Microsoft led the way for Sunday’s E3 2017 press conferences. They covered a lot of territory during their presentation, what with 42 games and a console revealed. If you’ve got some time, check out their 2 hour show here. Here were the 5 highlights for Monkeys Fighting Robots:
For a year now, Microsoft has been teasing Project Scorpio, their upgraded console. Well thankfully today we finally got all the details, starting with a name. Officially called the Xbox One X, the new console will be their smallest to date. It packs an 8-core Custom AMD CPU, clocked at 2.3GHz, 12GB of graphic memory, and a 6 teraflop GPU to render 4K environments. It will be hitting living rooms on November 7th, priced at $499. Personally, Xbox One X sounds worse than Scorpio, but it does clear up the “is this a new console, or isn’t it?” question.
That’s right, Original Xbox games are coming to the Xbox One/S/X. Part of their Xbox Backwards Compatibility Program, players will now be able to experience their oldest Xbox games, but with updated graphics and gameplay. One of the announced titles is classic favorite Crimson Skies, which is sure to excite a lot of fans.
BAFTA award winning Life is Strange is getting another-another installment. Earlier this year, developer Dotnod Entertainment announced a sequel to their critical and commercial hit, which would feature a new setting and cast of characters. Today’s announcement regarded a mini prequel series, Life is Strange: Before the Storm. It will be released across three episodes, and follow at least some of the original cast. Look for the first of these episode on August 31st.
Though pigs haven’t flown yet, Cuphead does finally have a release date. The highly anticipated indie game from Studio MDHR was first announced in 2014, and featured a hand-drawn animation style that left fans drooling for more. Which made the multiple delays even harder. Worry no longer – pick up Cuphead on September 29th.
Crackdown 3 was announced two years ago, and nothing has been seen or heard since. That is, until today, when Terry Crews introduced the next installment of the critically acclaimed open-world action shooter. The trailer, which Crew opens, is packed with all the explosives, weapons, and robots that fans have come to expect. And of course it’s all in series’ neon. Crackdown 3 will be an Xbox/Windows 10 exclusive, and is set for release on November 7th.
E3 2017 got underway yesterday, with Electronics Arts kicking it off with their annual press conference. Their show largely concerned games that we knew were coming, like Star Wars: Battlefront II, Need for Speed: Payback, and FIFA 18. But it also had some surprises, especially when it came to new IPs. If you’ve got 4 hours to kill, you can watch the full press conference here. If not, then check out the 5 things Monkeys Fighting Robots found most exciting from their show:
A large chunk of the show was devoted to Battlefront II, revealing a full gameplay trailer (see above) and some awesome multiplayer footage. The highlights include a single player campaign, free DLC, and prequel and sequel characters, vehicles, and maps. Oh, and Darth Maul. Basically, EA/DICE heard what everyone wanted after the first game, and delivered. Play Battlefront II November 17, 2017.
Bioware announced their newest IP during EA’s conference, Anthem. It’s a shared-world action-RPG, in which you (and friends) play as Freelancers, a group of Javelin exosuit-clad adventurers. The suits can be crafted and customized, helping the player navigate a contiguous open world. Hopefully we see more from the game in the future, but for now here’s some gameplay footage to tide you over.
It’s downright baffling that Fast and Furious, one of the largest film franchises on the planet doesn’t also have video games. Need for Speed seems to be moving into that space with their newest game, Need for Speed: Payback. The entire gameplay trailer above plays just like a Fast and Furious movie, with choppy dialogue, fast and shiny cars, and a truck heist. One of the characters even does the famous truck jump. Even for those who have never played the games, being able to essentially play Vin Diesel and company has got to feel good. Look for Payback on November 10th, 2017.
2. Madden got Mahershala Ali to be their game (somehow)
Madden is now falling the suit of many sports game franchises, and adding story mode. In Madden NFL 18, players can experience and play the story of Devin Wade, a young man trying to make his way in the NFL. His dad, Cutter, is motion captured and voiced by Academy Award winning actor Mahershala Ali. Honestly, that’s more exciting than the game mode, as he’s one of the greatest actors working today. It might be worth the purchase for him alone.
