Most Floridians are looking for something positive to focus on after the events surrounding Hurricane Irma. Let me bring the following Facebook post to your attention.
Omg! Just walked out the front door and found Spider-Man helping chainsaw down the huge tree covering our road!*Just…
It seems that Floridians are getting help from their friendly neighborhood Spider-man. According to the Tampa Bay Times, our favorite web-slinger isn’t climbing walls but is scaling down trees with a chainsaw and assisting members of the community. Here’s a closer look at our hero in action.
It’s heartwarming to see real life heroes emerging during this time of recovery. Seeing someone who is channeling their love of one of Marvel’s most characters to assist with the aftermath of a truly destructive event is wonderful. Who ever is behind that mask, we here at Monkeys Fighting Robots salute you.
The new Hellboy reboot without Guillermo Del Toro, but with the great David Harbour, gave us the first look at Harbour as the title character. It looks about like you would imagine, which means close to what Ron Perlman looked like, only with a little more texture.
The official Hellboy twitter page posted the photo, check it:
Mike Mingola’s creation hasn’t changed much over the years, so this feels right in line for a new take.
Neil Marshall is taking over for Del Toro, who has given his blessing already. It’s a strange transition, but bound to be a bit more grounded in some manner of “real world.”
Aside from David Harbour, this new Hellboy also stars Milla Jovovich, Ian McShane, and Sasha Lane. There is no set release date yet, but that will come as more information begins to seep out. Get Hype!
As reported by Monkeys Fighting Robots’ very own Aric Sweeny, the world of comic books lost a seminal figure last weekend. On September 10th, 2017, Len Wein died. And although he co-created several enduring characters for both DC and Marvel during his life, his name might not sound familiar, so read on …
The Wild Mind of Len Wein: A Marvel-ous Makeover
Introducing Thunderbird!! Oh, and Nightcrawler, Storm, and Colossus as well …
In addition to co-creating fan favourite Wolverine with Roy Thomas, Herb Trimpe, and John Romita for Marvel in 1974, his and Dave Cockrum’s revamp of the X-Men in 1975, which revived Lee and Kirby’s mutant superhero team after five years on the shelf, introduced Nightcrawler, Storm, and Colossus. This new team and the new characters on it shaped the face of Marvel Comics in the late ’70s and continues to even now. That the X-Men film franchise, troubled as it is, focuses more on Wein and his creative partners’ characters than it does on Lee and Kirby’s original team from the ’60s is strong testimony against anyone who thinks otherwise.
The Wild Mind of Len Wein: Distinguished Creator
Probably Wein’s most notable achievement for DC, on top of co-creating Swamp Thing with Bernie Wrightson, was his deft editorial work on Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’s genre-redefining series Watchmen, and if you’ve read Watchmen you know how difficult that must have been.
“OK Al and Dave, how the Hell does this pirate ship thing relate back to the freaking superheroes again?!”
Other notable characters created by Wein for DC include Batman’s corporate liaison at Wayne Enterprises Lucius Fox, who also made it to the big screen, and the murderous Clayface III. Really, it’s difficult to overstate Wein’s influence on contemporary comic books. But luckily, you don’t have to take my word for it: Chris Claremont, who scripted the 1975 Wein/Cockrum reboot of the X-Men said it best,
“The history of modern comics would be incredibly different if you took [Wein’s] contributions out of the mix. The fact he doesn’t get credit for it half the time is disgraceful. We owe a lot of what we are — certainly on the X-Men — to Len and to Dave [Cockrum].”
High praise indeed, and well deserved.
The Wild Mind of Len Wein: Beyond Comic Books
In addition to Wein’s work on comic books, which included work for both big publishers as well as Disney, Defiant, and Bongo Comics, he also wrote and edited for several animated TV shows. And although I never watched Phantom 2040 or Pocket Dragon Adventures, I watched the heck out of four other animated shows he worked on, the ’90s versions of Spider-Man, Batman, and X-Men, and the CGI epic ReBoot.
The Wild Mind of Len Wein: Read All About It
I was quite saddened to learn of the illustrious Mr. Wein’s death, but I’m comforted by the fact that his legacy thrives. Today’s average movie-goer or comic book reader might not know it, but they’re benefiting from Wein’s deft creative writing and editing — and, to think, he originally wanted to be an artist!
Sad as it is to lose a great talent like Len Wein, it’s good to reflect upon how much he shaped the medium he worked in. And happily, this brief article has only touched upon some of Wein’s most enduring work. There are plenty of great Len Wein stories out there, so get reading!
Comics have always been an escape for me. They have gotten me through bullying, adolescence, homesickness, and heartbreak. And now for the second time in my life (the first being Hurricane Andrew when I was a teenager, but that’s a story for another time), they helped me escape from the frightening onslaught of a major hurricane.
