I, as a viewer of AGT, am a very hard person to please. I imagine if I were an America’s Got Talent judge I’d have more haters than Pierce Morgan could ever dream. I pride myself in my ability to predict how far an act will make it before the end of their audition, with a pretty good success rate. But your act, has surpassed my expectations, and forced me to humble myself. And I’d like to share why, which will take a bit of explaining.
Even though America’s Got Talent is a reality TV show, I have found a couple cliches that show up just about every year. You have the Child Singer Act (usually opera), the Video Dance Group Act (usually electronic), the Poor Middle Aged Singer Act (usually country), the Animal Act (usually dogs), the Novelty Act (usu- actually, it’s different every time), and the most common, the Pity Act.
The Pity Act is a semi-talented act voted through more so for their story, than actual talent. They usually are poor, have a sick relative, are gay, or disabled in someway*.
I also have that shirt, it’s a nice shirt
So when you walked on stage and said, “I-I’m a c-comedian.” I was 100% sure that you were this year’s Pity Act. I mean, of course you are, your disability directly conflicts with your act, your act is a way of ‘coping’ with your disability, and your package tells a very sad yet hopeful story. You check all of the boxes.
But then you started. Your jokes, while small in quantity, made up for it in quality. I laughed more and harder at your two minutes of screen time, then I’ll laugh during a half-hour sitcom.
It didn’t stop there though, every subsequent time we saw you it got better. Even when you got to Radio City Musical Hall, your second performance on AGT, after that I was a legitimate fan.
Not only was your stutter not annoying (kind of important when your job is to talk), it improved the delivery of a lot of your jokes. You took your disability (should I keep calling it that?), joked about it (showing comfort), overcame it itself (showing effort), and then used it to your advantage (showing talent). I hope you understand just how amazing that is. Benjamin Yonattan didn’t do that. He never fully overcame his blindness, and certainly didn’t use it to improve his act. That is what separates you from the traditional Pity Act.
That doesn’t mean that I think America got it wrong and that you should have won. Ultimately, Paul Zerdin was the better act, but it was not an easy decision. You certainly deserved second place, the 1% margin is larger than what it should have been.
Even if you didn’t get the million dollars and a guaranteed Vegas show, you got something even better. Respect, I, along with many other people as well, have a major respect for you and what you do. Because of you, I’ve learned to give the Pity Acts the benefit of the doubt. You, Drew Lynch, the stuttering comedian, have earned my respect, and another fan. Which is more than what Gary Vider can say.
In conclusion, keep up the good work. I’ve seen a lot of people who aren’t as appreciative of your act. But I suggest you deal with them like you have already.
A couple of months ago, while visiting the US Senate, I saw a young boy walking around wearing a Survey Corps jacket as if it was the latest fashion. It was only then that I fully comprehended the impact that Attack on Titan has had on our popular conscience and the latest generation of anime/manga fans. The popularity of Attack on Titan in the West is a phenomenon not seen since Dragon Ball mania of the early 2000s.
For those of you unfamiliar with the series, the manga is set in a world dominated by colossal creatures known as Titans; humanoid giants whose only goal is seemingly to feast on humans and leave destruction in their wake. To protect themselves, humans construct a number of walls in order to keep the Titans a bay. Outside the walls, members of the military’s Survey Corp explore the world outside seeking to find a way to driving the Titans back for good. Eren Jaeger, a young man who saw his mother die at the hands of the Titans, joins the Survey Corps along with his friends Armin and Mikasa. Together they fight to re-establish mankind’s dominance as a vast world of intrigue begins to reveal itself to them.
The opening chapters of the series establish a bleak tone reminiscent of The Walking Dead, but rather than being a straight up survival story, Attack on Titan appropriate walks the line between political thriller and horror. Many of the characters possess the ability to transform into Titans themselves and naturally, there are those who use their powers to fight the Titans and those who seek to want to bring humanity to its knees. Eren is revealed to possess such abilities which become a cause of tension within the human world, with some seeing him as a sleeper agent and others as humanity’s last hope. The origins of these powers and the true nature of the Titans has been the source of much speculation. As the Uprising Arc continues, the latest volume of the series begins to address some of those lingering mysteries.
