New Look At Batman In ‘Justice League’ Revealed By Zack Snyder

June 27, 2017

Zack Snyder just took to social media to reveal a new look at Ben Affleck’s Batman in the upcoming Justice League movie. The Man of Steel and Batman v Superman director has shared a new image on his official Vero account, giving us an awesome and slightly scary new look at the caped crusader.

Also Read: Danny Elfman Now Scoring ‘Justice League’

This is the first Justice League related post that the director has shared since he departed the project, leaving Joss Whedon to complete reshoots and post-production. Snyder is still extremely involved in the movie, having directed the majority of the footage and developed the story. The director is even rumoured to appear at comic-con next month, although that can’t be confirmed.

Check out the image below:

Fuelled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.

Justice League is directed by Zack Snyder, from a screenplay by Chris Terrio, based on a story by Snyder and Terrio. The film stars Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Amy Adams, Willem Dafoe, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, J. K. Simmons, and Ciarán Hinds.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Are We Getting a New Episode of ‘Rick and Morty’ This Week?

Michael Fromm

June 27, 2017

If you’re a fan of Rick and Morty, you’ve been waiting a long, long time for the third season to materialize (aside from the surprise April Fool’s Day episode). In the three months since, it has been mostly radio silent. Fans have gone to drastic conclusions as to why season three was taking so long, speculating that the upcoming season may be its last.

But fans may not have to wait too much longer for a new episode. The Rick and Morty Twitter page recently invited fans to an impromptu livestream this Thursday, June 29 at 9pm EST.

The R&M live stream is happening! Will you be there? Or will you stream it? https://t.co/ZTVopZCWsU

— Rick and Morty (@RickandMorty) June 25, 2017

Adult Swim, as well as Harmon and Roiland, are mum about any information about what it could include. It could be an announcement as to when the next episode (and remainder of the season) will air. It could be more behind the scenes videos. OR, it could also be the airing of the second episode of the third season.

The third season is expected to air this summer thanks to a promo video that aired during the April Fool’s episode. Many reports have speculated that it will air sometime in July. Hopefully, this livestream will answer these questions, and then some.

The spontaneous Rick and Morty livestream will take place on June 29 at 9pm EST. It can be watched on Adult Swim.

What are you hoping to see from this Rick and Morty livestream on Thursday? Share your theories in the comments.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Could Fox Be Rebooting Fantastic Four With A Spy Kids Tone?

Jonathan Bruce

June 27, 2017

Remember how the Fantastic Four aren’t joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe anytime soon?

It appears that Marvel’s First Family are getting yet another reboot, according to rumours.

As Rich Johnson of Bleeding Cool reports, Fox is not giving up on the franchise, and the plan is to go in the direction of Spy Kids. What’s more, the F4 themselves might take a backseat to the Richards’ offspring.

“It will concentrate on Franklin and Valeria, the children of Reed Richards and Susan Storm,” he says. “While still having the Thing and the Human Torch along for the ride.”

The fact that Reed Richards and Sue Storm Richards appear to be absent sounds troubling. They make up half of the Fantastic Four, but to not have them there is a troubling decision. It would be like having the Justice League without Batman and Superman. Oh wait, such a JL did happen in 1997 with a poorly-made TV pilot. But I digress.

Seth Grahame-Smith is the writer on the Fantastic Four reboot. He’s also known for Abraham Lincoln Vampire Killer. Recently, he would have been directing The Flash before bowing out.

“Indeed, the whole movie will be kid-centric with a vibe far more reminiscent of The Incredibles.” Johnson says. “In an instant, this will totally separate the movie from the previous failed attempt. But also mean there’s no actual need for a reboot.”

This sounds very similar to the “Future Foundation’ of the comics. During the early 2010s, Reed Richards set up a think tank for young geniuses, and Franklin and Valeria were a major part of the storyline. In fact, one of their classmates was Bentley 23, who is a clone and son of the FF foe, The Wizard.

The fact remains that Fantastic Four aren’t supposed to be grim and brooding. Sure, there are serious moments from the comics like Ben’s depression or Reed’s guilt. Let us not forget Doctor Doom’s backstory. Also, in the 1980s, Sue took on the role of super villain Malice, whom she would briefly become in the 2010s. Yet these elements capture the drama of the characters. If given a good writer, the Fantastic Four movie could have a tone akin to The Avengers.

