The trailer for the long-awaited Super Troopers 2 is here, is raunchy, and kinda just looks like the first movie. Except now, the troopers square off against Canadian Mounties.
This isn’t the most inspiring NSFW look at the sequel, which is 17 years later. The original is funny, iconic in certain circles, and much better with a bowl. Anywho, check out this trailer, and make sure nobody is looking over your shoulder at the office:
Everyone’s favorite law enforcement team is back by popular demand with the long anticipated follow up to the cult comedy classic…SUPER TROOPERS. When an international border dispute arises between the U.S. and Canada, the Super Troopers- Mac, Thorny, Foster, Rabbit and Farva, are called in to set up a new Highway Patrol station in the disputed area. Unconventional police work follows, and the result is…SUPER TROOPERS 2.
I don’t know, fam. It looks a little too similar to the original. Except this time around, various celebrities are eager enough to show up in what look like extended cameos: Lynda Carter is in there, as is Rob Lowe and Will Sasso.
The central cast still looks great, to be honest. They all look pretty much the same as they did in 2001. Even Brian Cox for the most part.
Since his inception in 1954, Godzilla has held the title of “King of the Monsters”. However, the title seems to have gone away after recent adaptions of the famed kaiju. As human characters and their own storylines have repeatedly turned the king into a cameo. Forcing him to take a backseat in movies bearing his name.
Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters is no different. The first installment in Toho Animation’s anime trilogy shows the titled character twice in its 88-minute runtime. Once in the beginning of a flashback sequence and then once again 53-minutes later which start of the movie’s third act. In-between those appearances the movie’s story and the focus turns to a large group of humans who were forced to leave Earth after numerous monsters invaded it.
Including Haruo Sasaki. The main protagonist who is highly unlikeable and one-dimensional from the start and has only one thing on his mind which is revenge. As he witnessed his parents being murdered by Godzilla when he was a child. What makes him unlikeable is a big issue that affects the whole movie, which is its dialogue repeatedly contradicts itself and doesn’t follow the rules it establishes.
Haruo’s first scene is him giving this grand speech about protecting the elderly after a group of them were sent to what he deems is a “Unhabitable planet”. So how does this “protagonist” attempt to reverse the council’s decision and have the group of elders returned? By threatening to blow up the ship he’s in which is inside of the vessel that’s carrying both he and all of the other survivors. So I’m supposed to root for a guy whose introduction includes the threatening of the lives of Earth’s only survivors that include women and children?
I think I’ll pass. Things get even more contradictory with the humans’ decision to return to Earth after years of being unable to find a new planet to inhabit. After it’s revealed that Godzilla is not only still alive but also emits radiation wherever he goes, the humans still decide to go to Earth to fight him and reclaim their home him. Which makes no sense.
If the Earth has been transformed by this creature into a global Chernobyl, why go back at all? A positive note about this whole ordeal though is the movie does do a decent job of showing that life in space can be Hell though it only lasts for about one scene of exposition. This is not a space movie set in discovery, it’s set in psychology. Its opening shows how being forced to leave Earth, and living with limited resources affects the human psyche.
If the movie focused on that just a little bit more and used it to develop its human characters, and show how each one of them deals with and views the situation then it would have made me care about them. Instead, the characters are one-dimensional, flatly speak uninteresting dialogue (in terms of the English dubbed version), and are never developed or are given depth outside of their introduction or rank. Causing their deaths while facing Godzilla, to have the emotional impact of redshirts dying on Star Trek. Which is really bad for a movie that is entirely focused on the human element.
Also for an anime about Earth being inhabited by monsters, this is the No Man’s Sky of anime. None of the monsters from the beginning flashback are ever shown again or are discussed. In fact, the only kaiju who have more than five seconds of screen time are Godzilla and a swarm of charcoal looking dragons in the third act. That’s it.
No Mothra, no King Ghidorah, no Rodan. Although Toho Animation did announce that Mecha Godzilla will be in the sequel that’s due to be released in May. The animation style was unique and did offer a nice touch, but when it came to Godzilla and the dragons they all looked the same and both they and their settings were colored in a way where none of their features looked distinct.
Also, Godzilla’s eyes were too human and were often never shown outside of his use of atomic breath. Causing him to look like a giant, dark, statue-like husk of a monster. I really wished this version would have gone the route of Kong: Skull Island. Have the human element in there but don’t make them the driving force of the movie.
Instead, frame the story around Godzilla’s nickname. The movie points out in the beginning that he was the last monster to arrive before the humans left. So why not frame his arrival on Earth like the Royal Rumble? Make him a guardian instead of an antagonist as it would also create a bond between him and the humans, giving the humans a sense of worth, and not just making them spectators, but more so guides.
