A Message For All DCEU Fans: Relax Guys, The World Isn’t Ending

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August 24, 2017

The past 72 hours of DCEU news has been a literal clusterfuck. There’s no other word to describe it: clusterfuck is the most fitting. In fact I can actually describe what kind of clusterfuck this is. It’s a clusterfuck full of epileptic, blind goats trying to recite the pledge of allegiance while gargling gravel.

Nobody knows what’s going on, and nobody is looking good.

Warner Bros. isn’t doing any damage control. The entertainment sites/journalist can’t go five minutes without contradicting themselves in every article released. Everybody is losing their damn minds because nobody seems to know what is actually going on. And I can barely get through this paragraph without slamming half a bottle of whiskey in one gulp.

It’s a frustrating situation, to say the least. And I’m not going to try and explain what is happening because I can barely wrap my head around it. Lord knows there will be a dozen articles dissecting every statement, Tweet, and fart anyone at Warner Bros. makes.

But, here’s what I am going to do: I’m going to ask you a question.

Why Do You Care?

I’m not asking that to be dismissive, or cynical, and I’m definitely not trying to trivialize the importance of these films. Because they are important to millions of fans and audiences. I love superhero movies, and I love the DCEU. Yes, I love Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Suicide Squad and I don’t feel even remotely guilty for liking them. To top it all off, Wonder Woman is my favorite superhero movie of all time because it offered an emotional connection I hadn’t felt in any Marvel movies since Spider-Man 2.

So, I’m not asking “why do you care about these movies?” I’m asking, “why do you care about the noise surrounding these movies?” Think about your answer for a second, because I think I know. You care because you are passionate about these movies. You’re passionate about what happens because you want to share your passion with everybody. And you want the news surrounding these movies to be good.

So, it’s completely understandable to be upset when it seems like all you’re getting is bad news.

It Seems Worse Than It Is

Passion is what makes fandom and entertainment a beautiful community, but as any high school counselor will tell you: passion can also lead to disaster. It’s easy to let your passions become anxiety, fear, and doubt. Nobody wants to see a bad movie, and nobody wants to make a bad movie either. But, we let these stories get in our heads, and we assume the worst. Negativity leads to more visceral reactions, which leads to more clicks, and the only thing that’s really changed is the minute hand on the clock.

And during all this doubt and anxiety about these movies, communication just breaks down and we all become really defensive and accusatory: Warner Bros. isn’t doing damage control. Biased journalists are trying to shit on a franchise because they didn’t like a few movies in it. Rotten Tomatoes is full of Disney bought hacks. The fans are visceral and ungrateful.

And the whole thing is just fucking exhausting.

But, I’m here to offer you all some advice from my favorite novel.

Don’t Panic

I said in the title that the DCEU world isn’t ending, and I know that it isn’t. Because at the end of the day, we don’t really know what’s going on. Even after all the news, and speculation all we know for certain is that Justice League is coming out in November, and Aquaman is coming out a year later. You might think that it’s a bad thing to not know, but I argue that I’d rather be surprised. Do you really want to know everything about all the DC movies coming out? It would ruin the joy of seeing them for the first time.

I guess all of this is a very fucking long winded way of saying, “let’s not take this so fucking seriously.”

Now I’m going to give you three bits of advice that help me not get swept up in all of this entertainment journalism bullshit:

1. A Movie Does Not Exist Until A Trailer is Released

Say it out loud: “A Movie Does Not Exist Until A Trailer is Released!” Tattoo that on your ass if you have to because it’s vital for surviving these reports. Thousands of movies go into development, and not all of them become real movies. That’s not confirmation that it is for sure happening. All that means is that some people met up said, “yeah sure, let’s try and make it,” and the studio responded with “go nuts!” Half of these announcements could be dead in the water tomorrow.

2. You do not have to apologize for your film preferences

This advice doesn’t just go to the DCEU fans. I’m sure there are still fans of the Michael Bay Transformers movies. They’re not wrong for still wanting to see them. I hated Alien Covenant, but nobody is wrong for liking it. A movie is a wonderful form of entertainment, but it’s just a movie. It is escapism, and you can’t dismiss someone for passionately loving their escapism. And no-one can judge you for what your favorite movies are. What matters is how you communicate your love for your favorite films, and how you communicate why you don’t like other films. Nobody’s asking you to be perfect, but just try to keep an open mind as to why a movie you love didn’t speak to someone, and vice-versa.

