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Donny Cates Creates REDNECK T-Shirt To Support The Victims Of Hurricane Harvey

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Comic creator and Texan, Donny Cates and Skybound have put together a limited edition REDNECK t-shirt to raise funds to support the relief effort in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. The proceeds from the “Texas Forever” shirt will go to the Houston Coalition for the Homeless.

‘We here at team Redneck want to help our Texas friends who need a hand. Help us help them and get a cool shirt in the process!’ said Cates.

Get your shirt here: http://bit.ly/TexasRelief

We talked with Cates about his Texas roots only a few weeks ago. Check out ‘Come and take it’ conversation below:

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Marvel Reveals First Look At Evangeline Lilly In ‘Ant-Man And The Wasp’

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The first look at Evangeline Lilly (The Hobbit) as The Wasp in Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man And The Wasp has been released. Lilly revealed the first look on her official Twitter account, on what would have been Marvel legend, Jack Kirby’s 100th birthday.

More – SDCC: Michelle Pfeiffer Confirmed For ‘Ant Man and the Wasp’

Lilly was first introduced as Hope Van Dyne in Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man, but we will finally see her suit up as The Wasp in the highly anticipated sequel.

Check out the image below:

Marvel

In the aftermath of Captain America: Civil War, Scott Lang (Rudd) grapples with the consequences of his choices as both a Super Hero and a father. As he struggles to rebalance his home life with his responsibilities as Ant-Man, he’s confronted by Hope van Dyne (Lilly) and Dr. Hank Pym (Douglas) with an urgent new mission. Scott must once again put on the suit and learn to fight alongside The Wasp as the team works together to uncover secrets from their past.”

Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man And The Wasp will land in theatres on July 6, 2018!

 

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Ed Skrein Steps Away From ‘Hellboy’ Reboot To Give An Asian Actor A Chance

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Ed Skrein uncasted himself in the ‘Hellboy’ Reboot Monday afternoon after concerns over ‘whitewashing’ of the character Major Ben Daimio who is Asian.

Skrein posted his statement on Twitter:

Lionsgate issued a statement as well, via The Hollywood Reporter.

“Ed came to us and felt very strongly about this. We fully support his unselfish decision. It was not our intent to be insensitive to issues of authenticity and ethnicity, and we will look to recast the part with an actor more consistent with the character in the source material.”

Neil Marshall is directing the reboot, and Mila Jovovich will be playing the Lady of the Lake alongside David Harbour – who will don the red mask as Hellboy – and Ian McShane’s Professor Broom.

‘Hellboy,’ which was originally saddled with ‘The Blood Queen’ as a subtitle, will be here at some point in 2018, though a specific date has yet to be attached.

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New ‘The Punisher’ Teaser Hints At Release Date; Episode Titles Revealed

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Marvel Entertainment has released a new teaser for The Punisher, which can be seen below.

“Friends. Enemies. Frank Castle. “Marvel’s ” is coming soon.”

Although no footage is included, it gives us a indication of not only the tone of the show, but also who will be at the forefront: Frank Castle. While this might be assumed, the marketing has consistently revolved around the character, his outlook on the world, and his peers.

Additionally, the titles for all thirteen episodes have been dropped. Be careful of spoilers, as a title can potentially reveal a plot point.

1. “3 AM”

2. “Two Dead Men”

3. “Kandahar”

4. “Resupply”

5. “Gunner”

6. “The Judas Goat”

7. “Crosshairs”

8. “Cold Steel”

9. “Front Toward Enemy”

10. “Virtue of the Vicious”

11. “Danger Close”

12. “Home”

13. “Memento Mori”

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.

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‘The New York Times’ Spoils Marvel’s Secret Empire Ending

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What has become the norm, Marvel and or DC Comics spoiling the ending of an important comic book days before its release, happened again on Monday when ‘The New York Times‘ revealed images for Secret Empire #10.

Spoilers are ahead, and we respect your reading experience, but begrudgingly we have to cover the news when it breaks.

