Following Justice League and its introduction of Deathstroke on the big screen, The CW’s Arrow is not allowed to utilize Slade Wilson.
Arrow executive producer Marc Guggenheim revealed the news at ACE Comic-Con. First, he mentioned that the numerous DC television shows are simply borrowing the characters, and do not own them.
“These are DC’s characters, we’re just renting them ya know, so we use the characters that they tell us we can use when we can use them, and we work around whatever limitations that places us.
Then, Guggenheim was asked about Deathstroke specifically:
“Yeah, I think you know as a result we’ve been on and off. For a time they were saying ‘you can’t use Deathstroke’, and that changed and we were able to have Slade Wilson back on the show, and now we’re back to ‘you can’t use him’. They’re working on the feature film version, it really is sort of now that you’ve got obviously Slade, spoiler alert, Deathstroke appears at the end of the Justice League movie.”
Deathstroke was executed well in the show, but it remains to be seen if Warner Bros. can capture the same energy and performance with their films. Justice League didn’t perform up to expectations, so the silver lining in this is that, with the familiarity of Deathstroke, the character could potentially bring in some fans of the DC TV shows, specifically Arrow.
Infidelity, mid-life crisis and all around comedic shenanigans drive Crash Pad forward. Starring Christina Applegate and Domhall Gleeson, the film hits the ground running and rarely lets up. And while it might feel like a romantic comedy at the start, Crash Pad’s alternative vision for how it all plays out sets it apart from the usual entries into the genre. When the director of the film calls it an “ass-backward rom-com” you know you’re in for a fun time.
Crash Padbegins with Christina Applegate’s Morgan and Domhall Gleeson’s Stensland in bed together. Stensland learns a horrible secret about the girl he’s fallen for. And Applegate, with a mix of cold-hearted and heartbroken, must weather the storm for the moment until Gleeson makes his exit.
“I’m a 29-year-old, unemployed, diamond in the rough with no foreseeable opportunities for financial or personal success until my death.” – Stensland
From that intro, off we go into a film that mixes typical rom-com elements but plays them out in a pattern that feels fresh. Instead of the selfish guy who learns to love or the awkward girl who rises to find true love and conquer some enormous task, it’s a mess of a love triangle and a story about marriage, relationships, and growing up even when you’re already an adult.
In the hands of the wrong director, Crash Pad could be a spectacular disaster. At the helm here is Kevin Tent who has a long career as an editor in Hollywood (Downsizing, TheDescendants). And though Tent only dabbles in directing, he’s an industry veteran and knows exactly what to do with the camera and when. CrashPad could fit neatly alongside many of Judd Apatow’s movies like 40-Year-Old Virgin or Knocked-Up.
The first five minutes of Crash Pad don’t waste a second setting up exactly what kind of comedy this is. “Bullshit!” is the first line uttered by Stensland in his Irish tambour. Morgan then hammers home the truth. And, a few second laters, is brushing off the breakup, trying his best to feign the uncaring male. Then there’s man-ass and near-full frontal male nudity that will make some viewers cringe with a smile. We don’t see more of Stensland’s package, but we do then see Stensland’s real self, crying because he’s lost a woman he thought he was falling in love with.
“My receptionist was listening in when I threatened you which
means I’d have to kill her as well. And no way I’m breaking in a new receptionist. No, sir.” – Grady
As it turns out, Morgan is married to Grady played by Thomas Haden Church. And in the typical rom-com, it would become a situation of Stensland winning the heart of his true love, and Grady would be the a-hole who loses in the end. But that’s not what happens here, and the subtle deviations from the usual make CrashPad fun to watch. Also, where Grady and Stensland begin their journey is drastically different from where they end.
Grady and Stensland form a strange bromance that serves as the major thread of the story. Grady is conflicted, trapped in a sort of mid-life crisis. He’s angry that Morgan cheated on him, particularly with the smaller, wimpy-by-comparison Stensland, but he also understands to a degree as he might or might not have cheated on his wife first. And instead of killing Stensland, Grady hatches a kind of revenge plan that both backfires and succeeds.
Crash Pad is a little something old and something new. Gleeson isn’t your typical lead but the way this movie plays out, he’s just the perfect conduit for the audience. And that’s the mix that makes Crash Pad something worth finding on Amazon or iTunes.
According to Deadline, The Walking Dead’s Cooper Andrews, who portrays fan favorite Jerry, has joined the cast of Warner Brothers Shazam!.