It would be unfair to go into the specifics of the story found within this particular volume as there is a lot of pay-off to past plot threads in this volume. The current volume takes place in the aftermath of a military coup d’etat and Eren falling into the hands of Rod Reiss. What becomes quickly apparent is that that Eren’s captor intend on having the son pay for the sins of the father. Each characater be they protagonist, antagonist or somewhat in-between has their own unique voice and invokes emotions in the reader. Certain characters and the Machiavellian concepts they espouse are truly terrifying. Rod Reiss is an example of a character’s whose madness is tangible, he is someone who makes the reader fear for those around him. The series is full of characters who truly reflect humanity at its best and its worst. They are relatable because they feel like real characters even, and arguably especially, when they are despicable. Attack on Titan shows you the impact tragedy and war has on the human psyche and the lengths people will go to in order to survive or gain power.
Despite being a monthly publication in its original format, the art of Attack on Titan has been known to dip in quality from time to time. Thankfully, the series has seemed to avoided such a fate over the last few volumes and the art within Volume 16 is some of best the series has to offer. Action scenes are portrayed with the speed and intensity they deserve, with panels flowing seamlessly together. Hajime Isayama makes economic use of each panel, ensuring nothing goes to waste. Each impact and clash reverberates through the page and into the reader. It takes a real talent to be able to make an audience feel like a blade is piercing them as much as it is the characters. The imagery is often gruesome and horrifying, but its ability to strike the reader is remarkably. Even its quieter moments,Isayama manages to toy with our emotions through his art, whether its the Eren beginning to dire nature of his circumstances as he struggles in captivity or a simple moment of understanding between Levy and Mikasa. We feel they pain and their struggles become our own. Titan designs are still thoroughly unsettling, but they are demonstrative of art that is unlike anything else on stores shelves.
Pace wise, this is one of the slower volumes, but given what has come before it feels like it has earned the chance to slow down and be reflective on both the characters and world it has built. That is not to say the volume is devoid of action, the very contrary is the case and the fight scenes are as sublimely executed as ever. It must be said that they do take a backseat in this volume and the story is all the better for it. While at times it could be said that the plot of Attack on Titan has stagnated, this volume answers a lot of questions. Volume 16, like any good work of fiction, leaves us with the hunger of a Titan.
Those of you new to the series will find themselves with a lot to take in this volume. They would be better served turning elsewhere and catching up in time for the release of Volume 17 in December. For long-time series fans, they are in for a treat because Volume 16 is some of the finest work Hajima Isayama has put out.
A review copy was kindly provided by the publisher; Kodansha Comics.
Doctor Who is one of the longest running sci-fi TV series, running for over 50 years and one of Britain’s greatest television exports. The show was revived 10 years ago and is about to enter into ninth season and has become one of the BBC’s most popular show. Since the revival the show has seen The Doctor face foes old and new and stop numerous threats to both Earth and the Universe as a whole.
The new version of Doctor Who was designed to appear to newcomers to the series as well as longtime fans. Since I became of a fan because of the new version of the series I will look the ten best episodes from the modern era.
10. The Doctor’s Wife
The Season 6 episode “The Doctor’s Wife” was guest written by Neil Gaiman, a man best known for writing Stardust, Coraline and The Sandman and his episode was awarded the 2011 Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation and the Best Dramatic Presentation at the 2012 Hugo Awards.
This episode sees The Eleventh Doctor, Amy Pond and Rory Williams receiving a distress call from a Time Lord and enter into a rift between Universes to try and save him or her. Where they end up is a void made up from trash and space debris where a group of people have salvaged a living from the junk. Also with them is an eccentric woman called Idris who pretty much jumps on The Doctor when she first sees him.
What made this episode such a delight was Suranne Jones’ performance as Idris, a unhinged woman who is completely batty and has a mysterious connection to The Doctor. Jones was fantastic, letting out her inner Helena Bonham Carter and injected a lot of humor in the episode. Gaiman’s written ensure that was a balance of drama and comedy and references the history of the show.
9. Into the Dalek
Ben Wheatley is considered a directing hot prospect in the UK, making the cult hits Kill List and A Field in England. So it was a coup for the producers when they got Wheatley to direct the first two episodes of Season 8. The best of the pair is the second episode “Into the Dalek” which is basically a Doctor Who version of The Fantastic Voyage.
This episode sees The Twelfth Doctor come to the aid of one of his mortal enemies, a Dalek who has been captured by humans. The Dalek claims to hate his own race and wants to help the Doctor to defeat them: but the Dalek which The Doctor calls Rusty has a radiation leak and a team needs to be shrunk to treat it. The team have to race against time as Rusty’s immune system and an impending action by The Daleks.
