The much anticipated Justice League released this past weekend and spoiler alert, Superman does appear in the film. Unless you’ve lived under a rock for the past year, you’re sure to have known that Henry Cavill’s Superman would appear in the DCEU’s biggest film to date following his “demise” in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Promotion for the film did attempt to hide the fact that The Man of Steel would return. He did not appear in a signal trailer and was only used sparingly in additional material. This situation could be compared to Disney’s promotion of The Force Awakens and Luke Skywalker. Luke didn’t appear in any trailer for the film but audiences knew he would appear. Where the situations differ is that Superman played a major role in the film whereas Luke only appeared in the final scene.
So following the release of Justice League, Warner Brothers decided to release another batch of posters, ones that included Superman. They took the Alex Ross inspired posters that were released earlier this year and just inserted Cavill into them. The banner comes via the official Justice LeagueFacebook page while the poster was released online. You can check them out below:
“Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.”
The filmstars Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Jason Momoa, Henry Cavill, Jeremy Irons, Amy Adams and Diane Lane.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 director James Gunn has released the film’s script, in its entirety, online. You can find it here.
After tweeting out the script, Gunn then went on to answer some common questions people might have.
The director revealed he wrote a total of nine drafts of the screenplay he turned into Marvel Studios. However, he wrote others never turned into the studio.
“I wrote 9 drafts of the screenplay I turned into the studio, along with at least 4 drafts of the treatment. But I wrote dozens of drafts for myself in-between those, trying to make the script the best I could.”
Gunn then talks about how he gave the Russo Bros. the screenplay, so they’d know where the Guardians are for Avengers: Infinity War.
“The studio suggested no changes to make it more amendable to Avengers 3 or 4. I did, however, give Markus & McFeely and the Russo Brothers the script in October 2015 so they knew where the Guardians ended up while they were writing.”
Gunn answered other questions as well. If you’d like to read the entire thread, head on over to his Twitter.
“The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill’s true parentage.”
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is now available digitally, and on Blu-Ray and DVD.
So we now live in a world wherein a Justice League movie exists. The problem? The film — directed by Zack Snyder and an uncredited Joss Whedon — didn’t exactly set the box office on fire. While a $96 million opening weekend would ordinarily be strong for a Hollywood tentpole, it pales in comparison to both the $166 million debut of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and (forgive the Marvel comparison, but it’s inevitable) the $207 million earned by The Avengers in 2012. This leaves the DC Extended Universe at a crossroads, one that has already been complicated by what appears to be the impending departure of one of its leading men.
In a recent USA Today interview, Ben Affleck expresses what can only be described as doubts about his future as Batman, claiming that The Batman is a project he’s “contemplating.” At one point, Affleck was set to direct the in-development solo film for the DCEU’s version of the Caped Crusader, though he ultimately surrendered the director’s chair to Matt Reeves. Now he says he wants to “find a graceful a cool way to segue out of it.” Reports are pouring in that Reeves is meeting with actors about the role — most notably Jake Gyllenhaal — in the event that Affleck makes his exit. However, there are a number of ways that Warner Bros. and DC Films can handle the Dark Knight going forward, assuming they’re not interested in giving DC’s most bankable and beloved hero (well, until recently) a break from the big screen. Let’s discuss some options.
Simply recast for upcoming films
If the rumors regarding The Batman are true, the film won’t serve as a reboot of the character, falling into the same continuity shared by all the previous DCEU films to date. In that case, Warner Bros. could easily just push forward with a new actor in the role, whether that’s Gyllenhaal or another star. Hollywood is littered with actors who have gone up for and missed their chances at playing Batman onscreen, and the role is essentially the superhero James Bond, having been played by numerous actors over the years. What WB and DC need is a team player who is in it for the long haul, much like Marvel Studios traded Edward Norton — and his reported “difficulty” to work with — for the more laid-back Mark Ruffalo. It’s the easiest way to trudge ahead with the DCEU but it’s also the least imaginative.
