It might be easy to categorize Dark, Netflix’s new creepy-looking thriller, as a sort of Stranger Things offshoot. But this first trailer indicates things are much more disturbing and, well, dark.
See for yourself:
Louis Hofmann, one of the actors in Dark, discussed a few details about the story with Deadline:
“The story is about four families that are being sent on a frantic hunt after two children disappear. I am part of one family, of course… My character Jonas is very introverted and has recently lost his father that has, in a mysterious way, killed himself. Mikkel disappears, the little child. That’s where it all starts. Jonas is then trying to reveal a big family secret.”
Yes, on the surface maybe it echoes certain elements of Stranger Things, but this seems more threatening and less concerned with humor and nostalgia.
Dark takes place in Germany, and it will be in the native language. It drops on Netflix December 1. Count me in.
Kate Winslet and Justin Timberlake headline an incredible cast in Wonder Wheel, the latest from Woody Allen. Judging from this trailer, there seems to be more on this story’s mind than what we typically get from Allen.
Check out the trailer:
We’re in Coney Island in the 1950s. A lifeguard (Justin Timberlake) tells us a story that just might be filtered through his vivid imagination: a middle-aged carousel operator (James Belushi) and his beleaguered wife (Kate Winslet), who eke out a living on the boardwalk, are visited by his estranged daughter (Juno Temple)—a situation from which layer upon layer of all-too-human complications develop.
Winslet, Timberlake, Juno Temple, and James Belushi play the central quartet here. But if you notice, about half of the surviving members of The Sopranos appear to be here as well., including Tony Sirico, Steve Schirripa, and Max Casella.
Personally, I enjoy the more suspenseful Woody Allen films, a la Match Point, my favorite of his in the 2000s. Sure, the mere thought of Woody Allen turns people off, but if you’re able to compartmentalize things in your head, this one looks highly entertaining.
Wonder Wheel is the latest feature to come from the ever-expanding Amazon Studios. It’s running at this month’s New York Film Festival, and will open in theaters December 1.
Welcome to the fifteenth episode of the Comic Show by Monkeys Fighting Robots! We are unpacking Marvel Legacy #1 with Marvel expert Brandon Griffin…was it worth the hype? We’re also discussing Batman #32, the finale to “The War of Jokes and Riddles”, INCLUDING CATWOMAN’S ANSWER TO BATMAN’S MARRIAGE PROPOSAL! Is the world’s most eligible Caped Crusader off the market?
04:50 – Marvel Legacy #1 with beat reporter Brandon Griffin Anthony – 3.75 Monkeys
Matt – 3 Robots
Brandon – 4.4 Robots
41:00 – Batman #32 – The end of “The War of Jokes and Riddles” and Catwoman’s answer to Batman’s marriage proposal! Anthony – 4.2 Monkeys
Matt – 3.5 Robots
Thank you for listening!
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Do you have a question that you would like answered during the show? Email your questions to matt@popaxiom.com.
Slots #1 from Image Comics comes out this week. It’s an all-new series from creator, writer, and artist Dan Panosian.
***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***
Stanley Dance is a total scumbag. He’s a fifty-three year old charmer living scam-to-scam. Finding himself in a tight spot, and out of luck, he heads back to Las Vegas looking for a new gig.
We don’t know many things for sure about our main character’s previous adventures. Panosian lays the first round of clues to Stanley’s checkered past in a cleverly subtle fashion. This isn’t going to be a book that spells anything out for readers. Stanley clearly has some sort of connection to “Lady Luck”, whether it be manipulation or random we’ll have to keep reading to find out.
The issue is broken up into four chapters, introducing us to a handful of instantly likable supporting characters. Slots being a book that takes place in Vegas, the cast should blur the line between caring and chaos. Panosian flawlessly unveils a cast of lifelike people, all damaged in their own special way.
The visual style of the book is one of the strongest elements. Its dirty pulp appeal us a perfect match for the setting and atmosphere. There should be a lot of strong jaw-lines and spectacular wardrobe choices. Slots feels like a movie that George Clooney would be dying to direct if he hadn’t already starred in the Ocean’s movies.
