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?
On March 8th, Mark Hamill will finally be honored with a star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California, according to Variety.
Mark Hamill on The Walk of Fame
A more appropriate date for the ceremony would have been May 4th, the unofficial “Star Wars Day” celebrated around the world. However, Hamill’s star is long-overdue. [easy-tweet tweet=”A more appropriate date for the ceremony would have been May 4th, the unofficial “Star Wars Day” celebrated around the world. However, Hamill’s star is long-overdue.” user=”Jenisaur”]Ceremony emcees include George Lucas, Harrison Ford, and Leron Gubler. The latter is president and CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
In a statement on behalf of the Walk of Fame Ceremonies, producer Ana Martinez specifically mentioned fans of Hamill’s work on Star Wars. She also recognized his entire body of work. “We are proud to add this extraordinary actor on our historic Walk of Fame”.
Internet Dad: Mark Hamill’s Social Media
Hamill has a special relationship with his fans online. He teases followers with ‘spoilers’ leading up to major releases–only some of which turn out to be relevant. He also entertains fan theories about things like casting a young Luke Skywalker. When photos of Hamill were compared to those of actor Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes), the two acknowledged an eerie similarity. Since then, they have joked with each other online and in interviews about their faux father-son relationship.
When Hamill’s star was announced this Wednesday, he and fellow actor William Shatner exchanged a few words via Twitter about the upcoming ceremony.
Congratulations!⭐️ BTW ask for a star on the south side of the street. I’m on the north side and don’t want to devalue the neighborhood. 😝 https://t.co/2iYSDjZG4u
Hamill has also been vocal regarding both his political views, and those of the Star Wars universe.
Hamill’s Legacy So Far
Mark Hamill is a California native, born in Oakland. He studied Theatre Arts at Los Angeles City College before appearing in several TV series. Lucas’ Star Wars was his first feature film. In recent years, Hamill has made cameos in several films and recurring roles in television shows. He revised his role as Luke Skywalker in both 2015’s The Force Awakens and 2017’s The Last Jedi.
In addition to his work as a screen actor, Hamill’s resume includes his popular voice work as the Joker in multiple Batman properties. He also performed for Nickelodeon’s animated series The Last Airbender and Cartoon Network’s The Regular Show, among other voice acting roles.
The unveiling ceremony for Hamill’s star will take place at 11:30 am on March 8th in front of the El Capitan Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard.
Director Duncan Jones (Moon, Warcraft) and Netflix combined forces to create Mute, a cyberpunk story about love, family, and sex robots. Mute continues the content creation machine for Netflix which recently premiered other genre films like Bright and TheCloverfieldParadox. Critics have mostly not been impressed with the streaming channel’s efforts. I still call it hit-or-miss. So, is Mute a screaming success or a choking hazard?
Okay, so let’s break down these opening five minutes.
Mute begins when an Amish family on a boat is trying to rescue their child from the water. The boy, Leo, was cut in the neck by the craft’s propeller. The family rushes Leo to the hospital where doctors save Leo’s life, but Leo’s mother refuses to let them completely fix his wounds, leaving the boy without the ability to speak. Leo grows up to become Alexander Skårsgard. Though mute, Leo lives life as a bartender in a strip club. The club is at the heart of a metropolis in 2050-something.
Okay, so let’s break down these opening five minutes. Leo is part of an Amish family that uses powerboats who also live somewhere in or around a cyberpunk landscape. The cyberpunk city of Mute is Berlin, and the transition from this already questionable “Amish” family to the future-city is not clever or astonishing. It just sort of happens and feels like an afterthought. The juxtaposition could be used to great effect, but the reveal is oddly off-putting.
As Mute moves forwards, it seems odd juxtapositions
is what director Duncan Jones was looking for.
Leo is in a relationship with Naadirah (Seyneb Saleh), a waitress at the same strip club. Leo doesn’t like the way a patron treats Naadirah, and it unleashes his violent tendencies. However, this patron is a gangster (Noel Clarke from Doctor Who!) and Leo has to stand down. The film attempts to establish Leo and Naadirah’s relationship because it’s vital to the plot. When Naadirah goes missing, Leo will do anything to find her.
As Mute moves forwards, it seems odd juxtapositions is what director Duncan Jones was looking for. Scene after scene the film flips and flops in tone. One minute we’re on a dreary street, the next inside a clean and pretty brothel. Another moment pulls back through a massive bowling alley, slowly revealing it’s immense size, then some futuristic bits, and ending with a nonplus dialogue scene. It all seems a waste of time and money as the shifts rarely serve any real purpose.
You may be familiar with the two actors just mentioned.
Time and again, the transitions like this just happen, and there’s no sense that it matters outside of some very mild shock value. The pullback through the bowling alley ends with Cactus Bill (Paul Rudd) and Duck Teddington (Justin Theroux). Ducky makes a pedophile-y joke leading to a moment in which Rudd is supposed to be menacing, but, it’s Paul Rudd, and the change in tone makes it hard to swallow.