Series 8 has been considered a disappointment by Doctor Who with episodes like “Kill the Moon” and “In the Forest of the Night” being produced. “Into the Dalek” is a much stronger offering and the best episode so far with Peter Capaldi’s run as The Doctor. He was much more confidence in his second episode that saw him being much better as a more serious, darker Doctor as he confronts Rusty with all the atrocities the Daleks have committed. Though Capaldi still has a little bit of fun as The Doctor, before he took the role Capaldi was best known for the political satire The Thick of It.
8. Utopia
“Utopia” was the first part of a three part finale of the third series of Doctor Who, bringing together both Doctor Who and its spin-off Touchwood. When in Cardiff recharging the TARDIS Captain Jack Harkness finds the Doctor and Martha Jones and attempts to meet them. But because Jack is an anomaly in time the TARDIS ends up taking the trio to end of the universe. In this dark future all the stars have died and all that is a ragtag band of humans lead by Professor Yana (Derek Jacobi). Yana believes humanity’s only hope is a fabled Utopia, but need a rocket ship to take them there.
“Utopia” was a darker episode in the series, both thematically and literally, showing a universe which is dying and has humanity look for any kind of hope it can in this grim world. Even worst many other humans have resorted to cannibalism to survive and devolved into a creature known as The Futurekind. It was the best part of the Season 3 finale.
7. The Christmas Invasion
“The Christmas Invasion” was the first Christmas special in the modern era of Doctor Who and the best. The episode is simple enough, an alien race called the Sycorax are preparing to invade Earth, starting with London. But complicating matters is The Doctor’s recent regeneration that has rendered unconscious. Without his help it is left to Rose Tyler, her mum Jackie and Rose’s boyfriend Mickey to stop the aliens along with the Prime Minister Harriet Jones.
“The Christmas Invasion” was a great start for David Tennant’s tenure as a The Doctor, showing himself to be a ruthless Doctor when needs be, yet having better comedic timing then Christopher Eccleston: it was a great little moment when he told Jackie to shut up. The episode also had a great visual of all the windows on The Gherkin smashing, using classic model world to achieve it. Though the episode was set at Christmas its storyline could would have been the same whenever it was set; other Christmas Specials have become too forced, shoehorning the Christmas stories, setting and iconography.
6. The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit The Doctor has faced off against many deadly foes over his thousand year life and in the 2006 two-parter “The Impossible Planet” and “The Satan Pit” he has to take on the embodiment of evil. Some may call him Abaddon. Some may call him Krop Tor. Some may call him Satan. Or Lucifer. Or the King of Despair. The Deathless Prince. The Bringer of Night.
The Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler arrive on the planet of Krop Tor, a planet that is orbiting a black hole where a scientific expedition have landed. On the planet are ruins in an language that even the TARDIS cannot translate and a mysterious force that possesses the expedition’s archaeologist and the alien servants, The Ood. The Doctor end up going to center of the planet to retrieve the TARDIS and to find a huge chained up beast that may be there since the beginning of time, while Rose and the rest of the expedition have run away from the possessed Ood and get away from the planet before it is pulled into the black hole.
“The Impossible Planet” and “The Satan Pit” was an excellent pairing of episodes that showed a tougher look at space travel in the Doctor Who universe, that there is a hard grind, had a great speech by The Ood and The Ood were revisited in future episode. The episodes were atmospheric with its sense of dread, particularly “The Impossible Planet” section.
5. Doomsday
“Doomsday” is the second part of the Season 2 finale, an episode that saw two of The Doctor’s greatest enemies appear in the same episode and go to war, using London as their battleground. Picking off where previous episode, “Army of Ghosts” left off, the Cybermen have invaded Earth from a parallel version of Earth, following four elite Daleks who hid from the Time War in Void Ship, a ship where time and space stops around it. Even worst the Daleks have a device called the Genesis Ark that if the Daleks can find a way to open it could lead to rebirth of the Dalek race and all the inter-dimensional travel has been having adverse effects on the different worlds.
On a pure fan experience it was gleeful to see to iconic two villains in the series having to do battle, even if it was one sided towards Dalek and was a very satisfying finale, being more grand and spectacular then “The Parting of Ways” (which was a solid episode). It was Billie Piper last appearance as Rose Tyler as a season regular; media speculation at the time believed Rose was going to be killed off.
