NPR’s latest podcast, Wow In The Worldis a delicious combination of science, engagement, and frivolity resulting in what ultimately will be their most popular program.
Background
NPR’s latest podcast was born from a weekly segment on Sirius XM’s Absolutely Mindy Program. Host Mindy Thomas and NPR’s Guy Raz had a weekly segment where they discussed news that would be of interest to kids and grownups alike. Their segment went on to win the International New York Festival’s Award for best children’s program in 2016. When NPR announced that they were heading in this direction, I reached out to see if we could get an advance copy of the first episode. This move toward children-centric programming is historic for NPR. In 47 years of broadcasting, National Public Radio has never released a program with children in mind.
What Worked
The production value was excellent. It gave the show a very Bill Nye the Science Guy vibe. If the show had just been a simple rip and read for the hosts, this podcast wouldn’t be around for very long.
The show seems to pick stories that have an internet component to them. For example, the first story talks about investigating a portion of outer space by checking out the website www.zooniverse.org. Apparently, people can choose a portion of outer space that they can investigate on their own. My hope is that they share these links on their site or tweet them out as well.
The chemistry between Thomas and Raz is off the charts. You certainly can hear how much they enjoy doing this show and the passion they have for reaching out to young listeners.
At the mid-point of the show, it was extremely smart to include clips of Mindy Thomas speaking to little kids about the topic de jour. This needs to continue!
What Didn’t Work
Currently, the show is set up where it’s two stories from Guy Raz and one story from Mindy Thomas. The show would flow smoother if there were two stories from each host. Thomas has such charisma that even when she’s not being silly, I’m immediately drawn to whatever story she’s telling.
Overall
There is a reason why NPR has waited until now to venture into programming geared towards children and centers around balance. Wow in the World strikes the right balance between serious and silly. The purpose of the program is to ignite a dialogue between a tablet driven generation and the parents struggling to relate. The show debuts on Monday and everyone should download it.
The ‘Halloween’ Reboot Will Showcase A Scarier Michael Myers!
When comedy actor Danny McBride was chosen for the ‘Halloween‘ reboot, many were skeptical. But after the brilliant ‘Get Out‘ by Jordan Peele, comedy is sneaking into horror. But that’s not McBribe’s intention for ‘Halloween‘. For the horror reboot, the script’s co-writer promised to make slasher Michael Myers scary again.
“Look at where the Halloween franchise has gone. There’s a lot of room for improvement,” McBride joked. “David and I are coming from it as, we are horror fans, and we are humongous fans of John Carpenter and of what he did with the original Halloween, so I think from watching this and being disappointed by other versions of this series, I think we’re just trying to strip it down and just take it back to what was so good about the original. It was just very simple and just achieved that level of horror that wasn’t corny and it wasn’t turning Michael Myers into some supernatural being that couldn’t be killed. That stuff to me isn’t scary. I want to be scared by something that I really think could happen.”
This upcoming reboot will follow the polarizing Rob Zombie ‘Halloween‘ films from 2007 and 2009. A few installments have been planned but were ultimately shelved until Blumhouse took over. Original director John Carpenter signed on to executive produce the film and possibly provide the score.
The film will be directed by Gordon Green. He will co-write the script with Danny McBride. McBride also had this to add about their approach to ‘Halloween‘.
“I think it’s much more horrifying to be scared by someone standing in the shadows while you’re taking the trash out as opposed to someone who can’t be killed pursuing you.”
Do you think Danny McBride can make ‘Halloween‘ and Michael Myers scary? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
The ‘Halloween‘ reboot will be released on October 19th, 2018!
‘Rick and Morty’ Have Found Perfect Defense Against The Aliens!
This could be one of the coolest crossovers ever! The world of animated show ‘Rick and Morty‘ and Ridley Scott’s ‘Alien‘ meet in a hilarious interaction. This adventurous duo come across one of the deadly facehuggers but seemingly find the best way to kill them!
