The world was understandably shocked and saddened to learn that Zack Snyder and producer Deborah Snyder were stepping down from Justice League after the tragic death of their daughter. (Something that no parent should ever have to experience.) When Warner Bros. announced that Joss Whedon was stepping in to guide the film through the end of production and help it meet its release date of November 17th of this year, it was heartening to see that fan reaction online was appropriately subdued. Most people weren’t outright celebratory, their thoughts still with the Snyder family in their difficult time, though the news did allow fans to breathe a slight sigh of relief that the film had been passed into good hands; after all, Whedon successfully brought The Avengers to the big screen in two critically and financially successful outings – who better to help Snyder finish the film and guide the Justice League into theaters for the very first time?
Since the initial news broke of the Snyders’ departure from the project and the addition of Whedon, there has been a lot of rumors and innuendo swirling around regarding just how much influence Warner Bros. is giving the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer over the movie, and how much the new director and studio are planning to change. I want to try to take a moment to make sense of it all and offer my own educated speculation as to what I believe is going on with Justice League.
A recent update to the British Board of Film Classification website has listed Spider-Man: Homecoming with a runtime of 133 minutes. Although the runtime is a nice thing to know, without context of how the film flows it really means nothing yet.
A runtime near two hours, as Spider-Man: Homecoming‘s is, is perfect for comic book movies in my eyes. It’s long enough for plot points to be resolved, but not drawn out. As the MCU grows, more characters, references, and tie-ins will be included in each movie.
“A young Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who made his sensational debut in Captain America: Civil War, begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging super hero in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, Peter returns home, where he lives with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), under the watchful eye of his new mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). Peter tries to fall back into his normal daily routine – distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man – but when the Vulture (Michael Keaton) emerges as a new villain, everything that Peter holds most important will be threatened.”
Matt Reeves has a clear idea of what he wants to do with Ben Affleck’s first Batman movie. The director has proven his ability behind the camera with movies such as Cloverfield and Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes but before we see what he has planned for Batman, the director still has to promote and release his latest Apes movie. While promoting War For The Planet Of The Apes, Reeves revealed that he hasn’t started to work on The Batman but has a few ideas of what he wants to see the movie become.
Obviously, Reeves couldn’t give many details but makes it very clear that he will take an extremely personal approach to the character. This will be very similar to what Reeves has done with Caesar (Andy Serkis) in the Planet Of The Apes franchise.
See what Reeves had to say below:
“Look, I’m just starting Batman because literally, [War for the Planet of the Apes], as I just said, we finished about a week ago and now we’re publicising it. So, we haven’t even begun on Batman. For me, what’s always important is to try and find a personal way in. In that way, I do feel like I relate to actors. It’s about understanding emotionally, the way something is. I see this parallel between Caesar and Batman, really, which is this idea of these characters who are grappling with their own struggle and trying to do the right thing in an imperfect world and, so, I do really relate it to that kind of idea.”
Looking at what Reeves has been able to create with Caesar, it’s likely that he will have no problem creating a more personal story for the dark knight. The Batman currently doesn’t have an official release date and there are no recent developments in terms of story and casting.
Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures confirmed today via press release that production on Michael Dougherty’s tentatively titled Godzilla: King of the Monsters is officially underway in Atlanta.
Since CBS President and CEO Les Moonves’s vague announcement back in February that Star Trek: Discovery would premiere “sometime late summer, early fall we’re looking at right now,” Trekkies have waited on a firm announcement of the repeatedly delayed premiere date with bated breath. Thankfully, a shiny new ad and article from CBS, released today, has finally set a firm date.
American and Canadian Trekkies looking to see the premiere should set their temporal convergence arrays for September 24th, 2017. The rest of the world will have to wait until September 25th.
Star Trek: Discovery Release Date – Where To Watch
American Trekkies will be able to watch the premiere on the CBS Television Network and CBS All Access, with all subsequent episodes only available via CBS All Access. Canadian Trekkies will be able to watch the series premiere, immediately followed by the second episode, on September 24th on Space and Crave TV. Canadian viewers will then be able to tune into subsequent episodes of Star Trek: Discovery every week on Space or stream the show via Crave TV.
