Foster The People’s Sacred Hearts Club Is A Rocking Good Album

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Foster The People are one of North America’s most eclectic bands. Ever since the 2011 hit “Pumped Up Kicks”, many felt the group would just be a one-hit wonder. Yet their third album- Sacred Hearts Club– looks to change all that.

Sacred Hearts Club is a great combination of rock, soul, hip hop and psychedelia in just under 42 minutes. There’s even R&B and new wave influences on several songs. Frontman Mark Foster’s lyrics and Mark Pontius’ stellar drumbeats are among the album’s highlights.

This record also marks the official debut of Sean Cimino on lead guitar and Ison Innis on keyboards. They are longtime associates of Foster, and they were live musicians on the band’s earlier tours. Both get ample opportunity to step up and showcase their skills, especially Cimino who takes over from ex-guitarist Cubbie Fink.

Foster The People are artists who try not to repeat themselves musically or stylistically. Their debut record, Torches, is heavy on alternative rock, but the followup Supermodel goes in the direction of a psychedelic concept album. Luckily, Sacred Hearts Club is neither Torches 2 or another concept album.

The album begins with “Pay the Man”, and what a unique song it is. Far from a poppy sound, the track gives off a funky mix of hip hop and indie rock. Foster’s vocals are soft yet nuanced, giving off the vibe of a soul singer. While it is not a rocker, this is a stellar song in its own right. “Pay the Man” ought to be the band’s next single.

“Doing It For The Money” deftly fuses hip hop grooves with rock. The listener can almost feel the meshing of two genres within the track, but it does not come off as artificial or strange.

One of the most challenging songs is the club-inspired “Loyal Like Sid and Nancy.” Here, Foster’s rap-like vocals does not mesh with the EDM sound. While this song could work in a club, it is far from being house music. That being said, Pontius does a solid job with the drum beat. Although it’s neat the band are experimenting, the end result feels disjointed from the rest of the album.

Another good song to take in is “Six Next To Me”, because it combines R&B and new wave together. The band’s vocal harmonies give off a Beach Boys vibe. Indeed, Brian Wilson is one of Foster’s major inspirations as a singer and songwriter.

Sacred Hearts Club is one of Foster The People’s best efforts. Foster, Pontius, Innis and Cimino seem to have found their niche in the alternative and indie categories. some still call them the “Pumped Up Kids” in reference to their first hit, but they’re doing just fine. This is an album that is worth listening to.

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David Ayer Still Directing Gotham City Sirens

By

Roman Colombo

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July 27, 2017

Despite Mashable’s news that David Ayer may no longer be directing the Gotham City Sirens film, Ayer seems to be debunking that announcement in a great way:

pic.twitter.com/F0kcUSjeRy

— David Ayer (@DavidAyerMovies) July 27, 2017

Sirens may not have been part of the Warner Bros.’ Hall H panel at SDCC, but with Margo Robbie producing, it is still part of the DCEU schedule. In fact, it might come out before Suicide Squad 2. Though the first Suicide Squad was generally hated by both fans and critics, Robbie’s take on Harley Quinn was a hit. Robbie is so enthusiastic for the character that the entire project came together because she offered to produce a Harley Quinn film, which transformed into Sirens.

Hopefully, Gotham City Sirens will have less studio interference than Suicide Squad suffered from. Warner Bros. seems to be investing a lot in Harley, with not only Sirens in development, but also Suicide Squad 2 and Harley Quinn V Joker.

With the success of Wonder Woman and fan love for Harley Quinn, the DCEU might be led by female characters—which would be awesome.

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Comic Show: X-Men Get A Soule, Lemire Hammers, Doom Patrol – Good or Garbage?

By

Matthew Sardo

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July 27, 2017

Welcome to the sixth episode of the Comic Show by Monkeys Fighting Robots! Anthony and Matt have a lot to discuss with you today: Is Doom Patrol good or hot garbage, does Charles Soule give one to Astonishing X-Men #1, there was a little convention last week that made some news, and Black Hammer #11 is our must-read of the week.

Buckle up, True Believers! Episode 6 of the COMIC SHOW by Monkeys Fighting Robots is here.

