Not Your Mom’s Little Mermaid – ‘Monster Girls,’ ep. 5

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August 4, 2015

This weeks episode of Monster Girls really did it for me, in a variety of ways. Now, for your sake, I won’t get into the nitty-gritty of some of those “ways.” But just know that, for me, this show is still doing its job, and better than ever. I honestly think that I would have watched this show all the way through just to get to the scene with Suu and Papi making out. If you’re wondering what my favorite part about this episode was, it was that. In fact, I enjoyed it so much, I am compelled to put the screenshot into this article.

And through the first half of the show we get Suu doing her job as the show’s own personal molestation machine. Because it seems like whenever she’s on-screen, and is not being buddy-buddy with Papi, she’s molesting someone with her sliminess. These scenes are great. They offer a good amount of titillation and toss in some good physical comedy and wit in the writing. However, I totally understand that someone would see these scenes as “rapey.” But do they really want to just let Suu dehydrate and die? That’s as good as manslaughter. I’m more than willing to take one for the team and watch intensely as Suu gets water by whatever means necessary. This joke still feels fresh no matter how many times I see it, and I think the more I can see it coming the better it makes the payoff.

But we’re on episode five now and that means some of the jokes may be wearing off for some people. While Monster Girls progresses in episodes, I can see the novelty of it being the monster girls wearing off with some people. As the show goes on, it’s more important for the jokes to start taking meta route and for them to be hitting harder and more frequent. This can be seemingly hard, seeing we’re five episodes in and still introducing more characters. Introducing more characters takes away time from jokes because they have to lay a ground work for new characters. The way it seems Monster Girls has remedied this is that every new girl they introduce is partly a joke in and of itself.

For example, while Mero has an almost royal appearance and demeanor to her, that’s not what defines her character in Monster Girls. The thing which defines her is her goal, to acquire a tragic love like the one in The Little Mermaid. Now, I’m not going to get into women being portrayed poorly in a harem show. Since it is a harem and it’s a unique set of circumstances, girls acting certain ways and being defined by that is at least a little more tolerable. And to be honest, no one in the show gets actual character development anyway. Literally every character is a walking joke waiting for the right time to be unleashed. It just seems like it’s degrading towards women because it’s primarily women characters. So if all that defines Mero’s character right now is that she wants to be some sort of tragic mistress, that’s perfectly fine with me. I’m sure the show will at least give something more in due time. But seeing as she was just introduced, I can live with this.

With the introduction of Mero, we get to see a very aggressive side from Miia. Now it’s been the defining part of her character so far to overreact and be overly forward with her “darling.” But having someone who is seemingly advancing on Kimihito makes Miia go sort of over the edge in this episode. I’ve already seen people complain about how she overreacted in this episode, but I think it’s completely in character for her to be doing so. It’s great to see characters react to a situation that feels natural for them, instead of them just doing whats convenient for the story. I also think its great that everyone else in the house is being rather calm about it, except Miia. I mean, it would be weird if Cerea openly objected Mero because that’s not her personality. And having the conflicting dynamic of Miia and Cerea reacting to the same situation makes it feel more natural.

Maybe I look into the dynamic of character a little too much in Monster Girls, but it’s honestly the thing that really ties the show together. In between the echii and comedic scenes, its nice to see character interactions that don’t make me want to blow my brains out. And while people may have the complete opposite opinion, well they’re just wrong. So if you think that, come and fight me over my love for Monster Girls. I’m not afraid, I’m ripped…

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See the Tantalizing Teaser for ‘Vinyl,’ the Martin Scorsese, Mick Jagger HBO Collaboration

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Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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August 4, 2015

Vinyl, the new HBO series from Martin Scorsese – teaming up with Mick Jagger – dropped a little teaser trailer via Instagram today. If you need any more motivation to watch Vinyl next year aside from the names “Scorsese” and “Jagger,” well, here you go:

This is #Vinyl, a new @hbo series from Martin Scorsese, Mick Jagger and Terence Winter. More coming your way this week.

A video posted by Vinyl on HBO (@vinyl) on Aug 4, 2015 at 12:00pm PDT

Here is the official synopsis for the project as well:

Set in 1970s New York, the series will explore the drug- and sex-fueled music business as punk and disco were breaking out, all through the eyes of a record executive trying to resurrect his label and find the next new sound.