A Way Out is being developed by the makers of Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons, and it looks fantastic. The novel gameplay was met with fanfare during the presentation. The game is designed to played in split-screen, regardless of if you’re playing online or on the couch with a friend. Each player will control either Leo or Vincent, two men who find each other in prison, and work to get out. The entire game is played with a friend, and designed for couch co-op. Together, the players will accomplish their breakout and getaway in unique ways, with each situation having multiple solutions and consequences. Look for this innovative game in 2018.
The Current Line-Up Is Good But A Women’s Money In The Bank Could Be Better!
I’m taking nothing away from how talented WWE’s women are now but there is an era with even more star-power! Think back to the very first Money In The Bank Ladder match at Wrestlemania 21. This was right in the middle of the “Ruthless Aggression Era” and featured some of the best female wrestlers ever. Those women facing off in a ladder match for a chance at the Women’s Championship would’ve torn the roof off any arena.
Below is the eight women I would fantasy book in a Money In The Bank ladder match. The only rule is the wrestler must’ve been an employee of WWE around the time of the “Ruthless Aggression Era” (2002-2008).
Honorable Mentions:
Torrie Wilson
Jillian Hall
Jazz
Gail Kim
– Gail Kim’s time in WWE is short compared to others. Though, the time spent is impressive. Seeing her technical style tested in a gimmick match would’ve added depth to her character. Gail Kim came into her own later but a ladder match could’ve started it.
Beth Phoenix
– The most recent female inductee to the Hall of Fame is one of the best powerhouses of all time. Beth Phoenix also wrestled in one of the best ladders matches during her run in OVW. That experience puts her as my pick to win this Money In The Bank ladder match.
Molly Holly
– Molly Holly retired right before the first Money In The Bank ladder match but she’s too good to not mention. She is very well the most underrated female wrestler of all time. In this match, Molly Holly would adapt and shine like she did in everything else.
Victoria
– During this time, Victoria wasn’t the lady to mess with. If it was hardcore matches or comedic moments, Victoria did it all. I’d imagine a ladder match is a place where our favorite crazy lady could do some real damage.
Melina
– Melina debuted shortly after the first Money in the Bank match and quickly rose to fame. First as a manager and then as a formidable competitor. She’d play the part of a sneaky villain in this match and try to steal the win from everyone.
Mickie James
– Mickie James is the only woman on this list still wrestling for WWE. That alone proves why she should’ve been in a history-making female ladder match. Going into a match like this, Mickie Jamie can be the odds-on favorite.
Lita
– No other female wrestler pairs with a ladder quite like Lita. As part of Team Extreme, Lita earned her status as the Queen of Extreme. Any great Money in the Bank match has at least one memorable spot and the daredevil Lita would provide that for us.
Trish Stratus
– You can’t talk about women in WWE and not mention Trish Stratus. Trish elevated every match she was in. A Money in the Bank ladder match is another place where she could make history. She’d easily win this if she can pull her focus away from arch-enemy Lita.
What do you think of my lineup for a “Golden Era” Women’s Money in the Bank match?
Let me know in the comments below and tell me your picks!
2017 is going to be remembered as the year of Stephen King. Not only are we getting two new movies, “The Dark Tower” and “It”. We’re also getting three new TV shows from the master of horror. “The Mist”, which is a tie-in to the 2007 movie starts on June 22nd. J.J Abraham’s “Castlerock” which hasn’t been given an air date. Finally the crime based horror “Mr. Mercedes” which airs August 9th.
The Teaser Trailer
The ten episode series will be drawing from the first book of the Bill Hodges trilogy “Mr. Mercedes”. Starring Brendan Gleeson as the titular Bill Hodges, a recently retired police officer who is dragging back into a cold case against his will.
Behind The Scenes Teaser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8SM18XrqjQ
As the trailer and the teaser show, this isn’t another monster tale from King. “Mr. Mercedes” is more horror and crime than a scary monster under your bed. The book and now show, centers on a psychotic killer who taunts a retired police detective with a series of letters and emails, forcing the retired police officer to undertake a private, and potentially felonious, crusade to bring the killer to justice before he can strike again. Mr. Mercedes aka Brady Hartsfield is played by Harry Treadaway.
