Although I didn’t get my hands on Super Mario Odyssey (yet), I took a short video of a fellow E3 attendee playing the game.
The footage taken shows off Super Mario Odyssey‘s smooth frame rate and distinct visual style. Watch it below!
The game comes to Nintendo Switch on October 27. Will you be picking it up? Sound off in the comments below.
E3 day one is in the books! Over the course of the day I took a number of photos from Nintendo’s amazing booth. Down below is the best of the shots, compiled into a gallery.
The booth’s playable games included Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2, Fire Emblem Warriors, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, Pokken Tournament DX, ARMS, Sonic Forces, and FIFA 18. Based on my observation, Odyssey was by far the most popular title; however, Splatoon 2, ARMS, and Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle were highly sought after as well.
What Nintendo games are you looking forward to? Which games should I play at E3? Comment below, let me know!
Its late 2012 on a Thursday in an arena with about 20 people watching Roman Reigns in the ring with CJ Parker. Up and comer that Parker. The small audience watches mostly respectfully. With the exception of some particularly vocal CJ Parker fans. Apparently they are under the opinion that horrible things should be done to Reigns by their hero Parker. On average this match was a standard match at what was once the FCW arena in Tampa Florida. As usual, new talent for the WWE feeder, then relatively unknown now infamous, NXT were in the ring performing well. Most nights despite the meager sometimes painfully unappreciative audience.
Reigns listened to the prattling of Parker’s fans then he decided to respond. Watching Reigns at that time in his career it was clear to see the potential and the talent. Initially what was also clear was the hard work and how quickly he learned despite not having the same Indy roots as his opponents. Consequently there was that unnamed something that had nothing to do with his looks, his pedigree or even his determination. It was there right under the surface. And he responded to his critics giving it some air. Quickly like lightning he mimicked and mocked the fans of the man he was wearing down in the ring. That’s when something rare happened. The audience, myself included, laughed. Like a bell my next thought was “There it is.”
When The Shield showed up on Survivor Series to up-end the wrestling world shortly after that night, people were genuinely enthralled. Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins were known from their Indy fame. It was Reigns that was the wild card. By far it was Reigns that pulled the crowd interest as the quiet brute of the group. So much so he was set up to almost give the fans what they claimed to want.
The sound of the arena during the Royal Rumble where he eliminated a record breaking number of opponents told the WWE that the gamble on Reigns was going to pay off. The response to him by fan bases regardless of situation since tells the WWE this gamble has paid off. Don’t get it twisted, if there are two people in the ring, half the fans are cheering one man and the other half is booing that same man, he IS that guy. Whether you want to know it or not.
The Shield was seemingly built to bring back that rivalry merry-go-round that has been WWE bread and butter for years. Recently face offs between Reigns and Rollins are electric, they spark in ways that haven’t been seen since the old Stone Cold, Rock, Triple H trifecta. This is the rivalry and these are the guys that will be talked about 20 years from now. Consistent in show, consistent in performance. While many are on board with that in regards to Rollins it’s disheartening how many people seem to be still out on Reigns. The contingent that wants to judge a show or performance by a scale they can’t even define have a hard case to prove against him every time.
Incidentally the complaints are the same. He only does a few moves. He’s being shoved down our throats. Which all condenses to blah blah blah I’m mad cause ‘reasons’. Come with arguments that matter. Is he hurting people? Oh that’s right, that’s ok if the internet fan boys love you. Are people not watching him? Oh that’s right people get pissed when he’s not on Raw. Does he not get crowd response? We’ve talked about this already. This guy has so much that everybody feels some kind of way about him. The only failure in any art is to invoke indifference. There are a lot of things said and thought about Roman Reigns. There has yet to be indifference. Press is press and people burn down the internet in Roman Reigns rants. Sounds like he’s winning.
For those who are not on the Reigns bandwagon, ok you do you. For those who have no idea what is meant by “There it is,” peep a clapback track that is currently on heavy rotation on Reign’s Twitter feed. Much like that night from years ago the superman punch is apparently a warm-up for good ole fashioned dragging. Evidently its time to live in that moment and much like the rest of Twitter I am here for it. Here’s to hoping some of this snark stays with us. Never know, you all might like him better like this.
What does Roman Reigns need to do to Be that guy for you?