But as the head-scratching ending and predictable twist show that likely won’t happen. This was a project I really wanted to be good, but once again the humans are the problem and are too much of the focus. Causing the story to be about them and not about how the title character both came to be, lives, and reigns. Which also causes me to become disinterested in the upcoming sequels and not hopeful in their direction of storytelling and character development.
As the long road to the Oscars marches on, the identity of the eventual front-runners becomes ever-clearer. The Critics’ Choice Awards are a particularly important event, confirming who the likely winners will be in many artistic, technical, and performance categories.
This is the second in a series of analyses dedicated to decoding the Oscars. Follow along as we predict who will be taking the stop spots come march, and who will be left wanting. Without further ado, the Critics’ Choice Awards 2018 winners:
BEST PICTURE – The Shape of Water
Oscar chances: Things are really shaping up.
Why?: The CC winner has lined up with the Academy 7 out of the last 10 years. That gives TSoW a huge lead, though it by no means has it in the bag. The PGA’s will solidify its lead.
BEST ACTOR – Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
Oscar chances: May as well be locked up.
Why?: Only once in the last decade have the Golden Globe and Critic’s Choice winners been in sync and the actor did not get the Oscar: George Clooney lost to the was-always-going-to-win Jean Dujardin. If Oldman also gets the SAG, the race is over.
BEST ACTRESS – Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Oscar Chances: Three cheers for McDormand.
Why?: Critics’ Choice is a crapshoot for picking Best Actress. But when they pick the same winner as the Golden Globes, seven out of ten years that person has won. Like Best Actor, the SAG awards will lock up McDormand’s win.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Oscar Chances: Unless he loses the SAG, Rockwell’s in.
Why?: Critics’ Choice is great at picking the eventual Best Supporting winners. More importantly, he also won the Golden Globe. This is going to sound like a broken record, but the SAG award will determine whether Rockwell is a sure thing.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – Allison Janney, I, Tonya
Oscar Chances: Folks, meet your Oscar 2018 Best Supporting Actress winner.
Why?: No actress has ever won both the Critics’ Choice and the Golden Globe, and then lost the Oscar. A future congrats to Allison Janney!
BEST DIRECTOR – Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water
Oscar Chances: Not much has changed; they’re not great, but OK.
Why?: Despite two wins for del Toro, neither award is great at predicting the eventual Oscar pick. The BAFTA, and especially the DGA, will help his chances.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY – Jordan Peele, Get Out
Oscar Chances: Things look very good for Peele.
Why?: Critics’ Choice has an 8 in 10 record, making it the most predictive of the major categories. Given the gravity of the film in question, his win is all but certain.
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY – James Ivory, Call Me By Your Name
Oscar Chances: Not great so far, but not dead either.
Why?: The Critics’ Choice win is statistically detrimental. While the Golden Globes are weird about screenplays, it still didn’t go to Ivory. At this point, it seems unlikely that he will take the stage, though the WGA’s may upset things.
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – Roger Deakins, Blade Runner 2049
Oscar Chances: No one’s going to to retire this winner.
Why?: The Critics’ Choice has only been giving out this award for eight years. Seven of those years, their winner lined up. It’s probably going to be Deakins come March.
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – Paul Denham Austerberry, Shane Vieau, Jeff Melvin, The Shape of Water
Oscar Chances: Pretty good, but still up in the air.
Why?: This is a tough category to predict. Critics’ Choice does a decent job though, and TSoW was always going to be tough to beat in the technical categories.
BEST EDITING (TIE)
Paul Machliss, Jonathan Amos, Baby Driver
Oscar Chances: Baby, no.
Why?: It’s not an “Oscar” movie. The editing win almost always leads to a Best Picture win, and that’s not going to happen here.
Lee Smith, Dunkirk
Oscar Chances: It’s weird with a tie, so who knows.
Why?: Critics’ Choice Dunkirk, which above all else was a masterfully edited film. Basically, this is a total toss up. The Eddie’s and BAFTA will help clarify things.
BEST COSTUME DESIGN – Mark Bridges, Phantom Thread
Oscar Chances: They’ve got this one all sewn up.
Why?: Critics’ Choice has been great at predicting this category since they started nominating in 2009. If it also takes the BAFTA, Bridges is taking the stage.
BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP –Darkest Hour
Oscar Chances: Looking grim.
Why?: A Critics’ Choice win all but guarantees they film will lose the Oscar. Unless it also takes a BAFTA, it’s not going to happen.
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS –War for the Planet of the Apes
Oscar Chances: The race is still anyone’s game, save for some monkey business.