There are mysteries at every turn. From the truck tailing Stanley around town, to the buried box of sentiment and bullets, little tasty narrative crumbs litter the whole book. The only thing for sure is that I’ll be checking out the next issue, color me hooked.
I was delighted to reach the end of this first issue and find no supernatural or demonic reveal. If this first issue is any indication, Slots can survive by being the sleazy Sin City pulp that it is, and I sincerely hope that Dan Panosian knows that.
Whenever I talk to people about this series, there’s quite a few who don’t keep up with it. I don’t blame them; there are a ton of universe-altering events in the other books. The closest stories those events were in were Multiplicity (where a multiverse invader tries to capture all the Supermen of the multiverse), and Superman Reborn, which also took place in Action Comics. Personally, I prefer these shorter stories that convey messages and this issue is no exception.
**SOME SPOILERS BELOW**
Story:
After Lois Lane gets an interview with Deathstroke, the assassin uses this opportunity to draw out Superman. He’s under contract for a mystery client who wants to test if Superman has a “breaking point.”
This point is the moment where Superman will snap and kill someone, so Deathstroke isn’t holding back. This leads to a few encounters between the Man of Steel and the world’s greatest assassin, which are actually pretty entertaining!
While I like the concept, I feel like this kind of story should have happened near the beginning of this series. The mystery client, who will remain anonymous in this article, has seen Superman in action before. If the client is choosing NOW to measure his “breaking point,” they are really bad at their job.
Preferred timeline aside, we have an interesting story does a fantastic job at giving insight into the positive and negative aspects of their personalities. While Superman sticks to his code of no killing, Deathstroke rationalizes the point of killing to shape history. It’s fascinating to have these two characters on opposite ends of the moral spectrum to compare and contrast with one another.
Art:
If you’re a fan of the art in the Suicide Run and Family Business storylines of Deathstroke’s 2015 run, then you’ll be a fan of this issue. Tyler Kirkham has worked on both Superman and Deathstroke comics in the past and his skills continue to shine here. The style here allows the characters to demonstrate a broad range of emotions, making the comic almost feel alive when you read it. The coloring of this issue, courtesy of Arif Prianto, really makes the characters pop off the page. It especially shows when it comes to the uniforms and powers of the Man of Steel, as well as Deathstroke. The burning red eyes of Superman are actually quite intimidating, thanks to the colors and design of the page.
Conclusion:
This issue was phenomenal. The writing was strong, the art was beautiful, and the action was entertaining. While I don’t know when this story will pay off (as next issue, the superfamily goes off planet), I hope we can get another great story with these two soon.
Issue Description:
“BREAKING POINT” Part 2
Deathstroke has come to Metropolis… and he’s got his sights set on Superman. Slade Wilson gives the Man of Steel an impossible choice: maintain his ideals and let the love of his life die, or save Lois Lane and become a killer himself. Will Deathstoke push Superman to his breaking point?
Well, it’s time to rock out with another chapter in the Dark Multiverse. To those who haven’t been keeping up in DC Comics, they are in the middle of their fall event, Dark Nights Metal. The story revolves around the Justice League facing off against invaders (who just so happen to be evil Batmen) from a “Dark Multiverse.” Each week, the readers get a one-shot to show off the origins of the Dark Invaders. This week, we get The Dawnbreaker (the combination of Batman and Green Lantern). With two fantastic Batmen one-shots out of the way, will this issue contain the same quality?
**SOME SPOILERS BELOW**
Story:
This origin story takes us back to the infamous alley where the Waynes were killed, with Bruce watching helplessly. Unlike the original, a Green Lantern ring finds its way to a vengeful Bruce. He uses this newfound gift to hunt down and avenge his parent’s death. In the process of doing this, Bruce pushes enough “willpower” to crack the ring and corrupt it. Years pass and the murderous vigilante takes the ultimate step and absorbs all of the Green Lanterns’ energy, turning into The Dawnbreaker.