The great Bobby Cannavale will return to HBO in Vinyl, this time in the starring role as record exec Richie Finestra. In addition, the series will feature the work of Olivia Wilde as his wife, Ray Romano, Juno Temple, Andrew “Dice Clay, Ato Essandoh, Max Casella, James Jagger, Jack Quaid, Brirgitte Hjort Sorenson, and P.J. Byrne.

Vinyl should be another grand slam for HBO, their second collaboration with Martin Scorsese on the heels of Boardwalk Empire ending it’s run last year. This is most certainly not the first team up between Mick Jagger and Scorsese as well. Aside from the rock-doc Shine a Light, Scorsese uses Rolling Stones tunes on the reg for his films.

Vinyl will debut on HBO some time in 2016; no date has been set.

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Spider-Inspired ATV Will Take You To Unusual Places

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Andrew Dubats

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August 4, 2015

Next time you go shopping for an all terrain vehicle, your spidey-sense may end up tingling. If Spider-Man had an ATV, it would certainly have to be the new Swincar E-Spider from Mecanroc…

I find it extraordinary when people use nature as inspiration for technology and the inherent innovation that results from their inspiration. The Wright brothers were on to something big when they paid close attention to birds taking flight in the sky. It is perhaps birds that should get more credit for the creation of mechanical flight. Mecanroc Co. has managed to find inspiration from an insect. The E-Spider will take you to places in nature that would be difficult to reach in an ordinary ATV.

This incredible ATV has enhanced flexibility, and when navigating off-road resembles a spider. The Electronic Spider’s aluminum tube legs feature patented tilt technology which allows for maximum all terrain functionality.

Taking a ride in the French countryside has never looked so fun. Rocks, hills, rivers, mountains can now be navigated and explored without leaving your vehicle. Swincar has released a number of promotional videos on Youtube including an Official Trailer demonstrating what their innovative creation can handle off-road.

Want to take a friend out in your new E-Spider? Great! Swincar plans to release a two-seater model in the future and also a “joystick” model to make steering more accessible.

Would you take a ride in an E-Spider? Where would you drive one? Let us know in the comments below…

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Watch Director Roland Emmerich’s LGBT Drama ‘Stonewall’

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Matthew Sardo

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August 4, 2015

Roadside attractions Tuesday afternoon released the first trailer to director Roland Emmerich’s LGBT drama Stonewall.

Stonewall is directed Roland Emmerich and stars Jeremy Irvine, Ron Perlman, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Joey King, Caleb Landry Jones, Matt Craven, Atticus Mitchell and Mark Camacho, it’s written by Jon Robin Baitz. Emmerich, Michael Fossat, Marc Frydman, and Carsten Lorenz produce. Stonewall hits theaters September 25.

STONEWALL is a drama about a fictional young man caught up during the 1969 Stonewall Riots. Danny Winters (Jeremy Irvine) is forced to leave behind friends and loved ones when he is kicked out of his parent’s home and flees to New York. Alone in Greenwich Village, homeless and destitute, he befriends a group of street kids who soon introduce him to the local watering hole The Stonewall Inn; however, this shady, mafia-run club is far from a safe-haven. As Danny and his friends experience discrimination, endure atrocities and are repeatedly harassed by the police, we see a rage begin to build. This emotion runs through Danny and the entire community of young gays, lesbians and drag queens who populate the Stonewall Inn and erupts in a storm of anger. With the toss of a single brick, a riot ensues and a crusade for equality is born.

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Watch An Ewok Pull Off An Epic Star Wars Prank

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Matthew Sardo

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August 4, 2015

There had to be a point in Return of the Jedi where you thought to yourself, “I really don’t trust those Ewoks!” This video proves that you can’t trust the little fur-balls. I’m not sure what part of the world that FEEDBAC had to go to find a few people that had never seen Star Wars before, but the prank is still funny.

What would you do if an Ewok handed you a light saber?

Que l'humor us acompanyi!

STAR WARS JOKE!

Posted by FEEDBAC on Wednesday, May 13, 2015

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5 Actors Who Could Play Hawkeye

By

Elisabeth S. Contreras

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August 4, 2015

So far, we’ve re-assembled The Avengers and we’ve re-cast Hulk. Here, I bring you the list of actors who would be interesting choices to play Hawkeye after Jeremy Renner (44) steps down.