While a lighter tone isn’t a bad thing, the child-centric focus might not appeal to longtime comic fans. Having Franklin and Valeria at the forefront could be too similar to Spy Kids. We’ve seen the formula of young kids trying to save their families and world before. Plus, it might alienate Fantastic Four fans. Relegating the F4 to the sidelines would be a risk.

What do you think about this new direction? Should Fox go with a more kid-friendly approach? Keep in mind, the same thing did happen to the Batman film franchise in the 1990s….

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

‘Inhumans’ Teaser Released; First Trailer Coming Thursday

Aric Sweeny

June 27, 2017

The first teaser for Marvel’s Inhumans has been released, teasing the full trailer to be released this Thursday.

The wait is almost over. This Thursday, check back for the first trailer from Marvel's #Inhumans. pic.twitter.com/7VyrwWK0Id

— Marvel's Inhumans (@theinhumans) June 27, 2017

The first two epsodes of Inhumans will premiere in IMAX theaters on September 1. The rest of the season will continue on ABC starting September 29.

“After the Royal Family of Inhumans is splintered by a military coup, they barely escape to Hawaii where their surprising interactions with the lush world and humanity may prove to not only save them, but Earth itself.”

What do you expect from the first Inhumans trailer? Speculate in the comment section below.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

‘The Beguiled’ Movie Review: A Dangerous Lesson In Repression

EJ Moreno

‘The Beguiled’ Teaches That Being Bad Feels Oh So Good

Everything about The Beguiled is a masterfully crafted. From lighting to score and every last piece from the art department, no stone is left untouched. Hollywood usually doesn’t see a film with this much craftsmanship so I hope other artists take notice. It comes as no surprise that The Beguiled earned Sofia Coppola the Best Director award at Cannes.

Writer/director Sofia Coppola wastes little time jumping into the action but knows how to still keep you on edge. With the first slow pan down, you know this is going to be a beautiful film but, that beauty is also haunting. It’s genius how something intended to be so innocent ends up making you feel uneasy. A house full of women nursing a soldier back to health should be harmless. Sadly for everyone involved, it’s not.

The Beguiled follows Miss Martha (Nicole Kidman) and her boarding school of girls (Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning, Oona Laurence) taking in Union soldier John McBurney (Colin Farrell). In an attempt to be good Christian women, their kind gestures turn into an erotic & twisted tale. Not much is different from the novel or 1971 film but, Sofia Coppola turns up the maturity to an eleven. The women here use raw feminine sexuality to entice John but send shivers down the audience’s spine. The viewers know the underlying jealousy between the girls and it makes every glance much more uncomfortable. Not since Jane Eyre has glancing and small touches meant so much.

Every bit of this feels like a pulpy soap opera but much more refined. The maturity when dealing with scandalous subjects allows it to pack more of a punch. My favorite example of this is the apple pie scene, in which the girls are all trying to impress John with talk of apple pie. So many innuendos to make you giggle and gasp.

“It seems the enemy… it’s not what we believed.”
-Martha Farnsworth (Nicole Kidman)

Moving to the technical side, everyone behind the camera shines as much as the material on camera. Cinematographer Philippe Le Sourd steals the show with his visuals. He has a way to make an establishing shot take your breath away. The 1.66:1 aspect ratio is also a welcomed change as it’s usually only for classic animation or foreign films. It’s just another subtle touch that brings so much. Le Sourd’s French stylings feel majestic next to the Hollywood blockbusters. Less is more with this film.

The Beguiled is something that will easily receive Oscar hype. Not diving into everyone so early, I’ll say that Stacey Battat is a shoe-in to grab Best Costume Design. Each piece feels real but still hyper-stylized like Sofia Coppola’s previous work. It also helps the story centers around outfit choices and little nuances. Never thought a shoulder-less dress or a brooch could cause such an uproar.

Another technical achievement is the haunting score that sets the mood or plays with our emotions. Like the costumes, the composer Laura Karpman basically becomes another character. Never does the music distract from the action but perfectly compliments it.

Final Thoughts:

Without a doubt, The Beguiled is the best film I’ve seen this year. In the land of massive productions, the simplicity of this is welcomed. Don’t confuse simplicity with being average though. Sofia Coppola scales back her grandiose style to craft a focused narrative.