“Doomsday” along with “Army of Ghosts” was nominated for a Hugo Award and had 8.22 million viewers in the UK. The storyline regarding the negative effects of characters jumping was a reference to Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy and the author said he was flattered by reference.
4. The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone
“The Time of Angels” and “Flesh and Stone” was the first two-parter during Matt Smith’s run as the Doctor and reintroduced a popular new enemy to the series and expanding on their mythology about them.
The Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond arrive on the planet of Alfava Metraxis when River Song left them a message for them to come to the planet. With River is a group of soldiers known as clerics who have captured by a Weeping Angel. But the capture of Weeping Angel leads to a chain of events that could awaken the species and put the whole universe in jeopardy.
This two-parter made The Weeping Angels into an even bigger threat then they already were like watching them on a camera will end up creating another and they straight up murder people instead of sending them back in time and having the ability to absorb radiation to give them all the energy they need. The episodes expands on the relationship between The Doctor and River, gave Amy her fear of The Weeping Angels who presence are a constant danger to her and set in motion the Season 5 storyline of cracks in the universe wipe everything it absorbs from existence. The episodes also had some excellent visuals, from the decaying Angels slowly surrounding The Doctor and his companions and the clerics battling them. “The Time of Angels” ended with one of Smith’s best speeches as The Doctor.
3. Day of the Doctor “Day of the Doctor” was the 50th anniversary special that united Matt Smith and David Tennant and introduce John Hurt as The War Doctor. Made as a tribute to all things Doctor Who it was an event of episode, with mini-episode tie-ins, one of them giving Paul McGann a proper send off as The Doctor, united two popular Doctors, has a cameo from a popular former Doctor, gave us our first glimpse of Peter Capaldi as The Doctor, tied up a plotline involving the Time War and set up a future arc. It was a treat for fans old and new.
The special episode sees the Gallifreyan stronghold of Arcadia about to fall to the Daleks and the War Doctor being prepared to wipe out both the Time Lords and the Daleks to end the Time War. In the 16th Century the Tenth Doctor is in a relationship with Queen Elizabeth I while also tracking down in the Zygons and in modern London the Eleventh Doctor discovers a painting the Zygons trying to invade Earth from the past. All three Doctors unite in Elizabethan England to stop both the Zygon and find a way to save Gallifrey.
The episode was filmed in 3D and was one of the last shows to be shown on the defunct BBC 3D and broadcast in cinemas as well as on television. It also introduced the character Osgood who quickly became fans favorite. It was a highpoint for Smith’s Doctor because his final episode was a huge disappointment.
2. Dalek
The 2005 episode “Dalek” was the first episode in the modern version Doctor Who faced his oldest nemesis, The Daleks, genetically engineered abominations that feel nothing but hate and survive in battle armor.
Set in the then-future of 2012 The TARDIS takes The Ninth Doctor and Rose to a secret underground bunker of Henry Van Stanton, American billionaire who has a huge collection of alien artefacts, including a head of Cyberman the Doctor defeated in 1975. Van Stanton’s latest acquisition, a live alien, has become the centrepiece of his collection and his scientists are trying to get the being out of its metal casting. But when Rose accidently frees the last known Dalek and it starts killing everyone in sight, aiming to break out of the bunker. The Doctor has to face an enemy he thought was extinct and his own personal demons.
“Dalek” played to Christopher Eccleston strengths as he shows a darker side to The Doctor, showing his willingness to his break his own cardinal rules with his willingness to kill creature and face up to the fact his sacrifice of his own race during The Time War could have been for nothing. The episode was a great antidote to the previous two-parter, “Aliens of London” and “World War Three” that had The Doctor an alien race that disguised themselves as overweight people with flatulence problems.
The episode was nominated for the Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form at the 2006 Hugo Awards.
1. Blink The 2007 episode “Blink” is often considered one of the best episode of modern Doctor Who era and the best Doctor-lite episode. Written by Steven Moffiat the episode sees the introduction of one of the most iconic enemies The Doctor, The Weeping Angels, one of the oldest beings in the universe who feed on the life force on other creatures. As The Doctor says they kill people with gently because they send their victims back in time and they live their lives in the past. But The Weeping Angels are cursed with being locked in stone if anyone sees them, moving only when no nobody is looking, leading to creepy visual of the Angels coming towards someone when lights in a room turn on and off.