The book was published in June 2014 and shot to the top of the New York Times best-seller list before going on to win the Edgar Award for best novel. It marks a step away from monsters, as director Jack Bender says “It’s Stephen King, writing about the monsters inside people.”
Gleeson and Treadaway aren’t the only confirmed cast members either.
Kelly Lynch will be playing Brady’s mother, Deborah Hartsfield. An alcoholic monster in her own right. Her special type of parenting has played a large part in making Brady the monster he is today.
Justine Lupe will be portraying Holly Gibney. A nervous woman connected to Mr. Mercedes who joins Hodges in his fight against Brady.
Mary Louise Parker has been cast as Janelle Patterson. She will be one of the driving forces behind Bill’s decision to come out of retirement and face the ghost of his past.
Over the course of the ten episode series, viewers will get to witness a cat and mouse game like no other. When you’re dealing with a tech savvy psychopath nothing is off limits. As Bill Hodges is about to find out.
“Mr. Mercedes” premieres on 9th August on the Audience Network. Will you be tuning in? Are you excited about another Stephen King show? What do you think of the casting? Let us know in the comments below.
During EA’s press conference at E3 2017, the official Battlefront II gameplay trailer was revealed. They also had a 15 minute multiplayer gameplay session which showed off some exciting new features. Check out that gameplay below, and five reasons to be excited for Battlefront II!
What can be said but “finally.” During their conference, EA showed a series of social media requests – led by Star Wars star John Boyega – recognizing the demand for a campaign. As a result of the overwhelming demand, a single player story was developed. It follows protagonist Iden Versio an elite Imperial special forces officer that sets out to avenge the death of The Emperor. It runs between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, giving a good 40 year timespan to play with. Test plays from the floor of E3 have lauded the visuals, though the gameplay mechanics remain largely the same. In any case, this is a sigh of relief to fans of the original franchise.
4Prequels and Sequels
Battlefront primarily included maps, weapons, and characters from the original trilogy of films. Through DLC released before Rogue One, players were able to expand from the OT and experience the beaches of Scarif. Battlefront II will finally give players the chance to explore the other two cinematic time periods of the franchise: both the prequel and sequel trilogy. Players will be able take control of B-1 battle droids, clone troopers, First Order troops, and members of the Resistance. But it’s not just troops…
3Saga-Spanning Heroes
It’s the heroes too. Shown off in the multiplayer gameplay and confirmed so far are Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Rey, Kylo Ren, Boba Fett, Yoda, and Darth Maul. If the original game is any clue, there are likely many more heroes to come. Expect perennial favorites like Darth Vader, Leia Organa, and many more.
2Free DLC – No, Seriously
Yep. You read that right. EA announced that the first DLC, based on The Last Jedi, will drop in December ahead of the film, and is free. Every subsequent DLC will also cost you nothing. That’s a fantastic departure from EA’s typical playbook of season passes. However, the tradeoff will be micro-transactions that allow you to upgrade your gear and aesthetics. Hopefully there is still a wealth of free content for those who don’t want to purchase loot boxes.
1A Badass Leading Woman of Color
That’s right: for the first time in franchise history, a canon Star Wars story is being led by a woman of color. Imperial Officer Iden Versio was both voiced and motion captured by Janina Gavankar, an alum of Sleepy Hollow, The League, The Vampire Diaries, Arrow, and Far Cry 4. Her character is still largely a mystery, though it has been confirmed that she is in command of Inferno Squadron, an Imperial special forces unit. After the destruction of Death Star II and the death of Emperor Palpatine, Inferno and Versio look for revenge, and begin their hunt for Luke Skywalker. No matter their story, having yet another leading lady in a Star Wars story is welcome. Having a woman of color leading a terrifying sounding special forces unit in a Star Wars story is downright thrilling.
Battlefront II will be released on Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC on November 17, 2017.
Are you planning on picking it up? What are you most excited for in the sequel? Let us know in the comments on Twitter, Facebook, and below!
The purpose of You Should Be Reading… is to shine a spotlight on self-published creators who release their work in print and or digital and creators who work for publishers that don’t rank in the top 10.
We’re in a golden age of comics right now and in an age of geek none of us could have ever imagined, but with the good comes the bad. As our geek news sites become more corporate they tend to focus less on comics and in some cases less on independent creators. Which is why this series exists. My goal is to never shy away from giving a soapbox to those starting out and trying to carve a niche for themselves.