Why?: This category is basically a crapshoot to predict. This win certainly helps, but doesn’t guarantee anything.
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE – Coco
Oscar Chances: It’s going to win.
Why?: It’s won everything that matters so far. It’s basically no contest.
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM –In The Fade
Oscar Chances: *Shrugs*
Why?: This category is nearly impossible to predict. In The Fade has as much chance as anything else.
BEST SONG –“Remember Me” from Coco
Oscar Chances: Folks are going to remember this win.
Why?: Every year that a song has won Critics’ Choice and Golden Globe, it has won the Oscar. That’s not going to change.
BEST SCORE –Alexandre Desplat, The Shape of Water
Oscar Chances: Desplat is ready to score.
Why?: With a seven in ten record for the Critics’ Choice and a Golden Globe win, Desplat is basically guaranteed to win.
What did you think of the Critics’ Choice winners? Who are you looking forward to win at the Oscars? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, or in the comments below!
Every year, the second Sunday of January, the DeLand Comics and Collectibles Show is held at the Volusia County Fairgrounds. If you live in Orlando, Fla., or the surrounding areas, you should check it out. It is a one-day event, which operates from 10 am – 5 pm, and is a great opportunity to not only find some nostalgic goodies from nearly 50 vendors from all over the state, spread out over 140 tables, but also a chance to meet a handful of celebrities as well.
This year’s slate of celebrity guests included actors, Butch Patrick (The Munsters), Johnny Martino (The Godfather), Jason Vail (Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies) and Joel D. Wynkoop (Creep), as well as creator Bill Black (AC Comics and Nightveil Media) and former professional wrestler “The Genius” Lanny Poffo.
Jim Cara started this collectibles show nine years ago, in a gymnasium, on the campus of Stetson University. After what he referred to as a subpar second year, the show has now flourished for seven-consecutive years at its current location at the Volusia County Fairgrounds. The event focuses on the Greater Orlando and Volusia County areas, drawing a lot of local celebrities in a comforting and engaging atmosphere.
“Both myself and Tom Raupp, whom I have sold the show to, book the talent,” Cara stated. “There are quite a few celebrities that live in the Central Florida area, so most of them will come. People just love getting some background information on them, but maybe some Hollywood secrets as well.”
After running the show for nine years, Cara, is relocating to North Georgia and has sold the show to a fellow local vendor in Tom Raupp, who also runs a similar event in Daytona, Fla., which is more comics-centric. The partnership is perfect because it gives Raupp two shows to run, which he desired, but it leaves Cara with content that the show is in good hands.
“I really enjoy doing this, but I’m moving,” said Cara. “I want the show here to go on. Tom puts on a similar show in Daytona, but mine is more along the collectibles side of things. We have similar minds and the same connections, so he’s a great choice to step in and keep this show running for a 10th year in 2019.”
Over the course of his career, he has seen a lot of memorabilia come and go that most in the nerd community would consider treasures, but his true passion is investing in West Volusia County historical items. He started with postcards, specifically, 3,000 of them, dating all the way back to the 1890s, but has since grown the collection to include things like, photographs, soda and milk bottles, labels, bifocals, maps and many other antiques.
“Oddly enough, I do not collect anything I sell in my booth at conventions,” Proclaimed Cara. “It fascinates me and I love being able to say that I once owned an item I’ve sold, but that’s enough for me. All the money I make goes into my personal collection. I have over 2,000 items in my collection, the largest in existence and, that is temporarily coming up to Georgia with me, as I am currently cataloguing it, but eventually, I will bequeath it all to the City of Deland or to Stetson University.”
Cara owns six antique-mall shops locally, but will be starting three in Georgia. When asked what is next for the collectibles pioneer, he said with a smile, “Who knows, maybe I’ll start a collectibles show in Georgia.”
So, moral of the story, this is a small, but extremely engaging con that deserves both your $5 admission fee and your attention.
Keep an eye out for our exclusive interviews from the event with Bill Black, Joel D. Wynkoop and Johnny Martino.
Looking for other local comics and collectibles events in your area? Doesn’t matter where you live, just visit Convention Scene.
Quentin Tarantino is working on his ninth feature, which has landed at Sony and has now brought Leonardo DiCaprio aboard to star. And now, Deadline has a little more information regarding Leo’s character, and the setting of the film.
“What he [DiCaprio] plays, more specifically, is an actor who had his own Western show, Bounty Law, that ran on the air from 1958 to 1963. His attempt to transition to movies didn’t work out and in 1969 — the film is set at the height of hippy Hollywood movement– he’s guesting on other people’s shows while contemplating going to Italy which has become a hotbed for low-budget Westerns. The movie, a Pulp Fiction-esque tapestry of Los Angeles during the summer of the Manson murders, will now get busy with casting.”