While the story is fascinating, it is the weakest of the three released Dark Night one-shots so far–there will be seven in all. The Dawnbreaker’s motivation is just the origin of the average Batman. The other two had a unique hook to them, something unique that made them stand out from the other Batmen of the Multiverse. In the first one-shot, The Red Death’s (the merging of Batman and The Flash) crusade led to the deaths of his allies. The Murder Machine (the merging of Batman and Cyborg) had to watch his father figure get murdered in his home. Both of these Batmen have characteristics that make them more compelling characters than The Dawnbreaker. The ring and its use, however, adds an intriguing storyline.
Who turned out the lights?!
Frankly, this Batman is quite terrifying in how he acts and his view of the world. I especially love his ability to drain the light, thanks to the power of his corrupted ring. Having power over the ring also allows his “shadow” constructs to dismember criminals. It’s a creative combination of Batman’s skills in the shadows and a Lantern’s powers.
Art:
While the first two Dark Night one-shots provided fascinating stories over this issue, This issue clearly had the best art. Ethan Van Sciver, best known for his art in Green Lantern stories, once again shows why he’s one of the best. The “shadow” constructs that Batman creates are by far one of the most terrifying creations a Lantern has made. Its design, along with the coloring, by Jason Wright, make this Lantern construct stand out from any that have come before.
The only aspect of the art that can be improved is the design of Batman’s cowl. It’s as if Bruce stole Captain Cold’s iconic glasses and painted them green. Even the suit itself looks like a stereotypical Green Lantern outfit. This is disappointing considering some of the interesting designs for other Lantern villains over the years. Yeah, this might be nitpicking, but it could have been so much more.
The Newest Form of Comic Fashion?
Conclusion:
While it may not have the emotional depth the first two have, this issue is another great chapter in the Dark Nights Metal Saga. We are introduced to a version of Batman that is a fascinating take on Lantern powers. If you haven’t picked it up already, go check it out today.
Issue description:
As the events of DARK NIGHTS: METAL rock the DC Universe, the creatures of the Dark Multiverse stand ready to invade our world! How can even the World’s Greatest Heroes stop a horde of deadly beings that appear to be powerful, nightmare versions of familiar figures? Find out in these special tie-in issues!
Somehow, some way, James Cameron has convinced Kate Winslet to join his ever-expanding, super-expensive Avatar universe. The guy must be one helluva sweet talker.
According to the report over at The Tracking Board, “Winslet will play a character named Ronal in the Avatar universe, though details of the character are being kept under wraps.” I bet she ends up being a blue Na’vi and she will tell John Dunbar that he should return to his people and leave the Sioux… sorry, wrong movie.
Of course, Kate Winslet and James Cameron worked together 20 years ago in Titanic, so perhaps they have a strong working relationship. That’s still not really an excuse for any of this to happen.
James Cameron is seriously going through with these Avatar sequels, fam. Sam Worthington has nothing else to do so he’s back on board, as is Stephen Lang and Sigourney Weaver. Although, didn’t she die in the first one? Does literally one person out there remember Weaver’s fate in the original.
Hopefully for Kate Winslet, her character will be killed off in Avatar 2. Otherwise she will spend the rest of her natural born days filming Avatar sequels.
Avatar 2 will be here in December of 2020. 2020! Only 11 years after the original slipped from our consciousness.
Sensational production design and beautiful cinematography are just some of the reasons why Blade Runner 2049 exceeds expectations.
Summary
The Los Angeles Police Department’s best employee appears to be officer K (Ryan Gosling). He’s a member of a specialized unit whose purpose is to hunt down and retire replicants. Lieutenant Joshi (Robin Wright) sends K on a routine mission that ends up being anything but that. He stumbles upon a mystery that could rock the foundation of society itself. Business mogul Niander Wallace (Jared Leto) is alerted to K’s current predicament and begins seeking to solve the same mystery. K eventually heads to the most desolate part of the southwest where he finds former blade runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford).
What Worked
Director Denis Villeneuve demonstrates once again why he’s one of the best directors working today. He’s a master of creating tension in the simplest of ways. In Sicario, that final scene where Alejandro shows up at Rafael’s home for a meal was such a simple setup, but the tension was off the charts. The same is true about the scenes where officer K is having a drink. Once again, such a simple setup that’s incredibly relatable but each time led to something significant occurring.