If you were in or anywhere near Florida in the past week, the name Irma was probably blaring out at you from every news outlet and social media source. And rightfully so, because as a Category 5 hurricane, Irma was destined to leave a Solomon Grundy-like path of destruction in its wake.
It was on New Comic Book day that we were pretty much told that the storm would be coming our way and for a moment it was hard to be excited about ‘funny books’. But I couldn’t help it because as a comics journalist, I was going to be receiving an advance copy of DC: Metal #2 and that was an especially exciting title. It was a book I had been looking forward to since reading issue one. With it’s over the top plot of a disaster of cosmic proportions coming, with only Batman seemingly able to stop it, it was for me the comic book event of the year. And now, of course, it had been swept by a very REAL disastrous event.
Now I’m not a kid and as an adult (and a home owner) I was very aware of how dangerous the situation with the storm was. The weather experts were using the term ‘catastrophic’ when it came to property damage. Predictions on storm surge were deadly. I both feared for my life and feared for my home. But there is only so much ‘doomsday prepping’ one can do. Only so much “The End is Nigh” (sorry Rorschach!) anyone can take. So I once again I turned to comics. I loaded that copy of issue two of DC: Metal on my tablet, and opened up issue one as a refresher. But then I wanted to go further back, so I found The Casting and The Forge one shots and just started there again. Soon I was transported. Batman’s race to face a catastrophe of his own head on was an eerie parallel for what I felt; city, friends, and family were all in danger for both of us. But Batman’s resilience started to become my own. I started becoming less scared, feeling MORE prepared. In a way, I had started thinking like Batman would. I had contingency plans, I was ready. And then I remembered something writer Scott Snyder had said about Batman in an interview. He said “He’s not a really a figure of intimidation so much as he is this broad almost international figure of bravery. And he says I’m going to fight these incredibly abstract huge monstrous things in the form of my villains so that you will go out and face the things that seem insurmountable to you.” One word stood out from that great quote: seem. It all came together then; it all fell into a very focused perspective. The stories, the title Metal, Batman, the hurricane. And to top it all off, I was even wearing a classic Batman symbol t-shirt (a detail I had forgotten as that morning I just pulled the first shirt I grabbed out of the dryer).
So when the eye of the storm hit, when the wind was howling like an escaped Arkham lunatic, when the roof was shaking like Gotham during the Cataclysm, when the water pushed under the door with enough force to bring in Killer Croc, I felt a sense of calm and focus I honestly didn’t think I would have. I patiently and serenely guided my mother (who was with me) and my dog to gather in the safest spot in the house, the cave-like windowless center. I used my smart phone’s weather radar and the radio broadcast of the coverage to track the storm as it crossed my path (the meteorologist serving as the Alfred Pennyworth in my ear). In short, I felt I was ready to react to anything that would happen, just like Batman in the books.
And then the storm passed. The waters never rose and the wind died down. Yes, there was damage, but it could have been worse. I had gotten through it all with the help of a fictional character. And as I always say, whatever works is always good. Value can be found in anything if it gives something to you. And DC: Metal gave it to me. I don’t know how THAT story ends yet, but I know Batman will pull through. That is the power of comics I think, of all stories really, to remind you of things you sometimes forget. That no matter the odds, we can always pull through.
*I know I was lucky to not have seen the worst of the outcome of this storm and I urge everyone to please research, read and educate yourselves on what happened. I was fortunate and many were not. That is not lost on me. We owe it to everyone to know their stories.
*I didn’t include any pictures of the storm from my end because I didn’t take any. I literally could not go outside. And besides, there are far braver and more talented photographers that captured those images.
“Taking out those who wronged him with military precision.”
The Punisher stars Jon Bernthal as the title role and also features Jason R. Moore as Curtis Hoyle, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as David Lieberman, Michael Nathanson as Sam Stein, Jaime Ray Newman as Sarah Lieberman, and Deborah Ann-Woll as Karen Page.
“Frank Castle is haunted and hunted after the murder of his family and becomes a vigilante known in the criminal underworld as “the Punisher”, who aims to fight crime by any means necessary.”
The Punisher hits Netflix in 2017; no specific release date has been announced yet.
It’s Stanford’s first day at school, and he and his mech will have to see if they can keep up with the other students.
Writing
After being selected by one of the robots, Stanford finds himself welcomed into the robot pilot training program. This is where the issues continues to expand on the world and ramifications of the pathway opened to the young boy. A lot of good events play out like Standord’s mom having to sign a release form, Stanford bonding with the Maintenance crew, and the cadets naming their robots help to show how much they have bonded. These events all help to make the series feel more real and alive.