Carey Mulligan stars as Sally Sparrow, a young woman who is thrust into a battle against The Weeping Angels when her best friend becomes a victim of these. The Doctor and Martha are stuck in the 1960s without the TARDIS. The pair leaves clues and advise for Sally in the form of DVD Easter Eggs and she has to race to send the TARDIS back to The Doctor before The Weeping Angels can stop her.
What makes the episode so remarkable the Moffat’s writing and Hettie MacDonald’s direction. They created a fantastic monster for The Doctor to face, having great visuals and Moffat was ability to seamlessly weave The Doctor’s message to Sally’s reaction. Mulligan was considered by fans as a perfect candidate to become The Doctor’s companion.
“Blink” was an award winning episode, it won the BAFTA Craft and BAFTA Cymru Awards for Best Writing, the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form and The Constellation Award for Best Female Performance for Mulligan. The episode was voted the second best Doctor Who story by reader Doctor Who Magazine.
The Tokyo Game Show is the gift that just keeps on giving. After months of radio silence, Atlas has finally gone into full promo mode on their upcoming title; Persona 5. Here is all the news from the Persona Special Stage at TGS.
Opening Theme
The Persona series has always had amazing soundtracks to back up the solid game-play and gripping story. For many the music sets the tone and forms an important part of their Persona experience. The opening themes in particular are always eagerly anticipated and known for their catchy beats. Earlier today, Atlas finally debuted the opening theme for Persona 5. The jazz influences of past entries in the series are still very much on display in this beautifully animated and stylish intro movie. Those familiar with the Lupin III series may notice a few similarities between some stylistic choices Persona 5 seems to be making music and character wise. This is unsurprising given that the game centers around a group of Phantom Thieves. The opening also teases a new character Atlas have yet to introduce us to.
Atlas announced that a “special program” for Persona 5 would air next year. Persona is no stranger to anime with two separate adaptions of Persona 4, the non-canon Trinity Souls and an ongoing Persona 3 film series (the second of which is currently available on Netflix). While a full Persona 5 anime series may be on the cards at a later date, it is more likely that the “special program” will act as a prologue of sorts.
Persona Festival
To celebrate 20 years of the Persona franchise, Atlas announced they would hold a festival in 2016. If past events are any indication, expect a number of concerts and live performances akin to the FES concerts. I wouldn’t be surprised if the latest Persona 3 movie made its debut there either.
Character Profiles
The Persona 5 TGS website (http://persona5.jp/tgs2015/character1/) was updated with character profiles for the core cast following a QR code related viral campaign. The guys over at Persona Central have been kind enough to provide us with English translations.
Developer Interview
Siliconera translated an interview with chief developer, Katsura Hashino surrounding the game’s delay and some of the things fans can expect in this new installment.
Hashino says that at the moments, all the “parts” of Persona 5 have been assembled, and they’re currently tuning up the gameplay. In order to meet all the expectations from fans, the chief director and the others are focusing on making Persona 5 into a more complete game, so he asks if it’s okay to keep you guys waiting just a little longer.
As for the game’s development, he says that everything is going smoothly, so not to worry about that.
On the subject of the trailer that was shown at Tokyo Game Show 2015, the part Hashino wanted to share most with everyone is about the concept of “stealing hearts,” which is done by sneaking into one’s heart in phantom thief-like fashion, which will be a focus in the game’s story.
Since Persona 5 is being developed for a new console, Hashino didn’t want to hold anything back and just make a short game, so instead, they’re packing the game with all kinds of content, and it’ll be the most voluminous title the series has yet to see as far as gameplay and play time goes.
For the main cast, Atlus got help from very talented individuals, so Hashino says that you can expect great things out of everything, from event scenes,to battle sequences and dungeon play.
To end the video, Hashino asks if all of you enjoyed the recent trailer, which he believes had a lot to share. However, regarding the development delay of the game, he deeply apologizes to everyone that has been waiting in anticipation for so long. That said, he feels that in order to make the game into something more complete, and something that can provide players with a better experience, more time will be needed, so he asks if you can wait just a little longer.
The new Velvet Room Attendants; Justine and Caroline were also revealed.
New Music and Illustrations
Atlas also provided fans with a new wallpaper following an hour-long streamed illustration session. The session featured an unreleased song from Persona 5 is well worth checking out for that alone.
If you are a mega fan of Star Wars, but not a fan of how George Lucas went in and tweaked them, we have some news that will make you scream in jubilation. According to Empire’s twitter feed, at a Q+A session at “Halloween Horror Nights”, Animal House director John Landis dropped this wonderful news.
