Analyzing the Insane Clues of ‘American Horror Story: Cult’

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August 1, 2017

‘Cult’ Described As A “True American Horror Story.”

Showrunner Ryan Murphy is notoriously secretive about American Horror Story. The seventh season ‘Cult‘ is no different. This time though, Murphy is having fun dangling clues in front of fan’s faces. Trying to decipher everything from social media and the promo videos is challenging, but American Horror Story makes it an enthralling task.

Before we dive into the marketing and clues, let’s start with the plot/story. One of the very first things announced about this season is the political inspiration, the 2016 election in particular. Ryan Murphy plans to begin ‘Cult‘ on election night. It will feature Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, but no one will be playing them. “You’ll see them on television,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “The first 10 minutes of the season takes place in a very eerie macabre way on election night, and there’s something terrible that happens in the lives of our characters on election night as they’re watching it all go down.”

Little is known about what exactly happens, but it’s confirmed the season will focus on two characters named Kai (Evan Peters) and Ally (Sarah Paulson). Murphy has called the character’s romance as “a love story for the ages.” Will the terrible thing that happens during election night focus on them or something they do? Romeo & Juliet is a reference to love in ‘Murder House,’ but this seems a little more Sid and Nancy.

“We are one.”

This season’s marketing campaign has a heavy focus on not only bees but clowns as well. Looking at the bee motif, it makes sense with the cult theme. There is a “hive mentality” in cults, a term that stems from how bees work in a hive. There’s a collective consciousness with both bees and cults. The leader (queen) makes the decisions, while the workers follow those orders. With the cult theme, it’s easy to assume either Kai or Ally will play a cult leader while the other plays the doomed love interest. Ally being the leader would also fit into the “queen bee” idea. Interesting analogy even with how obvious it is.

Usually, the marketing doesn’t directly tie into the season, but one photo from Ryan Murphy’s Instagram proves there is a connection. Below is a behind-the-scenes photo from a production where bees are covering someone. This image was the last hint before the season title announcement, and many saw it as only a clue. Now with the trailers coming out, this could be a way the cult initiates or kills someone.

AHS last clue before this week’s TITLE reveal. Ideas?

A post shared by Ryan Murphy (@mrrpmurphy) on Jul 17, 2017 at 1:47pm PDT

“Fear is the answer.”

The addition of clowns is where things get weirder. This inclusion isn’t the first time showrunner Ryan Murphy sent in the clowns. One of the most infamous characters is Twisty The Clown from ‘Freak Show.’ There have even been rumblings of Twisty returning, but there are no sightings of him yet. But what’s different about every clown in the ‘Cult‘ promos is the sense of unity. Any time one speaks, they use the terms “we” or “us.” Some have a subtle difference in appearance, but there isn’t much variety in looks.

If all of these clowns are coming together, what is their purpose and what does the clown makeup represent? A theory is that the clowns are a symbol for the fools of society. Like a Jester in the Royal Court, the people who join the cult feel like fools for individuals in power. This ties into comments Ryan Murphy said about who the season plans to highlight. ‘Cult‘ will be about “people who don’t have a voice in our culture,” Murphy told THR. Adding, “People who are ignored by the current administration and who are afraid and feel terrorized that their lives are going to be taken away.”

Final Thoughts:

Now taking all of these clues and putting down a prediction: this clown cult represents a group of disenfranchised people, and they work together as a hive to bring their sick justice. Ally or Kai will be members or the leaders of this movement. Infamous American Horror Story character Twisty will serve as a muse for this group after seeing him depicted in a comic-book. Like the Alt-Right did with the Pepe Frog meme.

Expecting something a little supernatural to happen as every season of AHS does. There are talks of the leader being seen as a “healer,” so that could branch into the world of the supernatural. Although, ‘Cult‘ may involve less magic-realism than usual due to the grounded subject matter.

What is your theory on these clues? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

American Horror Story: Cult will star Evan Peters and Sarah Paulson.

The cast includes Emma Roberts, Frances Conroy, Adina Porter, Billy Eichner, Billie Lourd, Cheyenne Jackson, Lena Dunham, Colton Haynes, Mare Winningham and Leslie Grossman.

September 5th starts the 11-episode seventh season on FX Networks.