Thor: Ragnarok Jessica Jones Star Wars The Walking Dead

Thor: Ragnarok Jessica Jones Star Wars The Walking Dead

Thor: Ragnarok Jessica Jones Star Wars The Walking Dead

As you can tell, Captain America is back in all his glory, and he’s brought a friend, Mjölnir. Steve McNiven’s work never disappoints, the movement is brilliant.

'The New York Times' Spoils Marvel's Secret Empire Ending

'The New York Times' Spoils Marvel's Secret Empire Ending

It is a fascinating move by Marvel to not give a quote to ‘The New York Times’ from the writer of Secret Empire, Nick Spencer. The guy received death threats over the book! Marvel either, didn’t trust ‘The New York Times’ or Spencer to represent the company properly. Instead, editor in chief Axel Alonso took the lead and defended the storyline.

“We understood the story would challenge readers, but we also know how it ended. We also thought the story had something important to say about democracy, freedom and the core American values that Captain America embodies. Any parallels to the current political climate have been coincidental. Marvel had no idea that Secret Empire would end “at a time when our country would be engaged in — let’s call it heated debate — about fascism,” said Alonso to ‘The New York Times.’

This announcement also comes on Jack Kirby’s 100th birthday (Is nothing sacred anymore?).


Are you glad Secret Empire is finally over? Comment below.

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Hearts Of Gold And Other Thoughts On Twin Peaks Part 16

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With only two episodes remaining, Twin Peaks heads toward its conclusion by waking up an important character and revealing that another may still be asleep. Tulpas and secrets emerge while a bloody and funny shootout offers a few moments of levity. But there are many questions left unanswered and puzzles left unsolved. Luckily, someone has entered the frame to unravel that which remains.

The Case

Bad Cooper and Richard Horne made their way to the coordinates Bad Coop’s been looking for since the beginning. But this was no heart-warming father/son trip. Although, I guess its possible they talked about things on the ride over. That would explain why Richard trusted Bad Coop enough to walk up the hill and climb the rock.

But the whole thing was a booby trap and we bid a not-so-fond farewell to Richard. Bad Coop admitted he was his father, but too little too late for that guy. Also, let’s not forget that Richard ran over the boy with Billy’s truck. Oblivion may have been too good an end for him.

Meanwhile in Vegas, Agent Dale B. Cooper finally woke up. Even Mike in the Another Place — notice how the show has avoided the concept of the Lodges entirely — had to breath a sigh of relief. Oh, and what a relief. He immediately sprang to life, setting Mike to creating a new Dougie, giving Bushnell the message for Gordon and using the Mitchum brother’s resources to get him to Twin Peaks. Man, it’s good to see Coop again.

At the same time, I was surprised by how touching his goodbye to Janey-E and Sonny Jim ended up being. There was always a part of Cooper which longed for something traditional and domestic. He hoped for a life like the one Dougie bumbled into. And I’m glad the show had enough time to reflect upon that. Hopefully the replacement Dougie will be a good man for the Joneses.

Also, Hutch and Chantal got the final scene they deserved.

The Updates

Audrey is in a coma. Or in a sanitarium. Or in Another Place. She finally arrived at the Road House in her attempt to find Billy. The Road House even acknowledged her presence by playing “Audrey’s Dance.” For a moment, she was that girl in the RR again. But a quick bar fight had Audrey return to her tentative, frightened state and we got a glimpse of her in a white room confronting a mirror.

So, let’s assume she’s in a coma. A twenty-five year coma means a lot of atrophy. The white room shot was composed with her standing, something she would not be able for many years after waking up from the coma, if at all. I know Twin Peaks plays fast and loose with things like that, but to miraculously walk away from a quarter-century of sleep requires magic.

Of course, I’m prepared to admit I’m wrong if we see her next week at the hospital with a phalanx of doctors stunned by her recovery. Which would echo Cooper waking up and tie them together once more.

Also, there is the possibility that the white room is also part of her dream state.