Trekkies living elsewhere on the planet — no information yet on how Alpha Centaurans can tune in — can watch the series on Netflix starting on September 25th, 2017. But, in an apparent bid to discourage binge-watching, Discovery will air on streaming services like Netflix in two halves. The first half of the season will be available from September 25th on, and the second half will be released — in accordance with the network broadcast schedule — in January of 2018.
Star Trek: Discovery Release Date – What To Expect
The first look trailer released in May left many Trekkies, including this one, unsure of what to expect from the new show. The trailer makes obvious that Discovery will involve the beginnings of the Klingon/Federation war and will showcase the exploits of Cmdr. Burnham, played by Sonequa Martin-Green.
But, there’s no indication yet as to why the Klingons featured in the trailer look radically different from any previous incarnation of the alien race, how Spock’s father Sarek will fit into the show, how the dastardly Harry Mudd will work his way into the action, or how the USS Discovery will figure in the show — the trailer shows Cmdr. Burnham aboard the USS Shenzhou.
Glow‘s strong narrative combined with an incredible ensemble performance make this show one the best of the summer television season.
Summary
The show centers around failing actress Ruth Wilder (Alison Brie). Ruth ventured out to Hollywood in search of stardom, and all she has found is poverty and no roles that suit her. Faced with the prospects of either turning to roles in erotica, she takes an audition for what is described as “interesting women.” She is encouraged to keep going for her dream by Debbie (Betty Gilpin) who once gave up her acting dream to start a family. She arrives at the audition, and former B-movie director Sam Sylvia (Marc Maron) lays it out to the ladies that this audition is for a women’s wrestling show (GLOW). Ruth is faced with the decision of going through with an audition for a show she knows little about or to just hope another gig happens for her.
What Worked
The production value of the show was top notch. The spandex, the fluorescent colors, and the hair are all meant to take the audience back to 1985.
The soundtrack to the show was skillfully but together. The music becomes integral to certain moments that take place in the first episode.
The strength in the show isn’t in the leads but the ensemble as a whole. While Alison Brie, Betty Gilpin, and Marc Maron are certainly fantastic, Kimmy Gatewood/Rebekka Johnson deserve praise as well. The chemistry this show exhibits is reminiscent of the same chemistry you see in Orange Is The New Black. With some shows, you can envision certain cast members not being part of the narrative, but that certainly isn’t true in GLOW.
Loved Alison Brie’s character a great deal. While her character is seeking to achieve some measure of fame in Hollywood, she’s not settling for any parts that are demeaning.
Betty Gilpin is beautiful as well. She represents the other end of the acting spectrum. Alison gave up acting to become a stay at home mother. She appears to love being at home for most of the first episode.
Marc Maron just oozes the type of sleaze that a wrestling promoter from the 1980’s would have. Perfect pick and allowing him to just be Marc Maron was even a better call.
Liz Flahive (Nurse Jackie) and Carly Mensch (Orange is the New Black) have created a show that both celebrates the empowerment of women along with the glitz/cheesiness of the 1980’s. Remember in an era where the WWE was dominating the wrestling world that just the idea of a female-driven wrestling program was absurd. GLOW succeed because of the hard work of wrestlers like a “Ruth” that created unforgettable personas for the audiences to latch onto.
Overall
Beneath the glitz and the flying elbows, GLOW is a pretty smart show. It’s not a documentary of the organization based out of Las Vegas from 1986-1990. It a narrative about a group of women finding their way in a profession (acting/wrestling) that was dominated by men. Audiences will be leaping at the chance to binge watch this series, and I imagine Netflix’s announcement of the second season of GLOW will follow shortly after.
The MOVIE SHOW is finally here! EJ and Matt look ahead to Edgar Wright’s ‘Baby Driver,’ and we analyze the evolution of the action hero. Plus, on the first half of the show, we have an interview filmmaker Colin Trevorrow (Star Wars: Episode IX).