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‘American Gods’ Star Ian McShane Joins The ‘Hellboy’ Reboot

By

Kieran McLean

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August 1, 2017

If you had any doubts concerning the upcoming reboot, this should help calm them. According to The Hollywood Reporter, American Gods star Ian McShane has joined David Harbour (Stranger Things) in Hellboy: Rise Of The Blood Queen.

McShane will play Hellboy’s adoptive father, Professor Broom, in a film which will see the demonic character facing off against an ancient sorceress. THR also reports that the reboot will begin shooting in the UK and Bulgaria this September.

Directed by Neil Marshall, Hellboy: Rise Of The Blood Queen will see David Harbour take over as Hellboy, a role which previously belonged Ron Perlman.

For more updates follow Monkeys Fighting Robots and let us know what you think of McShane’s casting in the comments section below. Are you excited for this reboot?

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‘Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!’ Getting Western Theatrical Release

By

Aric Sweeny

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August 1, 2017

Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! was a nostalgia trip for longtime fans of the series. Seeing a release in Japan, the film topped charts and appealed to audiences with ages ranging, dare I say, far and wide. If you’re in the west, don’t worry – Fathom Events has teamed up with The Pokemon Company to bring their latest film to western audiences.

“Fathom Events and The Pokémon Company International bring the highly anticipated Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!to cinemas for a special two-night theatrical event. More details and tickets coming soon.”

The movie will be in theater on November 5 and 6, dubbed for both screenings. Exact locations have not been released yet.

Will you be checking out this theatrical release of Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!? Be sure to let us know in the comments section!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWTq8btBa7Y

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Here’s Your (Rumored) Bond 25 Title and Villain

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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August 1, 2017

News on Bond 25, the upcoming entry into the James Bond franchise, has been picking up steam recently, and today we may have gotten the title and the sort of villain Daniel Craig will be battling.

According to the report over at the U.K. gossip rag Mirror, of all places, Bond 25 will be called Shatterhand, which is allegedly based on a more recent 1999 novelization in the Bond canon, Never Dream of Dying. It was written by Raymond Benson, who picked up the mantle of the franchise after Ian Fleming. Here is a synopsis of that book:

James Bond, 007, finally comes face to face with his most cunning nemesis-the enigmatic blind criminal mastermind behind the sinister organization known only as the Union.

This little snippet of the story leads us to the villain, who will be blind if Shatterhand stays in the same vein of Never Dream of Dying.

Craig is returning, and relatively new French director Yann Demange, who has the upcoming drama White Boy Rick with Matthew McConaughey on the way. Christoph Waltz and Dave Bautista have also agreed to return.

Of course, this is all early rumor and speculation, so everything could change in the blink of an eye. We will see what happens when Bond 25 finally hits theaters in November 2019. We have some time.

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Review: ‘Crosswind’ Issue 2 – Body Switching Leads to Fun for All

By

Wesley Messer

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August 1, 2017

Right now I am in the midst of catching up with books, with one such book being Crosswind. I’d heard nothing but rave reviews about the series so I had to see this for myself. Gail Simone is a favorite writer of mine and somehow this managed to slip past me. Even with knowing the little bits I’d heard about it, I’m coming into this with fresh eyes. Since there are a lot of different reviews out there for Crosswind #1, I won’t be diving too much into that one. Instead, I will focus more on #2 in this catch up session. Welcome to the adventures of catching up with comics as I venture into the world of Crosswind. How will this fare in my eyes and will it differ from everyone else review wise? Only one to find out. On with the show.

Crosswind: It’s Freaky Friday but with a darker twist an deft sense of humor to the proceedings.

The simple premise to Crosswind is that – for unknown reasons – a housewife and a hitman switch bodies. We don’t know why they were chosen for this and all we know is it happened and let the fun begin. The first issue is getting to know our hitman, Cason and our housewife, Juniper. Simone from the start gives you all you need to connect with them and engage into their worlds. By the end you know just enough of their personalities and the supporting characters of their lives. Juniper has a messy family life and more and Cason has a similar but different sort of mess in his own life. When the body switch happens it sets the scene for the craziness within #2 and my goodness this book is brilliant.

