
Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program
“Alaska: The Last Frontier” (Discovery)
“Deadliest Catch” (Discovery) *WINNER
“Intervention” (A&E)
“Million Dollar Listing New York” (Bravo)
“Naked and Afraid” (Discovery Channel)
“Wahlburgers” (A&E)
Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program
Tom Bergeron, “Dancing With The Stars”
Jane Lynch, “Hollywood Game Night” *WINNER
Heidi Klum & Tim Gunn, “Project Runway”
Cat Deeley, “So You Think You Can Dance”
Anthony Bourdain, “The Taste”
Outstanding Variety Special
“Bill Maher: Live From D.C.” (HBO)
“The Kennedy Center Honors” (CBS)
“Louis C.K.: Live At The Comedy Store” (LouisCK.net)
“Mel Brooks Live At The Geffen” (HBO)
“The Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special” (NBC) *WINNER
“Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga: Cheek To Cheek LIVE!” (PBS)
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Alan Alda, “The Blacklist”
Michael J. Fox, “The Good Wife”
F. Murray Abraham, “Homeland”
Reg E. Cathey, “House of Cards” *WINNER
Beau Bridges, “Masters Of Sex”
Pablo Schreiber, “Orange Is The New Black”
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Margo Martindale, “The Americans” *WINNER
Diana Rigg, “Game of Thrones”
Rachel Brosnahan, “House Of Cards”
Cicely Tyson, “How To Get Away With Murder”
Allison Janney, “Masters Of Sex”
Khandi Alexander, “Scandal”
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Mel Brooks, “The Comedians”
Paul Giamatti, “Inside Amy Schumer”
Bill Hader, “Saturday Night Live”
Louis C.K., “Saturday Night Live”
Bradley Whitford, “Transparent” *WINNER
Jon Hamm, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Christine Baranski, “The Big Bang Theory”
Gaby Hoffmann, “Girls”
Pamela Adlon, “Louie”
Elizabeth Banks, “Modern Family”
Joan Cusack, “Shameless” *WINNER
Tina Fey, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
“The Americans” — “Do Mail Robots Dream Of Electric Sheep?” (Joshua Brand)
“Better Call Saul” — “Five-O” (Gordon Smith)
“Game Of Thrones” — “Mother’s Mercy” (David Benioff and D.B. Weiss) *WINNER
“Mad Men” — “Lost Horizon” (Semi Chellas and Matthew Weiner)
“Mad Men” — “Person To Person” (Matthew Weiner)
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
“Episodes” — “Episode 409” (David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik)
“The Last Man On Earth” — “Alive In Tucson (Pilot)” (Will Forte)
“Louie” — “Bobby’s House” (Louis C.K.)
“Silicon Valley” — “Two Days Of The Condor” (Alec Berg)
“Transparent” — “Pilot” (Jill Soloway)
“Veep” — “Election Night” (Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci and Tony Roche) *WINNER
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
“Boardwalk Empire” — “Eldorado” (Tim Van Patten)
“Game Of Thrones” — “Mother’s Mercy” (David Nutter) *WINNER
“Game Of Thrones” — “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken” (Jeremy Podeswa)
“Homeland” — “From A To B And Back Again” (Lesli Linka Glatter)
“The Knick” — “Method And Madness” (Steven Soderbergh)
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
“The Last Man On Earth” — “Alive In Tucson (Pilot)” (Phil Lord and Christopher Miller)
“Louie” — “Sleepover” (Louis C.K.)