The Questions

  1. If Audrey was in a coma all this time, how does she know about Billy and Tina? Did the forces of the black & white Other Place fashion a reality to impart a message about Billy to her?
  2. Was Richard Horne part of the “Richard and Linda” the Fireman told Cooper about back in Part 1? If so, will Linda be required at the other set of coordinates Bad Coop is headed to?
  3. How does Cooper’s connection to Another Place work? He and Mike could pass items freely between one another without the need of a vortex. Does that mean Cooper is a vortex himself?
  4. How did Jerry get to the field? Based on the location Diane gave Bad Coop, it’s somewhere near Twin Peaks, but would three days of walking bring Jerry to that location? Also, is Jerry aware that he saw his nephew die?
  5. How did Randall Headley ever end up running the Las Vegas Bureau office?
  6. Are we on Day 6 or Day 7?

Not about Judy

Oh boy. So Diane was a tulpa all along. Well, not all along. As she revealed to Gordon, Bad Coop visited the real Diane Evans, raped her and took her to the Convenience Store to be replaced by a tulpa he could control. Which is just utterly repugnant, but also indicative of the way Twin Peaks treats women. I know Bad Cooper is meant to be evil and the core of the series is about the ugliness of rape, but there is a cavalier attitude to it sometimes. Which is something that should be noted; particularly when this season is complete and we have a whole story to examine.

But back in the episode, Bad Coop’s plan to use the Diane tulpa to kill Gordon, Albert and Tammy failed. It hearkens back to the story Albert told Tammy about the Blue Rose; right down to Diane saying “I’m not me.” It was a thrilling moment with one of the craziest vanishing acts witnessed on television. It also suggests the nature of these tulpas is not absolute. Which makes you wonder how much of the Diane we saw was the real Diane. In fact, you also have to wonder where she is.

Also, now that we know tulpas are made with the golden Phantasm balls — or “seeds” — I can’t help but think of the tulpa seed in Buenos Aires. It has to come back into play.

Hearts of Gold

Having Cooper back in the world is such a joy. Not just because it gets us closer to a resolution, but because of the way he views the world. His praise of Bushnell, his love for the Joneses, and even the way he regards the Mitchum brothers is so unlike so many television heroes. He was always odd. Recall how he came into Twin Peaks with equal amounts of authority and boyish wonder for the trees. But part of that oddness was a freedom of expression. He told people about their finer qualities and championed the better parts of those he encountered.

And now we find him in a limo with mobsters headed for a private jet, assuring the mobsters his friendship will cleanse them of certain sins. He even managed to get Candie to say something with confidence. That’s the Dale Cooper we know and love and it is sad that we’ll only get to see him again for two more hours.

What do you think? Did the show hold him back for too long? Add your thoughts in the comments below.

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Trailer: Liam Neeson Brings Down The President As ‘Mark Felt’

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Liam Neeson puts on a chilling performance as Mark Felt a.k.a. Deep Throat, the man who brought down President Richard Nixon in 1974. Felt did not reveal he was Deep Throat till 2005.

Sony Pictures released the first trailer for ‘Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House’ Monday morning, via EW.

About the film:
Liam Neeson stars in the film as the titular whistleblower who assisted journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein break news of President Nixon’s attempt to conceal White House involvement in the scandal, which involved the arrest of five men apprehended after breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters.

‘Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House’ is directed by Peter Landesman, and stars Liam Neeson, Diane Lane, Marton Csokas, Josh Lucas, Tony Goldwyn, Michael C. Hall, Tom Sizemore, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ike Barinholtz, Bruce Greenwood, Brian D’Arcy James, Kate Walsh, Noah Wyle, and Maika Monroe.

The hits the Toronto Film Festival first, and then theaters on September 29.


Do you think this film has Oscar potential? Comment below.

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REVIEW: ‘Game of Thrones’ S7E7 “The Dragon and the Wolf”

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It’s hard to think of a finale with a larger scope that Game of Thrones this season. The sheer scope of what this episode covers in “The Dragon and the Wolf” is insane. The season seven finale wraps up the main plots of this season, while setting up the final run. The first half of the episode lags, but the latter half includes some truly insane moments. This isn’t the finest episode of television, but for fans of the show, it is monumental.