Yeah, sounds great. Terrific. Let’s get this thing going. It will be nice to see Tarantino back from genre filmmaking. After a horror short, a war film, and a pair of Westerns, heading back to LA feels right. That being said, this could easily slip into genres given the setting.
Stay tuned for more updates, like news on the rest of the cast or the all important title of the movie, as they arrive.
In this time of social change and upheaval of what has come before, a TV remake of Heathers, the pitch black Michael Lehmann comedy from 1989, makes some sense. High school has always been a melting pot of extremes, and this new Heathers makes sure all walks of life are mentioned in this salty trailer.
Check it out, and remember this is NSFW:
Heathers is an hour-long pitch-black comedy anthology set in the present day, based on the 1988 cult classic film of the same name. The much-anticipated reboot perfectly blends drama, love, rivalry, and comedy into a modern-day masterpiece.
At least it looks like they’ve tweaked the original plot line from when this project announced, which involved three different Heathers all being different social representations and being the brunt of the bullying, or something… it was weird, and it was headed to TV Land. Now, it’s moved to Paramount’s TV station and the offensive material has been… curbed? The Heathers are still diverse, but this reboot has more on its mind at least. Maybe. Who knows.
This new version of the cult classic will be on the new Paramount Network, which used to be Spike TV I believe. It will debut March 7.
Den of Thieves is written and directed by Christian Gudegast, a filmmaker who somehow manages to borrow from every heist, police, shootout movie in the history of the genre, and makes a very hollow collage of an action movie.
It’s hard to believe that Gudegast would have come this far in Hollywood without doing a little research; he has six writing credits to his name with Den of Thieves being his directorial debut. But the writer side of Gudegast missed on so many storytelling levels, trying to build character in patchwork scenes. And Gudegast somehow got Gerard Butler to do his best Mel Gibson impression for the film; this made the police brutality scenes… interesting… to watch.
Butler’s character, Nick Flanagan, leads a team of rugged, cruel sheriffs in charge of solving a robbery/homicide involving an armored car. Kinda like Heat… Anyway, Flanagan enters the film grimacing and scowling and looking to fight the world. It sounds like good, fun genre pulp; but Flanagan, a philanderer who also abuses prisoners, steals the fun from the story. He’s the only one on the team given any backstory or motivation, but it’s not particularly interesting or commendable.
Pablo Schreiber of The Wire fame has potential as the central villain, Merrimen, but his story is paper thin with only a glimpse of what could have been, especially in an epic scene at the gun range. Merrimen’s motivation also somehow changes three times throughout the film, which doesn’t help. Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s character, Levi Enson, may have been given at least a few things to do, but even those moments felt extraneous and fleeting.
Not that you need to be an expert on police procedure if you want to write a script, but if you’re turning the script into a feature-length film, shouldn’t you at the very least hire a consultant to look things over? I ask this question before discussing the final shootout, a moment the film has been building towards, is just plain awful. The Sheriffs initiate the gun battle in a gridlocked construction zone in Los Angles, endangering hundreds of lives. Then, the thieves (who may or may not have a den) motives quickly change from fleeing with the money to killing cops. It’s as if Gudegast had a great concept for the gunfight but only planned out the first part; everything after that one cool setup was thrown together hastily.
If Gudegast was making a statement on police brutality, I would understand a few scenes in Den of Thieves. Since that is not the case, the film comes off as callous, uninformed, and ill-timed. The plot threads directly pulled from Heat, Lethal Weapon, and The Usual Suspects also make it seem like Gudegast forgot to do his class project until the night before. Den of Thieves is the case where the homage is more like plagiarism.
What is your excitement level for Den of Thieves? Let Matthew Sardo know, comment below.
Adam McKay continues to steer his career towards serious examinations into corrupt American institutions. With Succession, his new HBO miniseries, McKay tackles the inner workings of a corporation, run by a contemptuous Brian Cox.
The cast is an eclectic, curious mixture of talent, from San Ruck to a welcome reappearance of Kieran Culkin. Check out the trailer here:
Set in New York, ‘Succession’ explores themes of power, politics, and family. Logan Roy (Brian Cox), the tough, powerful, aging patriarch, is head of Waystar Royco, a family controlled international media conglomerate. He is married to his third wife, Marcia (Hiam Abbass), a loving, formidable partner. Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong), Logan’s eldest son from his second marriage, is currently a division president at the firm and the heir apparent. Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin), Kendall’s younger brother, is Logan’s outspoken, fun-loving son and no longer works at Waystar. Siobhan “Shiv” Roy (Sarah Snook), Logan’s only daughter and youngest child, has been pursuing a career in politics. Connor Roy (Alan Ruck), Logan’s eldest son, and only child from his first marriage, has pursued an independent life in New Mexico.
