The Walking Dead returned for the second half of Season Eight Sunday night with all eyes on the fate of Carl Grimes and the progression of ‘All Out War.’
In the end, all a person has is their honor, and that was the focus of ‘Honor.’ When you have accepted that your life is finite you can become free and untethered; Chandler Riggs brought this to the screen as Carl. Danai Gurira fresh off her Black Panther success brought an intensity and a mother’s compassion to the episode that was raw emotion. When Carl passed the torch to Judith, it touched a nerve, and it was hard not to get a little misty-eyed as Judith started to cry.
Morgan’s character arc is insane as he falls back into the abyss of death and destruction. The tension that Carol and Morgan built was well played as they try to rescue Eziekel. It was interesting to see Carol in the role of samurai and Morgan play the part of the rogue. Every episode always contains a special effects shocker, and I would love to meet the writer that decided Morgan’s kill maneuver would be to pull a person’s intestines out through a gunshot wound. That was crazy-town, and the reaction from Eziekel and Carol was perfect. Morgan brought a real horror to the episode unlike any other character before. Morgan turned into Jason Voorhees!
The Walking Dead has never been about the zombies or the battles, it’s about human the interaction and the evolution of the characters, good or bad. As the parallel storylines in ‘Honor’ came to a head, the philosophy of the show was bright and shining through the grit and grime of The Walking Dead Universe by the time the credits rolled.
Carl went out on his own terms Sunday night and brought a new mission to the show.
What did you think of tonight’s episode? Comment below.
The Mercy is a biopic about Donald Crowhurst, an amateur sailor who disappeared when competing in The Sunday Times Golden Globe Race in 1968 – a race for sailors to navigate around the globe solo.
Donald (Colin Firth) is a father-of-three, inventor and the owner of a small electronics company. When he finds out about the race around the world he sees it as an opportunity to promote his company and more importantly become famous. His enthusiasm is quickly dashed by a series of setbacks and if he is unable to complete the race he would face financial ruin. The Mercy is the third feature film by director James Marsh and was adapted by Scott Z. Burns. Marsh previous films have been dramas set in particular periods, Shadow Dancer was set in Northern Ireland during the early ’90s and The Theory of Everything was set from the ’60s to the ’80s as it looked at Stephen Hawking’s relationship with his wife. Marsh is great a recreating these periods and he does it again with The Mercy – the set designs were so authentic that the film does look like it was filmed in the ’60s.
Marsh also has a keen interest in family and relationships. The Theory of Everything was pretty obviously about the Hawking’s relationship and Shadow Dancer was about a single mother in Northern Ireland being used as an informant for MI5 – and the film looked at the complex relationship between the informant and her handler. The Mercy also has this family focus. Donald has a loving family and a supportive wife, Clare (Rachel Weisz) – but the trip takes its toll on them. Donald suffers from guilt when he decides to cheat whilst in England, the Crowhursts suffer such hardship that they have to go on welfare.
Even with a running of an hour and 40 minutes The Mercy is a slow and methodical film which will leave audiences divided – this happened with Shadow Dancer and it happened here. Some may appreciate the slow burn approach but others might become bored and lose interest.
The bulk of the film focused on Donald at sea and the depression he falls into. He is constantly maintaining his boat which puts a physical and mental strain on the man and it is compounded by the fact that if he quits he loses his house and business. What makes his isolation and depression worst is the guilt and shame he suffers when he decides to lie about his progress. It was an excellent portrayal of isolation that someone who undergoes this sort of challenge goes through and when Donald wrote in his logs and recorded tapes there was a similarity to Ellen MacArthur, a British sailor who broke the record for the fastest time to circumnavigate the world in 2005 – and her video diary where she got very emotional.
In recent years Colin Firth has changed his image from being a heartthrob in romantic films to a serious dramatic actor and role like Donald Crowhurst would have been particularly challenging. Firth captures Donald’s unfounded optimism as he prepares for the voyage, the doubts that creep in when he is forced to set – despite the boat not being ready – and finally his depression and isolation. Despite Donald’s lying about his progress Firth, Marsh and Burns made sure Donald Crowhurst was a sympathetic figure and his reasoning for why he does it – since he has risked everything to feed his ego.