3. your life is more important than a film franchise

Don’t worry, I’m not trying to get sentimental on ya, but what I’m saying is true. Your life is more important than a film franchise. It’s more important than who stars in it, more important than who creates it, and it’s absolutely more important than who reports on it. Your world is bigger than a movie’s; allow yourself to live in it.

After you finish reading this article, shut down your computer and put your phone away. When you do that, do something else, anything else for at least two hours. I don’t care what it is: Take a walk. Watch your favorite movie. Watch a movie you’ve never seen before. Try Thai food. If you like Thai food, make your unadventurous cousin try it. Go to a bar with your friends, and meet new people.

In those two hours, you’ll be away from the nonstop world of entertainment journalism, and you might miss something important. A huge news bomb about the future of the entire DCEU. The final say on Batfleck. Whether or not Green Lantern will actually be in Justice League

That’s okay.

Because, I promise you three things: the world will keep turning, the sun will shine, and there is somebody on this earth who is very happy you’re alive.

The fate of a film franchise can never take that away from you.

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Reminder: ‘Death Note’ Comes To Netflix Tomorrow

By

Aric Sweeny

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August 24, 2017

Adam Wingard’s live-action Death Note film hits Netflix tomorrow, August 25.

Coming in at 1 hour and 40 minutes, this movie is an interpretation of the hit anime that originally was released in 2006.

“Light Turner finds a supernatural notebook and uses it to mete out death, attracting the attention of a detective, a demon and a girl in his class.”

Monkeys Fighting Robots was fortunate enough to get a review screener of the film. One of our film critics, EJ Moreno, had some good things to say about the picture. His review is available here.

Moreno scored Death Note with a solid 3.5/5, meaning there was definitely more positives than negatives for him.

Are you looking forward to Death Note on Netflix? If not, what are you worried about in regards to its live-action interpretation? Sound off in the comments below.

The movie features Nat Wolff, Margaret Qualley, Lakeith Stanfield, Shea Whigham, Paul Nakauchi, with Willem Dafoe.

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‘Menashe’ Review: A Powerful Tale About A Single Father

By

Dewey Singleton - Film Critic

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Unconventional cinematography and a powerful storyline make Menashe a must watch.

Summary

The narrative is about Menashe and his desire to raise his son, Rieven, following the untimely passing of his wife. Now to some this may seem the basis of a mundane plot but in the Hasidic Jewish community this is forbidden (kids are to be raised in a two parent household). Part of him seems to agree with the rule as these community standards are rooted in years of tradition. However, when confronted with the realization that he could be out of his son’s life forever- he’s faced with the tough choice of adhering to the rule (quickly remarry not allowing for any time to grieve), surrendering custody of his son to his brother-in law, or leaving the community that has defined most of his life.

What Worked

Director Joshua Z Weinstein’s style of filmmaking allowed the audience to feel as if they were right in the heart of the story watching this drama unfold. Weinstein’s background is in documentaries, and even though this was his first ever feature, he didn’t abandon his cinematic roots. Most of the 81-minute film is shot from extremely odd angles giving the cinematography a feeling of imperfection, but that was that very thing which made the film seem too real. Life isn’t full of perfect vantage points and amazing lighting. By not getting worked up about each shot, it allowed the audience to feel as if they were eavesdropping on these private discussions. Yoni Brook and Weinstein both were crucial to the success of this release.

The structure of the narrative was unconventional as well. While most releases have more of a linear story to tell (beginning and an end), this film is more like a series of events that loosely connect to the untimely passing of Menashe’s wife.

Loved that most of the film was spoken in Yiddish (with subtitles) which just enhanced the authenticity of the narrative.

Menashe Lustig’s portrayal of the title character was quite endearing. While clearly, his life is a complete mess, there is no denying how much he loves his son. The question becomes if his love runs deep enough that he’d be willing to step up and raise him even if it means walking away from his community.

Overall

Menashe doesn’t seek to answer any questions nor does it paint the world as being full polka dots and moon beams. Weinstein’s film asks the tough question: Can religion dictate what is best for your child? What’s great is that he allows the audience to formulate their own opinion on the matter. This is one of those films that audiences should seek out and give a shot this weekend.

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HBO Boldly Renews ‘ROOM 104’ For A Second Season

By

Matthew Sardo

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August 24, 2017

HBO announced Thursday, the company has renewed the anthology series ROOM 104 for a second season after only four episodes in on the first season. The series premiered on July 28. Created by Jay and Mark Duplass, the show tells tales of the characters who pass through a single room of a typical American chain motel, ranging from comedy to drama to horror.

“We can’t remember the last time we had so much fun making something. We’re excited to go even further down the rabbit hole with this show,” said Jay and Mark Duplass in a statement.