Strap yourself in buckaroos! Episode 126 of the MOVIE SHOW by Monkeys Fighting Robots is here.
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Do you have a question that you would like answered during the show? Email your questions to matt@popaxiom.com.
About the Monkeys Fighting Robots Podcast:
A Gen Xer and a Millennial debate the latest topics in pop culture. One guy is a filmmaker and the other is a journalist, but both are nerds. We make your slowest days at work better. Hosts, Matthew Sardo and EJ Moreno.
Never heard of Matt Sardo? For starters, he made the Kessel Run in less than 11 parsecs. Prior to that, he gave Doc Brown the idea for the flux capacitor and led the Resistance to victory over SkyNet – all while sipping a finely crafted IPA. As a radio host, he’s interviewed celebrities, athletes and everyone in between. He’s covered everything from the Super Bowl to Comic-Con.
Who’s EJ Moreno? Is he a trained physician? No. Is he a former Miss Universe contestant? Possibly. But what we know for sure is he’s a writer, filmmaker, and pop culture enthusiast. Since film school, EJ has written & directed several short films. He’s used his passion of filmmaking to become a movie critic for MonkeysFightingRobots.com.
In its third weekend of release, Wonder Woman has crossed the $500 Million mark.
Although it came in second to Cars 3 at the domestic box office, the Gal Gadot-led superhero flick brought in another $41 Million, giving it a total of $571.8 worldwide.
The raw numbers are impressive, but what gets me is the film’s legs. The third weekend only saw a 30 percent drop from its second weekend, which is unprecedented for a movie to do, especially in the crowded summer.
What were your thoughts on Wonder Woman? Share your comments down below.
Oliver Stone is one of the most seminal filmmakers of our time. He is an incredible writer and director, who has turned out some of the most critically acclaimed and influential films of the last thirty years, including Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July, Wall Street, JFK, and Nixon amongst many others. As an enormous political junkie, when I heard that Stone was granted unprecedented access to the enigmatic Russian president Vladimir Putin in order to conduct over a dozen interviews over the course of two years for a documentary, I was extremely excited and intrigued. I awaited the premiere of Showtime’s four-part documentary series, The Putin Interviews, with high anticipation and expectations – especially in light of the controversial (and still debated in some circles) role that Russia played in the 2016 presidential election. As it turns out, Oliver Stone produced a compelling, insightful, rare, and not entirely unsympathetic look at the enigmatic Russian leader.
Angry faces and dirt floors liter this week’s episode of Twin Peaks. We finally get to know Diane while both Coops face down important challenges. But with an uptick in momentum, will Hawk’s investigation lead to all parties meeting in Twin Peaks?
The Case
The body in Buckhorn is likely Major Garland Briggs. Well, except for the body being the wrong age. According to the Buckhorn corner, the body expired a few days before Air Force Lieutenant Knox arrived in town and was in its mid-40s at the time of death. Major Briggs would be in in 70s…
After harsh words and some damn fine coffee, Cole convinced Diane Evans to visit with Bad Cooper in South Dakota. Once there, Diane quickly determined that the Cooper behind bars lacks a heart.
Curiously, Tammy’s investigation revealed Bad Coop’s are the mirror image of the Bureau’s files. Let’s say it all together: “Doppelganger …. Doppelganger.” Cole seemed to figured out the meaning of the prints, even if he wouldn’t let on to Tammy or Albert, but Diane definitely confirmed his suspicions. He even asked the warden to hold onto Bad Coop for a little longer.
Unfortunately for Cole, Bad Cooper had plans of his own. By invoking Mr. Strawberry and implying a few details about the warden’s business, he secured release for himself and Ray Monroe (George Griffith). If you’ll recall, he was the reason Bad Coop was headed to that part of South Dakota in the first place.
As the two left the prison, Ray seemed pretty sure of himself. One wonder how long it’ll be before he winds up dead.