Benjamin Wallfisch and Hans Zimmer’s score is intoxicating. It evokes memories of the original movie, yet it appears to have another layer of depth to it. Could it be the deeper synthesizer sounds?
Dennis Gassner’s production design was sleek, eye-popping, and the kind of work that wins Academy Awards. The way he seamlessly mixed in dark and dreary colors and splashed them with fluorescent lighting that illuminated this industrial complex in such a way that it looked like something out of a Chris Nolan film. When we traveled to the most desolate parts of the new world, he used different shades of red which gave that location a unique feel. This part of the film had a gritty/dirty feel as if secrets were buried out there. One can only imagine how the actors felt coming to work in such imaginative locales.
Renee April’s costume choices gave us more insight into these rich characters. Leto’s character wore a Japanese coat which was an interesting choice. Typically that type of attire would belong to someone who’s more at peace, and his character appears to be far from that.
Roger Deakins is a virtuoso once again as his cinematography plays a critical role in the overall success of the movie. Loved his decision to shoot from behind officer K as he walked ever so slowly into the most desolate part of the city. Not only does it give the viewer K’s perspective, but it creates tension in the scene as well (especially when we don’t what he’s walking into).
Hampton Fancher and Micheal Green have developed a storyline that’s far from ambiguous but still dives into some pretty deep themes. Without getting too much into the details of the film, this plot will have your head spinning long after the credits have ended.
The performances were solid. Can’t say that one actor outshined them all, but each of them played key roles in enhancing this new world that Villeneuve and Ridley Scott created.
What Didn’t Work
While the writing for about two-thirds of the film is outstanding, the last third of the movie was extremely predictable. Can’t say much more than that but I do welcome any debate on the matter once the film opens up on Thursday night.
Overall
Blade Runner 2049 is almost a three-hour movie, and it didn’t feel anywhere close to that. The pacing is fantastic, and we’d be remiss if we didn’t touch on the eye-popping action sequences. Watching this film was like witnessing a master composer strike the right notes again and again with the result being a cinephile’s dream. They say good things come to those who wait and boy were they ever right in this instance.
Paramount has acquired movie rights to the popular video game franchise Sonic The Hedgehog. Variety was first to report the exciting news.
Neil H. Moritz is set to produce, while Jeff Fowler is set to direct, making his directorial debut. Toby Ascher will executive produce while Dmitri Johnson and Dan Jevons will serve as co-producers.
Though it hasn’t been confirmed, the upcoming film seems like it will center around Sonic and his pals Tails and Knuckles, as they collect items and points while trying to stop the global domination plans of Doctor Eggman Robotnik. it will also be a mix of live action and CGI animation.
The game was first released by SEGA in 1991, with the character becoming one of the world’s biggest gaming icons. More than 360 million copies, including both packaged and digital games, have been sold on various platforms.
No release date has been announced, and no word on who will voice characters. Stay tuned for more updates!
While waiting, you can get your Sonic fix by playing Sonic Mania, and Sonic Forces when it’s released November 7th for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Anna Paquin has officially joined Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Al Pacino, Harvey Keitel, Jack Huston, and Bobby Cannavale (this cast… be still my heart) in his upcoming Netflix gangster picture, The Irishman.
The film, based on Charles Brandt’s I Heard You Paint Houses: Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran and the Inside Story of the Mafia, the Teamsters, and the Final Ride by Jimmy Hoffa – which is a helluva title – tells the story of retired Teamsters heavy hitter Frank Sheeran (De Niro). On his deathbed, Sheeran allegedly confessed to killing infamous Teamsters troublemaker Jimmy Hoffa, whose body has still never been found.
Al Pacino will play Hoffa, which seems pretty weird since the two of them look nothing alike. Joe Pesci will play Russell Bufalino, of the Bufalino crime family with whom Sheeran was rumored to be in cahoots with.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Anna Paquin will play Peggy, Frank Sheeran’s daughter. It’s nice to see Paquin back in something, anything. She has been basically absent – appearing in only a smattering of shows and films – since True Blood ran out of steam over at HBO.
The Irishman is written by Steven Zaillian. There is no confirmed release date yet for the film, but expect it some time in 2018.