Today I am interviewing R. Thomas Favino the letterer, writer, and creator of the spooky and very cool supernatural comic Voodoo Detective.
VOODOO DETECTIVE is a pulp-fueled horror comic that follows Jackson Delmond, New Orleans’ resident occult investigator, as he navigates the dark and unforgiving world of the swamp-filled supernatural South.
The first collected book, “Old Wounds and Other Tales”, features 48-pages of eerie, occult awesomeness and is slated to hit Kickstarter in Mid-July!
To me there is nothing better than pulp comics and novels. Anything that starts off with pulp-fueled is right up my alley. R. Thomas was kind enough beforehand to send me a digital copy of the book to read and it is fantastic! I will be repeating this at the end but if you’d like to follow them via social media and be notified of when the Kickstarter launches then you can do so at their Facebook page and Tumblr site.
Now let’s get on with the interview.
Marco: So, I’m going to start us off with a little getting to know you. What made you fall in love with comics? And to follow-up on that. How did Voodoo Detective come together?
R. Thomas: Ya know, I’m not sure that it was any one thing that made me fall in love, more like a collection of things all happening at once. But it was definitely love at first sight. I was 6 years old, playing around in my grandparent’s garage when I stumbled across this box of musty, old comics. Almost all of it was quintessential DC and Marvel superhero stuff from the 60’s and 70’s and my small mind was just blown wide open. Between the artwork, the larger-than-life characters, the bold colors, and the drama and adventure; I was completely mesmerized. I sat in that garage for hours and just poured over every page. Add to all of that, the fact that, afterward, no one else that I knew really seemed to care about them like I did, kind of made comics this thing that was all my own. And that made them feel that much more special to me.
Voodoo Detective came about after spending the last five years actively trying to produce a OGN that I had written, but not being able to do so. I came to the realization that it was too big a project to be my first thing, so I shelved it, shifted gears, and started focusing on writing 5-8 page shorts for anthology submissions. One of those ended up being for last year’s Out of the Blue Anthology series, from ‘Stache Publishing. The theme was Twisted Pulp, which was right up my street. I knew I wanted to do something over the top, with a strong, supernatural hook, and I felt like, whatever I did, it had to have a name that told you everything you needed to know. “Voodoo Detective” popped into my head, and that was it. I wrote a story called “Midnight Offering”, got it approved, and then went about finding a team to help me make it. I was fortunate enough to find Dominic Black and Laura Lee to collaborate with and, I’m happy to say, it ended up making it into that volume.
Marco: Now is Voodoo Detective your first written comic? Or have you written anything else?
R. Thomas: To kind of build off that last answer, it’s not the first thing written, but it came from that first story being produced. I’m a research guy. And once I started looking for story ideas, I realized that the religion and culture of voodoo, in both Haiti and Louisiana, is just ripe with storytelling possibilities. I very quickly compiled a thick dossier. So, I kind of already knew that I wasn’t gonna be done with this character. I really enjoy telling short stories, and wanted to keep that going, so I worked up a few more, that I thought would make for a nice collection, and reached out to Dom and Laura to see if they were interested. Luckily, they both said “yes”, so we went for it. And that’s how Voodoo Detective: Old Wounds and Other Tales came to be.
Marco: Time to talk Voodoo Detective. What I love about this book is that Jackson Delmond is the type of character you see in Papa Midnite in Constantine or Brother Voodoo at Marvel but instead of being a supporting character he’s the star. Were any of those or other characters in genre fiction an inspiration for the creation of Jackson? And how important was it to you that in this world and culture he be an African-American?
Also, when this book is a success will you continue with the same format of (collected) short comic stories? Or do you see a possible series of miniseries in the future for Delmond?
R. Thomas: Oh, man. I’m really glad that you picked up on that. I LOVE Brother Voodoo! He is one of my all-time favorite characters and, I think, a seriously underrated hero. He was definitely a huge inspiration for how I wanted to approach Jackson and his world. Funny enough, I realized, afterward, that they actually share the same initials. It wasn’t intentional, but I think it speaks to the level of influence that the character had on me, going into this.