The film was based on Donald Crowhurst’s logs and audio recordings but the filmmakers still had to fill in the gaps. His boat was found abandoned in the Caribbean and no one really knows what happened to him – although the film favors the standard interpretation that he took his own life.
The Mercy is a film that is lifted by the talents of its cast, look at mental health in such an extreme situation and had great cinematography and production design. But it one of those films that only requires the one-viewing.
Alex Garland’s Annihilation is a dazzling delirious dose of science fiction that will leave audiences baffled yet begging for more. This release is one which will stir up debate long after it has released digitally. Some who purchase a ticket might get the urge to get a refund after 15 minutes, but those who are patient will be rewarded with quite a payoff.
Annihilation (based on Jeff VanderMeer’s science fiction novel) centers around a professor of Biology played by Natalie Portman and the secrets surrounding her husband’s (played by Oscar Issac) disappearance and reemergence after being gone for a year. His vanishing act at first was believed to be tied to a military operation overseas but it ends up being a direct result of an unidentified shimmer. Anyone who goes inside it never makes it out. Issac’s character is the first person ever to make it out, but his freedom is shortlived when his organs begin to combust and are placed on a respirator in isolation. Faced with little facts provided by a government agent played by Jennifer Jason Leigh, Portman’s character joins a team already scheduled to jump into this phenomenon with hopes of finding a way to save her husband. Their team consists of Leigh and three other explorers played by Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, and Tuva Novotny.
Garland never allows us to see who is responsible for the shimmer till it’s absolutely necessary, but its presence generates a palpable fear throughout Annihilation. With each vital moment, the tension just ratchets up a little more till you are feeling so uncomfortable that fear begins to overwhelm moviegoers. Is it from another world? Is it something that was always here?
While anyone who checks out the movie poster will see Portman is given top billing, in reality, everyone plays an equal part in Annihilation. Leigh’s character is crushed with guilt over the lives lost in the shimmer. Rodriguez’s character is trying to rationalize something that inexplicable. All the while Thompson, Novotny, and Portman’s character are desperately looking for a scientific explanation for all of this.
Annihilation‘s pacing is similar to that of a slow burn. Some might be turned off by that, but Garland had a great handle on how this narrative had to unfold. Sometimes the best thing for a release is when a director has their hands in its adaptation. Rob Hardy’s cinematography was mindblowing, and his use of a bright color palette brought the shimmer to life.
Anyone who is planning to see Garland’s latest release needs to brace themselves for not only a few gruesome sequences (this film is rated R for a reason) but also a finale that will stick with audiences long after the credits have finished. All of these factors add up to the type of film that’s certainly worth anyone’s time (especially if someone in your family loves science fiction). Just be ready to have your mindblown walking in.
You know it’s bad when one of the writers is ashamed.
With the success of Marvel’s Black Panther and it’s celebration of African heritage, it’s common fans would compare it to other movies involving black super heroes.
Though not black in the comics, the 2004 DC film, Catwoman starred Halle Berry as the catlike super heroine. If you’ve seen the movie you know it’s a huge let down. 14 years later screenwriter John Rogers tells us why.
When Conservative writer DC McAllister tweeted “Michelle Obama says it’s about time black kids have a superhero that reflects who they are. Why didn’t we hear this when Halle Berry as Catwoman was released years ago?”
Catwoman screenwriter John Rogers tweeted this response, “As one of the credited writers of CATWOMAN, I believe I have the authority to say: because it was a shit movie dumped by the studio at the end of a style cycle, and had zero cultural relevance either in front of or behind the camera.
This is a bad take. Feel shame.”
John Rogers Twitter
It was so bad it won a Razzie for worst movie, actress, director, and screenplay. Rogers ultimately blames the film for ending his career.
John Rogers Twitter
He continued with, “Full disclosure: I was fired off the movie after writing the green light draft because I kept arguing with notes that’d make the movie “very, very bad.” Which I said out loud. At meetings. I got fired a lot in my 30’s”
Rogers now writes and executive produces TNT’s The Librarians.
The leader in sports entertainment debuted the WWE Network on February 24, 2014, making it a groundbreaking avenue for linear streaming programs combined with on-demand content at the same time. The WWE Network is a subscription-based service similar to that of Netflix, but programming is solely WWE-related content.