In spring of 2007 (the end of my junior year of high school), Marvel Comics released the aftermath of their Civil War crossover event. I had been following the event, but missed the last few issues. I didn’t know about the divisive ending, I didn’t know that everything in the Marvel universe did in fact change, and I certainly wasn’t in any rush to pick up the issues. That was until I decided to tune into The Colbert Report one night.
Wait… They killed off Captain America? How did that happen? Why did they do that? What’s going on at Marvel?
I had to know. The next day I immediately went to my favorite comic book shop and picked up all my missing Civil War comics, the issue where Cap died, and all other subsequent tie-in issues. That shock of discovering one of my favorite characters had died through another medium compelled me to know what happened. Stephen Colbert’s spoiler resulted in me sinking my money into Marvel Comics.
Nine years later it’s 2016. DC is about to release DC Universe: Rebirth #1, and Marvel is soliciting Civil War II. Both of these events were spoiled in one way or another. Someone leaked all the pages of DC Universe: Rebirth #1 online, and that led to a larger audience learning about Wally West and the Watchmen connection. Later in the year, Marvel revealed to the NY Daily News that Hawkeye killed Bruce Banner. Both of these sold great. DC Universe: Rebirth #1 was number one in sales in May. Civil War 2 #3 didn’t manage to top the sales chart, but it was comfortably in the top five for the month of July. Both comics also had quite a bit of buzz from websites, fans, and creators.
Let’s look at what’s going on now. DC has finished off a very successful year of Rebirth with more exciting stories on its way. Marvel is in the middle of another company wide crossover event with Secret Empire. And spoilers are still being used as a marketing tactic.
So not much has changed.
Last week (at the time of this article), before the new weekly releases, DC Comics revealed to USA Today that Batman would propose to Catwoman. USA Today’s article sported an interview with current Batman writer Tom King about the reveal. This of course made Batman #24 the most talked about comic of the week, and had numerous reactions from fans, critics, and even White House Advisor Kellyanne Conway. And while we don’t yet have the exact numbers, it has been reported that it sold very well in the past week.
At last. Hope for all. https://t.co/sLCyWyMntH
— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) June 8, 2017
Spoilers are an interesting phenomena in geek/entertainment culture. There are people who take them very seriously, and there are others that don’t really mind. But, no matter what, they pique interest in the audience. I know I’m more likely to click on an article with “SPOILERS!!!” in the headline, because that usually makes me more interested. And sometimes I’ll forget about a product, and a spoiler will bring me back. I especially love watching people’s reactions to spoilers on YouTube. But it’s understandable why people avoid them like the plague.
But on to the burning question of the title. Do spoilers sell comics? In my experience they generally do, but it can depend on the spoiler and its effect on the audience. Many fans have been wanting to see Catwoman and Batman together, so the response has been generally positive. (The fact that the issue was well written didn’t hurt either.) The Watchmen reveal in Rebirth #1 got everyone talking and curious about how DC was going to make that work.
Civil War 2 #3 sold great, but it wasn’t met with the best response. Many fans (including myself) felt that the killing of Bruce Banner was a cynical ploy to get readers talking. Which in a way did work, but it didn’t have the impact that it should’ve had. The whole concept felt random and out of place. It sounded like Marvel just threw a dart against a board of their characters and shouted “Hulk’s dying next! Everyone feel sad!”
Spoilers do sell a comic, but the spoiler needs to matter. It needs to have purpose, and really get people invested. After Hulk’s death, Marvel kept trucking along with their comic series and jumped to the next big reveal. They didn’t really give the event time to settle in and examine how it affected everyone. Cap’s death in 2007 was huge, and there were multiple series dedicated to how everyone reacted to his death. The spoilers don’t work as well if they’re only there for shock value. DC is following up on the Watchmen reveal with numerous events and teases to make the spoil worthwhile. These events were spoiled, because they were too good to keep secret. They had to be shared. And they had to be followed up on.
It sounds paradoxical, but spoilers can save a series. So, don’t underestimate the power of a good spoiler. They can reel an audience back in one fell swoop. So much so that I’m willing to bet more than a pretty penny there are a lot of people who are dying to know what Catwoman is going to say to Batman. Just like I was dying to know what was going to happen in the Marvel universe after Stephen Colbert revealed to me that Captain America died back in 2007.
Excuse that wonderful pun, but seriously, a “core” RPG Pokémon game is coming to the Switch. Pokémon Company president Tsunekazu Ishihara announced this amazing news today during the Nintendo E3 Spotlight presentation.