Every actor puts in some major work as no one feels to be running on auto-pilot. Colin Farrell comes alive on-screen for the first time in years. Kirsten Dunst puts on a clinic and proves why’s she is Coppola’s muse. The real star is Nicole Kidman as the headmistress of this school and a woman longing for more. Even a tiny up & down glance from Kidman packs so much weight. This could be one of her best performances ever.

You know you’ve crafted an amazing film when my only complaint is I want more!

“At a girls’ school in Virginia during the Civil War, where the young women have been sheltered from the outside world, a wounded Union soldier is taken in. Soon, the house is taken over with sexual tension, rivalries, and an unexpected turn of events.”

See The Beguiled in theaters now!

Let me know what you think of this film and my review below!

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

RUMOR: Warner Bros. Reportedly Looking To Develop ‘Superman: Red Son’ As A Live-Action Film

Anthony Caruso

June 27, 2017

Fans of the DC Films Universe have been eagerly awaiting news about a second solo outing for Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel, but this certainly isn’t the direction that many have been anticipating Warner Bros. would take. Via a twitter exchange between comic book legend Mark Millar and director Jordan Vogt-Roberts, Millar seemingly confirms that the WB has pitched two directors (that he knows of) in the last two months on adapting his acclaimed graphic novel: Superman: Red Son. In addition, Voght-Roberts reveals that he pitched his own version of the story to the studio months ago.

Continue

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Louis Cifer Brew Works: Thai-PA – Thoughts on a 5-Day-Old Growler

Michael Bedford

I went to Louis Cifer Brew Works in Toronto last week. With their own and other brews on tap, they provided both good food and good beer. I tried a few different brews and liked ’em fine, but one of them, their Coconut Lemongrass Thai-PA stood out, so I bought a growler of it. Readers of my previous reviews know that I have a weakness for pale ales whether they’re IPAs, APAs, CPAs, AusPAs, or Rye PAs, and should understand how powerless I was when asked by my server whether or not I wanted to buy a growler to take home — OK, I asked him.

Unfortunately, even though I’ve been frugal by only drinking it in small amounts over the past five days, every growler has a limited fridge life. So, I’m reviewing this unique brew now before it’s too late. And, though it won’t be fresh, it will be within prescribed growler drinking parameters.

Louis Cifer Brew Works: Coconut Lemongrass Thai-PA – First Sip

This beer pours a pale amber with a nice layer of head that gradually dissipates to a film. I notice a sweet fruity aroma as I take my first sip. If it weren’t for the name, I’d think this brew a raspberry-flavoured one. The lemongrass provides a slightly tart flavour upfront that fades to a coconut finish. These two flavours mixing with the dryness of the hops gives this beer a unique flavour. Probably a result of the coconut flavour, this brew has a buttery mouthfeel making it very reminiscent of eating Thai food.

Louis Cifer Brew Works: Coconut Lemongrass Thai-PA – Last Sip

Even though it was five days old, this brew proved to be a tasty and unique one. It may be obvious, but this beer is a great companion to Thai food. Drinking Coconut Lemongrass Thai-PA alongside a heap of Pad Thai with lots of peanut sauce is exactly what the brewers had in mind when they made this one. If there’s no Thai food around, don’t worry. Just pair this with something salty, and then, for your own sake, move to a place where you can get Thai food.

With a 6.5% ABV rating, this is a strong brew. So drink responsibly, especially if you have a full growler at hand. This easy-drinking beer packs a punch.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Review: ‘The Black Monday Murders’ Issue 5

Joshua Versalle

Cover

As you can see above, the cover is both beautiful and eerie. I’m unclear though as to how exactly it relates to the story. The person depicted is wearing that creepy mask and is sitting on a throne of bones, but the only chairs mentioned so far in the story are The Watcher, The Ascendant Seat, The Scales, and The Stone Chair.

Artwork

Great work from illustrator Tomm Coker and colorist Michael Garland. This issued featured much more color than the first four issues. The more colorful panels looked good and still somehow fit perfectly with the noir look of most of the book so far.

Plot

Early in the issue, Detective Dumas and Dr. Gaddis (who likes his coffee very, very weak – I can’t imagine this being a plot point of any significance, but who knows?) are in a diner discussing magic. Dumas wants to know what he’s dealing with after seeing a lawyer, at a command from Viktor Eresko bash his head against a metal table until he died. Gaddis informs Dumas that wealth is the “physical manifestation of power”. He also tells the story of the Cerro Rico, a mountain loaded with silver in South America that, on its discovery by Spain in the 1500s, was mined by slaves. So many of these slaves died in the mining that Gaddis refers to it as a biblical exchange of blood for power.