“Silicon Valley” — “Sand Hill Shuffle” (Mike Judge)
“Transparent” — “Best New Girl” (Jill Soloway) *WINNER
“Veep” — “Testimony” (Armando Iannucci)
Outstanding Writing For A Limited Series, Movie Or A Dramatic Special
“American Crime” – “Episode One” (John Ridley)
“Bessie” (Dee Rees, Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois, Horton Foote)
“Hello Ladies: The Movie” (Stephen Merchant, Gene Stupnitsky, Lee Eisenberg)
“Olive Kitteridge” (Jane Anderson) *WINNER
“The Honorable Woman” (Hugo Blick)
“Wolf Hall” (Peter Straughan)
Outstanding Directing For A Limited Series, Movie Or A Dramatic Special
“Olive Kitteridge” (Lisa Cholodenko) *WINNER
“Wolf Hall” (Peter Kosminsky)
“Houdini” (Uli Edel)
“Bessie” (Dee Rees)
“American Horror Story: Freak Show” (Ryan Murphy)
“The Honorable Woman” (Hugo Blick)
A recent interview that mentioned the series creator of Attack on Titan, Hajime Isayama, stated that he had about three more years of stories until the manga will be finished. Isayama said currently 60% of the story has been told. But what does it mean? How much more Attack on Titan can the fans expect? What does this mean for the manga and anime?
At the time of the interview the most recent chapter of the manga was 73. With this only being 60% of the actual story that means the story mathematically needs to run at least 122 more chapters. Going back to Hajime’s original claim, in which he said it would take three years to finish the series, this seems about right. Still, the series has been coming out at a biweekly schedule which makes three more years of manga equal about 78 chapters total. Let’s do an average, and say the series will wrap up in 76 more chapters. Looks like the fans reading the manga are going to have a lot to look forward to in the future.
What will fans have to look forward to when more manga gets turned into an anime? Going back to the 25 episodes of the anime and comparing it to the 34 chapters of manga it was based on, shows that about 1.36 chapters are made into one episode. Using math again shows it will take about 56 more episodes of anime to show the entire story in animated form. Basically, about two extended seasons of anime back to back.
Will fans ever get to see more Titan killing in animated form? It’s almost a certainty at this point. Since the anime’s initial ending – 2 live action films – have been released, and a more comical series called Attack on Titan: Junior High will be released this fall. There has also been extensive rumors of a second season of the anime coming out in 2016 but there has yet to be a trailer. Based on this math, it will take at least 50 episodes to properly tell the story to its fullest. More than enough episodes to satisfy the fanbase with all the Titan fighting action they can handle.
One of the most common things I hear about being a movie critic is “ It must be really great to see all those great movies.” Well, they aren’t all great, and some of these pictures are just downright infuriating. One benefit to having endured such sensory nightmares is that they are generally easy to write about; it’s the ones that are just head and shoulders above all other films. I sometimes will run into a problem when I’m writing about films that are just somewhere in that middle range of not horrific or simply amazing. Take today for example, I’m going to take on the monumental task of proving to you why you should check out a movie about that is essentially about the 1972 Chess Championships in Reykjavik, Iceland. What was that … oh … you would rather relive trigonometry than to watch a film about the 1972 Chess Championships? I don’t blame you. But this was no ordinary Championship match.
In a world reeling from Vietnam and Watergate, we all were glued to the television as Russian Chess Master Boris Spassky was challenged by the young upstart Brooklyn native, Bobby Fischer. Boris Spassky was, by all accounts, a machine, and would just destroy all players who dared challenged him. Bobby Fischer was brash, bold, and full of bravado-the type of person that was loathed by the Russians and was adored by the American public. This match became such a sensation it was covered by all major news outlets and broadcast live on ABC’s Wide World of Sports. This match was not about chess but national pride.
Edward Zwick’s Pawn Sacrifice delivers a very conventional biopic detailing Fischer’s upbringing and his rise through the chess ranks. Zwick is determined to focus the attention on the one-on-one aspect of a chess match, and does so by incorporating a ton of quick two shots of play on the board as well as the players hitting that timer after each move. I was certainly hoping that Zwick would spend more time delving into the serious mental deterioration that Fischer was undergoing during this time. If you remember (you probably don’t), Fischer actually didn’t show for one of his matches because he didn’t want to come out of this room, afraid spies were on his case. Zwick does touch on Fischer’s mental issues sporadically, but the effort can be only be described as touching the surface of what was a deep pool of material. Zwick misses an opportunity to take this movie to new heights.