The only real information given was that it would a proper “core” RPG Pokémon game, developed by Game Freak, and it won’t be released until next year at the earliest. This differentiates it from recently announced Pokkén Tournament DX, which is being ported to the Switch. It is also unclear if this is the rumored Pokémon Stars game, a console addition to the Sun and Moon games from the 3DS.
In any case, this is welcome news for any fans of the franchise, who have been asking for a console Pokémon RPG since right about always. While new Pokémon games are seemingly always in development, they have rarely touched consoles. The last console game released before Pokkén was Pokémon: Battle Revolution for the Wii, and was received negatively.
The Pokémon Company announced last week that they were developing a new set of Sun and Moon games, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, for the 3DS. It was during that announcement that fans expected to hear something about a console version, but to no avail.
It remains to be seen what a “core” RPG Pokémon game for console really means. On the one hand, it could look very similar to Sun and Moon, with 3D graphics and a 3rd person perspective, while still running around a familiar grass-patched Pokémon world with turn based combat. On the other (and far more unlikely), it could be the long-dreamed-of open world Pokémon game, featuring active combat, dynamic environments, and full 3D modeled Pokémon. Given that they said it’s a “core” game, and might be released next year, it is doubtful they are reinventing the wheel.
Why are you excited (or not) for a console Pokémon RPG? Let us know in the comments on Twitter, Facebook, or below!
Valerian and The City of a Thousand Planets, Luc Besson’s new assault-on-the-senses Fifth Element-on-steroids adventure film is hitting theaters in a few weeks. To be fair, it looks like a visual stunner, even if it seems a little busy. The stars of Valerian are DiCaprio doppelgänger Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne. And, if you pay super close attention to the new trailer and TV spots circulating out there, you will notice another familiar face: Clive Owen.
It would be easy to miss Clive Owen in these previews because, you see, Owen’s character is the stock Commander of Valerian, the military blowhard who will undoubtedly guide or deter our heroes from their mission. It’s a familiar archetype for adventure films, one that could be filled by any number of competent character actors who are experts in blending into the green screen background and getting out of the way of the central players. Only this time, it’s Clive Fucking Owen.
Saying that Hollywood is wasting Owen might be shortsighted; I’m sure there are a handful of reasons why one of the most magnetic leading men of the 2000s has been relegated to also rans in the tapestry of a summer sci-fi movie. But, for the sake of time, let’s just assume this supporting role in Valerian is all he could get. Why?
There may not have been a more captivating star of the previous decade than Clive Owen. After working his way up the ladder with bit parts in The Bourne Identity and starring roles in lesser fare like Beyond Borders, Owen tried his hand at action in Antoine Fuqua’s uneven King Arthur adaptation. But in 2004, he showed incredible ferocity as Larry, the alpha male in Mike Nichols’ Closer. As a scorned but pigheaded, arrogant volcano of a human being, Owen commanded the screen in the film’s greatest moments, especially this one:
He was nominated for a Supporting Actor Oscar for Closer, and should have won; instead, it went to Morgan Freeman, who played the “Morgan Freeman wise character” in Million Dollar Baby. And then, two years later, Owen anchored the greatest science-fiction film of the decade, and one of the best of the entire genre: Children of Men. Around these classic performances were solid turns in Spike Lee’s Inside Man, the hyper-violent Shoot ‘Em Up, and the incredibly underrated financial thriller The International. Even his lesser films like Derailed, or the bubbly grifter comedy Duplicity, remain undeniably watchable because of Owen’s presence on screen.
This guy is a movie star, and if his acting prowess were ever in question, even after a run of greatness like he had in the 2000s, look no further than his performance in Steven Soderbergh’s brilliant Cinemax drama, The Knick. As John Thackery, the drug-addled surgeon at the heart of Soderbergh’s period drama, Owen leaned into his brash, commanding aura, creating one of the most fascinating characters on television.
And from there, well, Clive Owen has been relegated to window dressing for a movie like Valerian. Maybe he will end up being an integral part of the story, or maybe he will stand out among the supporting cast; this poster, however, makes me think he’s just another spoke in the wheel:
And again, Valerian could be an absolute blast. I’m not here to bash it, this is more about what Clive Owen is not doing these days, and that’s headlining incredible movies the way he once did. He does have a handful of projects in some stage of production, including what should be a meaty role as Claudius in the Shakespeare (spinoff?) Ophelia. He’s also headlining a science-fiction thriller from Andrew Niccol called Anon. We’ll see if any of these upcoming films utilize the incredible talents of Clive Owen.