Andrews joined the cast of The Walking Dead in Season 7 as Jerry, a loyalist to the Kingdom, and confidant of King Ezekiel. Fans quickly began to take notice of the character’s positive attitude and fun antics. Andrews will continue to appear in the hit AMC series when Season 8 returns from its midseason break.
The announcement of Andrews’ casting comes as no surprise as the upcoming DC Films movie begins to round out its cast. Zachary Levi stars as the titular Shazam, while Asher Angel will portray the true identity of the hero, Billy Batson. The rest of the cast includes Jack Dylan Grazer, Grace Fulton, Ian Chen, Jovan Armand and David J. MacNeil. Mark Strong is also rumored to appear as Dr. Thaddeus Sivana.
It was also confirmed that Andrews will be playing a foster parent at the group home where Billy lives. It appears that he will have a close relationship to Billy, possibly being a sort of mentor.
Shazam! will be directed by David F. Sandberg (Annabelle Creation) and written by Henry Gayden and Darren Lemke.
This is the second issue of a crossover event. If you want to see the review for the first part, Superman #37, click here.
The first issue of this crossover was rough in terms of storytelling. The issue consisted of two fights that pitted a future version of Tim Drake (the third Robin, Future Batman) against Batman and Superman. While the flights were fun and illustrated well, it did not provide enough of background for new readers. With the adults now indisposed, future Tim Drake has nothing in his way to take down the Boy of Steel.
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
While Superboy teams up with the Teen Titans to take down a group of villains, the future Tim Drake watches from afar. He also takes advantage of their fight to hack into Titans Tower to set a trap. When Superboy and the Titans arrive, the trap is sprung and future Tim orders Raven, the team’s telepath, to look into his mind and reveal the future.
The reason that Tim came back to kill the Boy of Steel was that Jon would cause the deaths of millions. In the future, Jon Kent and Damian Wayne were at each other’s throats, which lead to a battle that caused Jon to LITERALLY explode over Metropolis.
This is the second issue of this crossover and this crucial part was just revealed. This revelation should have been seen in the first part of the crossover so we would better understand Future Tim’s motives. It could have just been a panel that ominously hinted at the future for our favorite Boy of Steel. This reveal changes the entire perspective of the Super Sons. What started as a fun light-hearted adventure has taken a dark turn… And I love it! This promises an entirely new dynamic for the duo and their loved ones. It’s a very nice twist to both Superboy and Damian.
That being said, the reveal could have come a bit sooner and could have expanded a little more. In this future, Damian and Jon come to blows, but we don’t learn why. All we know is that Damian becomes “unhinged,” which could be lies, considering Future Tim is equally as unhinged. By the end of the issue, we are left with more questions than answers. We still have two issues to go, so hopefully, we get answers instead of questions being swept under the rug.
Art:
The art in this comic doesn’t capture the dark undertones of this story. We learn that two of these kids will basically cause the death of millions, yet I can’t stop looking at the cartoonish expressions on the Titans. It also doesn’t help that the colors in the issue are so vibrant.
Sometimes the art does work in the comic’s favor, especially in the designs of the characters. One example, in particular, is a trio of characters from the future revealed at the end of the issue and they look amazing. It is able to amalgamate the character’s original costumes with that of the iconic heroes they’ve come to replace. The designs are slick and honestly feels like they’re drawn by an entirely different artist.
Conclusion:
This issue is a step in the right direction for this crossover. We have some cool action and an epic reveal, but in exchange are left with more questions than answers. With the exception of some of the future character designs, the art was too cartoonish to match the tones this story is going for. The pieces are in place and now we enter the battle for Superboy’s life.
There have been a few crossovers since the start of Rebirth. Some have been fun while some have fallen flat, with a variety of different characters throughout. Adding to the mix, we now have a crossover between Superman, Super Sons, and Teen Titans. While many know the Man of Steel and the Teen Titans, there might be some who don’t know of the Super Sons. The Sons are a duo that consist of Jon Kent, son of Clark Kent, and Damian Wayne, son of Bruce Wayne. The pair go on more strange, yet lighthearted adventures… Which brings up the question of why a Batman from another timeline is gunning for them?
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
The future Tim Drake has returned, now with a new mission in mind. For reasons unknown, he claims that he needs to kill Jon Kent and save the future. This leads to the Dark Knight from a dark future to come to blows with the modern Batman and Superman.
Whenever you ask a person why they don’t read comics, the usual response is the need to backtrack to previous issues to keep up. This is a prime example of this thinking. The setting, characters, and the overall plot is built from previous storylines with little explanation. The closest thing to an explanation we get is the text blocks from editors, pointing towards the storylines in question. Where did this Future Tim Drake come from and how does Batman know him? Go read Detective Comics. Why is the Fortress of Solitude a mess? Read Action Comics. Now while I may read those series, there might be people who aren’t willing to put in the extra cash.