At a Q&A tonight John Landis dropped that Disney are finally going to re-release the theatrical cuts of the original Star Wars trilogy.
Nothing has been announced yet from Disney, but if this is proven to be the case, Star Wars fans are going to be flocking to their nearest movie theater in droves.
It’s the weekend and you are searching for something to watch with the family. You flip from channel to channel and it’s nothing but re-run after re-run. The squad is becoming increasingly restless and you are out of answers. Well, no need to fear because I have the cure for your predicament and that is Disney’s live action Cinderella (now out on DVD and on-demand).
In the new live-action Cinderella, It’s Cate Blanchett who shines. She plays the evil stepmother lady Tremayne and she is determined to get her rambunctious daughters (Sophie McShera and Holliday Grainger) into royal circles, she does whatever she can to put them over. If that means she has to be cruel to her stepdaughter Ella (Lily James), she seems to be okay with it.
When her father dies, her step-mother moves her to the attic where her only friends are the mice who call it home. To make matters worse, she is expected to wait on the entitled sisters and love her wicked step-mother.
When Ella finally loses it emotionally, she escapes to the woods and she meets the prince (Richard Madden) and, instantly, there’s a love connection. To find this mystery woman, he plans a ball that’s open to every maiden in the kingdom. Helena Bonham Carter steps in as her fairy godmother and magically transforms her into a illuminating mysterious (to anyone who sees her in this breathtaking outfit) maiden who’s ready for the ball. She turns a tattered dress into an immaculate blue ball gown. We of course have the “glass slipper” element to the story which is important to propelling Cinderella’s love story.
Kenneth Branagh (the director) pushes out a new mantra, “Have courage and be kind,” and it works in spades. The costumes and sets are very typical of what you would see in Disney film. Richard Madden and Lily James are brilliant choices for the prince and princess in this love story. The only downside to the DVD is that it doesn’t have many extras of note except for the short Frozen Fever (the Frozen short that was seen in the theater). To put it simply, Cinderella is a magical experience and you should check out this live action adaptation today.
It’s time for another Comedy, Ecchi, Romance, Harem, School, Light Novel adaptation, just like yesterday’s, this time we also have some Action, Sci-fi, Fantasy, and Supernatural genres thrown in, may I introduce you toThe Asterisk War.
The synopsis reads: “The Academy City on the water, Rikka (otherwise known as Asterisk) is the world’s largest stage for the integrated battle entertainment, “Star Wars Festival.” The young boys and girls of the “Starpulse Generation” belonging to the six academies made their wishes with Shining Armaments in their hands, vying for supremacy—Amagiri Ayato is one of them. Ayato arrived at Rikka at the invitation of the Student Council President of the Seidoukan Academy, Claudia, and right after that he incurred the wrath of the “Petalblaze Witch” Julis, and ended up having to duel her. The greatest academy battle entertainment, begins here!” (Source)
Just in case you thought it wouldn’t be your typical Light Novel Adaptation
(Yes the trailer is English, supposedly it was revealed at an American con)
The visuals are very good looking, which isn’t a surprise, and the music sounded pretty swell too. But, considering some of the staffs history (notably Mr. Ono), I don’t think a good production will guarantee a good show.
The Asterisk War will begin airing October 3rd, 2015 for the Fall 2015 Season.
Batman may be the most popular comic book character ever, but his creation has been wrought with confusion and inaccuracies. It has led to an injustice for a man who put in more work toward creating the Caped Crusader, and received nothing for it. Every Batman property for the past 76 years has had a sole credit that read, “Batman Created by Bob Kane.” But, true comic book fans know that writer Bill Finger was the one who created the dark, Gothic setting and detective elements that we all know and love about Batman.
Bob Kane’s original idea for Batman was a goofy concept involving a man in bright red spandex and stiff mechanical wings catching criminals. Bill Finger thought of the cape, the cowl, gloves, and the utility belt. He also created a lot of the Batman villains including the famous Joker. Without Bill Finger, we would have a very different, and bizarre Batman.
Today it was finally announced that after so many years of receiving such little credit for his contributions, Bill Finger will finally be attributed in Batman related properties such as Fox’s TV Show Gotham and the upcoming Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice.
DC Entertainment released a statement today to The Hollywood Reporter about crediting Bill Finger.
