ITV is developing a TV series based on Anthony Horowitz’s bestselling Alex Rider series. This announcement follows closely on the tail of the 10th release in the series, Never Say Die, which can be found on bookshelves in the U.K. on June 1st. The series, intended for a young adult audience, has sold 19 million copies worldwide since its first release in 2000.
ITV will be teaming up with Eleventh Hour Films to make the show, with BAFTA-award winning Guy Burt at the helm. Burt has written a number of novels and television scripts, most significantly for Kingdom and The Borgias. Horowitz has said of Burt that he “is cleverly expanding the characters whilst staying true to the spirit of the original novels.” This likely means that although the primary audience for the Rider novels has always been young, Burt and ITV may seek to skew the series towards a more general audience.
Not much more is yet known about the series, but fan response to this news has been largely positive. Hopefully it fares better than the previous Rider adaptation, 2006’s Stormbreaker, which failed to recoup its $40 million dollar budget and brought visions of a major franchise to a crashing halt.
With comic book annuals, the usual format is to have the book be filled with short stories involving the cast. This is because the main book couldn’t break from a long plot arc. This is the case with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 2017 Annual, where the five stories which are presented tell a brief story which helps to spotlight different characters. How do the five stories stack up? Let’s try something different and review each individually. Scores come from a combination of art and story.
Search Party
Writer Kyle Higgins shows a side from his main Power Ranger story as he tells of the other Tommy who ended up being swayed by Rita. A fair bit of art by Gori Montes with a lot of good expression work helps to start off the annual in a great way.
Trini’s Vacation
Trini, the yellow ranger, hasn’t had a lot of time to shine in the new series so having a short story of her own is a perfect idea. Writer Tom Taylor tells a story of Trini just trying to have a peaceful day but finds it’s a bit hard to do when you’re a Power Ranger. The art by Dan Mora is especially impressive as Trini is unable to call her Zord and has to jump at a giant monster by herself.
Forever Mighty Morphin Black
Jamal Campbell both wrote and illustrated this story about Zack being called to help fight a mysterious enemy. Aiding him in the fight is different black rangers from other dimensions. The story results in a very memorable two page spread featuring an army of black rangers. It’s the kind of spread you wished you could get framed so you could put on the all.
Perfect
Once again writer Terry Moore steals the spotlight in the Power Rangers Annual. Much like his previous story which, this one touches on the backstory of a villain character and makes the audience truly feel for them. The art by Frazer Irving utilizes the chiaroscuro (use of light and shadow) style which helps to make the issue so memorable. The entire issue is worth purchasing just for this story.
Sabrina’s Day Out
The annual ends on a lighthearted story about Goldar and Scorpina having a day off from fighting the bad guys. Writer Caitlin Kittredge crafts a fun story with a very comedic tone. The art by Dajung Lee with Sarah Stern on colors helps to set the mood for an entertaining story.
Conclusion
Another fantastic issue of the Power Rangers comic. Take the time to pick up this annual when you are at your local store.
Clint Eastwood, who turns 87 today, has had one of the most storied careers in Hollywood history. As an actor, he’s given iconic performances and as a director, he’s he’s been just as successful, winning Oscars for both Million Dollar Baby and Unforgiven. Chronicling the impact he’s had on Hollywood would be a titanic task, so I decided to focus on the impact he’s had on me as a movie fan. Here are my favorite Clint Eastwood movie moments:
“My mistake, four coffins.” – A Fistful of Dollars
In the early 2000s, I was not yet a fan of Clint Eastwood. I had seen him in a few flicks but was not a fan of westerns in general, so I hadn’t seen his best work. At the time, I thought of westerns as hokey, with corny music and stilted characters. Then, I read about the so-called “Man with No Name” trilogy (Eastwood is actually credited as Joe, Monco, and Blondie in the three films) and was intrigued. We’re only a few minutes into A Fistful of Dollars when the clip above takes place. The combination of humor and badassery was all it took. By the time Joe tells the undertaker he’ll need four coffins, I had become a fan of Eastwood, director Sergio Leone, and westerns as a genre.