Check out the hilarious video below:
Posted by both Adult Swim and Alien’s Facebook page, this is perfect marketing for both projects. Only Rick and Morty could make the terrifying ‘Alien: Covenant‘ this fun! And who else than Rick Sanchez could figure out a way to defeat the creatures! They even go as far as breaking the fourth wall and try to warn people in the ‘Alien‘ films. Genius stuff and proves why this show has its finger on the pulse.
After the cliffhanger of last week’s episode, Attack On Titan finds a way to keep the intensity going. The Colossal Titan takes hostages and surrounds himself with a layer of steam which allows him to remain untouched yet possessing the upper hand in the fight. Despite being the face of the franchise, you quickly excuse the fact he’s basically just sitting around on a wall for entire episode by the main focus of what happens next: Intense Titan on Titan combat.
As Eren faces off against the Armored Titan a more familiar face of the character emerges. No longer confined by his duty as a soldier, Eren cuts loose by channeling his rage into the fight, using it as fuel to keep him on target, and at the same time finding ways to mentally insult his opponent constantly throughout the confrontation. To help illustrate the point, he finds a way to make several comparison between the Armored Titan and excrement. You’d think his mother would have washed his mouth out with soap for such language. Until you remember his mother is dead because of the actions of the person he is presently locked in combat with.
The entire episode isn’t simply non stop brutal fighting. Flashbacks to the character’s time in training helps to reflect on moments spent with those thought to be allies. It also helps Eren to formulate a plan to be able to properly launch a counterattack on his opponent. Also there is a very humorous moment as Hange realizes Eren is in full control of his Titan form and it stimulates her scientific creative to the point she reacts in a way which helps to break the tension. In an episode which is mostly an devastating combat between two massive fighters, a moment of reprevicle like this is actually a welcomed sight.
Attack on Titan: Season Two is streaming on Crunchyroll.
The first season of Master of None immediately propelled Aziz Ansari’s critically acclaimed dramedy to being my favorite Netflix original series yet, it’s that good. Though with time it’s slipped slightly from that spot – Stranger Things takes the top spot, and BoJack Horseman just manages to edge it out for number two – it’s remained at a comfortable number three. (For reference, Love and House of Cards round out my top five at a distant number four and five respectively.) Ever since I first finished season one, a day after it premiered, I’ve been eagerly awaiting season two, so when Netflix dropped it yesterday I enthusiastically binged the series in its entirety. After my first complete viewing, I can loudly declare that Aziz Ansari has managed to top the work he did in season one to deliver viewers another fantastically crafted ten-episode story.
In case you want to go into season two completely blind, I must warn you at this point that there are some very minor spoilers below, in terms of episode premises. I don’t discuss anything in enough detail to ruin any surprises, endings, or overall episodes, however.
The official DefendersTwitter has released three motion posters recently. The first is Danny Rand, played by Finn Jones, with the second being Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones. The final poster is Luke Cage, played by Mike Colter.
“Marvel’s The Defenders follows Daredevil (Charlie Cox), Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Luke Cage (Mike Colter) and Iron Fist (Finn Jones). A quartet of singular heroes with one common goal – to save New York City. This is the story of four solitary figures, burdened with their own personal challenges, who realize they just might be stronger when teamed together.”
The newest subscriber-only cover from Empire Magazine features Spider-Man: Homecoming artwork by the legendary Alan Davis. Check it out below.
The issue with this cover available will be released on May 18.
Spider-Man: Homecoming features Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Donald Glover, Zendaya, Marisa Tomei, Robert Downey Jr., Jon Favreau, Tyne Daly, Tony Revolori, Bokeem Woodbine, and Hannibal Buress.
“A YOUNG PETER PARKER/SPIDER-MAN (TOM HOLLAND), WHO MADE HIS SENSATIONAL DEBUT IN CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR, BEGINS TO NAVIGATE HIS NEWFOUND IDENTITY AS THE WEB-SLINGING SUPER HERO IN SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING. THRILLED BY HIS EXPERIENCE WITH THE AVENGERS, PETER RETURNS HOME, WHERE HE LIVES WITH HIS AUNT MAY (MARISA TOMEI), UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYE OF HIS NEW MENTOR TONY STARK (ROBERT DOWNEY, JR.). PETER TRIES TO FALL BACK INTO HIS NORMAL DAILY ROUTINE – DISTRACTED BY THOUGHTS OF PROVING HIMSELF TO BE MORE THAN JUST YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN – BUT WHEN THE VULTURE (MICHAEL KEATON) EMERGES AS A NEW VILLAIN, EVERYTHING THAT PETER HOLDS MOST IMPORTANT WILL BE THREATENED.”