“Digital over-the-top offerings represent the future, and given that our passionate fans consume five times more online video content than non-WWE viewers and over-index for purchasing online subscriptions such as Netflix and Hulu Plus, we believe the time is now for a WWE Network,” Michelle D. Wilson, chief revenue and marketing officer for WWE, said in an email to Time Magazine in 2014.
Screenshot: WWE Network
Originally planned as a pay-TV channel, the WWE Network had its issues with its launch. Subscriptions were lower than expected, WWE stock dropped, and NBCUniversal’s contract with the WWE to air its regular weekly programming on its networks was underwhelming. But, like other streaming and subscription services, they adjusted the commitment requirements and patron perks, and things eventually picked up.
The WWE Network currently has 1.47 million paid subscribers and is available on pretty much any device including TVs, gaming systems, phones, tablets, and computers. The network now houses over 9,000 hours of programs that include every pay per view event in WWE history, past telecasts of WWE television events, and original programming.
The WWE Network promises to continue to bring viewers even more excitement in the year to come. New seasons of favorite shows Ride Along, WWE 24, and Table for 3 are on deck, along with new shows WWE Photo Shoot! and WWE Straight to the Source will give even more behind the scenes details from the Superstars themselves.
Screenshot: WWE Network “Table for 3: The Shield”
The subscription service is $9.99 per month and offers a free trial month to any new subscriber. Details are available on the WWE website.
Do you subscribe to the WWE Network? What have been some of your favorite moments to watch on the network?
Who is the real antagonist of Evangelion? After you have enjoyed enough Manga and Anime you are able to read between the lines and can see a detail or two another may have missed. Through this and other detailed evidence you are able to piece together what really happened in a particular series. This results in an abstract idea, a thought which doesn’t have a physical existence but can be speculated. Welcome to Anime Abstract.
Who is the villain of the series? Is it the mysterious Angels, who are determined to annihilate Humanity? Is the mysterious organization SEELE who has no problem eliminating any who stand in there way? Or is it the manipulative Gendo Ikari who seems to do whatever it takes to be able to reconnect with his dead wife? You’re all wrong. Despite how malicious these individuals are they have nothing on the real villain of the series.
Please note this is theory is in regards to the original Neon Genesis Evangelion and the follow-up movie End of Evangelion. The new quartet of movies has introduced new aspects and have become their own beast. A future Anime Abstract will probably be needed to explain those. Frankly there are several articles which can from from Evangelion but one step at a time.
First off, who is the villain of the original series? To explain this we must first make the assumption Shinji is the hero (or at least the Protagonist) of the story. Even if he was a bad protagonist he was still the main focus of the story. Just go with it, if you want to get to the main point of this article. Now all we have to do is figure out who causes him the most strife and torment.
For now let’s take a look at the usual suspects. The angels can be eliminated right off the bat. Their purpose is only to be forces of destruction and have no way of plotting in the way a proper villain should does.
Gendo Ikari
When people think of the protagonist of Neon Genesis Evangelion there are usually two suspects which come to mind. First is Gendo Ikari. The man who seems to have everything figured out, the man who knows more than he lets on, and who seems to be pulling the strings even behind a shadow organization. Though his methods are very manipulative as he is not above murder, illegal experiments, and even seducing women to get his way. Unfortunately, his goal is noble as he is trying to connect with his dead wife, Yui who was lost during the event known as the Second Impact. Actually if you think of it, his actions are rather romantic in nature. Guess he’s out.
SEELE
Next up is SEELE, the secret organization behind Gendo who is pulling the strings. At the End of Evangelion movie their whole plot is revealed. The best explanation to what happened (as End of Evangelion is trippy and could be an article itself to explain what went down) is after Second Impact humanity is cut off from heaven. In an effort to try and find a way to get back to paradise, SEELE plans to use the EVA-01 as a bridge to take all the souls on Earth to the other side. An unfortunate side effect is humans are taken against their will and converted to orange goo in the process. Very demented but in a way not the most evil in nature.
The True Evil
So, who is the real enemy in the series? Your not going to believe this one but she was dead the entire time. The villain is Yui Ikari. How you may ask? Check this out.