With only 31 full season reviews in, the series is sitting at an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes.

The first season runs 12-episodes and starred Hugo Armstrong, Davie-Blue, Melonie Diaz, Jay Duplass, Veronica Falcon, Adam Foster, Ellen Geer, Keir Gilchrist, Philip Baker Hall, Sarah Hay, Poorna Jagannathan, Orlando Jones, Ethan & Gavin Kent, Amy Landecker, Konstantin Lavysh, Sameerah Luqmaan-Harris, Keta Meggett, Natalie Morgan, Ross Partridge, Karan Soni, Dendrie Taylor, Tony Todd, Will Tranfo, James Van Der Beek, Mae Whitman, and Nat Wolff.

ROOM 104 tells a story of everyday people striving for connection and meaning each week, with the tone, the characters and the era changing every time.

No casting or production schedule announcements were made for season two.

Are you a fan of ‘ROOM 104,’ do you have a favorite episode so far? Comment below.

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Lady Gaga Documentary Coming To Netflix

By

Matthew Sardo

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August 24, 2017

Netflix announced Thursday morning the release of ‘Gaga: Five Foot Two’, an intimate and unfettered portrait of a year in the life of Lady Gaga. The documentary was also selected to premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. ‘Gaga: Five Foot Two’ will hit TIFF and Netflix on the same day, September 22.

“I had a rare opportunity to create a portrait of an artist with such an open heart and mind. I feel really lucky that Gaga trusted me and my vision,” said director Chris Moukarbel.

“I’m excited for people to really get to know the woman I work with every day. She’s one of the hardest working, most genuine, and truly hilarious people in the world,” said Lady Gaga’s manager Bobby Campbell.

About ‘Gaga: Five Foot Two’:
Filmmaker Chris Moukarbel (Banksy Does New York) pulls back the curtain to introduce the woman behind the performer, the costumes, the glitz and the glamour. Off-stage, in the studio, unplugged and at home, audiences get an unguarded glimpse at Gaga through a series of personal highs and lows and the culmination of a year’s emotional journey. From struggles with relationships to health issues, from finding solace in her inner circle to conquering her insecurities, Gaga: Five Foot Two navigates the divide between life as a superstar and life as an everyday woman.

The Netflix original documentary ‘Gaga: Five Foot Two’ is directed by Chris Moukarbel and produced by Heather Parry for Live Nation Productions, Bobby Campbell for Mermaid Films, and Moukarbel. The documentary is Executive Produced by Michael Rapino, Kim Ray, Lisa Nishimura, and Benjamin Cotner.

Are you excited for the Lady Gaga documentary? Comment below.

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EXCLUSIVE: Desmin Borges Talks ‘You’re The Worst,’ ‘Preacher,’ & Food

By

Jon Barr - TV Editor

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August 24, 2017

Desmin Borges plays Edgar Quintero on the FXX anti-rom-com YOU’RE THE WORST. He also plays Carlos on PREACHER and John on THE GUEST BOOK. Desmin talks about S4 of YTW, working with Michaela Watkins, the food in Albuquerque, and the “Smooth Edgar.”

Continue

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Exclusive Interview: Donny Cates On His Upcoming ‘Thanos’ Book

By

Anthony Composto - EIC

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August 24, 2017

Donny Cates made a splash early this year with God Country at Image Comics. By July, he was signed to an exclusive deal at Marvel, and will be taking over both Thanos and Doctor Strange in November. MFR had the chance to talk with the writer and learn a little about his plans.

Cates began by talking about how he got the Marvel gig, and how far into his series he is:

I’ve been working on Thanos for a while now. I’m actually on like the fourth issue or so, and – Dr. Strange – I’m into it a little bit as well. This is, by the way, really odd for me. This is the first interview I’ve done since I’ve done this, and so I’m I’m still in like that “don’t say anything” mode. So it’s weird for me to hear my own voice saying I’m writing Thanos out loud. I had turned in a few scripts, and you know I don’t really know what the decision on their end was to put a ring on it, but I was having a great time. I mean all my editors are great. so far I mean it’s just been fantastic.

He continued by saying how “crazy” he’s going with his scripts:

…everything I’ve pitched so far they’ve gone for, and I have just been pitching the most bananas stuff. Things that I just thought not in a million years they would ever let me do. And they’ve just been like “yeah it’s great.” So I don’t know, maybe it was just that maybe they responded to me getting in there and taking a lot of really crazy chances and trying to do some stuff that – as a Marvel fan myself – I’ve never really seen before and things that I’ve kind of wanted to do for a really long time. So I don’t know. So far so good though.