The primary focus of the issue is on Thomas Dane. We see him in his younger, carefree days of working for the CIA and setting up political assassins in South America in the 1970s. We also find out, through a series of journal entries from the late Daniel Rothschild, that by the mid-1990s Dane (and Rothschild himself) had largely lost faith in humanity. There is some drama at a Caina-Kankrin board meeting where Grigoria Rothschild is upset that Viktor Eresko is in attendance (people get very uptight about their twin sibling being murdered). Grigoria has Dane remove Eresko from the meeting and Eresko uses his magical powers to command Dane to kill himself that night. As he’s about to, he receives a phone call from Grigoria, and the spell is broken. It’s unclear if she broke the spell, or if it had something to do with the mysterious wraith Abby, who was in Dane’s apartment earlier. When Dane reports in to Grigoria, she orders him to find Wynn Ackermann, representative of the Ackermann family, who has gone missing.

Overall

This was frankly a slow issue, but that’s to be expected from time to time with as complicated a story as this. It won’t likely be anyone’s favorite issue, but it provides some needed exposition about Thomas Dane, Daniel Rothschild, and the money magic that forms the basis of the series.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

‘War For The Planet Of The Apes’ Review: A Mesmerizing Look At Humanity

Dewey Singleton - Film Critic

Eye-popping cinematography, a powerful narrative, and fantastic performances from Andy Serkis and Woody Harrelson make Matt Reeves’s War For The Planet Of The Apes the summer’s best blockbuster.

Summary

War For The Planet Of The Apes picks up during the height of the deadly conflict between man and ape. Caesar (Serkis) makes it abundantly clear that he doesn’t want war but they will defend themselves. He even makes an offer to the colonel leading the human forces (Harrelson) that if they allow them to keep the woods then fighting would stop. His response to the offer is to send in a strike force and slaughter Caesar’s wife and child. The war begins to venture into a darker place as Caesar wrestles with vengeance vs. what’s best for his people. Eventually, the war brings these two foes face to face. The colonel attempts to apologize for his action explaining to him that he thought it was him not his wife and child that he killed. He then proceeds to add that he’d repeat it if it meant keeping his kind from ever ruling this planet. This, of course, turns matters from bad to far worse. Tensions reach a fever pitch, and the fate of our world hangs in the balance. Will this be a world dominated by man or a planet ruled by apes?

What Worked

Reeves decision to shoot this film in 65 MM was the right call. It gave the movie a wider scale allowing the cinematographer to capture the full scope of his tale. The use of 65MM also enabled them to depict the complete devastation that comes in times of war. While some films attempt to glamorize conflict, he uses visual imagery to show the impact this war has had on both sides. For every burnt out building and dead soldier, we see the remains of slaughtered apes.

The use of close-ups in the film was unexpected yet proved to be quite crucial to the emotional core of the movie. Anytime, the camera would move in closer on Caesar; it revealed an ape who has aged rapidly due to this conflict. Apparently, the death and devastation have worn him down. Your heart begins to break when you look into his once soulful eyes which now appear to be dark and empty. On the flip, when we get a closer look at the colonel, the audience sees a man who saw the same devastation as Caesar but who’s heart is full of hate.

Loved the inclusion of the mute girl that Caesar’s group found at the abandoned cabin. Caesar’s insistence that they not shoot her only as the turned to them saying ” We aren’t savages” shows their compassion even after most of their loved ones have been slaughtered. One wonders what would have occurred had the mute girl been some ape who had been found by the colonel.

The character of “Bad Ape” (Steve Zahn) served two purposes in the overall narrative. The first was he was the shot of comedic relief this film needed as most of the film is extremely dark. Secondly, he represented a change in the overall appearance of the ape characters. Instead of looking more like Caesar, “Bad Ape” appears to be more human. Could he be a genealogical descendant of those apes from the original film?

Serkis is fantastic once again in the role Caesar. He’s redefined what should and shouldn’t be considered acting. Anyone who feels that what he does in the motion capture suit isn’t acting then you haven’t seen any of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes or any of his previous work.

The use of an AO (Alpha/Omega) symbol in the military base was extremely clever. A new civilization is soon to begin, and another one is about to end. The question is which one.