If there is anything positive in this chapter, it is the action. The fight scenes in this issue are amazing and show how much of a threat Future Tim Drake has become. The fight with Batman allowed us to see Tim’s hand-to-hand combat while the fight with Superman showed his strategic skills. It is actually fun to see both fights unfold, but that is also the biggest problem in this issue. The entire contents of this issue are fight scenes. This should have been the set up for this crossover, but instead, we got large, albeit pretty neat, brawls.
Art:
While the “story” is lacking, the art is phenomenal. The pencil work shows the weight of every action in the fight. You can see the intensity every time Bruce takes a swing at Tim, drawing the reader into the fight.You see the intensity behind every blow and feel the emotions behind them.
The color work goes hand-in-hand with the pencils. The colors are vibrant enough to make the characters pop off the page, as well as compliment some of the technology Tim uses.
Conclusion:
Overall, while beautiful to look at, this was not a good opening. We barely get set up or explanation over why Future Tim is doing all of this. While the fights are fun to see, it does not make for a good story. Hopefully, the second chapter in Super Sons will progress the story a little better.
This story continues in Super Sons #11. You can find that review here.
Movie theater subscription service MoviePass announced Wednesday that they have surpassed the one million paid membership mark. Ironically, I purchased mine yesterday morning. Was I the 1,000,000th customer? Sorry, but there was no fanfare when I hit “submit.”
MoviePass is a paid subscription service that allows users to purchase a single movie ticket per day for a flat fee paid monthly. The service used a mobile app in conjunction with a MasterCard prepaid debit card to purchase the tickets from a box office or kiosk. The fee is $9.95 per month, and there are currently over 4,000 theaters that accept MoviePass. There are no blackout days, but the service is limited to only 2D regular showings. IMAX and 3D screenings are not offered with the service.
The service originated in 2011, but it was based on a voucher system with a limited number of theaters. Customers found this cumbersome. So, MoviePass was revamped the next year to include the app and card system being used today. However, it was expensive, and participation was low.
In 2016, MoviePass hired former Netflix and Redbox executive Mike Lowe as their new CEO. He tinkered with the subscription options, but, still, prices were high, and membership wasn’t.
In August 2017, MoviePass announced the current service at $9.95 per month, and membership skyrocketed. By September, membership stood at 400,000, and by October, they hit 600,000 paid subscribers. They announced on Wednesday morning they have surpassed number 1,000,000.
According to Deadline, they have reached this feat far faster than other subscription services, including Netflix, Hulu, and Spotify. “We are excited and proud to have reached the one millionth subscriber level in such a short time while still early in the consumer adoption curve,” Lowe said in a statement. “Our focus on creating the best movie theater subscription service experience for our subscribers has propelled our growth to date. We believe that growth will continue as we further develop our application, improve customer service, enhance exhibitor relations and fill movie theater seats for incredible films to be released in the future.”
Do you subscribe to MoviePass? How has your experience with been?
Yes you read that correctly Marvel has canceled Luke Cage…not the Netflix show, but the comic. You all can breathe now.
David F Walker has confirmed the February issue titled Luke Cage #170 will be its last due to poor sales.
“Sad but true…Luke Cage (the comic book, not the TV series) has been cancelled,” Walker tweeted. “Issue #170 is the last (and best) of the series. Oh well, on to other adventures. Thanks to everyone who supported the series.”
“Time to get real…Luke Cage was cancelled because it sold poorly he continued. “VERY poorly. There are various factors that contributed to those poor sales, but they all add up to the same conclusion.”
Luke Cage isn’t the first comic to get scrapped. Generation X, Hawkeye, Iceman, Jean Grey, and The Unbelievable Gwenpool will also wrap up early in 2018.
“The success of superheroes in film, television and video games ONLY carries over to comics when people actually buy the comics. Truth is not many people buy comics. Of the top 10 best selling comics in November, only four sold more than 100,000 units. That’s sad.”
Stay tuned to Panels To Films for the latest in entertainment news!
From Frankenhooker to Downsizing, editor and director Kevin Tent knows the industry from top to bottom. In a bit of serendipity one MFR writer said to the rest of us “Anyone want to interview the editor of Matt Damon’s new movie?” And I said, “Sure, why not! I’m interested enough in Downsizing (Watch The Trailer Here). And from that little moment came the usual due diligence as an interviewer and I researched my subject. As it turns out, Kevin Tent happens to be behind one of my favorite late 80s b-movie gems, Frankenhooker.