Take the Year One/prequel option
Once upon a time (i.e. pre-Batman Begins), WB was developing a big-screen adaptation of Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One with Darren Aronofsky (mother!) directing. Of course, that fell apart, and Christopher Nolan got the chance to create his own take on Batman’s origin story. But if Affleck drops out, perhaps a future DCEU film could jump backward in time and detail Batfleck’s first few months on the job, with a younger actor in the role. By the time we meet him in Batman v Superman, he’s become a cynical, perverted version of himself. Paying a visit to Batman’s crimefighting past could be worthwhile, and if the studio and filmmakers want to remain unfettered by the current timeline, the film could just act a standalone entry without any ties to Affleck’s portrayal. Hey, if they’re developing a disconnected Joker origin film, why not?
Give us Batman Beyond (with Keaton!)
Here’s another Batman project that was lined up pre-Nolan. Based on the popular animated series, the Batman Beyond film would have followed an elderly Bruce Wayne into a future where he mentors young Terry McGinnis as the new Batman. Such a story would have the luxury of not needing to reference any other DCEU films, and best of all, the time might finally be right for Michael Keaton to reprise the role of the Dark Knight. After all, 25 years have passed since Keaton donned the cowl in Batman Returns. His performance in the two Tim Burton films still carries the nostalgia that would help draw in audiences unfamiliar with the animated Batman Beyond. Moreover, at 66, Keaton is just the right age to pass the baton to another Batman. If it fails, then WB can go back to the drawing board. But if it works, boom: there’s another Batman franchise that can run concurrently with other DCEU films, fully embracing the multiverse of the comics.
A return to The Dark Knight universe
Before Affleck was cast as Batman, many fans put all their hope into the idea that Christian Bale might return to the franchise, effectively bringing Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy into the DCEU. That didn’t happen, but there’s little reason why those films couldn’t still be in play. Nolan himself probably wouldn’t want to come back, likely meaning that Bale will pass as well. But The Dark Knight Rises already set up Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s John Blake as the successor to the Batcave, hinting at more adventures to come. Get Jonathan Nolan — who co-wrote both The Dark Knight and Rises with his brother — involved, and WB could easily get the blessing of fans. Sure, such a film might ultimately have a similar feel as the Nightwing project currently in development, but a new Dark Knight offers the weight of a built-in audience and much higher chances of crossing the much-desired $1 billion worldwide box office threshold.
Commit to Flashpoint for a while
One thing that most fans and critics seem to agree on regarding Justice League is Ezra Miller’s version of The Flash, whose own film has already been revealed to be Flashpoint. For those unfamiliar with the comics (or the 2013 animated adaptation Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox), the story follows The Flash into an alternate timeline where Thomas Wayne (and not his son Bruce) is actually the Batman. The Walking Dead actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan has certainly expressed interest in reprising the role of Thomas Wayne from Batman v Superman, and he has the right presence and established fanbase to be the perfect fit for the anti-hero that is Flashpoint Batman (see: Watchmen). To offer a bit more surprise for DC Comics fans, the Flashpoint film could, if need be, conclude with The Flash returning to his original timeline to find that Thomas Wayne is still Batman, despite his efforts to restore everything the way it was. Fans of The CW’s The Flash know that every bit of time-travel meddling Barry does has consequences, and keeping Morgan around for a bit could help ease the inevitable transition to a new actor as Bruce Wayne.
What would you like to see Warner Bros. and DC Films do with Batman once Ben Affleck vacates the cowl? Sound off in the comments section below with your suggestions!
Harley Quinn might finally be getting the spotlight according to a report from Deadline.
Harley Quinn and Friends
Harley’s popularity spiked following her appearance in last year’s Suicide Squad. Now the character will feature in her own spin-off film and an animated action-comedy series for an adult audience. Harley first appeared in animated format in the 90s’ Batman: The Animated Series. She also has her own comic series, as well as appearing in the popular Harley and Ivy books.
The new Harley Quinn will reportedly include other DC Universe characters with one glaring exception—no mention of the Joker yet. In fact his only appearance so far is the fact that Harley has moved on. This version of Harley has finally “…broken things off with the Joker once and for all and attempts to make it on her own as the criminal Queenpin of Gotham City.”