It should be interesting to see this unconventional cast bounce off one another, and it will see how Adam McKay shifts his serious new direction from real estate to big business. McKay has directed the debut episode in this 10-part series, and writer Jesse Armstrong will serve as the show runner. Chalk this up as one of the many intriguing and interesting projects HBO has coming in 2018.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread is an exquisite example of storytelling. This shouldn’t be shocking to anyone as the director has made a career of exploring fascinating aspects of the human condition. In 2012 he examined the effects of trauma in The Master and in his latest film, he tackles Narcissism. Is it possible to love anyone when you are in a relationship with yourself? Combine Anderson’s storytelling with a crackling performance from Daniel Day-Lewis, and the result is Phantom Thread being a fascinating film.
Reynolds Woodcock (Lewis) is a middle-aged British fashion designer who is at the top of his profession. His mornings are spent in his cream-colored five-story townhouse where he sips tea, eats the same pastries, and sketches his latest ideas for dresses. His creations are the toast of the town, and his artistry draws the attention of women everywhere. Woodcock certainly has the pick of any woman he wants. While for most men in his position, the allure of multiple trysts would be appealing, but for Lewis’s character, it’s the idea of these women worshiping his artistry while inspiring him. To him women are easily replaceable, that is until he meets a waitress named Alma who appears to see him in an entirely different light.
Lewis has made a mark during his career hiding behind different looks as he went on to give countless fantastic performances. Phantom Thread marks the first time in quite awhile that he doesn’t hide behind his appearance but does so behind an object. His dresses are an extension of Woodcock. They represent his adoration for all things beautiful and the thirst for admiration that fuels him. Lewis’s character even comments to Alma during their courtship how many things can be hidden inside the lining of a dress. He also loses grip with reality slightly when the amount of people wanting his work starts to slip. To him his job is everything.
There’s also an element of the narrative that dives into dangers that come with too much adoration. Alma (Vickey Krieps) is so in love with the hunger and drive of Lewis’s character that she’s willing for the first two acts of the film to forgive almost any outlandish behavior he engages in. If he’s rude to her, it’s okay. If he’s controlling of her every move that’s understandable for someone with his talent. As he begins to slip away, she soothes his fragile ego by pointing out at a party that one of his clients was so drunk that she didn’t deserve to wear his dress. This only served to enhance an ego that was already out of control. This type of adoration has consequences, and she realized that shortly after that incident. It was her response to his character which was surprising. How far would you go to keep the person of your dreams interested?
Jonny Greenwood’s score enhances the mood of the second and third act giving the film a slightly ominous tone. Anderson’s cinematography which at time shifts from the aesthetics of their surroundings to close-ups of Woodcock and Alma enhances the experience for the audience and gives glimpses inside just how perverse their relationship becomes in the final act of the film.
My only regret is that a film like Phantom Thread will suffer from lack of promotion while other titles like Darkest Hour will flourish. The perception as we head into the homestretch of the awards season is that Gary Oldman has the Oscar all but locked up but in reality had their been more of a push from Focus Features for Lewis’s final film, he’d be a lock. I hope that this film receives multiple Oscar nominations generating buzz for a spectacular movie.
DC Comics released an exclusive preview of THE RUFF & REDDY SHOW #4 to Monkeys Fighting Robots Thursday morning. The series is written by Howard Chaykin with art by Mac Rey, with a variant cover by Chaykin as well.
The Show was an American animated television series made by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The show followed the adventures of Ruff, a smart and steadfast cat, and Reddy, a good-natured and brave dog. DC Comics has since reenvisioned the series with a modern spin.
Chaykin uses this series to comment on the social issues of Hollywood, ageism, sexism, and the advertising world. To put it mildly, this is not a Saturday morning cartoon anymore. DC Comics has been bold with the Hanna-Barbera properties, which has created a passionate following among fans.
About issue four: In the rough-and-tumble, dog-eat-dog world of the business of show, betrayal is just another fact of life, but when Ruff and Reddy betray the one person who believed in them, there’ll be hell to pay—and pay again and again and again!
Check out the 5-page preview below:
THE RUFF AND REDDY SHOW #4: a 6-issue miniseries.
Written by Howard Chaykin.
Art and cover by Mac Rey.
Letters by Ken Bruzenak.
Variant Cover by Howard Chaykin.
Available January 24.
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