Game of Thrones is nearing the end of its planned eight season run, but worry not, Summer Child. HBO has never had a more financially lucrative series, and they have no intention of letting things end there. Which they shouldn’t, because there is a ton of unexplored material in the original novels that is perfectly ripe for being put to film.
Last Thursday, the Home Box Office announced plans for four different spinoff series, each of which will be helmed by one of the following writers: Brian Helgeland (42, Legend), Max Borenstein (Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla), Jane Goldman (Kingsman: The Golden Circle, X-Men: First Class), and, most importantly, Carly Wray (Mad Men, The Leftovers). Apparently George R.R. Martin, author of the A Song of Ice and Fire series of novels on which the show is based, will contribute to several of these projects. This last bit is particularly heartening; after all, the show is at its best when Martin is more involved.
But what will these shows be about? Long time readers of the series (including the novellas, short stories, and World of Ice and Fire,) might have a few ideas. The following entries have been arranged by the likeliness that they will actually happen.
1: Robert’s Rebellion. This is probably a series being developed as you read this. When Martin himself suggested the show take a brief hiatus to allow him to get further along in the books, the idea of adapting Robert’s Rebellion was briefly bandied about before HBO decided barreling forth with the series was the best option. (It was best for the show, anyway; poor Martin is now playing catch-up with his own story, and the novels are easily superior to the show.) The events of this series would cover the decline of stability under the rule of Aerys II, the Mad King, and how Robert Baratheon manages to build a coalition to overthrow him. It would have the complex politics and diplomacy of the main series, a good deal more action considering the continent-wide warfare, romance, brutality, and Ned Stark. Further development for Ned, Robert, Tywin Lannister, Catelyn Tully, the Mad King, and the others involved would also serve to deepen the original series. After all, if Robert never rebels, Game of Thrones never happens.
2: Dunk & Egg. The story of Sir Duncan the Tall (an ancestor of Brienne of Tarth), a peasant who accidentally finds himself an up-jumped knight amidst royal Targaryens, is a bit tonally different from Game of Thrones. Dunk, and his squire Egg, who will later become King Aegon V due to a succession crisis, are more obviously noble heroes than any non-Jon Snow character from Thrones. They do find themselves embroiled in all types of political intrigue and inter-family conflicts, however, and there is certainly plenty of material for filming. The relationship between this show and the original would be similar to that of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Martin has said that he plans to write about seven of these stories, although only three have been published thus far. In light of that, the obvious problem with creating a series based on the stories is that Martin would likely once again end up chasing the wagon, trying to catch up with an adaptation of his own work.
3: The Princess and the Queen (and/or) The Rogue Prince. Set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, these stories detail the events that lead up to the Dance of Dragons, a continent-burning war between two branches of the Targaryen family that arises from a crisis of succession. Each story has tons of characters, many of them strong females, and most importantly, almost all of them have dragons. The narrative has much of the complexity that Thrones does, and the twists and turns in the course of the plot are just as genuinely surprising as the source material. If any of these were actually to be made, this would be my personal pick.
4: Tales from Westeros. But with a catchier title than that. Even The World of Ice and Fire would work, because that’s what this series would be about. Throughout the novels, there are tons of extraneous stories which sit in the periphery of the main narrative, providing thematic echoes and insights that expand the original story. Many of the greatest twists in the series are set up by these stories, but they have been mostly omitted in the actual show. They could do anthology-style installments, where one season focuses on something like the Blackfyre Rebellion, or some other historical Westerosi conflict, with the next season depicting a different story or conflict. There are so many options here, however, that they could even do Twilight Zone-style episodic installments, depicting various important historical events or folktales from Westeros history, such as Meera’s Knight of the Laughing Tree story. There’s a lot to choose from.