Like I said, the name came first. And with it, came a very clear image, in my mind, of who this character was going to be. It was never even a question of what his heritage was, or where he came from. Those things were set from Day One. What was important to me, though, was the level of respect I gave that heritage and origin. Because it is incredibly important to who Jackson is, and why he is that way. Historically, in both comics and the world at large, the religion and culture of voodoo has been severely stigmatized, to the point of villainy. It’s really nothing at all like what we think of when it comes to mind, and that’s unfortunate. I tried to do my best, through research and educating myself, to approach this world with that in mind. Now, this is comics, though, so the story comes first. I’ll admit that a few liberties were taken, in the name of entertainment but, yeah. Respect was really important to me. With that said, I do want to clarify that Jackson isn’t African American. He’s Haitian. How and why he resides in America, and Louisiana, specifically, are all part of his back story and something I hope to be able to explore.
As far as the future success of this project goes, I really appreciate your confidence! As a team, we believe in this 100%, and we hope that others will, as well, once they see it. If it is successful enough, there are definitely more stories planned. Aside from being “Research Guy”, I’m also a self-professed World Builder. So, I’ve definitely laid the groundwork for something big, and I really do hope that we’re able to gain a strong enough audience to take it there.
When it comes to the format, it’s going to stay the same for the foreseeable future; for a number of reasons. One, like I said, I really enjoy telling these short stories. They force me to be merciless and cut away anything that doesn’t absolutely need to be there. I think that makes for tighter, more interesting, stories when done right. Plus, it’s the kind of style of storytelling that really lends itself to the pulp genre. Another reason is, that it’s a lot to ask, for readers to jump on board with a new ongoing series from a relatively untested creative team. I wanted to take that burden off the shoulders of our readers, and just give them something that they could consume, in full, while leaving enough unanswered questions that it piques their interest and, hopefully, makes them want more.
Marco: Let’s talk about your team. You got Dominic Black on art and Laura Lee on colors. And I got to say they’re a great combo. Sometimes in comics, you read a book and think this needed a different art style. A reality I don’t think some creators or publishers consider. Because not every art style is a fit for every story out there. Another thing is color sets the mood and Laura Lee brings it. You feel the pulp noir off the page.
When you went looking for your team did you specifically look for individuals that you knew could fit the mood and style that the story required? Or was this more of a happy accident? At any point did you ever consider a different tone or look for the book?
R. Thomas: I couldn’t agree more with everything you just said. This book is the incredible thing that it is because of Dom and Laura, and I couldn’t imagine doing this with anyone else. They take my ideas and make them absolutely shine. To say that I’m lucky to be working with them is such an understatement.
As far as how it all came together, it was actually both planning and happy accident. I had found Dominic through him posting his work on Facebook, months before the idea of Voodoo Detective had even been conceived, and I immediately fell in love with his style and line work. It was just so unique, interesting and fresh to me. At the time, I reached out and messaged him to tell him how much I liked his stuff and looked forward to seeing more. All of this was in an effort to sow the seeds that would allow me to reach out to him later if an opportunity ever presented itself. Cut to “Midnight Offering” getting the green light, and he was the first, and only, person I asked. Though, originally, he was gonna do both the art and the colors. But the deadline began to loom and he was in the middle of closing on a new home, so, we agreed the best thing to do was to find someone to take on the coloring duties.
I’m super fortunate to have a friend in indie creator Corey Fryia, who offered to put me in touch with Laura. She had worked with him on one of his Doctor Crowe stories and I was absolutely floored by her skills. Again, I reached out and she was more than happy to jump in.
Laura is such a pleasure to work with. Not only is she an awesome talent, but she is so incredibly fast, too.
After she agreed to come back, we spent a few days talking about color, and how important it was going to be for this series. We went back and forth on how best to approach the grittiness of the pulp aspects and, more importantly, how we wanted to handle the magic. We really wanted to do something special that was sure to grab the reader’s attentions when it showed up, and I think she absolutely nailed it.
I honestly feel that this book looks like nothing else being produced right now, and that is all because of Dom and Laura. Again, lucky is such an understatement.
Marco: Besides Voodoo Detective is there anything else you’re currently working on (in comics) that you could maybe tell us a bit about?