As #2 begins, you see the after effects of the switch. Whoever did this still wants them to do what they need to do, or else. It’s unique and there’s many twists to that put us in directions that are unexpected, to say the least. Cason for example has skills that we never imagined and the same goes for Juniper. They use their skill sets in different ways than they did in their normal lives. Both lives have their dangers so to speak but they are good in their new situations. The neat thing with Juniper is that she was a writer until life happened. In the back matter for #1 we get a dark tale we don’t know the author of, but the second is Juniper’s writing. I get the feeling that more of Juniper’s writing and her frustrations will play a bigger role as time goes on.

Overall Crosswind is a strong series so far, yet I do have some mild complaints.

I do say Cason’s life is the one that’s intense but I’m not entirely connected to his world. It’s interesting to see that Cason’s world is more the crazy hitman lifestyle but I find Juniper’s world fascinating. I think it’s because you want to see Cason just run over everything and every bit of awful in Juniper’s life in her body. Yet I do like that Juniper has strangely started to adapt to Cason’s universe, it will be fun to see where that goes. Not fully sold yet on what’s happening in Cason’s universe but it’s a mild complaint at best. I do say Crucifix is a great character and a highlight in the Cason experience and it will be fun to see how Juniper as Cason interacts with him in the future.

Crosswind explores a lot in these two issues as to how these characters relate to one another. You would not think a housewife and a hitman would have so much in common, yet they do and it works well. It’s going to be fun to see how their worlds collide at some point and I can’t wait to see when it happens. I like where this is going so far and it will be interesting to see where this story goes in the issues to come. As we’ve only started to see the madness Gail Simone has in store for us with this tale. Yet now I get to dive deep into the wonders of this glorious art team. As Simone’s writing is amazing but this art team, this art team is incredible.

Between Cat Staggs illustration and Simon Bowland’s lettering, Crosswind is a beautiful book.

Where to begin with the art on Crosswind? Cat Staggs gives this series a feel unlike many series out there. What makes this so special is the way Staggs handles expressions. It’s dynamic and puts you that much more into the story. There is a lot of action but a lot of action happens in the emotions in Simone’s writing and the expressions of the characters. There’s also an immense amount of color work, subtle shades on the faces with brutal reds for other situations, and it works beautifully. Staggs is handling all of this and it looks mind blowing and it adds that next level feel to the proceedings here. Staggs has artwork that’s realistic, beautifully stylized, and absolutely wonderful. You got an engaging script, strong lettering from Simon Bowland, and gorgeous illustrations that make up the joyous experience that is Crosswind.

Crosswind: If you’re sleeping on this book, I would correct that mistake immediately.

I am with the choir on this one, Crosswind is off to a great start. Reading these two issues has made me a believer and it’ll be on my pull for many days to come. It’s brilliant, it’s wonderful, and you need Crosswind in your life. You won’t regret it.

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This Is Why Brie Larson Cares So Much About Her ‘Captain Marvel’ Role

By

Aric Sweeny

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August 1, 2017

Entertainment Weekly caught up with Captain Marvel actress Brie Larson, and got her to talk a bit on why she thinks the role is so important.

“It feels like such a weight off my shoulders because I really don’t like keeping secrets, and the response was really positive, and that felt really cool. I mean, making movies is hard, and making films of that size is even harder. It requires so much physically, and it’s a lot longer shoot, and there’s also the pressure because this is a character that is incredibly inspiring to people and means a lot. So you just want to get it right. I feel really excited about how everything is shaping up.”

Captain Marvel will be set in the 1990s, and is confirmed to feature Nick Fury. Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck with a script written by Nicole Perlman and Meg LeFauve, the picture will see Carol Danvers’ first ever film. March 8, 2019 is the release date.

Are you looking forward to Captain Marvel? Let us know in the comments below.

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The Lost Boys Turns 30: 80s Punk Rock Vampires Need A Comeback

By

Ruben Diaz

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August 1, 2017

Before vampires became mopey, self-hating, glowing pedophiles, director Joel Schumacher let loose The Lost Boys. The vampire story is a rare one by today’s standards. It oozes 80s punk rock aesthetic and attitudes. The monsters are monsters with little sympathy afforded to most of them. The Lost Boys is a raw horror story with a dose of comedy and plenty of attitude. It’s not a perfect movie by any stretch of the imagination. But The Lost Boys is the very definition of a cult classic. It’s endlessly quotable, features a pitch-perfect cast, and a great soundtrack. The Lost Boys earned every bit of its cult status.