“I killed just about everything that walks or crawled at one time or another” – Unforgiven
Unforgiven, Eastwood’s tribute to the genre that made him famous, is the story of William Munny, a reformed killer who is trying to live a better life for his wife. When she dies, he is forced into becoming a bounty hunter again to support his children. It doesn’t go well for him, but when he seeks vengeance we the audience get to see Eastwood at his devilish best (apologies to Pale Rider). Munny walks into a saloon full of “lawmen” and unleashes hell, knowing that vengeance will probably cost him his life and definitely cost him his soul. On top of being one of the most badass scenes ever filmed, this one has a special place in my heart for being one of the primary inspirations behind one of my favorite comic book characters of all time, The Saint of Killers.
“What are you peddling today, Padre?” – Gran Torino
Years ago on Saturday Night Live, there was a game show parody titled Who’s More Grizzled, with Robert Duvall, Garth Brooks, and Darrell Hammond competing to find out who’s the “roughest, toughest, most hard-bitten old-timer around”. Eastwood’s movie roles could easily form a whole Tournament of Champions for that game, but I think Walt Kowalski from Gran Torino would likely win that tournament. Here we see Eastwood at his most curmudgeonly: a retired auto worker and war veteran who refuses to adapt to the changing world around him. No one moment encapsulates the film, which is an engrossing character study all the way through, but Walt’s dismissal of the young priest who is trying to help him is probably my favorite. Walt Kowalski isn’t someone to be emulated, he’s violent, racist, and unable to accept help, but despite all his flaws, he is able to find a new family to protect, and thereby seek redemption. Maybe the most honest of the Eastwood movies I’ve seen, Gran Torino takes the machismo and hard-assery present in so many movie heroes and shows the negative impact they would have in a real-world setting.
The Final Showdown – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
No quote for this one, since the most important parts of the scene happen without any dialogue at all. Maybe my favorite climax to a movie ever, the movie ends with the three-man showdown between Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach. The wide shot of the three in the middle of the cemetery contrasts so beautifully against the quick shots of each participant. The film score (shout out Ennio Morricone) supports the whole scene, building tension to the moment of first fire.
What is your favorite Clint Eastwood moment? Let us know in the comments.
Wonder Woman first appeared in All Star Comics #8 in October 1941, 76 years later Diana Prince gets her first solo film, 39 years after the first Superman film. Warner Bros. was holding back on this film for some reason, and to a certain degree, the wait was worth it.
Director Patty Jenkins brings a different approach to the DC Extended Universe and Gal Gadot establishes herself as a hero everyone can look up to. Listen to our full review below.
Strap yourself in buckaroos! Episode 124 of the Monkeys Fighting Robots podcast is here.
Do you want to be our SUPER-FAN of the week? All you have to do is comment on this podcast to be eligible.
Do you have a question that you would like answered during the show? Email your questions to matt@popaxiom.com.
About the 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.
After a Christmas special that revealed the consequences of Season One, Sense8 Season Two kicks things off with a bang in S2E2, “Who Am I?”.
“Will and Whispers each race to piece together the other’s location, while Lito heads to his first movie premiere since the photos leaked.”
At the end of Season One, the conspiracy against the sensates only started to become clear – an organization called BPO, a doctor called Whispers, and a plot to lobotomize sensates. Will became linked with Whispers, and Season Two picks up with the continuation of their cat-and-mouse game across the globe, while other sensates help how they can. Nomi and Amanita research the anthropological concept of Homo sensorium, and Kala helps keep Will healthy for as long as she can.
Still, the presence of the conspiracy doesn’t stop the personal lives and struggles of each of the sensates. A particularly notable scene is when Lito, recently outed as gay, attends one of his movie premieres with his boyfriend. A homophobic reporter gets into his face about recent events. At the same time, Capheus is hounded by a reporter in Nairobi. Wolfgang and Felix are still dealing with the backlash of the gang war in Berlin; Kala is clashing with her father-in-law.
SENSE8 SEASON TWO – REVIEW
The show doesn’t bother with much in the way of recap – it continues right where it left off at the same breakneck pace that it reached by the end of Season One. Given that one of the early complaints about Season One was a slow start, this is a good sign for things to come. All of the actors are in fine form. In addition, after his introduction in the Christmas episode as the replacement Capheus, Toby Onwumere is keeping up well.
The stand-out performance, however, is Terrence Mann’s Dr. Whispers. Terrifying enough in Season One, Mann brings a whole new duality of humanity and coldness to Whispers in Sense8 Season Two. The game between him and the sensates wouldn’t have nearly the intense paranoia it does without his impressive acting.