You may be familiar with the two actors just mentioned. Veterans Rudd and Theroux play two lovers and ex-military doctors who perform underground surgeries for criminals because it’s easy money. Rudd has a daughter and is always looking for a babysitter while he earns enough money to leave Berlin. The actors do what they can with what they are given. But every scene between the pair feels like an entirely different movie.
It’s clear Jones was looking to shoot for the moon here.
With the recent release of AlteredCarbon, another BladeRunner-inspired story on Netflix, it’s going to be impossible for people to resist comparing the two. Sadly, in a head-to-head battle, AlteredCarbon wins by leaps and bounds. However, if there were a way to merge Jones’ visual craftsmanship and make Skarsgard the star of AlteredCarbon, Netflix would have a mind-blowing franchise-to-be.
It’s amazing how old, tired, and trope-y cyberpunk feels yet the genre is light on content compared to things like fantasy or vampires or action science fiction. Both Mute and AlteredCarbon are wanna-be BladeRunners that draw from that well until it’s bone dry. It seems no one wants to envision a high-tech future world that doesn’t look like it found a bottomless stash of 80s neon.
For the most part, critics are roasting Mute and with good reason.
The constant shifting between Cactus Bill and Leo finally comes together through a twist in the plot. A reveal near the end has some emotional punch, though it could’ve delivered with more impact had the build up throughout the film done the proper work. Additionally, the film suffers from ending 20 minutes before it’s over. After the demise of the antagonist, Mute continues … and continues. Mute needed a lot more script polishing or perhaps better work storyboarding how it all plays out.
It’s clear Jones was looking to shoot for the moon here. The ambition to create something unique is evident throughout. But everything hinges on the love between Leo and Naadirah which is simply not enough to hold it all together. Also, Leo is simply not a very interesting or compelling hero.
For the most part, critics are roastingMute and with good reason. It’s just strange and wildly uninteresting. The pacing is lackluster. The story takes so long to get going that it doesn’t even matter once it starts. Jones said this was the spiritual sequel to Moon, the fantastic 2009 science fiction film that put him on the cinematic map. There’s a lot of love put into Mute, but something went wrong along the way. In the end, it feels more like the spirit of Moon is firmly still on our lone orbiting satellite and what came down in the form of Mute is just a heart-shaped box that’s empty inside.
Game Night is anchored by a strong performance from Rachel McAdams and Justin Bateman, plus a cleverly constructed narrative. It certainly doesn’t hurt when your supporting cast has the likes of Kyle Chandler and Jesse Plemons who like McAdams and Bateman are fearless in their respective parts. Game Night doesn’t seek to dazzle anyone with its brilliance or highlight any Oscar caliber performance. Simply put, this film wants to make the audience laugh like hell, and they achieve that in spades.
Max (Bateman) and Annie (McAdams) are an ultra-competitive couple who are dealing with issues involving fertility. In the course of a doctor visit, it becomes that the problem they have stems from Bateman’s character feeling inadequate around his brother (Chandler). Max’s brother seems to take great pleasure in taking advantage of his issues in any way possible. Chandler’s character declares to Max and Annie’s circle friends that he wants them to come over and take part in the “ultimate” game night (a staged abduction). Little do they realize that he actually gets abducted and their night just got a whole lot more interesting.
Writer Mark Perez strikes the perfect balance between low brow humor and “R” rated comedic hijinks while making sure the narrative isn’t compromised. If anything, Game Night could have even been better had Perez crafted more off-color comedic moments for McAdams and Bateman. In many ways, this duo steals the spotlight from the rest of the cast. Directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein seemed mindful of that and didn’t allow the actors to dominate the screen. Daley and Goldstein also appeared to have a keen awareness of pacing and as a result, not one moment in the film seemed to lag. If anything, this film has left me curious as to how they tackle DC’s Flashpoint film.
Barry Peterson’s cinematography was intriguing. Peterson made ample use of the film’s focus on games and used board games as a way to make transitions from one situation to another. The sequence involving the cast attempting to rescue Bateman’s brother by stealing an item for his captors was pure genius. Using one continuous shot as the item was passed from person to person allowed the action to never seem stagnant during an essential moment in the movie.
While Max and Annie indeed are hilarious during the film, but it was Plemmons portrayal of the socially repressed cop that surprises audiences the most. At the beginning of the film, his character is treated as more of a throwaway. However, as the film moves forward, it becomes apparent that he’s going to play a vital role.
Anyone deciding to go check out Game Night has to be really honest with themselves before they venture out to the theater. Do you just want to have a good time? If the answer is yes, then Game Night indeed should be at the top of your wishlist.