“DC Entertainment and the family of Bill Finger are pleased to announce that they have reached an agreement that recognizes Mr. Finger’s significant contributions to the Batman family of characters. “Bill Finger was instrumental in developing many of the key creative elements that enrich the Batman universe, and we look forward to building on our acknowledgement of his significant role in DC Comics’ history,” stated Diane Nelson, President of DC Entertainment. “As part of our acknowledgement of those contributions,” Nelson continued, “we are pleased to confirm today that Bill Finger will be receiving credit in the Warner Bros. television series Gotham beginning later this season, and in the forthcoming motion picture Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.”
This is great news to hear, as even Bob Kane stated in his autobiography, Batman and Me, that Bill Finger never got the recognition he deserved. And while it has certainly been too long, it’s good to see that credit is finally going where credit is due.
It only took three quarters of a century for it to happen.
While it is well-acted and extremely well-shot, granting views of Mt. Everest and the Himalayas that audiences have rarely, if ever, seen on film, Everest the film is difficult to describe as an enjoyable film. Like the climb up to Earth’s highest point that it depicts, the film becomes an endurance test, and after a while, it’s simply exhausting to watch as the mountain and the elements slowly tear down the characters the film spends its first hour building up. Yes, it is certainly an incredible story of courage and survival brought to life in the most respectful manner possible, without undue melodrama or unnecessary embellishment. But it’s also a grind of a film, and unless you’re fascinated by these types of stories or just in the mood for a film that you know going in is not going to end on the happiest of notes, it’s tough to recommend it as a fun way to spend a few hours at the movies this weekend.
The story of the 1996 disaster on Everest has already been documented in a number of books written by, among others, survivors from the expeditions that were on the mountain that day, and on film in the popular 1998 IMAX documentary, also titled Everest, which was in production on the mountain when the event occurred and whose crew helped in the rescue of the endangered climbers. But for those unfamiliar with the story, the film depicts the disaster from the point of view of the group of climbers led by New Zealand-based Adventure Consultants, whose founder, renowned climber Rob Hall (Jason Clarke, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Terminator Genisys), helped pioneer the business of guiding non-professional climbers to Everest’s summit. Among Rob’s group are Beck Weathers (Josh Brolin), a doctor and climbing enthusiast from Texas; Doug Hansen (John Hawkes), whose failed attempt to summit Everest the previous year drives him hard to succeed this time, and John Krakauer (Michael Kelly, Netflix’s “House of Cards“), a journalist from an outdoors adventure magazine embedded with the group in order to write about the trip and (Rob hopes) promote the experience to a wider base of potential climbers. Leading a separate climbing group is American Scott Friedman (Jake Gyllenhaal), who shares a friendly rivalry with Rob and enjoys ribbing the Kiwi about his “hand-holding” style of guiding climbers, a stark contrast to Friedman’s “If you can’t do it on your own, you don’t belong here” approach.
Rob and Scott’s groups are among a number of climbing expeditions that all set out to climb Everest in the Spring of 1996, all hoping to summit by early May. Though each of the groups, Adventure Consultants in particular, took great care to prepare their amateur climbers physically and mentally for the climb in the weeks prior to May 10th, no amount of preparation could have prepared any of them for the storm that swept over Everest with hurricane speed and force just after 3pm that fateful day, while less than half of the climbers were making their descent after reaching the summit just hours before, and the rest still attempting to reach the top.
For those at Everest Base Camp anxiously waiting for climbers to make it back down, including Adventure Consultants operations manager Helen Wilton (Emily Watson), and for the wives and loved ones of the climbers waiting at home, including Rob’s pregnant wife Jan (Keira Knightley) and Beck’s wife Peach Weathers (Robin Wright), there’s nothing to be done but hope for radio contact or a satellite phone call as the storm rages, the hours pass, and Rob and company face death in a half a dozen different ways stemming from prolonged exposure and/or oxygen deprivation. Rescue parties are only possible if and when the storm subsides enough for climbers to safely ascend with oxygen tanks and emergency equipment, but of course, that may be far, far too late.
If audiences plan to see Everest once it opens, it’s best to do two things: 1) DON’T refresh your memory regarding the actual events, who survives and who doesn’t, etc., and 2) DO see it in IMAX. It’s clear that Iceland-born director Baltasar Kormákur (2 Guns, Contraband) intends for audiences to experience the film in that format, which comes as close to capturing the experience of being in the presence of the mountain and its formidable obstacles as imaginably possible. There are, of course, similarities in the visuals to what director David Breashears caught on IMAX film when he and his crew filmed Everest the documentary almost two decades ago, but that’s due, in some measure, at least, to Breashears himself being a consultant on this film due to his first-hand experience. One shouldn’t go into this film thinking, “Well, I saw the IMAX one years ago. I don’t need to see it again” because this version of Everest is a profoundly different viewing experience, far more intimate and emotionally-driven than its documentary short predecessor.