R. Thomas: This upcoming Kickstarter is taking about 90% of my free time, at the moment. We’re really hoping to make this a no-brainer for potential backers, so we are pulling out all the stops. The other 10% has me noodling around with a few new ideas. One, in particular, I got from revisiting my childhood love of wrestling. It has nothing to do with the sport itself but was inspired by one of the athlete’s personal journeys. I’m really interested to see what I can do with it.
I did, however, just get the go ahead to talk about my inclusion in this year’s IF Anthology, from Alterna Comics, with the very talented Ross Radke. I’m not sure when, or how, it’s going to be solicited, but I’m really excited for people to see what we came up with. The theme was “Crime”, and we took an angle on it that, I think, will both surprise and delight.
Marco: As you know all good things must end. But before you leave us I’m going to give you some space to PIMP YOUR STUFF! This is the moment where you get to explain to the audience why they should check out the upcoming Kickstarter and any other work you have coming down the pipeline.
R. Thomas: Alright, here we go: If you like fast-paced, dialogue-driven, pulp-fueled, occult/horror stories, featuring an awesome and enigmatic protagonist who has to rely on his strange gifts to survive the dark, dangerous and unforgiving world of the swamp-filled, supernatural South, then please take a minute to check out VOODOO DETECTIVE!
We’ve got some really wonderful rewards lined up for every kind of backer imaginable, that’s sure to enhance your experience at any level. From print and digital copies of the book, to a wide range of full-color prints from some of the most talented indie creators working today, to super dope t-shirts that you’ll be proud to wear, to full-color commissions from the incredible Dominic Black, and, finally, a bunch of jaw-dropping original art that’s available to own, and cherish, forever.
We’ve done all the heavy lifting here. We put in the work ahead of time and created something unique, engaging and entertaining, that we are beyond proud to have our names on. All that’s left is for you to come along with us, and make our dream of putting this book into people’s hands, a reality!
And that’s the end of that. I want to thank R. Thomas for letting me interview him and I hope you all enjoyed this edition of You Should Be Reading. Check out Voodoo Detective when the Kickstarter launches mid-July and don’t forget to follow them on Facebook and Tumblr.
Quite possibly one of the few anime where I always watch the opening theme song, Kamisama no Memochou is hardly noticed. Even I have found myself forgetting the title from time to time. Later finding myself desperate to find it once more. Almost preying on our inner instincts, that those without much background or talents can have a huge impact. Kamisama no Memochou acts as another mystery anime that works in a manner opposite normal mystery anime.
Kamisama no Summary
Fujishima Narumi, a high school student whose key characteristic is not standing out very much. Despite this, a long chain of events ends up with Narumi being involved with a group of NEETs. (No Education, Employment, or Training) Along with another one of his classmates, Ayaka, the group follows their leader, Alice. A very childish Hikikomori (shut in), Alice leads the group on various detective cases. Her idea is that there are only 2 professions that can help the dead. Either writers or detectives. Writers being able to use their imagination to create a story. And detectives, able to figure out the facts of what happened to the deceased. Choosing the latter, we follow Narumi on his adventure with the group.
Kamisama no Verdict
Kamisama no Memochou seems to fill my urge when I want a satisfying anime. Being only 12 episodes, the series is fairly short. Getting a few good mysteries in as well as good character development, I can definitely recommend this. Yet what stands above everything else is that it how it holds motivation for the viewer. That even those who don’t fit in with everyday society can still aid those in need. Kamisama no Memochou may not be engraved into your memories like One Piece or Naruto. Instead lingers, drawing you back in after weeks, months, or years, just to view it one last time.
Two years ago, Shia LaBeouf née Stevens graced me with a beautiful birthday gift: he spent my entire birthday in an elevator at Oxford University and live-streamed it on the internet. Shia has been performing social experiments like this online for years now. As a thank you for the hours of entertainment he has provided, today we celebrate his 31st birthday. Here are some of his greatest hits since leaving the Disney Channel.