Notable, of course, is in inclusion of Poison Ivy (Harleys canonical on-again off-again girlfriend) in early art. Does this mean we will see some Harley and Ivy scraps included in the show? If the Joker stays out of the way, maybe Harley and Ivy can find happiness in each other’s arms instead.
The Talent
Deadline reports that Margot Robbie, who brought the character to life in Suicide Squad, is “…at the top of Warner Bros.’ wish list for actresses to voice the title character in the animated series, and she is expected to be approached for the gig.” This the Joker’s absence even more prominent, as Jared Leto is expected to join Robbie in Harley’s spin-off film.
DC’s digital platform has already ordered 26 half hour episodes of Harlequin from executive producers Justin help earn, Patrick Schumacher, Jennifer Coyle, and Dean Laurie. Quayle previously produced DC superhero girls: hero of the year.
Warner Brothers animation will produce Harley Quinn for DC Digital Services. The show is currently in development. No release date has yet been announced.
Et Cultura is the Lollapalooza of St. Petersburg Florida with music, film, and art. The five-day event took over several venues in St. Pete with a wide spectrum of music. What makes Et Cultura special, is the intimate venues and after shows.
Here is just a small sample of the music from the festival.
Ought
Ought is a post-punk band from Montreal, Canada.
Members: Tim Darcy; Matt May; Ben Stidworthy; Tim Keen
Cloud Nothings
Cloud Nothings is an American indie rock band from Cleveland, Ohio, founded by singer-songwriter Dylan Baldi. It currently consists of lead singer and guitarist Baldi, drummer Jayson Gerycz, bassist TJ Duke, and guitarist Chris Brown.
The Budos Band
The Budos Band is a 70’s psychedelic instrumental band, consiting of nine members.
Jared Tankel – baritone saxophone
Thomas Brenneck – electric guitar
John Carbonella Jr. – congas, drums
Mike Deller – organ
Daniel Foder – bass guitar
Andrew Greene – trumpet
Rob Lombardo – bongos, congas
Brian Profilio – drums
Dame Rodriguez – percussion
Slowdive
Slowdive are an English rock band known for their shoegazing tones. The band was togther from 1989–1995 and went on a 19-year hiatous and has been touring for the past 3 years.
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene is an American hip hop recording artist, entrepreneur, and social activist. Kweli earned recognition early on through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def, when they formed the group Black Star.
NIKO IS preformed in the clip below with Kweli.
If there was one drawback to Et Cultura, the crwod size was not great on Friday night. As someone who enjoyed the festival and would like to see it grow and continue, Et Cultura is going to need to increase attendance next year.
Did you attend Et Cultura 2017? Tell me about your experience in the comment section below.
Sensational performances, a deftly crafted narrative, and fantastic direction are just some reasons why ‘Lady Bird’ is one of the best films of 2017.
Summary
The film centers around Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan) and her final year of high school. She’s being steered by her mother (played by Laurie Metcalf) to attend a local college in Sacramento, but she wants to go to an east coast school. Her dad (Tracy Letts) and mom (Laurie Metcalf) work extremely hard to send her to private school, but Ronan’s character seems to want more than this education has to offer. The more she pulls away from her mother, the more their relationship strains.
What Worked
Ronan is the perfect person to step in for Greta Gerwig, who handles the direction wonderfully. She brings such effortless depth and complexity to the film (much like she did in Brooklyn). While Lady Bird wants more out of life, Ronan’s character doesn’t get along with her mother. It’s almost as if she speaks a different language than her – something that certainly feels true in mother/daughter relationships. Ronan projects this angst not so much in what’s said but in her body language. A slumped shoulder, a dismissive glance, and exasperation add a level of authenticity. Ronan is able to project real pain on the screen. As much her character doesn’t want to listen to her mother, she desperately wants approval. This is proven during one of the film’s final moments when Lady Bird is willing to forgo her choice of school.