Regardless, the guy needs to step out of the shadows of green screens and get back to being a badass.
The LEGO Batman Movie is in the top tier of Batman movies. Like Batman: The Movie (1966), Batman (1989) and The Dark Knight, the film finds new layers to the character. But unlike the others, it is the only one truly willing to dive into his intimacy issues.
Directed by Chris McKay, the film follows the LEGO Batman (Will Arnett) first introduced in The Lego Movie as he faces a mid-life crisis. After telling the Joker (Zach Galifianakis) that he’s just not that into him, all of the LEGO Dark Knight’s relationships unravel. Commissioner Gordon retires, handing his job over to his daughter Barbara (Rosario Dawson). The Joker appears at Gordon’s retirement party to turn himself — and the rest of the rogues — in. Suddenly, Batman has no role in town.
Meanwhile, Dick Grayson (Michael Cera) arranges to get Bruce Wayne to adopt him.
With the Gotham City criminals behind bars, Batman begins to believe Joker has a bigger plan and takes Dick along with him on a heist to the Fortress of Solitude. But is it possible he’s walking right into Joker’s trap?
Expertly realized, The LEGO Batman Movie weaves between humor, emotional stakes and insane action set pieces. It is a film willing to confront Batman’s reticence to start a family while also featuring a scene in which Clayface rollerskates on a pair of Daleks to fight a Kraken.
Underscoring the shifts in tone is the very look of the film. More so than even The Lego Movie, LEGO Batman’s world looks like a bunch of LEGO creations in some kid’s backyard. While nearly photorealistic, the film also features a more expressive animation style as the LEGO minifigs enjoy a greater range of movement.
Backing the animation is a strong performance by Arnett. Affecting a Bat-voice that cannot be easy on the vocal chords, he manages to give LEGO Batman the sound of a supreme egotist, a very lonely boy and a dude happy to have a friend. Michael Cera also offers a strong performance as Dick Grayson. While not the traditional version of the character, he becomes a cheerful and heartfelt foil for LEGO Batman. Dawson and Ralph Fiennes also provide great performances as Barbara Gordon and Alfred. Each highlighting a member of Batman’s burgeoning family with surprising depth.
The Blu-ray release of The LEGO Batman Movie features the typical assortment of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment extras, including a commentary, deleted scenes and assorted featurettes.
The best of the bunch is the fast but informative One Brick at a Time: The Making of the LEGO Batman Movie. It offers a nice overview of the various departments involved in bringing 3D animated movies to life. Using some of the frantic style of the film itself, it manages to breath new life into the topic; even if you’ve watched featurettes like it on other titles. Other featurettes include a spotlight on the voice cast, a series of stop-motion LEGO Batman shorts created by fans and a bizarre LEGO Batman Comic-Con panel.
The deleted scenes are a mix of early animation and storyboard style animatics. Each is surprisingly funny, with “Batman and The Mayor Swap” being the best of the bunch. But in each case, it is easy to see why the scenes were never finalized. Any one of them would slow a film which is already 104 minutes.
An additional set of animated shorts gives Billy Dee Williams a few moments to shine as Two-Face. The best of the group, however, reinvents Harley Quinn as a talk show host for Arkham Asylum’s public access channel.
The extras are rounded out with a number of promotional clips that, while often funny, start to get repetitive with the use of the “I only have one butt” joke from the trailers.
The commentary features director Chris McKay and twenty members of the production team. They discuss the various challenges of realizing small moments, colossal sets and the joy of working in such an imaginative realm. As with many animators’ commentaries, that joy becomes infectious.
The LEGO Batman Movie is a worthwhile purchase for fans of the lighter side of Batman. While it celebrates some the character’s darker impulses, it definitely pings the Batman ’66 receptors in the viewer’s brain. The special features do not offer the deepest or most interesting insights, but maintain the tone of the feature. And really, the most special feature of all is the movie itself. It’s a gem of a film offering big action and a surprisingly thoughtful look at the Batman.
Do you agree? Prefer The LEGO Movie or the other LEGO Batman direct-to-video features? Let us know in the comments below.