Okay, so a “greatest hits” list about Shia LaBeouf withoutEven Stevens would be neglectful at best. LaBeouf burst on to the scene seventeen years ago as a pre-teen prankster with a heart of gold. For three glorious years, he was a perfectly pure, amazingly awkward kid with very little ambition. But what he lacked in goals he more than made up for in his collection of Hawaiian shirts and cargo pants. LaBeouf’s character Louis shared the screen with his sister Ren (Christy Carlson Romano), best friends Tawny (Margo Harshman) and Twitty (AJ Trauth), brother Donny (Nick Spano) and next-door neighbor/partner in crime “Beans” (Steven Anthony Lawrence). Both Romano and Trauth continued at Disney on Kim Possible, but LaBeouf had…more than meets the eye…in his future.
4. LaBeouf’s Career Transforms
LaBeouf performed in several films while still at Disney, including an adaptation of the YA novel Holes. Then in 2007, LaBeouf starred in both the thriller Disturbia, and the summer blockbuster Transformers. Both performances surprised fans with more complex performances than he’d tackled before. Gone were the days of puberty-squeakiness and awkward limbs. Michael Bay, bless his heart, did his best to turn LaBeouf into a mature presence on-screen, and the Transformers franchise was the first step towards a dramatically adult career.
3. Nymphomaniac
Did you think I was exaggerating about the adult career? I was not. Lars Von Trier’s Nymphomaniac is a two part, 5.5 hour long film which rounds out the director’s “depression trilogy”. LaBeouf plays a character who takes narrator Joe’s (Charlotte Gainsbourgh/Stacy Martin) virginity, eventually has a child with her, and plays a role in her career. The film is exhausting and difficult to watch for its graphic content, but also for the psychology of the main character. Both parts of the film were released in 2013, just shy of the beginning of LaBeouf’s social experimentation off-screen.
2. Aversion to Fame
LaBeouf tweeted “I AM NOT FAMOUS ANYMORE” 22 times, before attended the 2014 Berlin film festival wearing a paper bag over his head with the same words written on it. The bag reappeared at an art performance which LaBeouf called “#IAMSORRY” the next month. Between slapping people in a performance of Cabaret, getting banned from an L.A. restaurant for public urination, and ongoing plagiarization charges, LaBeouf stays in the public eye in a bad way before checking himself into rehab for alcohol addiction. Press coverage of LaBeouf is almost entirely focused on his “troubled” private life for a short time, before he took the reins back with some socially conscious performance art.
1. JUST DO IT
The time of Shia, the living meme and performance artist, is now upon us. In 2015, he shouted at no one, and everyone all at once about siezing the day. He took part in a music video which declared him an actual cannibal. LaBeouf watched every movie in which he performed, and invited the public to join him (though he slept through Transformers out of apparent self-loathing). He spent a whole day in an elevator, talking to strangers about politics, snack foods, and the weather. Shia LaBeouf has been slowly clawing his way from self-inflicted partial oblivion back into the public eye. None of his live performances have been without controversy. However, the controversy has revealed more about the American public than LaBeouf himself.
Most recently he made headlines when fighting back against a man who pulled LaBeouf towards him before shouting nazi sentiments. The incident occured during a performance piece titled “#HEWILLNOTDIVIDEUS”, a gathering in response to President Trump’s inauguration. Considering his tumultuous career and personal life, public response to LaBeouf is typically dramatically divided. These days, it seems the world is just waiting to see what he does next. Happy 31st, Shia. Keep doing whatever it is you do these days.
Friday afternoon, Twitter blew up discussing the transphobic representation of the gang rape of a trans rapist character in Howard Chaykin’s The Divided States of Hysteria. Of course, Chaykin’s response is… nothing. Image’s response is… nothing.
Well, that’s not technically true. When questioned by Bleeding Cool, Image responded by forwarding Chaykin’s curse laden diatribe against the hypocrisy of liberal America. Let’s get real all up in here for a minute. We have a few lessons that need to be learned from this, and I’m going to take you to school.
Lesson the First:
When a marginalized group of people argues that you have undermined them? You just apologize. It’s really not that hard. You look at the group, you say, “I realize I am not you. I am sorry that this hurt/offended/insertwhatmarginalizedgroupwasupsetabouthere.” You own that you are not them. You own that you have to do a thing to make up for the thing you did wrong. End of story. You do not get to tell the marginalized group, “but wait, you didn’t understand what we were trying to do.” Nope. Just. Take the Nope Road all the way to Never Land, then hang a right at No Way Street and park your car in Noping All the Nopes lot.