In this case, I didn’t poll the community, so I’m curious to know what you think and what other names would you include in the list. Be sure to let me know in the comments below!

There’s also been a lot of buzz surrounding the fate of Hawkeye in the upcoming Marvel movies, but who’s to say that we couldn’t have a younger actor replace him like we’ve seen with X-Men? That would be a hard task, since we could start running out of actors who haven’t been in a Marvel or DC movie already.

Without further ado, here are my picks, in no particular order. It wasn’t easy!

Aaron Paul (35)

You know who he is, b*tch! At the very least it would be interesting to see his version of Hawkeye, especially in a crowded Avengers movies. He has some experience in action movies, having starred in the less-than-stellar Need for Speed, but more than that he has an edge to his acting.

Dan Stevens (32)

I’m not kidding, this man could do it. You may have seen him in The Guest (and if you haven’t, do yourself the favor). I know looks wise he might be a better fit for Captain America, but Chris Evans is too iconic in that role to be replaced (yet). I can imagine Stevens being an archer, and also delivering his Hawkeye lines with a deadpan. Sold.

Sam Huntington (33)

He has done some comic-related work, as well as comedy and drama. I first saw him in Detroit Rock City and thought he was the perfect balance between funny, awkward, inappropriate, and geeky. But his most notable role was werewolf Josh Levison in Being Human, on Syfy, which was a well received show.

He also might have played Jimmy Olsen in Superman Returns, but who remembers that?

Garrett Hedlund (30)

He’s got the looks and I think he’d be a good choice. He has done action work in Tron: Legacy and Eragon, and will soon be Hook in one of the new adaptations of Peter Pan’s story, Pan.

Dave Franco (30)

Why not? I think he can pull off the look, has done some physical roles, and the right director and writer could bring out his comedic side the way Hawkeye deserves to be represented.

So who would you want to see play Hawkeye?

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Retro Review: ‘Fatal Attraction’ (1987), And The Birth Of The ‘Yuppie Thriller’

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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August 4, 2015

Fatal Attraction birthed the “Yuppie Thriller” subgenre, to which this week’s The Gift would not have a place without its existence. Yuppie Thrillers are a fancy way of saying “Fatal Attraction ripoffs” with a little tact. These thrillers are thrillers of privileged people who’s past comes back to bite them in the ass, more or less. After Fatal Attraction came The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, Sleeping With The Enemy, Final Analysis, Single White Female… all with the agenda of putting wealthy white people at risk. The genre faded considerably in the mid-90s, as a slight recession hit America. Now, as the economy and the country appears to be rebounding in 2015, The Gift might be trying its hand at a Yuppie Thriller comeback.

But, again, without the plight of Dan Gallagher (Michael Douglas), The Gift may have never happened. Dan is a family man, a New York attorney with a doting wife (the great Anne Archer), a young daughter, and a tolerant pooch. But early in the picture, Dan shows signs of fatigue with his life, however perfect it may seem. This coincides with the arrival of Alex Forrest (Glenn Close, Oscar nominated but criminally not Oscar winning for her role), a consultant who pops up at his firm and seduces him into a weekend tryst while Dan’s wife and daughter are out of town exploring real estate options.

The sexual adventure is searing and effectively passionate, directed by the master of sultry sex scenes, Adrian Lyne (who typically allowed his actors to have a few drinks before filming these uncomfortable moments). These scenes manage to draw in the audience while simultaneously repelling them from Dan’s poor decision. To say that his decision was poor would soon become an understatement, as Alex’s mental instability begins shining through almost immediately. Soon, Dan is a prisoner to Alex’s psychotic meltdown.

Alex’s instability beging shining through her exotic beauty almost immediately, as the weekend comes to an end and Dan attempts to simply set her aside and return to his ideal life. Alex will not have this, and her mentality fractures with every passing scene. Lyne and the makeup crew do an interesting thing with Close, starting her off as bright and inviting; as her breakdown intensifies, her eyes darken considerably, her look near the end a page shadow of her earlier moments. Close’s performance is threateningly intense, and the screenplay from James Dearden puts the audience on the razor’s edge of alliances. While we are shocked by the imposing psychotic meltdown, we somehow empathize with Alex as Dan is truly the one at fault.