Episode Breakdown:

05:22 – Astonishing X-Men #1
Anthony – 3.9 Monkeys
Matt – 4 Robots

24:14 – Doom Patrol #7
Anthony – 4 Monkeys
Matt – 3 Robots

39:17 – Black Hammer #11
Anthony – 4.5 Monkeys
Matt – 4.5 Robots

49:53 – Stan’s Soapbox: San Diego Comic-Con recap of comic book news.

Thank you for listening!

Do you want to be our FAN of the week? All you have to do is comment on this podcast to be eligible.

Do you have a question that you would like answered during the show? Email your questions to matt@popaxiom.com.

About the Comic Show Podcast:
A comic journalist in the twilight of his career still grasping for his first Eisner runs into a young buck that mildly reminds him of his youth. Their warped enthusiasm for the comic book industry unites them to spread the good word to the inter-web. Realistically, we are two nerds that love comic books and want to entertain you with quality recommendations, creator interviews, and reports from your favorite publisher. For diehard fans and comic newbs; all are welcome to the Comics Show on Monkeys Fighting Robots! Hosts, Matthew Sardo and Anthony Composto.

Reviews are greatly appreciated – How to Rate and Review a Podcast in iTunes

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Will ‘Big Little Lies’ Get A Second Season?

By

Parish Hodges

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July 27, 2017

While there has been no confirmation, it’s pretty likely that HBO will renew Big Little Lies for a second season. The Emmy nominated limited series is based off a novel by the same name by Liane Moriarty

Wednesday at the 2017 Summer TCA Press Tour, the president of HBO’s programming Casey Bloys told reporters the network is in talks with the shows author about potential story lines.

“Liane taking her crack at it and I think that it’s interesting,” he said, according to ET Online. “I don’t think [there’s been] a time when we’ve gone to the writer of the novel, the source material, to come up with like, ‘Do you see ongoing stories?’ I’ll be very curious to see what she comes up with that. Normally you go to a TV writer, and say, ‘What do you see?'”

In April, Moriarty stated if the show is renewed she wouldn’t write a new book.

“The obvious thing is, first of all, I think we could bring in more of Bonnie’s story from the book,” the author said about a potential second season. “And also what happens next [for Celeste]. That’s the question that’s also a really interesting thing, when you’ve been through a relationship like that, how do you feel now? How would she feel? She’s grieving. She’s still grieving for the end of a terrible relationship and I think that would be a really interesting thing to explore. So there’s a whole lot of different storylines.”

Are you wanting a second season of Big Little Lies? Sound off in the comments!

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The Official Trailer For ‘IT’ is the Definition of Pure Horror!

By

EJ Moreno

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July 27, 2017

Will Audiences Be Ready For The Terror of ‘IT’?

How terrifying is this trailer? Stephen King’s son Joe Hill says IT is “one of the scariest movies ever,” and this preview proves just that. Being a remake of an iconic horror novel and TV movie is hard, but Andrés Muschietti is more than ready. His vision for Pennywise is unique and memorable. We are looking at the birth of a new horror icon.

“When children begin to disappear in the town of Derry, Maine, a group of young kids are faced with their biggest fears when they square off against an evil clown named Pennywise, whose history of murder and violence dates back for centuries.”

IT stars Bill Skarsgård (Allegiant, Atomic Blonde) as Pennywise, The Dancing Clown. The cast includes a group of young actors that include Jaeden Lieberher (Midnight Special), Jeremy Ray Taylor (Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip), Sophia Lillis (37), Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things), Wyatt Oleff (Guardians of the Galaxy), Chosen Jacobs (Cops and Robbers), Jack Dylan Grazer (Tales of Halloween) and Nicholas Hamilton (Captain Fantastic).

New Line Cinema’s horror thriller IT is directed by Andrés Muschietti. Muschietti brings to life a screenplay crafted by Chase Palmer & Cary Fukunaga and Gary Dauberman

The film will hit theaters on September 8th, 2017. A second part is expected to begin shooting shortly, with a release date still not penned.

What did you think of this trailer? Did you enjoy it, and do you believe that this will be the year’s most terrifying movie?

Let me know in the comments below!

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This Red-Band ‘Ingrid Goes West’ Trailer is Delightfully Crude

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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July 27, 2017

Ingrid Goes West stars Aubrey Plaza as a modern-day social media stalker, and this new red band trailer brings all the Bret Easton Ellis vibe.