Metcalf gives an award-worthy performance as Lady Bird’s mother. As the matriarch of the family, she has to balance taking care of the kids, working long hours at the hospital, and providing support to a husband who appears to have lost his way. Her relationship with Ronan’s character is at the center of the film. While Metcalf’s character struggles to understand Ronan’s character, she is conflicted. Mrs. Macpherson wants her relationship with Lady Bird to be so much more than it is. There were six different instances in the film where she tries to reach out and touch Lady Bird on the shoulder to show compassion/understanding only to pull back immediately. It’s these nuances that make her performance special.
Is there Greta Gerwing can’t do? She constructed a wonderfully balanced narrative that was partially a love letter to her roots in California and an all too real look at the pressures of growing up. Her words are heartful and will resonate with audiences. As a director, Gerwig manages to get the very best of out of her entire cast. More importantly, she has a keen understanding of pacing and allows this narrative to build slowly.
Sam Levy’s cinematography manages to capture the beauty of Sacremento while not missing a beat during the films fiery moments.
Loved how the film depicts the complexities of parenting as well. If anything, this movie teaches us that nothing is clearcut.
Overall
There’s a reason why Lady Bird is currently sitting at 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s one of the best releases of 2017. Ronan and Metcalf’s performances are a joy to witness, and Gerwig’s narrative is just perfect. Lady Bird will undoubtedly be on everyone’s mind during award season and should be your first choice the next time you go to the movies.
The hefty box-office success and average critical reception to Kenneth Branagh’s Murder on The Orient Express has prompted the green lighting of a new Hercule Poirot adventure, Death on The Nile.
Like Murder on The Orient Express, Death on The Nile is a remake of the Agatha Christie movie adaptation. Orient Express was a Sidney Lumet film, Nile was a 1978 John Guillerman film with Peter Ustinov replacing Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot. This time around, however, Branagh will reprise his role as the super sleuth with the super mustache.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the sequel from the Hollywood Reporter article:
Death on the Nile, first published in 1937, saw the detective on a vacation in Egypt and becoming involved in a love triangle gone murderously bad. The novel once again featured socialites, social climbers and high society’s help in the cast.
It makes sense to have another go round with Branagh’s Poirot universe, as Murder on The Orient Express should cross $200 million before it leaves theaters. That’s not bad on a $55 million budget.
Aside from Branagh returning, screenwriter Michael Green will return to pen this adaptation as well. Obviously there’s no information regarding the potential cast, which should be a fun mixture of stars once again.
Shout! Factory refers to the thirteen-ninth volume of Mystery Science Theater 3000 as the “almost certainly, probably definitely, maybe unquestionably” last release of classic episodes. Whether or that turns out to be true remains to be seen; the company makes some miraculous film rights clearances. But Vol. XXXIX will be the last release for some time. And so, this likely final collection presents the three remaining episodes available to Shout! and a special collection of host segments. Does it measure up? Let’s take a look.
Girls Town
Girls Town is the winner of the set. Starring Mamie Van Doren, Mel Tormé, Elinor Donohue, Ray Anthony and Paul Anka, it is certainly the most star-studded. But the film, a quasi-exploitation flick about a girls’ reformatory, is nearly competent in its own right. It offers Mike and the Bots plenty of riffing. From Mel Tormé’s tendency to scat-sing to Van Doren’s figure and to Anka’s milquetoast performance, the gang finds a lot of material based on those extra-cinematic concerns.
They also engage with the story and find plenty of jokes within it. A runner about another Girls Town girl and her fixation on Anka and Van Doren is a guaranteed laugh every time. As is a private detective’s uncanny resemblance to Cary Grant. But the film’s relative quality also makes it the breeziest film in the set by far.
The Amazing Transparent Man
The Amazing Transparent Man is the dullest of the set despite the classic host segment in which TV’s Frank (Frank Conniff) discovers he missed his screening of Squanto: A Warrior’s Tale. In fact, the segment is the most memorable thing here. The movie is a low-budget take on The Invisible Man that plays perilously close to copyright infringement. But it’s doubtful that anyone would sue as the film is mainly composed of actors talking to one another in extended two-shots.