The only downside to the opening of Sense8 Season Two so far is a distinct lack of focus on some of the others. Kala, in particular, has been limited to very shallow storylines, and Sun is still trapped in prison. Still, it’s only the beginning, and there’s the rest of the season to go.
What did you think of the beginning of Sense8 Season Two?
You may have heard of an actor named Dwayne Johnson, a.k.a. The Rock. He’s been in a couple of popular movies over the last few years and now, rumor has it, The Rock might be joining Universal’s Dark Universe as The Wolf Man.
This is merely rumor at this point, but where there’s smoke, and where there’s a Rock, there is often fire. The rumor was buried in the middle of The Hollywood Reporter’s analytical breakdown of Universal’s Dark Universe and whether or not it will make enough money to sustain itself because movies are no longer artistic ventures and all life is meaningless:
There are rumors that Dwayne Johnson could resurface in the “monsterverse” for a Wolfman reboot (he starred in 2002’s Mummy spinoff The Scorpion King).
That’s the only mention of Dwayne Johnson’s involvement, and it may never come to fruition since Johnson is scheduled to appear in roughly eight million movies over the next five years. Nevertheless, the word is out there, and Universal wants Johnson to play Lawrence Talbot, the tortured everyman who transforms from a mild-mannered rich kid into a rabid, murderous werewolf. Sounds just like Johnson, doesn’t it?
No, it doesn’t. But that doesn’t matter, because Universal isn’t about creativity with their casting, or hiring actors who aren’t big enough box-office draws, or trying to inject a little horror in their “Dark” Universe. These are action movies, plain and simple, and hiring Johnson to play a tortured soul is a clear indication of this.
I love Dwayne Johnson the movie star. He is great in roles where he plays himself basically. And he brings in massive dollars, save for this past weekend’s Baywatch misfire. I get it, believe me I do. But the rumor just deflates my love for the Universal Monsters and their history even more than any of the Mummy trailers. Why couldn’t Universal cast a normal-looking dude, normal size and shape, not a hulking action megastar to play a role that was once owned by Lon Chaney Jr. and his perpetual cry face? Even Benicio del Toro in the abomination that was Joe Johnston’s Wolf Man remake a few years back carried some sense of tortured darkness to the role.
But, yeah, tortured darkness isn’t what we’re doing here. And maybe it will work, but good lord why does everything have to turn into the MCU or some other assembly-line franchise world of people running and jumping and explosions and loud noises and CGI? Maybe there is hope for the Dark Universe with Bill Condon’s Bride of Frankenstein (Angelina Jolie is in talks to play the title character, which is awesome), but everything else seems to lack any sort of creativity or original thought.
Brad Pitt stars in the fact-based War Machine, a film that takes a satirical look at war and politics. Netflix is the Godzilla of content, trampling across the streaming world with movie or series after movie or series. War Machine represents a new level Netflix is trying to achieve. This level includes top-notch productions with the best in the business. War Machine includes a ton of Hollywood elites. But having all the best pieces still doesn’t always produce a winning combination.
War Machine tells the story of U.S. Army General Glen McMahon played by Brad Pitt. The General is a legend. Loved by everyone. Brave. Resolute. Unflinching. But in the state of modern war, the General finds himself on a mission as a diplomat which, for a man like McMahon, seems like an impossible task. McMahon assembles a team to help him on the mission which is nothing short of ending the war in Afghanistan.
On paper, War Machine looks like a movie destined to make a big impact. It’s based on a best-selling, non-fiction book The Operators by Michael Hastings. It features Pitt as the lead, Anthony Michael Hall, Topher Grace, Tilda Swinton, and Ben Kingsly along for the ride too. Writer/Director David Michôd already has critically acclaimed features Animal Kingdom and The Rover under his belt. The story is a look into the often insane geopolitical agendas that drives the U.S. Military. What could go wrong?
For starters, War Machine is somewhat dull. For a film working on a $60 million dollar budget, it feels oddly flat and un-cinematic. There are a lot of closeups, shots of people sitting and talking, and stuff on TVs. Sweeping shots or even wide-angle establishing shots are few and far between.
Performances are consistent, if uninspired. Brad Pitt does some excellent work on a physical level, maintaining the General’s claw-like hand. Otherwise, Pitt’s portrayal of McMahon, based on real-life General Stanley McChrystal, is little more than an alternate version of Aldo Raine from Inglorious Basterds.