Lesson the Second:
When putting media into the world, thinking about how that impacts audiences is a strength not a weakness. Chaykin has said that he doesn’t read critics. He acts as though he’s above criticism because he thinks he knows best. The tone deafness of this reaction is a side effect of hubris. Hubris, in Greek tragedy and real life, leads to a fall.
Lesson the Third:
Image has an image problem. I love some of the books that come out of there. However, let’s be honest, it wasn’t all that long ago that McFarlane told Think Progress writer, Alyssa Rosenberg,
“It might not be the right platform,” he said. “I’ve got two daughters, and if I wanted to do something that I thought was emboldened to a female, I probably wouldn’t choose superhero comic books to get that message across. I would do it in either a TV show, a movie, a novel, or a book. It wouldn’t be superheroes because I know that’s heavily testosterone — driven, and it’s a certain kind of group of people. That’s not where I would go get this kind of message, so it might not be the right platform for some of this.”
If that’s one of your founders, then clearly you’re going to have a problem when it comes to listening to people being upset with representation. There is never a place that should be considered “not the right platform” for responding to people’s desire to be represented. Any fictional media has the opportunity to help people change the way they view the world. If we keep allowing these kinds of messages, ones that reinforce violence towards transgender men and women, then we are allowing transphobia to continue. Image doesn’t care because, guess what, it’s run by a bunch of white, cisgender males and all the privilege thereunto appertaining.
Lesson the Fourth:
If you’re going to be an asshole, expect people to treat you as one. In response to being questioned, Image forwarded Chaykin’s prewritten essay about why he wrote The Divided States of Hysteria. You know what Chaykin said in that prewritten essay?
“So instead of “Trigger warnings,” “Cultural appropriation,” “Safe spaces,” and “Social Justice Warriors,” maybe we on the left should have put aside all this balkanizing nonsense and been fucking Americans for fuck’s sake, instead of allowing this nihilistic shithead to mainstream and legitimize the racist, sexist, bigoted and flat-out moronic sensibilities that have always been there, but were held in check by a common understanding that one doesn’t get away with that shit in the United States of America.”
The irony of this response being sent to people upset about the representation of the trans community is that Chaykin is doing the exact same thing he rails against. By ignoring the critics of this scene in his book, he legitimizes bigoted and “flat-out moronic” sensibilities. He argues it should be a common understanding that “one doesn’t get away with that shit” in our country. Yet, here we are again, having a conversation about how one white, cis, het dude can’t see his way to admitting he made a mistake.
The trans community deserves an apology. If Chaykin can’t see fit to do it, then his company needs to do it on his behalf. They need to take responsibility for letting this go to press. Hiding behind Chaykin’s tone deaf narcissism is a cop out.
All of us deserve better than this. We all deserve to be treated with respect. We deserve to see something from our creators when they make mistakes. We deserve to have comics move forward with the times and not stay in the dark ages of geekdom.
This review will feature both episode 35 and 36 of Attack On Titan. How is the show fairing as it moves towards its season finale? Very, very well.
Children
With the scouts hot on their heals, Reiner and Bertholdt have no choice but to run. If they have any hope of getting way, they will have to get help from Ymir. Unfortunately, Ymir will not go anywhere without taking care of some unfinished business.
Ymir finds a way to steal this episode thanks to her backstory. From her tragic origin to her struggle to survive in the world the emotions run high. The story will easy sway many audience members to sympathize with her blight and not care of the terrible choices she has made to further her goals.
Charge
If there was a single episode which encapsulated the best this show has to offer it would be this one. From the intense emotions of the characters to the mind blowing action, everything which caused the entire world to fall in love with the show is here. Why must it end for the year next week?
As characters are fighting for their lives in a race against time, Commander Erwin shows why some characters hail him as the last hope of humanity. Despite Mikasa being as focused as a laser in effort to get Eren back, Erwin finds a way to do the impossible and leave the audience gasping in surprised. It’s an episode which needs to be seen to be believed.
With only one episode left a full review of this season will come soon. The hardest part will be not being bitter about how the show is going to leave us hungry for more. Especially when we don’t know when there will be a season three.
Attack on Titan: Season Two is streaming on Crunchyroll.