These sorts of films were a specialty in the show’s early days, but by season six – when this episode aired – it looked out of place for the rhythm of the Mike Nelson era. In fact, its similarities to Joel-era classics like The Killer Shrews and The Amazing Colossal Man make it hard to distinguish. But Mike and the Bots keep the riffs coming until a hilarious climax in which the Transparent Man becomes opaque during a bank robbery.
Diabolik
Like the Squanto sketch overshadowing The Amazing Transparent Man, Diabolik, the film, is overshadowed by the host segments surrounding it. The episode is the last Mystery Science Theater 3000 produced during its original 1989-1999 run. As the Satellite of Love prepares to land on Earth, Pearl Forrester (Mary Jo Pehl) forces Mike and the Bots to watch one last cheesy movie: a French spy thriller based on a comic book and directed by trash auteur Mario Bava.
The results are colorful, but not as special as, say Operation Kid Brother or other spy movies the show tackled earlier in its run. The riffing never relaxes, though, and you never get the sense that the MST3K crew are running out the clock. They still have plenty of jokes about Diabolik’s silly leather costume and the Spirograph-inspired opening credits. Nonetheless, the sketches are the thing. In each, Mike and the Bots get ready to come to Earth and the conclusion is just the most appropriate way to send off ten years of Mystery Science.
Satellite Dishes
The last disc in the set is Satellite Dishes, a collection of the host segments from the twelve episodes Shout! were unable to release due to rights issues with the films. Some episodes are more frustrating to watch in this truncated form than others; usually tied to the episodes the viewer has never seen in full. In this reviewer’s case, Episode #906: The Space Children was particularly difficult. But it’s easy to imagine a fan who has never seen Episode #418: The Eye Creatures feeling completely clueless as most of the sketches involve scenes from the movie. Although, one sketch, “Earl Holimania” makes about the same amount of sense in and out of context.
Extras
The extras are, as always, fun and informative. The highlight is Behind the Scream: Daniel Griffith on Ballyhoo. As it says on the tin, Ballyhoo Motions pictures Principal Daniel Griffith discusses his time making documentaries for the Mystery Science Theater 3000 sets. He recalls how he became involved with Shout! and how he chose to tailor the style of the docs to the movie being covered.
It will inspire you to look back at his featurettes on Santa Claus Conquers the Martians and The Beast of Yucca Flats. But Ballyhoo’s documentary about The Amazing Transparent Man is almost as dry as the film itself. It examines the reason why the movie was made in the first place (tax shelter) and notes some of the filmmakers involved. But details about the production itself failed to make an impression.
The Diabolik disc features two documentaries about the final days of the original MST3K. The first, Showdown in Eden Prairie, is a Ballyhoo talking head piece with executive producer Jim Mallon and other members of the crew. Mallon reveals another network was interested in picking up the show, but suggests others made the final decision to end the series. The second documentary, The LastDance, is a look at the last day filming the Diabolik episode. It features the most extensive behind-the-scenes look at making the show ever released. While informative about the process, it is tough to sit through. The fly-on-the-wall style makes for very long shots of the performers getting ready for a scene. Nonetheless, it’s still worth a look.
Other special features include theatrical trailers for all three films and Chuck Love and the Anatomy of a Theme. In the short interview, original theme song composer Charlie Erickson recalls working with creator Joel Hodgson on the original 1988 theme song.
Conclusion
As always, a new Mystery Science Theater 3000 set is a must for the diehard fan. But this is particularly true this time around as it will likely be the last. For more casual viewers, Girls Town and the special features definitely make it a worthwhile purchase. Of course, they may also find The Amazing Transparent Man and Diabolik more engaging than this reviewer. Nevertheless, buying Mystery Science Theater 3000 Vol. XXIX comes with a certain sadness as we say goodbye to the classic series.
But at least there is a new season box set to come.