Fun Fact: In Spain and much of South America, Tuesday the 13th is the “bad luck” day of the week. Throughout Venezuela, Columbia, and other latin-centric countries, Friday the 13th is known as Martes 13. Martes is Spanish for Tuesday, so, on this Tuesday the 13th MFR brings horror fans in South Florida (aka Northern South America) some great news. Popcorn Frights Film Festival is coming in August, and the lineup is a must-see of horror features and shorts.
According to the press release, “Popcorn Frights first wave of programming serves up a fearsome feast of werewolves, zombies, psycho slashers, minotaurs, and all the sinister things that go bump in the night.” In the words of great Marvel comics of old: ‘nuff said. What more could horror fans ask for? Just look at the lineup ready to turn the sunny shores of South Florida red.
Popcorn Frights Film Festival begins August 11th with a triple-bill. The first of those three films is Tragedy Girls. Making its South Florida premiere, the movie stars two X-(Wo)Men, Brianna Hildebrand (Negasonic Teenage Warhead) and Alexandra Shipp (Storm) in a horror-comedy that’s currently rated at 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The other two opening-night films are still to be announced, making for an enticing mystery of what is yet to come.
FLORIDA PREMIERE.Starring Steven Yeun of The Walking Dead; What happens when people lose all their inhibitions? This blood-soaked gonzo thriller offers a glimpse as a virus that erases impulse control breaks out at a law office, where a disgruntled employee and a dissatisfied client go looking for some justice.
FINAL CUT US PREMIERE. Alcoholic werewolf cop Lou Garou springs into action when an eccentric businessman with evil intentions seduces his town’s residents with a new brewery in this outrageous horror-comedy sequel.
FLORIDA PREMIERE. In the throes of a zombie apocalypse, a troubled woman from Las Vegas with a dark past finds herself stranded in the desert with a lone and ravenous zombie on her tail.
FLORIDA PREMIERE. When Mary loses one of her twins during childbirth she feels a devastating loss that spirals her into madness. She begins to suspect a sinister force is after her surviving child that will stop at nothing to take it from her.
FLORIDA PREMIERE. When an unidentified madman is sent to the electric chair, it triggers a sort of Mischief Night for a group of serial killers out in an entire city. An escaped mental patient, a beautiful seductress, a strangler who preys on unsuspecting women, and an enigmatic masked contract killer run amok in Mickey Keating’s new slasher fest.
SOUTH FLORIDA PREMIERE. Driven by an inner need, frustrated artist Dave begins building a fort in his living room. But as he completes construction, Dave becomes trapped inside by the dangerous creatures he’s designed, forcing his girlfriend to mount a rescue mission.
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Happy birthday, Chris! Can I call you Chris? We’ve never met, but I feel like we’re on a first-name basis. Your laid-back demeanor and tendency to leave your home in backwards baseball caps probably contribute to that feeling, but that’s not why I’m writing to you today. Today, I want to celebrate your 36th birthday with a gift: a list of reasons why you would make an outstanding candidate for president. This may also be a gift to myself, and the general American public, but I guess that’s for you to decide, Cap.
Here are some reasons you, Christopher Robert Evans, should run for President of the United States as soon as possible. Happy Birthday!
“You are Detective Sebastian Castellanos and at your lowest point. But when given a chance to save your daughter, you must enter a world filled with nightmares and discover the dark origins of a once-idyllic town to bring her back. Horrifying threats emerge from every corner as the world twists and warps around you. Will you face adversity head on with weapons and traps, or sneak through the shadows to survive? This is your one chance at redemption, and the only way out is in.”
A sequel to 2014 horror game ‘The Evil Within’,will launch October 13 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, Bethesda announced during its E3 press conference. The hit horror game from Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami will simply be called ‘The Evil Within 2’.
The game will be continuing the adventure of Sebastian Castellanos, protagonist of The Evil Within. It has been confirmed that the story will be set three years after the events of the first game. There will be direct links between the story from the first game with Sebastian having to re-enter STEMS to save his daughter. The trailer shows a good mix of stealth and gun combat – staples of the first game.
Details are still scarce as to any player upgrades, however, the game play trailer shows sharper graphics than it’s predecessor. The teaser also shows smoother player movements and of course blood, gore and monsters. Lots and lots of monsters. The official site for the game teases;
As both the teaser and trailer show – while ammo might be in short supply – the horror certainly wont.
‘The Evil Within 2’ will be getting a Friday 13th October release on PC, Playstation 4 and Xbox One. Were you a fan of the first game? What do you think of this news? Sound off in the comments below.