The weakest element of the episode is what comes first. Bringing everyone together for a doomed truce is fairly boring. While it’s amusing to see everyone in matching black leather outfits, it isn’t very exciting. The best part of the reunion, in fact, is how little time it takes. What makes Game of Thrones fun is watching the characters plot against each other, not do Defenders-style team-ups.

Game of Thrones

What is interesting is the fallout of this alliance. Cersei in particular has a compelling twist in her motivations. Having Euron go to collect the Golden Company promises that this shoehorned alliance won’t last. Seeing the Lannister siblings get extended screen time, and watch them splinter, is intriguing. It’s that kind of interpersonal drama that makes Game of Thrones exciting to watch. Well, that and ice dragons.

The murder of Littlefinger was beyond satisfying to watch. The set-up to his death was infuriating, due to how deep the lead was buried. Game of Thrones had the Stark girls at each other’s throats, without a sign of reconciliation. How the two came together to resolve their differences is hard to say. However, Littlefinger has long been one of the most sinister plotters in the Seven Kingdoms. While we may miss Aidan Gillen, no one will miss Petyr Baelish.

Game of Thrones

Jon Snow’s parentage sets up interesting backstory for the upcoming final season. The actual reveal of Jon Snow being a Targaryen came last season. It’s a more interesting development now that he’s so close to the throne. The information may not change much, as Jon and Daenerys are already, uh, very close. Now that their relationship is so close and fairy tale-esqe, seeing it break could be interesting. Whether it be over the throne, or a disinterest in incest, Westeros’ new power couple is due for some drama.

Tied to Jon’s true heritage is the shocking twist of Rhaegar and Lyanna. The idea that the rebellion was founded upon a lie is shocking. The entire series, and every remaining plot point, stems from that misconception. How things might change if the rebellion is a falsehood is unclear, but for “The Dragon and the Wolf,” it is a phenomenal reveal.

The true strength of “The Dragon and the Wolf” is both what it wraps up and opens up. A strong finale should conclude season-long conflicts, while setting up the future. Jon and Dany are allies, the Stark sisters are family, and everyone will fight the Night King. Considering the Night King just Blue Eyes White Dragon’d the Wall, the conflict is imminent. I’ve never been a fan of the Game of Thrones zombie plot, but it should make for some incredible CGI fights.

All in all, this season was mostly based on fan service. That isn’t entirely a bad thing, however, because of what Game of Thrones has become. It’s now a huge event in pop culture, and has built a huge world for six years. The fact that the series is now delivering on its promises isn’t a negative. Yes, fans may look back and see this season as a weaker point. But the moments it gave fans make it special, and this episode perfectly encapsulates that. Plus, there’s no way this season was as bad as season five.

CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S REVIEW IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY!

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‘Rick and Morty’ Season 3 Episode 6 Review: Rest and Ricklaxation

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There Is No Ricklaxation For Rick and Morty!

Something magical is happening with Season 3 of Rick and Morty. Each episode is wilder and more thought-provoking than the last. This week’s episode titled “Rest and Ricklaxation” isn’t any different. There is no downtime in this Schwifty universe!

The cold open for “Rest and Ricklaxation” is one of the best to date. Morty overhears that his unrequited crush Jessica is finally single, so he goes in for the kill. Before he stumbles over his words, Rick rushes in and pulls Morty away for another adventure. What makes this one so great is what we don’t see. Before going on this mission, Morty makes complaints about missing out on his normal life. Rick promises that this would only take 20 minutes, but we see a title card saying “Six Days Later.” The duo looks rough and has obviously been through a grueling journey. So much for a quick “in and out” adventure.

In the first 5 minutes of the episode, you see the themes of character growth still applying. Season 3 is all about showing different sides to the familiar characters. Rick even admits for the first time that he wasn’t in control of a situation! Admitting something like that is something that would never occur in Season 1. This moment leads both of them to a complete mental break, and Rick calls for a vacation.

Sadly the restful break doesn’t last long.

“If I Can’t Trap You In A Toxic World, I’ll Make The Whole World Toxic”
-Toxic Rick

Rick and Morty end up in an alien day spa, and of course, Rick gets the pair into something dark. They go into detoxifier, which is just a horrific surreal toxic world. Things get split between the toxic and healthy version of the pair. Can’t help but think that things would be easier for them if they just want to a spa on Earth.

