Since its release, the trailer for 20th Century Fox‘s The New Mutants has comment sections asking the same question. Why is this movie a horror film? In a recent interview with IGN, Director Josh Boone discussed how Bill Sienkiewicz and Chris Claremont’s Demon Bear story arc serves as the movie’s primary focus. “It’s very much when New Mutantsbecame dark and surreal and more horror driven,” said Boone.
The Demon Bear arc ran from issues #18-20 in 1984 and focuses on Danielle Moonstar, also known as Mirage. As Danielle spends her time in the danger room in issue #18, she believes she is ready to face the Demon Bear. A mystical entity that haunts her dreams, and wants to enshroud the world in its shadow. She also believes the bear is the reason behind the death of her parents.
But the bear showed it was no dream, as it brutally mauled the mutant outside of Xavier’s school. Leaving her teammates to find her bloodied and barely clinging to life. Issue #19 is where the horror elements are amped up, and what the movie’s trailer is centered around. As the group of young mutants finds themselves trapped in a hospital after bringing Mirage there for treatment.
After seeing the extent of her wounds, Sam Guthrie aka Cannonball theorizes what Mirage’s attacker is because Danielle kept her nightmares about the bear to herself. As the books progress, the story introduces horror factors and tropes not regularly seen in superhero comics. Giving the series an intense, psychological, race against the clock type of feel, while keeping the superhero themes intact.
Does this explanation make you more confident in the direction the movie is going in? Who is your favorite New Mutants Character? Share this article and comment below! The New Mutants opens in theaters in April of 2018.
Well with its third and fourth episodes, Star Trek: Discovery’s prologue gave way to the show’s recurring narrative. Viewers now have a sense of how the show will work and how its diverse cast of characters will interact with each other. For Michael Burnham’s part, rather than waste her career doing time for mutiny, she’ll instead make good by serving under Captain Lorca aboard the U.S.S. Discovery.
With no official rank or assignment, Burnham is essentially Lorca’s lackey. Promised a chance to help end the war she helped start, the war-mongering Lorca seems to have different ideas from Burnham on how to do just that. And because Burnham can’t save the galaxy right away, we first need to establish characters and relationships.
Star Trek: Discovery – The Odd Couple In Space
Burnham and her perpetually anxious roommate Cadet Tilly serve as Discovery’s resident odd couple. Tilly’s excitable and often naïve personality stand in contrast to Burnham’s tough-as-nails dedication to duty and logic. There are shades of Star Trek’s battles of wits between McCoy and Spock here and similarities with Star Trek: The Next Generation’s debates between Geordi and Data, but the closest comparison to Tilly and Burnham’s differences in Star Trek: Discovery is probably found in Star Trek: Voyager’s arguments between Neelix and Tuvok.
Although all of these relationships served to highlight the validity of each participant’s argument, the relationship between Neelix and Tuvok most clearly showed two dissimilar characters learning from each other and realizing that the opposing viewpoint is not only valid but in some cases superior to their own.
Some critics might call these debates filler or comic relief, and in some cases they would be right, but more than just taking up airtime these kinds of relationships act as a primary method of exploring one of Star Trek’s original tenets as defined by Gene Roddenberry, that infinite diversity in infinite combinations should be the aim of any explorer. Beyond simply an injunction to wear flashy pendants, this is the Vulcan philosophy of the IDIC (which stands for Infinite Diversity Infinite Combinations).
Star Trek: Discovery – Are Those Your Threat Ganglia, Or Are You Just Unhappy To See Me?
Although Burnham and Tilly’s relationship has the most in common with Tuvok and Neelix’s, the prickly relationship between Burnham and Saru seems to have more in common with the begrudging respect shared between Star Trek’s Spock and McCoy. Perpetually at odds with each other’s command decisions, one is content to simply survive any given ordeal where the other can’t help but address and solve the ordeal’s underlying problems.
Star Trek: Discovery – More to Come
With 11 episodes left in Discovery’s 15-episode first season, there’s still plenty of time to develop these characters and introduce others — I, for one, am excited to meet Harcourt Fenton Mudd (Rainn Wilson). That said, this sometimes impatient Trekkie can’t help but be distracted by a few logistical issues.