Doctor Strange Donny Cates — ‘Doctor Strange’ #381, Cates’ first issue. Art by Gabriel Walta and Jordie Bellaire.

A major discussion in comics right now is how far writers can stretch their characters before something breaks. Peter Parker and Steve Rogers have both caused their fair share of controversy in the past year, with some fans feeling they’ve lost their essence. We asked Cates how far he could go with Doctor Strange and Thanos before they ceased to be themselves. He couldn’t say much about Strange, however, as it seems he’s going to try to test the limits on that book:

Well, OK, so on Doctor Strange, you’re not going to understand right now why I can’t really answer that question. But in October, you’ll understand. You’ll come back to this and say, “oh that’s why he was being dicey about that.” Because, you know, I don’t think it’s a secret at this point that in Doctor Strange we have a bit of a new status quo. Loki is the Sorcerer Supreme. And where we find the good doctor when my run picks up is a very unusual place. A place we’ve never seen him before. And if I were to run my mouth off right now and talk about all the things you couldn’t do with Dr. Strange, you would read that issue and go “Well you’re a liar, like you’ve just turned the apple cart upside down.”

Cates was able to elaborate on the Mad Titan, though:

I will say, on Thanos, it’s going to be a lot easier for me to answer. Thanos is a character that I’m kind of weirded out how much I connect to him and how much I kind of understand his character. I keyed into what makes him tick kind of right away. It’s like, when you read a Marvel comic book or a DC comic book on that first page is the recap page or the title page, There’s always that little blurb above the character. You know, on Spider-Man, it’s “Peter Parker got bit by a radioactive spider and now he saves the day, blah blah blah,” right? On Thanos, the little blurb above his says, “he’s constantly consumed with a thirst for power and conquest.” That’s all it says. And I was like, well that’s pretty easy. Like I get that, you know?

“Thanos Triumphant”, the start of Cates’ tenure on the book.

…what can you take away from Thanos? I mean the cool thing to me about Thanos is that, as far as bad guys in the Marvel U, no one has ever come closer to just winning than Thanos. I mean he did, right? He got the Infinity Gems and he killed half of all people in the galaxy…like, in existence right? And Thanos’ biggest bad guy is not any of the heroes. It’s Thanos. He always slips up on himself, right? And so what we’re going to be doing is imagining a world in which Thanos doesn’t trip himself up and he just does it.

Cates’ indie titles have been so popular with readers because he infuses them with his own experiences. They’re relatable. But is that easier to achieve with creator owned works? We asked him if he’s pulling from his own life for his Marvel books as well.

It’s hard not to. For me at least. There are certain themes in Thanos and Doctor Strange both that I’ll be able to speak to a lot more when the issues come out. They’re still so shrouded in mystery of what we’re doing, you know? But certainly, in both of those books, there’s big chunks of my life, big chunks of things that I’ve been through that I’ve been able to bring into it. Luckily enough, the two stories that I’ve been lucky enough to tell (so far – the ones you know about) have both kind of tapped into things that I’ve very much felt at the time.

Thanos’ constant quest for power and this notion that throughout the years he’s reached the top of the mountain and looked out and said “is this it? is this all this is going to be? I’ve gotten where I want to be and it’s not enough.” Well certainly as someone who, at the beginning of 2017, was a creator that no one cared about and then God Country came out and suddenly by June had an exclusive contract with Marvel, which is something that I’ve wanted my entire life, you know certainly those feelings of getting what you want and looking out and being like “that was faster than I thought it was going to take.” Like, what happens now? What do I want now that I have the thing that I wanted, you know?

And again I’ll be able to speak to these kind of themes and specific tones and things that I’m going to bring through once people start to read them. Thanos and Doctor Strange both have very different tones. Thanos is always going to be very big and very epic. I mean it’s hard to step in the shoes that Jim Starlin filled and not want to go as big and as brutal and as epic as possible. And then Doctor Strange, while he has all of those elements as well, this particular Doctor Strange has a very different kind of tilt to it. So I think that when you read Doctor Strange you’ll get what I’m talking about. You’ll read it and go, “OK, Donny is going through some shit here.”

Cates’ tenure at Marvel begins in Thanos #13 and Doctor Strange #381. You can listen to the full interview, where we talk more about Marvel PLUS, Donny’s creator-owned work, on this week’s episode of The Comic Show.