Arthur Curry grew up on land, after being cast out from Atlantis as an infant. Once matured, he returned to claim the throne as The King of the Seven Seas. He’s committed to protecting the world from a surface world that is destroying the oceans and Atlanteans that seek to conform and revolt. He can breathe underwater, swim at incredible speeds and possesses the ability to telepathically communicate with all ocean life. That’s just in the water. On land, he has superhuman strength, peaked senses and untraversable skin. He struggles with continual conflict in trying to protect both of his homes, the sea and land, which makes him feel like an outcast no matter where he is.
You hear all of that and think to yourself, that character is awesome, right? We agree. However, he’s been at the forefront of a running joke for almost 76 years. Tabbed as the ‘Superhero that could just talk to fish’, he has been singled out in the Justice League, the equivalent to what Meg is to Family Guy, and included in various sketches on Saturday Night Live, Robot Chicken (VIDEO) and in various YouTube spoofs. His early costume choices and runs on both the Aquaman animated series (1960s) and ‘Superfriends’ (1970s) also negated the character to further irrelevancy.
Calling all fellow Entourage enthusiasts: We all remember when Vincent Chase (aka Adrian Grenier) took on the role of Aquaman on the show, which was directed by James Cameron, and it became the highest-grossing movie of all time! The outfit that was pitched though, just awful.
He made his first appearance in a comic called, ‘More Fun Comics #73’, back in 1941. He has come a long way. When DC Comics launched its New 52 in 2011, Aquaman was a much different character. He was spending more time in helping humans, he wasn’t in it for the glory, rather he did what he had to and split, his powers were more well defined, and the creators embraced the ongoing jokes about the character to improve his stock, which was genius. Geoff Johns took the character to new heights. Ivan Reis and Joe Prado provided the art for that series, while Johns also wrote the Justice League title over that span with art by both Jim Lee and Scott Williams. Either way, Johns scribbled the character into both relevance and prominence and helped set the stage for the character to make its way to the silver screen.
Whether you have seen the ‘Justice League’ film yet, there is no denying that Jason Momoa is a bad dude. He rules everything he does. He jumped onto the scene as Jason Ioane in Baywatch and has since taken on such awesome characters like, Ronon Dex (Stargate: Atlantis), Conan the Barbarian, Khal Drogo (Game of Thrones), is currently Declan Harp in Frontier on Netflix and is set to be Eric Draven in The Crow Reborn. He’s the man. He has propelled Aquaman as a superhero to be taken seriously and we look forward to his solo movie, directed by James Wan, which is set for a 2018-19 release.
Want even more Aquaman? Check out the history of the character via the Variant Comics YouTube channel video below.
“This is the first step in what promises to be an extraordinary league,” NBA 2K eSports League Managing Director Brendan Donohue proclaimed. “We are looking forward to forming something truly unique for basketball and gaming fans around the globe.”
The NBA is the first American sports league to declare that it ‘has a place in eSports’. The marketing opportunities for not only the league, but for the game itself, are endless. The league will have a traditional sports-type draft to select from a massive pool to narrow it to 85-total players from around the world. It is also presumed that the league players will be formally scanned into the game, custom courts will be designed to be used for branding and advertising and developers will pride themselves on producing an optimal gameplay experience (MORE).
With that, as the NBA continues to be the driving force in traditional sports to continue to invest in the platform of eSports, several of its teams are now shifting focus to the newly developed League of Legends North America Championship Series. The NA LCS will also debut in 2018 and, of the 10-team field, five are owned by the powers that be of NBA teams. The ‘Golden Guardians’ are owned by the Golden State Warriors, ‘Flyquest’ is owned by the Milwaukee Bucks, ‘Clutch City Gaming’ is that of the Houston Rockets, ‘100 Thieves’ belongs to the Cleveland Cavaliers and ‘Counter Logic Gaming’ is supported by the Madison Square Garden group, owners of the New York Knicks. Team ‘Echo Fox’ also has ties to the NBA as it is owned by former player Rick Fox.
Harley’s popularity spiked following her appearance in last year’s Suicide Squad. Now the character will feature in her own spin-off film and an animated action-comedy series for an adult audience. Harley first appeared in animated format in the 90s’ 
Notable, of course, is in inclusion of Poison Ivy (Harleys canonical on-again off-again girlfriend) in early art