5: Jaime & Bronn: The Buddy Comedy. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who plays Jaime Lannister, suggested a buddy comedy between Jaime and Bronn, or perhaps even something with Jaime and Brienne. He said that, in order to work, this would have to have the most comedic, slapstick tone it possibly could. This is unlikely to occur not only because of said tone, but because I doubt Bronn will survive the events of Game of Thrones, and I am certain Jaime won’t.
6: Euron: The Series. This one is unlikely for a few reasons, not the least of which is that Euron’s name sounds a little too close to “urine”, and at a certain point, the memes write themselves. Another strike against this is the way the show continues to utterly misuse the character. In the books, he forces people to drink the esoteric, LSD-like Shade of the Evening, which causes one character to see him as a massive, one-eyed, tentacle demon atop the Iron Throne, with all the gods of Westeros impaled on the blades around him. In the show, he’s a spooky pirate with an eyepatch. Casual show watchers have probably already forgotten who he is. But a television series about the character could do wonders to rehabilitate his small-screen image. Watching him ravage all in his path from the prow of his ship, Silence, as he explores the “known world” would be riveting, if a bit depressing. It could take us from the ruins of Valyria to Westeros back to previously unseen corners of Essos, with visits from every eldritch horror in between.
7: The Dying of the Light. This is admittedly the biggest stretch of all, because it has nothing to do with Game of Thrones. Instead, it would be an adaption of Martin’s first novel, a gorgeously sorrowful sojourn on a planet unbound by any solar system, hurtling from twilight to darkness as it careens unmoored through space. The story has barbarians, an incredibly complex love triangle, scary hairless dogs, and skyborne killer manta rays. Considering the popularity of Thrones, I can’t believe people aren’t bowling each other over to adapt Martin’s other work.
What do you guys think? Which of these series would you want to see?
Believe it or not, the sparkliest of vampires turns 31 today. Robert Douglas Thomas Pattinson was born May 13th, 1986. Since then he has graced the world with some truly wonderful performances–regardless of the project’s overall quality. Pattinson’s acting and musical talent are almost unanimously celebrated by critics and fans alike.
This pouty-faced Brit is one of the most interesting alums of the early 2000’s serial fantasy films. Robert Pattinson couldn’t get off the set of Harry Potter fast enough. He spent his twenties hating Twilight more than you ever could. He topped it all off with a classic Hollywood scandal, when his co-star and girlfriend Kristen Stewart admitted to cheating on him. However, he came out the other side of this all with his career intact. He’s found time to prioritize his musical talents once more. For a once international Super Star, Robert Pattinson entered his 30s in a surprisingly typical fashion. Let’s take a look back on how he got where he is today.
Robert Pattinson started his career as a tween model, wearing odd ensembles such as the iconic “scarf and boxers” combo. He was scouted by an agent while acting in theatrical productions in his hometown of London. At this point, he had absolutely no idea what a zeitgeisty future lay ahead of him.
Just shy of his 19th birthday, Pattinson was cast as Hufflepuff Heartthrob Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. According to Pattinson he enjoyed filming but felt weird entering into the tight-knit cast when their relationships were already concrete. Considering his character only appears in one Harry Potter film, the role gave Pattinson flash-in-the-pan fame which died down soon after the film’s release.
2. A Vampire Bites Off More Than He Can Chew
The shy and quiet teenager was fine flying under the radar, but then a thing happened that changed not only his life but also the direction of teen drama for a long time. Three years after Potter, in 2008, Pattinson took the role of Edward Cullen in the film adaptation of the YA series Twilight. He was hesitant to take on the character, feeling perhaps he couldn’t live up to Edward’s “dazzling” reputation.
However, Pattinson took his role very seriously for a very short time. According to director Catherine Hardwicke and Twilight’s author Stephanie Meyer, Pattinson poured over the source material and even kept an Edward journal for a while.