Through a flashback to when she was still alive and talking to her former teacher and confidant Kouzou Fuyutsuki, an interesting conversation unfolds.
Kouzou Fuyutsuki:
When Man created Evangelion, were we trying to create a clone of God?
Yui Ikari:
Of course. Humans can only exist on this Earth. But the Evangelion will be able to exist forever, along with the human soul that dwells within it. When the Earth, the Moon and the Sun are all gone, EVA will exist, so long as one person remains. It’ll be lonely, but as long as one person still lives…
Kouzou Fuyutsuki:
…it will be eternal proof that Mankind ever existed.
This really brings her entire character into question. It proves Yui knew what was going to unfold and wanted this outcome. She wanted EVA-01 to end up in space as an eternal testament to the accomplishments of mankind. Some may say a very extremist view of the philosophy of Humanism (which emphasizes the value of human beings collectively over all others). She wanted everything to happen and knew how all the course of events would unfold to make it happen. She all the elements necessary to put EVA-01 in orbit. This included the breaking of Shinji’s psyche, all of humanity being melted into orange goo, and absorbed into a colossal naked form of Rei Ayanami. Essentially, SEELE are the minions carrying out Yui’s plan. She helped to create the Evangelion project, knew her son would be a viable candidate for the project, knew he would help to defeat the angles, and it would all end with EVA-01 in space. Going even further, since it is her soul in EVA-01, she could have done it all so she would be the one who was the symbol of humanity’s existence.
Yui Ikari, a woman who is willing to let her own son suffer to the point he went crazy, all so a giant statue could float out in space to remind aliens humanity existed. Not exactly an ideal candidate for mother of the year.
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Do you think Yui Ikari is the villain of Neon Genesis Evangelion? Leave a comment below and let us know.
Love is in the air for our two Green Lanterns of Earth. There has been a new dating app named Caper that is exclusively for superheroes. Simon has been on it for months, soon finding a girl named Night Pilot. After their split, Night Pilot has vanished along with many other heroes who have been using the app. When the Lanterns find the app’s base of operations, they find a surprising intruder— Scrapps of the Omega Men. The Lanterns take her down in the hopes of her knowing where the heroes were taken. Will they find the heroes before something bad happens to them?
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
After capturing Scrapps, the Lanterns are led to planet Garnet, lovingly nicknamed “Hellhole” by the inhabitants. Their hope is that they can find the human traffickers that kidnapped Night Pilot. It’s a wretched hive of scum and villainy, but the pair is able to find the kidnappers. This leads to a pretty awesome chase scene across the planet which ends with our protagonists getting sent in the right direction.
To those who watch movies as well as read comics, this issue feels like the casino planet storyline in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. It’s just a detour that takes up space that feels more like it’s showing off the world than progressing the story. The entire progression of this issue can easily come down to a single speech bubble. One could argue that the chase for said speech bubble was important, but it has no relation to the true villains. These two kidnappers will fade into the background as our Lanterns take on the real threat. After it’s all wrapped up, we’ll be left wondering what’s the point of this world?
There are some humorous moments from time-to-time and an obscure Green Lantern reference, but other than the chase scene, there’s nothing that stands out. Unless this planet plays a bigger part than what is implied, this might actually be an issue you could skip without any consequences.
Art:
The art is by far the best thing about this story. The whole team is firing on all cylinders to give us a great book. Barnaby Bagenda has proven time and time again that he’s skilled in a Sci-Fi environment. This issue is no exception. The planet the Lanterns travel to is amazing, looking like an amalgamation between Mos Eisley and the city from Blade Runner. Bagenda’s pencil work makes the city feel so large on the page. Ulises Arreola helps this city feel more alive with his epic color work as well. His skills shine (no pun intended) when it comes to the Lanterns constructs. They pop right off the page and when it’s combined with Bagenda’s pencil work, it creates the coolest part of the book.
Conclusion:
While the art is amazing, I’m going to have to say readers should skip this issue. It barely has a connection to the last issue and feels like will be forgotten as the story moves forward. The art really is the only reason to pick up this issue as the team made it look amazing. Maybe it’ll have a bigger purpose when the story concludes, but as it stands, save the $2.99.