What stands out most of all about Pawn Sacrifice is that it’s billed as one thing and it’s actually something completely different. If you were to go on to Google and type in the words “Pawn Sacrifice,” you would see that this movie is billed as a biopic of Bobby Fischer. In reality there is so little that we actually do learn about Bobby Fischer and his idiosyncrasies that you leave thinking something very different. Sixty percent of the film centers around that one chess match. Zwick delivers a conventional biopic when he does delve into the story of Fischer, yet there was nothing conventional about Bobby Fischer.
I enjoyed watching Pawn Sacrifice. I don’t find anything thing wrong with the final product. I feel if Zwick had delivered what was advertised he could have had a movie that was a powerhouse during awards season; instead it amounts to simply a “good” film. To put this in chess terms … Pawn Sacrifice is a check but not a checkmate.
In taking a look at Lily Tomlin’s career, I was astounded to learn that she had only been nominated for an Academy Award one time. If you take a second and account for all of the great films she has been in over the span of her time in show business, one time just doesn’t seem right. Well, baring a catastrophic failure in the voting process, Lily Tomlin will receive her second nomination for acting’s greatest honor for her work in the film Grandma.
In Grandma, the 76 year-old Tomlin plays a poetry writing, weed- smoking, credit-card cutting, bohemian with a cunning wit and insistence to share exactly what’s on her mind no matter who she ticks off. Not many could pull off this role and do so with a tinge of humor, heartfelt poignancy, and even kindness but Tomlin is in her element here. The role would appear to be perfect for Tomlin as if it was written with her in mind (according to Director Paul Weitz it was).
It’s not every grandma that would be willing to go on a road-trip, with her teen granddaughter in tow, hitting up old friends and lovers for money to help pay for the young woman’s abortion. Grandma is not about the morality of abortion but more about the empowerment of women of all ages and beliefs. You would think with how perfect this role is for Tomlin that she somehow had a hand in writing it but it was Paul Weitz who crafted a flawed person who’s acerbic tone seems to always get in the way. Elle (Tomlin) is foul mouthed, has a horrific temper, and has not an ounce of forgiveness in her, and yet this movie centers around forgiveness. Elle summed up her character perfectly when she said, “I like being old because young people are stupid.”
You are lead to believe in the beginning that this movie is going to be about Sage (Julia Garner) and her journey through dealing with a terrible moment in her life. In reality, the only journey we are witness to is the one Elle (Tomlin) takes through memory lane as she searches for the money to help her granddaughter. Whether it’s the apologies that are in order for Elle’s ex played by Sam Elliot or for the daughter (Marcia Gay Harden) whom she hardly ever speaks to, or to the girlfriend (Judy Greer) she just broke up with- the life lessons in Grandma are valuable and authentic.
Despite her curmudgeonly ways, Elle (Tomlin) is the type of women who will do whatever it takes to help her family, even it means whacking a teen boy with a hockey stick in a sensitive area or taking a punch from a 5th grader. The realism in this film is such that it was as if I was watching a family drama unfold in my neighborhood.
Grandma is a crowning moment for Lily Tomlin’s career. I can’t say that the other actors in this film did anything special. If anything, they were just pieces in Tomlin’s symphony of acting brilliance. One of the great things about seeing the quantity of movies that I get to see (and believe me … I see a great quantity), is that when you see an actor’s shining moment it’s obvious. I remember last November watching Julianne Moore in Still Alice, and knowing from that moment that she was going to be at least nominated if not win an Academy Award for her portrayal of Alice. Today, history repeats itself as I know the Lily Tomlin will at least get an Oscar nomination for this film. The Academy rewards brilliance and Tomlin illuminated the screen in this role.
If you have been one of the people watching Monster Musume this season and just can’t seem to get enough of it, well DMM, the folks behind the KanColle browser game, will allow gamers to run their own home for hosting “Interspecies Cultural Exchange Act” monster girls. The site for this spin-off to Okayado’sMonster Musume manga and this season’s anime has been updated with new screenshots of the game, housing all new never before seen monster girls. The online browser game will be available on Windows 8/10 Internet Explorer and Chrome, along with Mac OS Safari.
Heres a jump to the site that will be hosting the game once available. It also gives a good idea of what gameplay may be like.