It wants to be a cross between Dr. Strangelove and Wag the Dog.
The message and point of War Machine will connect with most everyone on the left side of American politics. But most all the salvos fired at how the U.S. handles Afghanistan miss. War Machine fails to score headshots from its satirical assaults.
War Machine is an example of great intentions gone wrong. Everything about the film should work, but it just doesn’t. It’s a shame too since this type of film is necessary. War Machine wants to expose a few the ridiculous inner workings of military and politics. It wants a cross between Dr. Strangelove and Wag the Dog. But the film fails for two hours straight.
This review is a harsh assessment of a film with incredible potential. But it’s also harsh because it’s such a flawed first attempt from Netflix to elevate their original cinematic content. At best, War Machine is mediocre. For the price and talent involved, achieving a stalemate is a result too similar to the wars the film is trying to dissect.
It is very rare for an record to double as an band album and a soundtrack.
Queen’s A Kind of Magic is one such example.
Released on June 2, 1986, it serves as a band album and the Highlander soundtrack. While it features songs in the film, the record also stands on its own as a work of art. While it sold well, critical reviews did appear mixed. Rolling Stone describes it as “hard rock with a hollow core” and “heavy plastic.” However, the songs are still popular even today.
A Kind of Magic also marks the last time Queen went on tour with all four members. The band’s singer Freddie Mercury would die of AIDs in 1991, and bassist John Deacon would retire in 1997. As of now, Brian May and Roger Taylor continue to perform as Queen with Adam Lambert.
The album kicks things off with “One Vision”, which is a team effort. It marks the first time that all members gets a writing credit. Brian May’s guitar riffs are electrifying, and Mercury is vocally at the top of his game. The song concerns a desire for world peace and unity, and this is a reference to Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream. It ends with the famous non-sequitir plea of “Gimme gimme fried chicken!”
“A Kind of Magic” is a Taylor composition with an soaring feel. Mercury’s voice is spot-on in this track, and Deacon delivers a baseline with a funk influence. The video is also known for its surreal storyline, in which a magician turns hobos into a rock band. Throughout the video, animated characters shift shape and dance to the beat of the song.
“One Year of Love” is a Deacon song. You can tell this is his baby, because there is a soul feel to the melody. Strangely, according to May and Taylor, Deacon did not like the final product. Hence it never got a live performance.
“Pain Is So Close To Pleasure” is a Mercury and Deacon brainchild. This track has Motown rock and soul influences, such as all the vocals being done in falsetto. “Friends Will Be Friends” focuses on May’s guitar playing, which is the main part of the song.
“Who Wants To Live Forever” is a haunting track of being mortal. The song is a ballad with a classical feel. It is a neat song of the Queen canon, because both Mercury and May share the lead vocals. Although he’s mostly a guitarist, May does have a decent signing voice.
“Gimme The Prize” is another May track with a hard rock feel. This is probably the closest of all the tracks to Queen’s original edgy sound. For some reason, it never got the chance to be performed a live setting. “Don’t Lose Your Head” is a Taylor song with techno and synth influences. Despite Mercury’s lively vocals, it is not a standout.
Finally, the album ends with “Princes Of The Universe”, which is a Mercury song. It incorporates both hard rock and heavy metal influences. While not a hit, it is best known for the music video in which Christopher Lambert fights Mercury in a duel.
Overall, A Kind of Magic is a unique part of the band’s history. This is not their finest record, but it captures the pop and rock sounds of the 1980s. Highlander fans will enjoy the album and its connection to the cult film. It is proof of four people coming together to create great music, and that is a kind of magic in itself.
The 2017 Emmy nominations are coming soon. The nominations will be announced July 13th. What shows might get the nod? There are a good number of contenders on either end, for comedies and dramas. It’s certainly too early to try and declare who will win. However, with seven open slots in either category, several shows are definitely deserving. Here is a list of dream nominations for both categories.
2BEST COMEDY CHOICES
There’s a number of deserving comedies, on networks and cable channels. Many of the shows are returning hits, with a few fresh faces. Though there are some predictable nominations, but this list has some unconventional choices. Including one series that has been overlooked for far too long.