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This Is How You Make A Trailer: ‘BoJack Horseman’ Season Four

By

Matthew Sardo

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August 24, 2017

Netflix released the trailer for Season Four of ‘BoJack Horseman’ Thursday afternoon and future filmmakers should take note, this is how you make a trailer.

There’s a song, a story, and punchline. Even if you don’t watch the series the trailer is engaging and makes you watch till the end.

Creator Raphael Bob-WaksbergAbout gives you the inside scoop on BoJack Horseman Season Four:
Bam boom, BoJack Horseman season four synopsis, here we go. Okay, so this season is full of all the things people love about their favorite depressed talking horse. First of all, you’ve got BoJack himself, who is up to his old tricks. Then you have Princess Carolyn, who is one cool cat. While Princess Carolyn toys with the idea of starting a family, BoJack has family issues of his own. This season, on BoJack Horseman. Meanwhile, Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter have family issues of their own. You might say their marriage is “in a pit,” if you know what I mean (which you won’t, until you watch the season). Meanwhile Todd has issues of his own — as he explores his own evolving sexual identity and also in some episodes doesn’t do that. Oh! And Mr. Peanutbutter’s running for governor now; I forgot to mention that, that’s important. Also, in one episode BoJack wears a new hat! Bet you want to tune in to see that new hat, huh? Okay, I lied, there’s no new hat. I just really want you to watch the new season of BoJack Horseman!

‘BoJack Horseman’ returns to Netflix on September 8.

Are a fan of ‘BoJack Horseman,’ what is your favorite episode? Comment below.

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‘Last Flag Flying’ Trailer: Richard Linklater’s Spiritual Sequel to ‘The Last Detail’

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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August 24, 2017

All Richard Linklater does is make fantastic American movies, time and time again. Witness his latest, Last Flag Flying, starring Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, and Laurence Fishburne.

Even this trailer gave me all the feels. Check it out:

In Richard Linklater’s lyrical road movie, as funny as it is heartbreaking, three aging Vietnam-era Navy vets—soft-spoken Doc (Steve Carell), unhinged and unfiltered Sal (Bryan Cranston), and quietly measured Mueller (Laurence Fishburne)—reunite to perform a sacred task: the proper burial of Doc’s only child, who has been killed in the early days of the Iraqi Invasion. As this trio of old friends makes its way up the Eastern seaboard, Linklater gives us a rich rendering of friendship, a grand mosaic of common life in the USA during the Bush era, and a striking meditation on the passage of time and the nature of truth. To put it simply, Last Flag Flying is a great movie from one of America’s finest filmmakers.

What a cast, what a director. Last Flag Flying is based on a book from Darryl Ponicsan, who also wrote The Last Detail. Both films have similar storylines, and this looks as good if not better than Hal Ashby’s 1973 film.

Last Flag Flying will premiere opening night of the New York Film Festival, and it will hit theaters November 3.

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Yes, George R. R. Martin Watches ‘Game of Thrones’

By

Joseph Rejent

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August 23, 2017

George R. R. Martin was shocked recently to learn that he didn’t watch Game of Thrones, according to EW.

A large number of media outlets reported on Wednesday that the author did not watch the television adaptation of his popular A Song of Ice and Fire series. Among these were publications of repute, such as the New York Post. One article even directly attributed the sentence “I don’t watch Game of Thrones” to Martin in its very title.

While the series has stirred conflict amongst fans of the source material for years, this is not the case.* When EW reached out to Martin, he claimed that this information was utterly false, and attributed the misconception to poor translations of an interview he gave while attending a convention in Russia. He did, however, express that his trip abroad had caused him to fall behind on the show.

*(Admittedly, as a huge fan of A Song of Ice and Fire, the author of this article finds the show far more palatable when considered to be a work of fan fiction rather than an adaptation. As a show, it mostly succeeds, but without much of the intelligence, subtlety, or general masterful storytelling and genre revision which are hallmarks of the original material. Game of Thrones is simultaneously great television and a truly terrible adaptation.)

There have been rumors that Martin is displeased with Game of Thrones for some time, and while it is likely true that he is not thrilled that the show is telling his story before he gets to (in a very simplified, if different, way), when one considers how frequently he surrounds himself with the cast, crew, and creators of the show, it becomes apparent that this is false. Would Martin run the show differently? That is almost certain. But to paint a picture of an author boycotting an adaptation of his own work, as many publications have done, is to twist his words (or mistranslations of his words) into something with no resemblance to the truth.

The way the media has treated George R. R. Martin has been extremely unfair, and publications of alleged repute, such as the New York Post, should be held to a higher standard.

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