First, why are there so many seemingly artificial lifeforms serving aboard the Discovery? Since, in the ’80s, Commander Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation, which was set in the 24th century, was established as the first android to serve in Starfleet, one wonders who and what these artificial lifeforms are and what they’re doing in Starfleet in the 23rd century.
Plus, I know this is a big bone of contention with many Trekkies but, I have a hard time reconciling why the Klingons look and sound the way they do, that is very different from the way they look and sound in any other show. And although I don’t want the explanation to be a key plot point in this season, I would like one at some point.
Producers and writers previously ensured fans that answers are coming, so I hope these details eventually do get addressed. After all, these kinds of details will help make the show believable rather than making it seem like just another corporate iteration of an old idea.
Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Day-Lewis are colaborating for another film, which is pretty much all this reporter needed to be there opening day. But the mystery around the project has been pretty compelling in and of itself.
The title has been made official: Phantom Thread.
Focus Features debuted their webpage for the film, which gives us scant tidbits of information beyond what we already knew. And that is, quite frankly, the best:
Continuing their creative collaboration following 2007’s There Will Be Blood, three-time Academy Award winner Daniel Day-Lewis stars in Phantom Thread from Paul Thomas Anderson. The writer/director will once again explore a distinctive milieu of the 20th century. The new movie is a drama set in the couture world of 1950s London. The story illuminates the life behind the curtain of an uncompromising dressmaker commissioned by royalty and high society.
Don’t let this stodgy “synopsis” fool you, there will be more afoot here than just some royally-commissioned dressmaker.
Much of the hullabaloo surrounding this project was the announcement from Daniel Day-Lewis that this will be his final film before he retreats, once again, to Ireland. Presumably to make shoes, which was what he was doing when Martin Scorsese coaxed him out of retirement for Gangs of New York.
This website for Phantom Thread also means we might be getting a teaser or trailer some time soon, so stay tuned for more exciting updates.
Before you get chased around the galaxy by Admiral Thrawn, relive the first three season of ‘Star Wars Rebels’ in the five-minute recap by Lucasfilm.
Wait! Thrawn chased us around the galaxy last season.
The final season of ‘Star Wars Rebels’ launches on October 16. “Heroes of Mandalore: Parts One and Two” will be available on Disney XD and the DisneyNow App.
About “Heroes of Mandalore: Parts One and Two” In this premiere episode, Sabine leads Ezra, Kanan and an army of her fellow Mandalorians back to her homeworld to rescue her father from the clutches of the Empire. When she discovers the Empire has resurrected a devastating weapon, she must decide whether to destroy it or use it herself.
Lucasfilm also released images from the first two episodes.
Are you excited to see how ‘Star Wars Rebels’ ties into ‘Rogue One’? Comment below.
David Marconi’s balanced storyline and strong performances make The Foreigner a must see.
Summary
Ngoc Minh Quan (Jackie Chan), is a father living in London whose world shatters when an IRA bombing tragically kills his last living child. Quan has already suffered a great deal heartache, but over the years he’s developed an exceptional set of skills (sound familiar?). He wants answers and is prepared to do anything to get them. It eventually comes to light that Liam Hennessy (Pierce Brosnan), a British deputy minister who was once a member of the IRA, might have an idea who committed this act. Quan begins to apply pressure just as things are getting much worse for Hennessy. At this point, he has nothing to lose, and Quan’s only goal is revenge.
What Worked
Marconi did a lovely job adapting Stephen Leather’s novel ‘The Chinaman’ for the big screen. He strikes an appropriate balance between the source material and a storyline involving political betrayal. For a movie which appeared just to be another Jackie Chan flick, it indeed struck a different tone.
Director Martin Campbell presented the world with a side of Chan which we’ve never seen before. Usually, audiences are accustomed to seeing Chan engaged in eye-popping stunts while chasing down the bad guys. Occasionally we have even seen him flourish in a comedic role. In The Foreigner, one of the worlds greatest action stars proves he’s just as good in a dramatic role. His character is extremely reserved and not nearly the typical part we are accustomed to seeing from Chan.