Back in Vegas, the police questioned Cooper about Dougie’s car. Luckily, Janey-E was there to be awesome, pushy and answer questions. But even as she works to get her house in order, Dougie’s dealings still put her in danger. Ike the Spike appeared in the office park courtyard to take out Coop, but he sprang to temporary life to stop the hit. The Arm also appeared to make a suggestion or two about the situation.
The Updates
This week, we’re moving Hawk’s investigation to the Updates section as the pages he found last episode came from Laura Palmer’s secret diary. They literally continue a thread from Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me in which Annie Blackburn (Heather Graham) asked Laura to write down that Cooper is still in the Lodge. At the time it was an exciting call-forward in the prequel film. Now, it may finally lead Hawk to what is really missing.
The pages also piqued the interest of Frank Truman. After a heartbreaking phone call with Harry, Frank called on the one other person to see Cooper after the Black Lodge: Doc Hayward (Warren Frost). Via Skype, Hayward said he saw Cooper fully dressed and walking around the hospital’s intensive care unit.
The Skype call also revealed that Audrey Horne slipped into a coma after the bank bombing in 1991. It is unclear if she is still in that coma. The Secret History of Twin Peak‘s one mention of her suggested something more miraculous and mobile.
Speaking of Hornes, Andy tracked down the truck Richard was driving last episode to its rightful owner. The owner was too terrified to speak, but agreed to meet him later. Sadly, Andy won’t learn the truth as the owner is now missing or dead. Also on the Horne front, Ben was surprised to see Cooper’s room key return to the hotel. It momentarily distracted him from the constant humming sound in the walls of his office and the continuing frisson with Beverly Paige (Ashley Judd).
For her part, we now know she was not in town when Laura was murdered and is supporting a cancer-stricken husband. Cancer gets around like the dark forces of the Black Lodge.
And in one of the most deep-cut revelations yet, Jean-Michel Renault(Walter Olkewicz) announced to an unheard caller that the family owns the Roadhouse and has for years. They’re also dealing in the town’s prostitution ring and it seems Michel’s respect for the age of consent is as rock solid as Jacques’ was.
The Questions
Where’s Annie? She had roots in town, but no one is asking her whereabouts.
Who or what is the spectral prospector? In both of his appearances, he’s been at the Buckhorn police station. Is he just a local ghost or is he connected to the Black Lodge?
Is Audrey still in a coma?
What happened between Diane and Cooper the last time they saw each other? And when did it happen?
How much does Cole know about the Black Lodge? Backwards talking was no surprise to him.
What is in the final missing page from Laura’s secret diary?
Is the humming at the Great Northern the work of Josie Packard? She is still presumably trapped in the carpentry.
Did anyone ever go looking for Jerry?
No, seriously, why does everyone tolerate Coop’s inability to answer questions? It’s way beyond a Lynchian quirk now.
Why was part of Ike’s hand fused to the gun he pulled on Coop?
Not about Judy
This week, we can safely say that we’re not gonna talk about Judy. We’re not gonna talk about Judy at all. In fact, we’re going to leave her out out of this.
The Memory of Cigarettes
Warren Frost’s cameo was a welcome reminder of the warmth embedded in the original Twin Peaks. Even as they tried to dirty up his character at the end of season two, all has been mercifully forgotten and we can enjoy seeing Doc Hayward one last time. Like the other return engagements on the show from dearly departed cast members, Frost’s is bittersweet before it gets to be nostalgic. And like Catherine E. Coulson and Miguel Ferrer, it is great they managed to film a few scenes before all of their untimely deaths.
Hopefully, the amount of time Part 7 spent in Twin Peaks is a harbinger of The Return promised in the publicity materials. Though the strange threads in South Dakota and Las Vegas have their charms — and occasionally hilarious scenes — it is time for the show to stop teasing the audience.
You could even say the show is quite aware of this considering the amount of dead air during the Roadhouse scene this week. That painfully long take of the man sweeping up the floor has to be an indication that Lynch knows how long we’ve been waiting to see Coop walk into the sheriff’s station with big smiles, jelly donuts and damn fine coffee.