Writer Greg Pak is slowly building towards something big here. By the end of the issue, there is a lot of setup for what is to come, and the future looks bright, but not for the characters. Also, there seems to be nods to Neon Genesis Evangelion present as it appears as if the human race doesn’t much understanding of the technology at their fingertips.
Artwork
The art by Takashi Miyazawa continues to help make the series so recognizable. Each of the different robots have their own distinct look and personality thanks solely to the visuals. The action scenes also have a gravity thanks to the art and make every turn of the page more enjoyable.
Conclusion
Mech Cadet Yu is a fun series with a lot of heart. The second issue continues to showcase the world the creator has in mind and the potential it has in the future. If you haven’t taken the time to check out this comic series, you are missing out on something good. Also, by the end of this issue it becomes apparent the drama and intensity is going to be kicked into high gear with issue three so this is the perfect time to read the first two issues and wait in anticipation for more Mech Cadet Yu.
Tragedy Girls is the story of a group of teens who decide to use social media in order to become famous serial killers, or something along those lines… The trailer is fascinating, and this paired with the psychological thriller Ingrid Goes West might be the indication of a new subgenre of horror cinema: the social media horror.
Check out this trailer:
“Best friends Sadie and McKayla are on a mission to boost their social media fandom as amateur crime reporters hot on the trail of a deranged local serial killer. After they manage to capture the killer and secretly hold him hostage, they realize the best way to up get scoops on future victims would be to, you know, murder people themselves. As the @TragedyGirls become an overnight sensation and panic grips their small town, can their friendship survive the strain of national stardom? Will they get caught? Will their accounts get verified?”
It has all the familiar high school dark humor of Heathers, and a healthy dose of teen gore, only the landscape has been vastly upgraded to show obsession with media, internet fame, and followers. There was that film Unfriended, a decent horror with a ghost haunting a video chat space; but this, and Ingrid Goes West where Aubrey Plaza plays an internet stalker, indicate a burgeoning sea change for what popular horror might be over the next few years.
Tragedy Girls could be the tip of the spear, a.k.a. the moment when these new social media thrillers haven’t become tepid, saturated to the point of absurdity. That shouldn’t take long, so enjoy a movie like Tragedy Girls before the imitators come calling.
Nicolas Cage. What else is there to say about this man? This American treasure (or should I say, Nationa… no, I won’t), who has transformed into one of the most legendary B-movie shlock action trash savants we have ever seen. Once an interesting young talent, then an Oscar winner, then an action star, and now paying off debts left and right and keeping studios like Hannibal in business.
It seems now that Nicolas Cage will reach peak Cage in Primal, his new action movie where he will fight a jaguar on a boat.
Oh, and not just a jaguar, mind you. Here’s the Hollywood Reporter explaining it:
Frank Walsh (Cage), a big game hunter for zoos who has booked passage on a Greek shipping freighter with a fresh haul of exotic and deadly animals from the Amazon, including a rare white jaguar. However, the big cat isn’t the most deadly creature on board. Richard Loffler, a political assassin being extradited to the U.S in secret, is also along for the ride. Two days into their journey, Loffler escapes the team of U.S. Marshals guarding him and releases the captive animals, throwing the ship into chaos. Walsh must now find a way to save the crew from not only the dangerous beasts, but also the mad man on the loose.
Yeah, we got marshals and assassins and jaguars… and Nicolas Cage. I’m not saying place money down on Oscar nominations, I’m just saying think about it.
There’s no news as to the release of Primal. It will likely have a trailer where we will all collectively chuckle, then next thing you know you’ll pass a Redbox at the grocery store and there it’ll be.
The first episode of Vice Principals is reminiscent of the dark humor which made Eastbound & Down a hit.
Summary
The final season of Vice Principals centers around Neal Gamby’s (Danny McBride) quest to find out who shot him at the end of the first season. Gamby suspects everyone at North Jackson High and enlists the help of a psychotic pal, brand new principal Lee Russell (Walton Goggins) to track him down. Could one of his own students be the culprit behind his attack or could it be the one person he considers a friend?
What Worked
The chemistry between Gamby and Russell is undeniable. Those two characters are the pillars that hold this comedic narrative in place.
The writing in the first episode is darker than Season 1 which is a good thing.
Goggins plays his character with the right amount of comedy and sleaze. The audience doesn’t know whether to laugh with him or at him.
McBride’s character in the second season is very reminiscent of his iconic character Kenny Powers. Just like Powers, Gamby is losing touch with reality going so far as to turn his bedroom into a diorama reminiscent of the Kennedy Assassination.