Loved the action sequences when Quan is hiding out at Hennessy’s farm. Instead of seeing Chan just kung-fu his way out of every situation, he played the aggressor blowing up various building and cars just to get his attention.
Orla Murphy plays Brosnan’s wife and does outstanding work. While she put up this loyal front to Mr. Hennessy, in reality, she’s the reason these bombings have been successful. Easily one of the best performances in ‘The Foreigner.’
What Didn’t Work
The Cinematography was very basic and didn’t take advantage during the films most important action sequences. Instead of sticking with a two-shot when Hennesy’s henchmen attacked him in the boarding house, they should have gone with one continuous shot. This would have allowed for more flow during these action sequences.
Brosnan’s portrayal of the embattled deputy minister went from being entertaining to slightly annoying quickly. His character spends most of the time complaining about Quan, Ireland, and not knowing the identity of the bombers. What initially came across as a reasonably good accent from Brosnan became more of a growl as it slipped between English and Irish. At times, it was as if we were watching an Irish version of Grumpy Old Men.
Overall
The Foreigner is a film which will make Chan’s fans very pleased. Don’t expect the movie to draw many new fans but those who take a chance on it won’t be disappointed. If the choices are between ‘Marshall’ and ‘The Foreigner,’ pick the one where the main character cauterizes his gunshot wound.
Horror fans today is Friday The 13th, but it’s also October. And October means Halloween! So in the spirit of the ‘season of the witch’ check out Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross covering John Carpenter’s brilliant and iconic theme from Halloween. Listen below!
It’s pretty awesome, huh? If you want to download it for free, you can do so right here.
What do you guys think? Will this become a regular rotation in your Halloween festivities playlists? Comment and discuss below!
Brawl in Cell Block 99, S. Craig Zahler’s new blood-soaked pulp crime thriller, isn’t interested in your sociopolitical ideals. It is here to offend you, to thrill you, and to kick your ass, and it does so in some of the most unpredictable and brutally violent ways. To top it off, this is the most fascinating performance of Vince Vaughn’s career.
Vaughn plays Bradley (Not Brad), a southern dude in upstate New York whose run of bad luck has become part of his life’s story. In a prologue we see Bradley get laid off from his tow-truck driver job, show up at home, discover his wife Lauren (Jennifer Carpenter) has been having an affair, and vent his frustrations by tearing apart her car with his bare hands. It’s a set up to make us believe Lauren is not long for the film, but Bradley’s pragmatic approach to his lot in life takes over. He calms himself, he understands her reasons for the affair, and he vows to make things better. This means calling an old friend and running drugs.
Fast forward 18 months and everything is better. Bradley and Lauren are happy, Lauren is expecting, and they live a life of serene, upper middle-class comfort. But a drug deal goes horribly wrong and Bradley is sentenced to a seven-year stint in a medium-security prison. If that weren’t bad enough, the drug kingpin whose money Bradley lost comes calling, and threatens to kill his wife and unborn child if he doesn’t kill an inmate at a Red Leaf, a maximum security prison across town.
All of this happens and we are merely halfway through Brawl in Cell Block 99. The job requires Bradley to assault some prison guards in order to get transferred to Red Leaf. Then, when inside the walls of Red Leaf he must do even more to get transferred to Cell Block 99, a hellish dungeon, the “prison inside the prison” according to the sadistic warden, Tuggs, played by a perfectly slimy Don Johnson. It’s best to say no more about the plot; let’s just say things get crazy. For some readers out there, the notion of prison violence doesn’t deter them, but be warned, this is violence like you have rarely seen. Hold on tight.
Zahler’s film unfolds at a deliberate pace, a slow-burning fuse simmering down to the stick of dynamite that is the third act. This is a Charles Bronson 70s exploitation film, a B-movie in sleeker clothes, and it all hinges on Vince Vaughn’s incredible performance. He is a revelation. Bradley is a good person, a patriot (he has two American flags at home, after all) a straight-shooting pragmatist who accepts his fates as they come barreling towards him over and over. Vaughn handles the southern accent with surprising accuracy, and he spits out Zahler’s hard-boiled dialogue like a deep-fried Raymond Chandler traversing the pit of hell.