A Look Back At The Lost Boys 30 Years Later

If you’re reading this and have never watched The Lost Boys then do yourself a favor and finish this article, click on a few more articles, then watch the movie. 🙂

The Lost Boys is the story of two brothers from Arizona, Sam (Corey Haim) and Mike (Jason Patric) who move out to a small fictional town in California by the name of Santa Clara with their recently divorced mother. Immediately, the city strikes Mike as weird when he sees “Murder Capital of the World” scribbled on the back of a billboard. As Sam and Mike explore their new surroundings, Mike is mesmerized by Star (Jamie Gertz), a beautiful young woman. Soon after, Mike meets Star’s controlling boyfriend David (Keifer Sutherland) who leads a small gang of hooligans. David, the hooligans, and Star turn out to be vampires.

**In any other movie, this scene wouldn’t be memorable. However, in The Lost Boys, the moment is elevated to unforgettable status.**

After a dark prologue featuring David as a mysterious, brooding man in black, The Lost Boys moves into a family-friendly ride with Mike, Sam, and mom Lucy (Dianne Wiest). However, the moment Mike sees an ominous message scrawled on the back of the billboard, the film cements its tone. A cover of The Doors’ “People Are Strange” by Echo and the Bunnymen kicks in for a minute of establishing this weird little town. And the sequence flows into the start of Mike’s journey with Star.

Mike sees the alluring Star at an outdoor concert. Schumacher interlaces shots of head banging crowds all listening to a band doing a cover of “I Still Believe” by The Calls. In any other movie, this scene wouldn’t be memorable. However, in The Lost Boys, the moment is elevated to unforgettable status. The lead singer of the band is a sweaty, shirtless body builder pretending to play the saxophone. Bulging sweet bombs for arms pump out towards the crowd while “Sexy Sax Man,” as he’s come to be known, gyrates and roars “I STILL BELIEVE!”

Soon after falling for Star, Mike meets David played with a luscious badassery by Sutherland. In every look and grin from Sutherland, there is a depth that spirals down into a monster. Unlike Louis from Interview with a Vampire or Edward Cullen or Angel, David LOVES being a vampire. Buffy fans won’t be surprised to learn that Whedon acknowledged Sutherland’s character as inspiration for Spike years later.

Fun Fact: Whedon credits The Lost Boys with a lot, including the vampires morphing from man to monster.

The main plot thread of The Lost Boys is David’s attempts to sire Mike and lure him to the dark side. However, Sam plays the counter, trying to retain his brother’s humanity. Haim’s Sam is helped by Edgar and Allen Frog, two serious geeks who know all about the vampires behind Santa Clara. Edgar Frog, played by Corey Feldman, marks the first pairing of the Coreys on film. Feldman channeled every 80s action star into a gruff kid that takes himself too seriously but for all the right reasons. Jamison Newlander as Allen Frog doesn’t say much but accentuates everything Feldman does with sneers, nods, and crossed arms.

For two acts the film plays like the love child of Near Dark and Goonies, and there is a reason for that. Initially, the script for The Lost Boys was designed to be a sort of Goonies with vampires. Sutherland’s David, dripping with a delicious syrup of nefarious was supposed to be a pre-teen. Schumacher changed all that when he was brought in to direct. The American director added the darker elements and used the low budget to his advantage when he conceived of the unsettling “first-person” flying instead of consistently showing the people themselves flying around.

On the downside, sure, the movie’s plot is razor thin. The ending sequence and “twist” are the weakest parts. It’s perhaps the one section of the film where the disparity between pre-teen adventure comedy and stylized horror movie collide instead of compliment. However, it doesn’t matter because of the strengths of the movie, like many Schumacher films, are the director’s sense of style and Sutherland’s David which is angsty villainy at its best.

Happy 30th birthday to The Lost Boys. Like the immortal beings in the film, the movie has aged well.

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Marvel Announces ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp’ Production With Tiny Video

By

Matthew Sardo

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August 1, 2017

Marvel Studios announced today that production has begun on ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp,’ the studio released a tiny video to go along with the press release.