On the heels of the announcement that Sony would be making a solo Venom movie, news came that the studio was also in the process of developing a film centered around Silver Sable and Black Cat. That made it obvious that Sony was attempting to create a shared universe using iconic Spider-Man villains. Well, we may have to pump the brakes on any excitement surrounding Silver & Black because production for the project has been delayed indefinitely.
According to That Hashtag Show, production on the film, which was set to begin next week, has been delayed with no new start date in mind. There has been no word on casting for the films so it could just be that the production just isn’t at a point where they can move forward. Gina Prince-Bythewood is set to direct with Geneva Robertson-Dworet writing the script.
It’s possible that Sony is rethinking their shared universe. Venomwas regarded as one of the most highly anticipated films of the year until the recent teaser was released and sparked some controversy. If the studio isn’t happy with Venom, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that they would decide to delay production on future projects.
Another factor that may have led to this decision is the fact that Sony may be looking to sell their TV and film studio. Rumors began swirling not long ago that Sony may be looking to sell off some of their assets which could have led executives to hold off on spending money on films that were still in development.
Are you disappointed that Silver & Black is delayed? Let us know in the comments below!
Venom: One of Marvel’s most enigmatic, complex and badass characters comes to the big screen, starring Academy Award-nominated actor Tom Hardy as the lethal protector Venom.
Gerry Duggan has been setting the cosmic stage for something big the last half of a year. His Guardians Of The Galaxy series has been instrumental in making the cosmic side of Marvel matter again. After some major teases and reveals in Marvel Legacy #1, Infinity Countdown has now begun.
***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***
We already knew the Infinity Stones would be at the heart of this story. Infinity Countdown Prime #1 does a swell job of reintroducing readers to the different stones and their capabilities. What we didn’t know was that one of the major players, and stone possessors, at the heart of this story was going to be the Ultron/Hank Pym hybrid.
In this issue, we spend a little time with each of the different carriers of the stone, and they’re all intriguing in their own way. Logan, Super Skrull, Ultron/Pym, Turk Barrett, Captain Marvel, and the GOTG are our current carriers. There are also plenty of interested outside parties, including the likes of Thanos and Adam Warlock. Needless to say, the stage is set for a star-studded epic.
Ultron/Pym kills Magus to acquire the Soul Stone and officially enter the game. When he does, Hank Pym’s soul enters the Soul World that Duggan has been playing with in GOTG. This is where an old lady Gamora’s soul is trapped as well. Could this be the first seed planting in a possible resurrection of Hank Pym?
This would be huge, and totally unexpected. We haven’t seen Hank Pym as a singular entity since Jonathan Hickman’s “Time Runs Out” back in 2015. If Marvel’s “Fresh Start” plans are about resetting some of the pillars of the 616 Universe, Pym would definitely be a big addition.
As one of the top minds in the universe, a resurrected Hank could potentially play a big role in finding the Richards family and rightfully returning the Fantastic Four to the heart of Marvel Comics where they belong.
Infinity Countdown was already shaping up to be one of the biggest comic book stories of the near future, implications like this make it even bigger. Gerry Duggan has done phenomenal work in a short amount of time with Marvel cosmic. We’re in more than capable hands.
Infinity Countdown Prime #1 is a fantastic second chapter, building major hype before things really get underway next month. It even comes with a historical rundown of the Infinity Stones throughout Marvel history in the back of the issue. It’s money well spent on a story that’s likely to be monumentally important for the 616 Universe.
Penn State football coach Joe Paterno had his legacy tarnished in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal in 2011. HBO’s biopic of this all-time winningest coach in major college football history is set to premiere on April 7.
HBO has also released the film’s trailer, which debuted on YouTube earlier today.
Paterno was fired from Penn State several days after former assistant coach Sandusky was arrested. He died two months later at the age of 85. The film will focus on that time period as Paterno dealt with the speculation of his involvement with hushing the allegations against Sandusky.
Academy Award-winning actor Al Pacino is playing the titular role in director Barry Levinson’s movie. Other cast includes Riley Keough as reporter Sara Grimm, Annie Parisse as Paterno’s daughter Mary Kay, and Kathy Baker as Paterno’s wife Sue.
Will you watch this film? Do you think it will change your opinion of Paterno and the Penn State football legacy he left behind?