Busy Phillips is hysterical in the role of Gale. Her character is the perfect mix of white trash and someone who’d be arrested on Cops.
The first episode of season two is very inviting to new fans of the series. Someone could easily just jump into the series and not miss a beat.
Towards the end of the first episode, Dr. Belinda Brown (Kimberly Herbert Gregory) makes a return after leaving town at the end of last season. Brown is the perfect foil for Gamby’s character. It would be foolish for them not to incorporate that character into the new season.
What Didn’t Work
Too much time was spent on Gamby’s recovery and not enough time was given to his triumphant return to North Jackson High. The first episode takes off when he’s back to interacting with the students and faculty rather than moping about.
Overall
Vice Principals hasn’t lost a step and is off to a great start in its second season. This isn’t shocking as Mcbride and his talented writing partner, Jody Hill, are extremely gifted writers. I’m sure if HBO could convince Mcbride and Hill to stretch this series for a third and fourth season, the quality would remain consistent. However, it appears that the talented writing duo is committed to just seeing this storyline play out and fans can’t wait to see the end result.
That’s what makes him so fascinating, no matter the project, no matter the setting, no matter who the character is under the microscope. Whether his film unravels in the cramped hallways of a Brooklyn apartment building, under the spotlight of the ballet, or in the wrathful landscape of the Old Testament, Darren Aronofsky is here to use his characters’ obsessions and addictions to break them down. He uses the vulnerability of high-focused obsession to destroy his characters, or at least destroy the place in which they have found themselves.
It may not sound like an appealing afternoon at the cinema to most and that makes sense. Aronofsky’s films are often armed to the teeth on a psychological level, never ready to shy away from the provocative imagery or disturbing depths of addiction. They aren’t for most even. With mother!, his latest horror starring Jennifer Lawrence, he will undoubtedly wade back into the waters of addiction, even if it may not be as clear cut as it was in his previous protagonists.
Pi was crystal clear: Max (Sean Gullette) has dedicated his life to finding a loophole in the stock market, even if the obsession drives him too insane to enjoy the fruits of a seemingly impossible labor. Requiem For A Dream is an even clearer examination of addiction, at least when it comes to the trio of dope-sick drifters played brilliantly by Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, and Marlon Wayans. But Ellen Burstyn’s Sarah Goldfarb, lonely and tucked away in her lifeless apartment, has her own addictions.
There is the television, the remote control fetishized by the pop-art camera work of longtime Aronofsky collaborator Matthew Libatique. There are her chocolates, sexualized by Goldfarb’s roaming fingers. And when she mistakenly believes she is going to be on the television herself, the obsession to trim off the weight becomes her ultimate undoing. It is the most profoundly affecting examination of addiction in Aronofsky’s career-long journey across the topic.
The Fountain, his long-gestating follow up to Requiem, may tell the story of his character Tommy (Hugh Jackman), who journeys across time and space to try and find a cure for death in order to live forever with his love (Rachel Weisz); but it also tells the story of Darren Aronofsky’s own obsessive nature, as his determination for The Fountain to be a sprawling science-fiction/fantasy epic was ultimately tinkered with and trimmed down by undoubtedly nervous and confounded studio suits to a brisk 90 minutes. It may be a mess, but it may also be the most personal glimpse into the powers of addiction throughout the course of his own career.
His next two films, The Wrestler and Black Swan, proved to be his most successful set of films – depending on your definition of success, that is. Both films found strong audience numbers, terrific Awards season buzz, and Natalie Portman won an Oscar for her turn as Nina, the mentally fractured young ballerina in Black Swan (Mickey Rourke deserved the Best Actor Oscar in 2008 for The Wrestler, but was inexplicably beat out by Sean Penn, who was… fine?… in Milk). They’re obsessions are clear, right on the surface, and they both involve physicality and self-mutilation for the sake of success – or fame.
The addiction and eventual madness of Noah never hit the sort of biblical proportions that the film needed, but credit to him for creating such a detailed, individualistic depiction of the place and time. Noah deserves more credit for its reach than its grasp, and Russell Crowe is game to put this Noah through the ringer as his obsession soon becomes his undoing. The addiction is, in a sense, the word of God, which Noah refuses to break regardless of the damage it could do to his family.
Which brings us to mother!, his take on Rosemary’s Baby. Or something along those lines. But the addiction here feels more opaque. It may be obsession with conception; it’s an avenue Aronofsky hasn’t quite tackled head on. The addiction isn’t as clear this time, not as much as his previous films, but make no mistake it will be lurking in this madhouse thriller somewhere. One thing is clear whether their is addiction at the heart of mother! or not, Darren Aronofsky will put Jennifer Lawrence through the ringer.