About the film:
In the aftermath of “Captain America: Civil War,” Scott Lang 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 and Dr. Hank Pym 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.

‘Ant-Man and The Wasp’ stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Peña, Michael Douglas, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, Abby Ryder Fortson, Tip “T.I.” Harris, and David Dastmalchian.

The sequel up the states with new cast members Michelle Pfeiffer, Laurence Fishburne, Hannah John-Kamen, Walton Goggins, and Randall Park.

Peyton Reed directs from a screenplay by Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers, Andrew Barrer & Gabriel Ferrari, and Paul Rudd.

‘Ant-Man and The Wasp’ hits theaters on July 6, 2018.

What do you think of the plot? Comment below.

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Hayley Atwell Talks Agent Carter’s Cancellation And Her MCU Future

By

Jonathan Bruce

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August 1, 2017

All good things must come to an end at some point.This was the case for Marvel’s Agent Carter, which got canceled last year after two seasons. While receiving critical praise, the show struggled in terms of ratings.

Series star Hayley Atwell opens up about why it got the axe. While promoting Howard’s End, Atwell tells IGN how studio politics led to the show’s fate. It turns out to have been a business decision in the end.

“You know Marvel and all the creatives behind the making of the show loved it,” she says. “And we loved it. We all loved making it. It was a network political thing. They wanted to put me in something mainstream [Conviction] to get their ratings up rather than something that was more genre specific. There were a lot of economic decisions behind it, and I wasn’t a part of the conversation.”

Atwell admits the cancellation did come as a shock. “So we were all really surprised about that because we kind of got the sense that people were liking it,” she says. “It had this cult following.”

Agent Carter "A Little Song and Dance" — Peggy and Chief Sousa dancing up a storm

Atwell still hopes to reprise her role in the MCU. Although Peggy dies in Civil War, she did appear in Winter Soldier and Age of Ultron. During the Ant-Man prologue, Atwell made an appearance as a 60-ish Peggy. Using this logic, she can play her from youth to middle age.

“I’d love to see [Peggy] more in films,” she says. “I’d love to see her in her own film. And if we can keep evolving it so that she does new things so that I can surprise myself and she can keep surprising me then I’d love to do it.

“The fact that we know that she lives until the age of 96 means that technically I could be employed for the rest of my life, you know.”

Were you a fan of ‘Agent Carter?’ Sound off in the comments below.

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“Wonder Woman 2” 2019 Release Date in A Month of Female-led Projects

By

Jen Schiller

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August 1, 2017

While DC was keen to confirm a sequel to their smash hit Wonder Woman at last month’s Comic-Con, they didn’t announce Wonder Woman 2‘s release date until a few days ago. Thanks to Deadline, we know that the film is currently set for a release date of December 13th, 2019.

Delayed Gratification?

The 2019 date seems pretty far off, but fans of Diana won’t have to wait that long to see her on the big screen once more. Wonder Woman joins the Justice League this fall on November 19th. Prince (Gal Gadot) has already more than proven her staying power in her record-breaking solo film. Director Patty Jenkins got much of the credit for the film’s popularity. No director has signed on for the sequel yet.

Wonder Woman and the Wonder of Leading Women

Idina Menzel (Frozen) and Kristen Chenowith (American Gods) originated the roles of Elphaba and Galinda, respectively

Wonder Woman 2‘s release date comes just one day before the long-anticipated film adaptaion of Wicked. The latter, produced by Universal, is based on Broadway’s second-most popular musical of the same name, which itself was adapted from Gregory Maguire’s novel. Wicked tells the story of the Wizard of Oz from a different perspective: through the eyes of the Wicked Witch herself. Elphaba (the wicked witch’s proper name), her sister Nessa Rose and Galinda (not a spelling error) all go to school together. The story rounds out all three characters with deep backstories and political agendas. Winnie Holzman (book) and Stephen Schwartz (score) wrote both the musical and film.

So we have superheroes, witches, and apparently a princess or two. Disney’s unnamed fairy tale project rounds out December 2019 with a variety of powerful women. Here’s hoping all three projects will hire female creators, as well.

Based on characters from DC comics, Wonder Woman 2 is produced by Warner Brothers Studios.

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