Check it out, and be careful this is extremely NSFW:

“Ingrid Thorburn (Aubrey Plaza) is an unhinged social media stalker with a history of confusing “likes” for meaningful relationships. Taylor Sloane (Elizabeth Olsen) is an Instagram-famous “influencer” whose perfectly curated, boho-chic lifestyle becomes Ingrid’s latest obsession. When Ingrid moves to LA and manages to insinuate herself into the social media star’s life, their relationship quickly goes from #BFF to #WTF. Built around a brilliantly disarming performance from Aubrey Plaza, Ingrid Goes West (winner of the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at Sundance) is a savagely hilarious dark comedy that satirizes the modern world of social media and proves that being #perfect isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

This looks crude and real and exciting and it looks like a movie where you will feel bad for laughing at least a handful of times. Aubrey Plaza is perfect for this, and Elizabeth Olsen is perfect in just about everything she does. Win win.

Ingrid Goes West is directed by newcomer Matt Spicer (no relation to Sean, I am certain of it), and it stars O’Shea Jackson Jr. alongside Plaza and Olsen.

It opens August 11.

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See Jon Hamm Play an Android Memory in the First ‘Marjorie Prime’ Trailer

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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July 27, 2017

Marjorie Prime looks to be a curious, thought-provoking science-fiction drama about time and memory. Jon Hamm plays a computer program who is created to look like the dead patriarch of a star studded family.

This first trailer is fascinating:

A service that provides holographic recreations of deceased loved ones and allows a man to come face-to-face with the younger version of his late father-in-law.

What might be most exciting about Marjorie Prime is the return of Geena Davis and Tim Robbins in interesting roles. Neither of them have been in the spotlight for a few years; not that this will have them fending off $20 million paychecks left and right, but it’s great to see them back. And it’s always great to see Lois Smith in any capacity.

Marjorie Prime was a hit at Sundance this past winter. It’s directed by Michael Almereyda, an eclectic filmmaker who brought us the underrated modern take on Hamlet starring Ethan Hawke. It will open in limited release on August 18 and eventually crawl its way across the country, so be on the look out if this looks like your jam.

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Must Watch: Matt Damon Goes Next Level In ‘Suburbicon’ Trailer

By

Matthew Sardo

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July 27, 2017

You sit on your couch and wonder where cinema will take us, and then George Clooney and Matt Damon smack you in the face with ‘Suburbicon.’ Multiple feelings boil up to the surface while watching this trailer, especially when you sprinkle a little Julianne Moore crazy on top, so be careful.

About the film:
Suburbicon is a peaceful, idyllic suburban community with affordable homes and manicured lawns…the perfect place to raise a family, and in the summer of 1959, the Lodge family is doing just that. But the tranquil surface masks a disturbing reality, as husband and father Gardner Lodge (Matt Damon) must navigate the town’s dark underbelly of betrayal, deceit, and violence. This is a tale of very flawed people making very bad choices. This is Suburbicon.

‘Suburbicon’ is direct by George Clooney and he worked on the script with Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, and Grant Heslov. The film stars Matt Damon, Julianne Moore, Jack Conley, and Oscar Isaac.

‘Suburbicon’ hits theaters on October 27.

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‘Atomic Blonde’ Review: Sleek Mindless Brutality Can Be A Lot Of Fun

By

Dewey Singleton - Film Critic

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David Leitch’s Atomic Blonde is a fantastic slick action packed thrill ride that substitutes character development for carnage.

Summary

This story, based on the comic book The Coldest City, takes place over the course of ten days around when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. MI5 sends in their top agent, Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron) to go in and retrieve a list of all the spies working in the intelligence community and their aliases which are about to be sold on the black market. With the help of a fellow MI5 agent, David Percival (James McAvoy), she hopes to retrieve this very delicate document before any more officers are killed.

What Worked

Theron’s character is the type of protagonist that a cinematic universe could be built around. She looks great on screen, and it’s so much fun watching her throttle the throngs of enemy agents who are trying to kill her. Broughton is a mixture of Bond’s wit with the brutality of Bourne. It’s refreshing to see her take on that type role and a joy to see her pull it off.