Overall

The brilliance in War For The Planet Of The Apes is how its narrative can juxtapose the immense beauty of their surroundings with the horror of war. Reeves brings out the humanity in the characters and shows how depraved mankind can be when pushed to its limits. The technology used to create War For The Planet Of The Apes is unique, but it’s the storytelling that makes it special. It’s something audiences should experience but prepared for the movie to stick with you long after you’ve left the theater.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

How ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ Pays Homage To Classic War Films

Anthony Composto - EIC

War for the Planet of the Apes had a lot of weight on its shoulders going into production. After two successful flicks, this was going to be the movie that decided how the franchise will be remembered. Will it be rank among film’s greatest trilogies – a rarity – or will it be another trilogy that started strong but couldn’t close the deal? Thankfully, War sticks the landing by masterfully blending its two genres, sci-fi and war fiction.

Balancing those two genres is really what sets this installment apart from its predecessors; director Matt Reeves straddles the line with ease. After the first two Planet of the Apes films, the sh*t is finally hitting the fan hard for the simians. Caesar, played by Andy Serkis in an Oscar-worthy turn, is visibly older and hardened. He and his troops are trying to live peacefully in the woods, but war comes knocking on their door. Once again the apes are forced into a confrontation, but this time the stakes feel much higher.

We get a battle right off the bat, and it sets the tone for everything that comes after. It reeks of Vietnam; a jungle fight with guerrilla warfare (or “gorilla warfare” if you like obvious puns). Reeves drives the point home by evoking classic Vietnam films like Platoon and Full Metal Jacket. The human soldiers graffiti their helmets. Later in the film, the apes even come across a wall with the words “APE-POCALYPSE NOW” sprawled across it. World War II is also called to mind mid-narrative with concentration camps and stormtrooper marches. By paying homage to these classics, Reeves recalls a specific atmosphere in the audience’s mind. It’s grim and gritty. We immediately sympathize with the protagonists, forced into a war that they want nothing to do with like many of those young men in Platoon.

War isn’t a big action movie, ironically. It’s actually a very deep personal story for Caesar. He’s facing an internal struggle that he needs to come to grips with, lest he become the very thing he’s been fighting for so long. But because Reeves sets up that Vietnam-tone early on, it carries through and makes the drama that much more impactful.

Also enhancing the drama is how the filmmakers honor the sci-fi films of the 60s and 70s. War opens with blocks of text meant to bridge the gap since the last film, much like the crawl from those movies about a galaxy far, far away. Later, Caesar and company riding horseback across the beach (a frame-worthy shot) brings the original Planet of the Apes to mind. And the score by Michael Giacchino is a hauntingly beautiful callback to the films of the era as well (definitely worth saving the album on Spotify). Again, by reminding the audience of these films, War is recalling very specific themes.

Those OG sci-fi films were about freedom, and about surviving in a dying world – usually a world dying by humanity’s own hand. They were cautionary tales. The first two modern Apes films were cautionary tales as well, but War is the one that really drives the point home. It’s the apes during their darkest hour and Caesar struggling with his own humanity. It’s the one that says, “it’s easy to let fear and anger take over. But if we’re going to save the world, we need to do better – no matter how hard that is.”

War for the Planet of the Apes may be the best of this trilogy. It’s dark and serious, but still thrilling and entertaining. There are apes with guns on horseback, which you know you want. It’ll stand among the best war films of the decade, and it’s a picture-perfect model for what sci-fi is supposed to stand for.

—

War for the Planet of the Apes hits theaters July 14, 2017.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

1...885886887...1,689 Page 886 of 1,689

What are you hoping to see from this Rick and Morty livestream on Thursday? Share your theories in the comments.

‘The Beguiled’ Teaches That Being Bad Feels Oh So Good

“It seems the enemy… it’s not what we believed.” -Martha Farnsworth (Nicole Kidman)

Final Thoughts:

“At a girls’ school in Virginia during the Civil War, where the young women have been sheltered from the outside world, a wounded Union soldier is taken in. Soon, the house is taken over with sexual tension, rivalries, and an unexpected turn of events.”

Louis Cifer Brew Works: Coconut Lemongrass Thai-PA – First Sip

Louis Cifer Brew Works: Coconut Lemongrass Thai-PA – Last Sip

Cover

Artwork

Plot

Overall

Summary

What Worked

Overall

“It seems the enemy… it’s not what we believed.”
-Martha Farnsworth (Nicole Kidman)