Vaughn is in every scene, but the supporting players all add wonderful texture and grit. Johnson’s warden is cooly corrupt, Jennifer Carpenter is much more than the damsel in distress, and Udo Kier makes the most of a small part as a henchman for the scorned drug lord. It all works in concert to create a film that is unique, unpredictable, and increasingly shocking.
Zahler employs wide angle lenses to let a film set inside narrow prison hallways and dingy cells breathe. And he choreographs the hand-to-hand brutality with a keen eye for spatial geography and static, medium shots. It allows Vaughn to show off an athleticism we’ve never seen in his other roles. The big guy can move here, he can take a punch, and he can most certainly dole out punishment in increasingly brutal forms. This is not a film for everyone, because it doesn’t want to be. It is a movie for genre enthusiasts who love a good romp, who aren’t easily offended by racial stereotypes, and who have a strong enough stomach to handle the brutality.
Netflix loves to play with our emotions and what better way to do that than releasing a ‘Stanger Things’ Season 2 trailer on Friday the 13th.
You might get goosebumps:
About Season 2: It’s 1984 and the citizens of Hawkins, Indiana are still reeling from the horrors of the Demogorgon and the secrets of Hawkins Lab. Will Byers has been rescued from the Upside Down but a bigger, sinister entity still threatens those who survived.
The series was created by Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer, the duo also directs the show. The growing cast includes Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Natalia Dyer, Winona Ryder, Gaten Matarazzo, David Harbour, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Cara Buono, Sean Astin, Dacre Montgomery, Noah Schnapp, Abigail F. Cowen, Paul Reiser, and Caleb McLaughlin.
New cast members include Sean Astin, his character Bob Newby works at the local Radio Shack. Paul Reiser plays Dr. Owens, who appears to be Will Byers’ psych doctor.
‘Stranger Things’ returns to Netflix on October 27.
Halloween may have opened the door to the slasher films of the ’80s, but it was Friday the 13th that set the table upon which these ripoff films would feast. It took some time for the franchise to find its voice, and when it did it devolved into self parody over the span of only a few movies. There is a sweet spot in the series, and it is noticeable.
Here, now, is the definitive ranking of the Friday the 13th franchise, scrutinized and analyzed and… who am I kidding, I just watched these things and ranked them based on what I liked. And along the way, I added a few tidbits of information where it was warranted. Enjoy… or get mad. It’s up to you.
1Jason Lives: Friday the 13th, Part VI (1986)
Tommy Jarvis is back… well, the character is back, and he’s played by the third different actor (Thom Mathews) in as many sequels and years. Turns out John Shepherd, who played Tommy in A New Beginning, was a born-again Christian so he decided to pass on this one. Now, this dreamy 20-something Tommy accidentally revives Jason in his grave after a bolt of lightning hits the spear sticking out of his chest. This gives Jason some amped up super powers, and he stalks through the best entry in the franchise to this point.
Everything about Part VI is an improvement on the previous films. Jason is wreaking havoc from the get go, the kills are more creative and comedic, and production values are a notch better – which makes sense, given the budget was $3 million compared to an average of $1.5 million for the others. There’s also a few cool cameos, like Tony Goldwyn as an early victim and Ron Palilo as Tommy’s ill-fated friend in the opening scene. Having Horshack from Welcome Back, Kotter was probably a bigger deal in 1986, but I digress…
Part VI is a marked improvement in the franchise, a high point. Director Tom McLoughlin would never be confused with a great director, but his dedication to the more silly aspects of this series pay off here and make him look like John Ford in comparison.
As promised, 20th Century Fox has released the first trailer for the upcoming X-Men spin-off The New Mutants. Switching Xavier’s School for a haunted asylum, The New Mutants has jumped into the horror genre, once again proving that Fox is willing to take risks with its superhero properties and create unique superhero movies.
Directed by Josh Bone and starring Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Henry Zaga, Blu Hunt, and Alice Braga. The film will be released in theatres on April 13, 2018.