Already a best-selling book series, the Twilight films exploded and the actors became overnight sensations. The media responded with books and documentaries, churned out with impressive speed. Magazines ran any bit of information they could find, and niche documentaries such as “Robsessed” followed along with Pattinson’s every move. Twilight merchandise entirely clogged the airwaves, and the Age of the Vampire began. The series has plenty of problems, but for now, we’ll gloss over all of them in favor of the birthday boy, who might be the singular biggest hater of the series alive today. No one was more upset about their success than Pattinson, who wanted to go back to a life of playing guitar at local bars and acting in smaller art films.
3. Gotta Keep Movin’ Along
You may be tempted to ask “what happened to that vampire kid?” considering Pattinson stepped out of the spotlight after Breaking Dawn: Part Two premiered in 2012. But in the last five years, he hasn’t slowed down his work, releasing two projects a year every year. He seems to have found a balance that appeals more to his consistently shy persona. Finally, he can work without a gaggle of Tiger Beat reporters digging through his trash. Twilight Moms no longer line up to watch him eat a salad. He can play his guitar without breaking fire codes.
Even while he was filming Twilight, Pattinson pumped out smaller projects such as the art film Little Ashes, where he plays surrealist painter Salvidor Dali, and Remember Me, a timely romance that ends in New York on 9/11. Pattinson also found outlets for his music when live acoustic sets were no longer an option for him. He is credited multiple times on the Twilight soundtrack and plays piano on screen several times.
He and long-time partner FKA Twigs have been engaged since 2015. The two appear together regularly on the red carpet and in their hometown of London. Most recently they were spotted taking their dogs for a hike in Malibu.
Happy Birthday, Robert Pattinson. You keep doin’ you, and we’ll keep watching. From a respectable distance.
Snatched is a well-balanced comedy that showcases the comedic depth of Amy Schumer.
Summary
Emily (Amy Schumer) has reached a crossroads in her life. She has no job. Her friends seem to be avoiding her like the plague. The boyfriend that she will not stop talking about has just dumped right before his band went on tour. Now she finds herself ringing the doorbell of her childhood home and being consoled by her mother Linda (Goldie Hawn). The only glimmer of happiness she has right now is a trip that’s already paid for, but no one wants to go on with her. After stumbling upon a scrapbook of her mom’s adventures, she quickly decides that this trip is going to be a mother/daughter bonding experience. Emily immediately falls prey to the charms of a young Latin man and agrees to go on a sightseeing trip with him and her mother the next morning. This leads to an unfortunate chain of events that results in Emily and Linda being taken captive. They do manage to escape rather quickly but find themselves deep in the heart of the jungle and with no idea where to go.
What Worked
This film was a bit of a departure from what we usually see Amy Schumer in. Instead of seeing her navigating a narrative rife with vulgarity (example Trainwreck), we see her evolve into more of a physical comedian. Katie Dippold is excellent at writing those type of comedies, but we usually see Melissa McCarthy in these kinds of roles. In Spy we see McCarthy falling over while using the motorscooter. In Snatched, Schumer finds out unexpectedly that she’s a master shot with a speargun. There is a level of physicality that we aren’t used to seeing from Schumer in this film.
The casting choices for each of the supporting roles were spot-on. Wanda Sykes, Joan Cusack, Ike Barinholtz, and Christopher Meloni were all perfect choices. At times Ike even outshined the principle cast.
While we are talking about casting, let’s talk about picking Goldie Hawn to play the mom. Hawn provided an excellent balance between loving mother for Amy’s character Emily and straight man during all of her antics. Skepticism wouldn’t begin to describe how I felt about Goldie Hawn being cast in this film, but her performance left me pleasantly surprised.
There was certainly an emotional depth to this release that caught me off guard. To say that Snatched is a comedy about kidnapping just wouldn’t be accurate. This story is more about a daughter and mother trying to repair a fractured relationship years after the damage. This picture will make you laugh and at some points tear up.
The film was the right length. 91 minutes was a perfect amount of time to tell this tale.
Overall
Snatched is one of the most surprising films released in 2017. Instead of a long drawn out raunch fest, what we have is a fun and swiftly paced comedy that plays to the strengths of the cast. This release is a great girls night movie and one you could see with mom this weekend.