Johnathan Sela atones for the sins committed during Transformers: The Last Knight and goes back to the type of cinematography that garnered praise in John Wick. Sela used the same technique of keeping the “star” in the center of the shot that he did in John Wick. This allows the audience to be drawn as close to the center of the screen during any of the action sequences. By keeping the camera on Theron, we didn’t miss a single bone crunching punch or snap kick to the sternum.

Sela was certainly influenced by the period when he picked out the color palette to use in his shots. There were many instances were neon colors were used which brought out a certain vibrancy in scenes. When Broughton is in the tub full of water and ice it’s lit up using a dark toned neon light. The light emphasizes not only the dark bruises on her face but the water glistening off of her nude body.

The action sequences were intense, appropriate, and didn’t detract from the narrative. There’s a sequence towards the end of the film that’s so brutal that you begin to empathize with Theron. How can someone take that much punishment and still be okay?

What Didn’t Work

Wasn’t a huge fan of the way the story was framed. Must we have another spy movie where the main character is recounting what happened after the fact? We could have easily just picked up the story from the beginning sequence and moved forward (minus the whole interrogation nonsense).

McAvoy’s character was not nearly as ruthless or heavy-handed as he should have been. Percival does have one moment where he slightly comes out of his shell. When he meets with the Russian, who has the stolen list, and proceeds to lobotomize him using an ice pick, a tinge of excitement rushed through the theater. This quickly dissipates when McAvoy’s character resorts back to this whole “I’m just a bad boy” act. Why go away from what works? In this type of film, we want to see our bad guys be evil and not walk some sort moral line.

The second act of the film did drag slightly but not enough to mark the movie down a whole lot.

Overall

If anyone is heading into this release expecting the best action movie of the summer, then they will be very disappointed. However, if fans head into this film realizing that the character development will be minimal, but the action will be brutal, then they will be very pleased. The mixture of cinematography, great action sequence, and great action sequences make Atomic Blonde the most fun you’ll have at the movies this weekend.

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‘Thanos’ A Cosmic Triumph & Unique Experience

By

Brandon J. Griffin

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Writer Jeff Lemire may be leaving Marvel, but not without finishing his epic Thanos run. The series so far has been unlike any other book starring the maddest son of Titan. Thanos #9 keeps the cosmic train rolling full steam ahead.

***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***

Defeated by his Phoenix powered son Thane and Lady Death, Thanos was left to die in a wasteland completely powerless. Now, with the help of his family who was betrayed by Thane, the “Mad Titan” seeks a way to regain his power and stop his son.

Knowing that Thanos is powerless at the moment, everyone wants to take a shot at him. Even without his strength, the mortal and humbled Thanos is still a brutal son of a bitch. He’s been tried to the fullest over the last few issues, and despite how welcoming he is to death still will not meet his end.

Cosmic Marvel has been sneaking its way back to prominence in titles like this and All-New Guardians Of The Galaxy. A major part of making the Marvel universe feel whole again, and more classic, is the cosmic side. Some of the best stories in the history of comic books take place within the stars of the 616 universe.

The setting isn’t the only classic feeling element of Thanos, it’s also Jeff Lemire’s script and narration. How events unravel, and how the characters paths intertwine, has a very old-school feel. This intergalactic tale is spread far across space, the difference in how Thanos’ reputation is known and received helps give this vast universe a very believable pulse.

Seeing Thanos go through the meat grinder throughout this series has been satisfying. Watching him overcome his many moments of weakness and despair, like all of our favorite heroes, makes him more compelling than ever. Despite being one of the most sinister villains of all-time, readers will find themselves rooting for Thanos to overcome these trails and regain his god status.

Lemire continues his victory lap of Marvel contributions with this epic title. His script and dialogue are top notch as always, still finding new places to explore and new characters to meet.

Thanos #9, and the two previous issues, feature some truly wonderful art. It’s not striking the same chord as Deodato did during the first six issues, but German Peralta breathes life into even the most desolate of cosmic landscapes. Rachelle Rosenberg’s coloring does the most to ensure this issue achieves its intergalactic glory.

This issue was more of a family affair and less of a cosmic epic, but entertaining nonetheless. Space witches, the God Quarry, and the Phoenix Force all add up to a more than enjoyable comic book experience!

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