Since Rick and Morty’s good and bad qualities are split, the bad obvious try to take over. At first, they want to take over the bodies, but then it is the world. Toxic Rick is a liar, and that shocks the good Rick. It shows that even Rick has a side of him that ignores his bad qualities. Toxic Morty is the fragile and weak Morty that was prevalent in the first season. The “healthy” Morty is the badass and aggressive Morty the viewers see as of late. Funny to see how each pairing works when certain personality traits are gone.

There’s a battle of good and evil, but in the end, it teaches the lesson that both are needed. It isn’t a simple lesson to learn as the “good” Morty is still a little annoying. For once Rick seems to things together, and Morty is still trying to find his own. Oddly, finding his means, Morty uses his lack of conscience to be a stockbroker. Even with complete freedom, Morty is still annoying. Like father, like son.

Final Thoughts:

“Pickle Rick” remains the best episode of Season 3, but “Rest and Ricklaxation” is a close second. Everything feels dark and twisted, but with the fun edge that Rick and Morty provides. It also works as a standalone episode that explores darkness in all of us, but wouldn’t work if the season didn’t follow a theme of self-exploration.

Rick puts it correctly saying you need the bad parts to become a fully rounded person. They want to remove the negatives from themselves instead of just facing it head-on. While Rick stated in “Pickle Rick” that he doesn’t need therapy, his realizations this season are somewhat profound. He should go into business for himself with dark reality lessons.

The world of Rick and Morty can be so vast that “scaled back” episodes like this feel refreshing. The chemistry between these two is what the show is all about, and no matter how crazy things may get, it’s always good to see these two are constant.


What did you think of this episode of Rick and Morty?

Let me know your feelings below!

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Art and Charity With the Stars of Supernatural and The SPN Family

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Supernatural stars are calling on the SPN Family for aid. As Texas and Louisiana suffer under the heavy beat of Hurricane Harvey, the nonprofit known as Random Acts founded by Supernatural star Misha Collins has teamed up with another business founded by Supernatural star Jensen Ackles known as Family Business Beer Company. Together they are attempting to raise much needed funds for those who are going to need aid very soon due to being in the path of the storm.

Help Needed

Hurricane Harvey has done an abundance of damage. The flooding is starting to really take its toll on residents who were not able to evacuate. Currently on crowdrise.com is a Texas Flood and Hurricane Relief Fund promising to give 100% of the proceeds to victims in need cosponsored by Random Acts and Family Business Beer Company.

Saving People Isn’t Just the Day Job

The leads of Supernatural, Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles are native Texans and have their home bases and families there. As a displaced Texan I can’t help but want to bring light to what is happening.  In so many situations a little help from a lot of people goes a long way. Which is something that is not new to the actors that are a part of the 12 season show about to embark on its 13th season on October 12th on the CW network.

Random Acts and GISHWHES

Recently with the advent of the latest and last GISHWHES I explored the Random Acts charity. This nonprofit raises money for a variety of causes both locally and abroad. The website details all of the charity that has been committed in its name. Also it features people who have expanded the ideas of the charity in their own lives. It calls attention to the SPNFamily moniker as fans of the show have often called on the ‘family’ to help when others are in crisis.

Misha Collins Tweet

The SPN Family

One of the more interesting aspects of this is the fact that for years without a lot of fanfare or coverage the SPN Family has been practicing the preaching of their favorite characters of this television franchise.  When searching under the #SPNfamily twitter tag an abundance of charity has been taking place.  The fan base always striving to honor the family business of ‘saving people’ usually delivers in times of crisis.

SPNFamily Feed

Learn more about Random Acts and Family Business Beer Company. Also here is the link to give to the current Crowdrise fund for Texas Hurricane and Flood relief. Let’s get into the spirit of helping. Check your social media feeds. Retweet and share information to aid people needing help and needing to be rescued. Its the SPN Family way.

Have any SPN Family stories, please comment below.

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