And speaking of Dan, he goes through his own dark transformation as Alex creeps too close to his home life to be ignored. After all, she won’t be ignored, remember? Much like the makeup work done with Close, Douglas’s attire darkens as he falls deeper and deeper into despair. Consider the moment he must tell Beth (Anne Archer) about the affair: Dan is in black clothes from head to toe. The costume and makeup departments on Fatal Attraction work subtle magic throughout, al the way to the end when we see Alex in a white dress, juxtaposing her demeanor just as her breakdown has crescendoed.

There is an issue with Fatal Attraction: it’s ending. The climax of the theatrical version, when Alex pops out of the tub after seemingly being drowned by Dan, has too much of a monster-movie feel. It steals from the intensity in lieu of a jump scare. An alternate ending, featuring Alex committing suicide and Dan being framed for the murder, was shot down by audience reaction, and this more crowd-pleasing climax was put in its place. Perhaps its my dark side, but I prefer the original ending.

Fatal Attraction was a cultural and cinematic watershed moment, deconstructing the now-antiquated practice of businessmen farming affairs while their wives stayed at home. It broke down barriers for the woman scorned, and for a while made men think twice about having a weekend tryst. The Yuppie thriller imitations have never matched the intensity of Adrian Lyne’s film, though many have tried. Judging by the early reviews for Joel Egerton’s The Gift, it may ultimately reinvigorate the subgenre.

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Meet The Ares Crew in New Promo Video for ‘The Martian’

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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August 4, 2015

The Martian is still a few months away, but the ad campaign is starting to ramp up. Earlier in the summer we got the one-two punch of promo video and trailer for The Martian; now we get a second promo video, introducing us to the entire crew of the Ares undergoing psychiatric evaluation. What is so wonderful about this promo video is the humor, which was a major player in Andy Weir’s novel.

Here is the new promo video:

Mark Watney’s trouble understanding Aquaman’s ability to control whales is a throwaway line from the novel, and played here it is absolute perfection. The rest of the Ares crew in The Martian includes Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Jessica Chastain, Sebastian Stan, and Aksel Hennie.

Here is the synopsis, courtesy of 20th Century Fox:

During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Millions of miles away, NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring “the Martian” home, while his crewmates concurrently plot a daring, if not impossible rescue mission. As these stories of incredible bravery unfold, the world comes together to root for Watney’s safe return. Based on a best-selling novel, and helmed by master director Ridley Scott, THE MARTIAN features a star studded cast that includes Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Kate Mara, Michael Pena, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Donald Glover.

The Martian hits theaters October 2nd.

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Spider-Man To Drop The Gloves in ‘Captain America: Civil War’

By

Matthew Sardo

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August 4, 2015

A report came out yesterday that Tom Holland has finished his scenes in Captain America: Civil War, according to Birth.Death.Movies. The report continues to say that while Holland may be done filming, the special effects crew is working hard creating Spider-Man’s first fight in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“His fight scene might be the one that really gets fandom excited – not because of how top tier the face-off will be, but because of how profoundly dorky and unlike any other big screen superhero fight it will be,” said sources at Birth.Death.Movies.

Captain America: Civil War will be in theaters on May 6, 2016.

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Paramount Set to Adapt Ronda Rousey Autobiography

By

Dewey Singleton - Film Critic

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August 4, 2015

Ronda Rousey is set to make a big leap in her acting career. Variety is reporting that Paramount Pictures has secured the rights to Rousey’s bestselling autobiography “My Fight Your Fight” with Rousey playing herself. Mark Bomback is adapting the book while Mary Parent is producing the picture along with Rousey. No date has been set yet on when the production will commence.

Arguably the most popular athlete in the country currently, Ronda Rousey is dominating everything. From throwing some verbal jabs at noted wife-abusing douchebag Floyd Mayweather at this summer’s ESPY’s, to popping up as the object of Turtle’s desire in the Entourage film, to this weekend knocking out Bethe Correia in 34 seconds, Rousey is dominating the pop culture landscape. It seems a perfect time to move into biopic territory, the iron may never be this hot again.

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