VEEP
Veep has dominated the comedy category for years. The show has won Best Comedy for the past two years, dethroning Modern Family. While the show lost creator Armando Iannucci as show runner last year, it didn’t lose steam. The show still has its trademark biting wit, even five years in. Whether or not it wins again, Veep has certainly earned another Emmy nomination.
ATLANTA
Donald Glover’s new project Atlanta is a fantastic new show. The series captures Glover’s insight into the rap industry, and the wittiness of his comedy days. The series is wonderfully surreal, providing a unique slice-of-life tale. It also features great performances by Brian Tyree Henry, Zazie Beetz, and Lakeith Stanfield. Atlanta got a TON of love at the Golden Globes, which likely means the Emmys will show similar love.
IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA
The fact that the show has never been nominated is insane. It’s Always Sunny has been on for 12 SEASONS. It’s tackled huge societal issues, in incredibly comedic fashion. The show has so many quotable moments and hilariously inept characters. In many ways, it’s a staple of modern TV comedy. While The Gang says they don’t REALLY care about Emmys, they are due recognition. It’s Always Sunny is, quite frankly, too good to not nominate.
SILICON VALLEY
HBO’s tech comedy is equally brilliant and depraved. Silicon Valley, created by Mike Judge, is still fantastic four seasons in. The show often lives in the shadow of Veep, but don’t let that discourage you from watching it. The show has been nominated for Best Comedy since it began. With a great new season, there’s no sign of nominations stopping for the show.
MASTER OF NONE
Master of None’s first season got insane critical love. Aziz Ansari’s Netflix series was a great way to look into Ansari’s life. Master of None takes a great look into being an Indian-American in entertainment. The series grabbed several Emmy nominations for the first season. It seems quite likely the new season will grab a few more.
BLACK-ISH
Black-Ish is a solid sitcom from ABC. The show has tackled social issues through great comedy for four years. It’s a great show that follows the classic sitcom formula. The show feels nice and familiar, with humor updated for the modern day. Its leading lady, Tracee Ellis Ross, just took home the Golden Globe for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy. With that momentum, it seems likely Black-Ish will score a few comedy nominations at the Emmys.
CASUAL
This may be the longest shot on the list. Hulu’s still a relatively new player in original programming. However, Casual has quietly been a phenomenal comedy. The show follows two adult siblings, Valerie and Alex, as well as Valerie’s daughter Laura. Casual explores relationships in the modern day, without taking a preachy, anti-technology route. The show is smart and emotional, and well worth an Emmys nod.
OTHER POSSIBILITIES: Modern Family, Transparent, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, You’re The Worst
Two years after he killed a child-snatching monster and stopped an undead takeover in the Drowning City, occult detective Joe Golem searches for a man with superhuman strength who is attacking citizens under orders from the otherworldly voices in his head. But Joe has his own demons to wrestle with . . .
Writing
As a fan of mystery and suspense, this issue stood out as one which needed to be reviewed. After finally getting ahold of it and sitting down to read it, all there is to say is: Eh.
The issue isn’t bad, it just seems like a bad jumping on point. It is a new miniseries in the continuing saga of Joe Golem, a detective who investigates the strange and paranormal and who might have more about him than even he knows. Unfortunately, this issue doesn’t really take the time to reintroduce the character or what is happening. It feels like you should already know who Joe is, how he is an associate detective to Mr. Church, and seem to have a general concern as to why Lori, Joe’s love interest, seems to have a great distrust for Mr. Church. Not exactly the most compelling concepts for new readers, but considering the writing team Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden have a track record of writing series where the events continue book to book this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. It is probably is a great issue for those who read the previous adventures of Joe Golem, but it seemed a bit slow despite having a deep and involving story.
Artwork
The artwork is the real star of this issue. Art by Patric Reynolds and colors by Dave Stewart really help to give the book the feel of being set in the past. The issue has a nice noir sensibility to it and really captures the essence of life in the past. The sections which jump even further into the distant past have an especially distinct look to them which stands out and makes the issue captivating.
Conclusion
Joe Golem: The Outer Dark is a visually pleasing book but leaves you wanting to know more but doesn’t seem to define the characters enough. Of course, it is a detective series so a bit of mystery may be what they are going for. Basically if you have read the previous issues you will be fine and will have a much better time with the new mini-series. For everyone else, it may be time to hit the local comic book shop and grab the first graphic novel.