To that end, it falls to the talented cast assembled for Everest to bring to life in a compelling way the intrepid climbers, their own reasons for undertaking a potentially lethal adventure, and the relationships they maintain across great distances with their families and forge with those traveling with them. Jason Clarke, who has been wowing feature film audiences since 2012 with his turns in Zero Dark Thirty and Lawless, delivers an effortlessly charismatic performance as Rob Hall, whose reputation in the climbing community and in the commercial high-altitude climbing industry was defined by his devotion to his clients’ safety and his love of helping people achieve the impossible. In truth, there isn’t a single performance delivered here that wouldn’t stand out in a lesser production: Brolin is particularly arresting in a rare on-screen role where he has to project real, visceral fear; while Watson, Knightly, and Sam Worthington as Rob’s longtime friend and climbing colleague Guy Cotter all do fine work in limited screen minutes.
That said, for all its eye-popping visuals and heart-stirring performances, Everest does more or less follow the now-well-established conventional outline for disaster films. It introduces its characters and their motivations, establishes the dangers of what the characters face while foreshadowing threats they aren’t prepared for or potentially they might bring upon themselves, and then hits them with the horror that the audience can’t help but know is coming, leaving only who will survive as the only real dramatic question. Screenwriters William Nicholson (Unbroken, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom) and Simon Beaufoy (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Slumdog Millionaire) seem to take into account details from the most authoritative sources on the real-life events — the books and accounts written by those who survived — in a way that’s respectful of all parties concerned while avoiding parts of the story where those details differed in the accounts.
Most importantly, it avoids casting blame on any one group or individual for what happened or just why so many of the 34 climbers on the mountain that day were in harm’s way when the storm hit. While that certainly will help to avoid any controversy from dogging the film, it also renders the film devoid of any new insight or different perspective on the events as a whole. Put another way, audiences coming away from this version of Everest will not have learned anything about the events that hasn’t already been documented — they simply will have experienced the story in a different way.
And perhaps that doesn’t matter. As far as disaster films go, or any other genre film for that matter, following the formula doesn’t necessarily equate to creating a bad film, and it certainly doesn’t equate to that with Everest. The attention to detail, the film’s truly incredible photography of Everest itself, and the heart and sincerity in the performances of the cast put the film head and shoulders above most other entries in the genre. Does it play it safe with the story as far as it being a cautionary tale? Maybe. But it’s still a film experience you’re likely to be talking about long after you leave the theater, if for no other reason than to cite it as yet another reason you’ll never be a mountain climber.
Everest
Starring Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, John Hawkes, Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, Sam Worthington, Keira Knightley, Emily Watson, and Jake Gyllenhaal. Directed by Baltasar Kormákur.
Running Time: 121 minutes
Rated PG-13 for intense peril and disturbing images.
Cinematographer Roger Deakins was out promoting his latest work Sicario and spoke to Screen Crush about what direction Blade Runner2 will take.
“We’re just treating the new one as what it is; it’s an entirely separate movie that will stand by itself. I mean obviously it has elements that connect it to the original. But it’s going to stand alone by itself as a movie. And I’m not going to do shafts of light coming through a window with rain just for the sake of doing shafts of light and rain — although it was really superb the way it was done. No, you have to think about the script and approach it anew.” said Deakins.
The film stars Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford. Denis Villeneuve is directing with Ridley Scott exec producing. Written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, the Blade Runner sequel will take place several decades after the 1982 original, which took place in a dystopian 2019 Los Angeles.
Production for Blade Runner 2 is scheduled for 2016.
Pace wise, this is one of the slower volumes, but given what has come before it feels like it has earned the chance to slow down and be reflective on both the characters and world it has built. That is not to say the volume is devoid of action, the very contrary is the case and the fight scenes are as sublimely executed as ever. It must be said that they do take a backseat in this volume and the story is all the better for it. While at times it could be said that the plot of Attack on Titan has stagnated, this volume answers a lot of questions. Volume 16, like any good work of fiction, leaves us with the hunger of a Titan.