Our chat started at the beginning where Tent learned filmmaking by making movies. Tent used equipment provided by “LA City College (LACC), a great school with a very small film department. And basically, you could go there and make films. Not a lot of teachers and stuff. It was just, here’s a camera, come back in two weeks and show your movie.” Tent’s next level of schooling came as “an editor for educational films, the kind of stuff you see in high school. Sex ed videos, that kind of stuff.” From that work, Tent cut his teeth as a feature film editor with the likes of Roger Corman and films like Not of This Earth with Traci Lords.
Talking about low-budget filmmaking in the 80s, Tent says “You worked hard, you didn’t make much money, but you got a lot of experience. And for people embracing that concept, it was a good place to learn.”
From low-budget, b-movies, Tent moved into the “arty” indie world. Tent edited LACC alum Tamra Davis’ Guncrazy and “… that sort of got me into the independent film market.”
Downsizing is Tent’s eighth collaboration with director Alexander Payne. Tent met Payne through a friend and colleague “… Carol Kravitz who received a call from Payne saying ‘I can’t afford you, who would you suggest I meet?’ And she gave him my name. So I just went and interviewed with him. And we kind of just hit it off. And also, I showed him my reel at the time, and it had a scene from Guncrazy on it. He really liked that.” What’s it like to work so closely with someone for so long? Tent lovingly says “It’s like a marriage.”
The editing process is a mysterious one. Does Tent’s experience make it easy to critique films? “That’s hard. And I’ll tell ya, that question comes up. I think if I’m engaged in a movie I don’t even pay attention to the editing.” Tent adds this “It’s only when something’s not working that I wonder if the editor could have deleted a scene …” Tent continues “Most of the time when I watch a movie I just try to enjoy it.”
A fellow football fan, my analogy of editors being like an offensive lineman — the unsung heroes of a football team — lead Tent to add “I think making a movie is a lot like a football game. Like, a scene, is just like, ‘set, hut!’ everybody goes. And yeah, we carried the ball a few yards. Let’s do it again.”
Tent’s first big-budget film was Girl, Interrupted. And though borderline overwhelming, Tent says “When I cut my first big budget film … I remember looking at all the equipment and thinking ‘It’s just footage, like all the other times.’” Kevin jokes “It’s just much more expensive footage.”
Offering a bit of advice about life as an editor, Tent responds to getting stuck by “stepping away” and “Go on to other scenes. You say to yourself, ‘it’s good enough for now, I can come back to it.” But, in the non-stop film business, you also gotta “… keep moving forward. You gotta be like a shark. Keep moving forward.” Adding to his advice, “show the scene to an audience.”
Tent has worked with a variety of Hollywood heavyweights like Payne, Barry Sonnenfeld, and Ted Demme. “All directors are different. Some like being in the cutting room and some don’t. He [Payne] likes to be there. So we work very closely together.” In contrast, “I work with Barry Sonnenfeld a lot who doesn’t like to be in the cutting room. He sees cuts, gives notes.”
In 2017, Tent was behind the scenes of two new films. First, is the big-budget, high concept Downsizing with Matt Damon and Kristin Wiig. Part comedy, part social commentary, Downsizing is “A studio film trying to do something different which is pretty great.”
Though typically an editor, Tent has stepped behind the camera for several features. One of his first, Ultra Warrior “was a movie I made using scenes from other movies to do what I could to make a mess of a movie better.”
However, experience is the best teacher and this year Tent made Crash Pad, a comedy that he describes as “… an ass-backward romantic comedy.” And how did that come about? “I wanted to direct something. It took a while but I found the script. A lot of pushing and shoving and it finally got off the ground.” About future directing projects “If I could find a script that I like. I think I’m recovered enough now that I’m ready to try again.”
As for the editors, he admires, Tent says “There are so many editors that I look up. Anne Coates for instance. Mark Goldblatt, Richie Marks, Dede Allen. I love the way her editing was done on Dog Day Afternoon. And so many of my contemporaries who do a great job.”
As a veteran of the industry, we ended on the past, present, and future. What do you think editing now versus 30 years ago and the new tools available? “I think it’s all a plus. I love working on digital. It’s so much easier. You can do so much more. I think technology has been our friend.”
Thanks to Kevin Tent for letting me suck up
an hour of his time for this interview.
Downsizing is in theaters December 22nd. Crash Pad is available now on iTunes and Amazon Prime.
After a decade-long run as the Amazing Spider-Man writer, Dan Slott’s tenure is coming to an end.
In the March 2018 Marvel solicitations, Amazing Spider-Man #797 begins an arc entitled “Go Down Swinging.” The solicitation states “Dan Slott has saved his most harrowing Spider-Man story for last.”
The story is centered around a return by Norman Osborn to his Green Goblin alter ego, and will introduce the mysterious new “Red Goblin.”
Slott joined the ASM creative team 2008, ultimately becoming the sole writer in 2010. Through this time, we’ve seen some major Spidey stories. Spider-Island, the death of Peter Parker, Superior Spider-Man, Spider-Verse, and the recent Parker Industries saga were all by Slott.
Amazing Spider-Man has consistently been a top-selling comic for Marvel, but that doesn’t mean everybody is a fan of Slott’s work. Fans have been divided for the most part of this era of Spidey comics. After having killed Peter in ASM #700, Slott received death threats.
Regardless of where you stand on the man’s take on our favorite web-slinger, we’re about to enter a new era. For the first time since 2010, we’ll be getting a new voice on Amazing Spider-Man.
This comes not long after the news that longtime Marvel juggernaut, Brian Michael Bendis, was leaving Marvel. Slott may not be leaving the publisher entirely, but with Bendis exiting and Slott moving on from Spidey, Marvel Comics is certainly changing.
With powerhouse writers like Donny Cates, Tom Taylor, Kelly Thompson, and Dennis Hopeless onboard at Marvel, filling Slott’s shoes shouldn’t be too much of a challenge. Marvel finds themselves with an opportunity to pass the torch to new voices and take these beloved characters to new places.
Regardless of how you feel about Dan Slott’s Spider-Man contributions, change is healthy. This is an exciting time for Marvel Comics (even though they probably just cancelled one of your favorite series).
The British rom-com Lovesick (originally titled Scrotal Recall) will return to Netflix for its third season on January 1st, 2018. According to PremiereDate.News, all eight episodes of the third season will release together, like other Netflix original series. (Lovesick originally aired in the UK on Channel 4, but is now produced by Netflix.)
If you haven’t been keeping up with Lovesick, now might be the time to hop on the bandwagon. Their premiere season is only 6 episodes long, and the second set the 8-episode bar for the series. Many British programs have a limited-run format. Personally I’m hoping Lovesick follows that pattern, with season three rounding out the stories and wrapping up the series as a whole.
Lovesick follows Dylan as he reflects on all his past relationships as he contacts all his exes to tell them he has chlamydia. Dylan and his best friends Evie, Luke, and Angus stumble through life and love in their 20s—but no matter how good or bad things get they all have each other at the end of the day. That is, until Dylan reconnects with ex-hook up Abigail, and the two begin a committed relationship together.
Angus, very drunk, and very excited about peeing in a pond.
What keeps Lovesick from disappearing in a sea of rom-com television shows? First of all, the show messes with timelines. Each episode tells a story in flashback, bookended by Dylan reflecting on what went wrong in the “current” timeline. All characters have flaws, sure, but none are overplayed for comedy. Most lend themselves to major character development at some point in the series. And as Dylan’s history with women continues, it never feels like a parade of one-night stands, or a history of hook-ups half-remembered—something that might have ruined the show if that is how it turned out.
Playboy Luke has a deep, dark secret that subverts expectations without excusing his occasionally misogynistic behavior. And sweet, passive Angus goes on a journey you’ll never see coming. The characters truly love each other—a refreshing change from some American shows where half the humor relies on insults or unrealistic overreactions. The acting is nuanced and heartbreaking and soul-warming all at the right times.
Sick For More
Season two ended on a dramatically depressing note. For the sake of avoiding spoilers, I won’t say much—but once you catch up you’ll understand why fans sighed from collective relief upon the announcement of season three.
Lovesick stars Johnny Flynn (Dylan), Daniel Ings (Luke), Antonia Thomas (Evie) and Joshua McGuire (Angus). Hannah Britland co-stars as Abigail. Lovesick is produced by Clerkenwell Films, and written by creator Tom Edge.
Season three of Lovesick will be available on Netflix beginning at 12:00AM, January 1st, 2018 (EST).
Playboy Luke has a deep, dark secret that subverts expectations without excusing his occasionally misogynistic behavior. And sweet, passive Angus goes on a journey you’ll never see coming. The characters truly love each other—a refreshing change from some American shows where half the humor relies on insults or unrealistic overreactions. The acting is nuanced and heartbreaking and soul-warming all at the right times.