‘Gotham’ Gets Season 4 Renewal

May 11, 2017

Fox has renewed their Batman prequel series Gotham, Variety reports.

Gotham stars Ben McKenzie as James Gordon, Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock, David Mazouz as Bruce Wayne, Sean Pertwee as Alfred Pennyworth, Robin Lord Taylor as Oswald Cobblepot, Erin Richards as Barbara Kean, Camren Bicondova as Selina Kyle, and Cory Michael Smith as Edward Nygma. Click here for the full cast list.

Are you looking forward to Gotham‘s season 4? Comment below, let us know.

“GORDON DISCOVERS THE COURT OF OWLS’ SECRET WEAPON ON AN ALL-NEW “GOTHAM” MONDAY MAY 15, ON FOX

Gordon discovers the weapon the Court of Owls will use to destroy Gotham, which leads him on a dangerous path as he tracks it down. Meanwhile, Kathryn (guest star Leslie Hendrix) and Temple Shaman (guest star Raymond J. Barry) reveal their next move to Bruce, and Ivy comes to Selina’s aid in the all-new “Heroes Rise: Light The Wick” episode of GOTHAM airing Monday, May 15 (8:00-9:01 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (GTH-318) (TV-14 L, V)

Cast: Ben McKenzie as Detective James Gordon, Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock, David Mazouz as Bruce Wayne, Morena Baccarin as Leslie Thompkins, Sean Pertwee as Alfred, Robin Lord Taylor as Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin, Erin Richards as Barbara Kean, Camren Bicondova as Selina Kyle/the future Catwoman, Cory Michael Smith as Edward Nygma/the future Riddler, Jessica Lucas as Tabitha Galavan, Chris Chalk as Lucius Fox, Drew Powell as Butch Gilzean, Maggie Geha as the future Poison Ivy, Michael Chiklis as Detective Nathaniel Barnes, Benedict Samuel as Mad Hatter

Guest Cast: Leslie Hendrix as Kathryn, Camila Perez as Firefly, Raymond J. Barry as Temple Shaman, BD Wong as Professor Hugo Strange.”

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New info for ‘GUNDAM BUILD _EXTRA BATTLE PROJECT’

Jahmssen Ruiz Castaneda

May 11, 2017

GUNDAM BUILD _EXTRA BATTLE PROJECT

Rejoice fellow Gundam fans, looks like instead of getting one new Build Fighters show, we’re getting two. The BuildFighters twitter account announced both shows and their premise earlier today. This year is definitely our year.

A new PV came out showing an alternate ending to the previous one.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhV8n5jk7wk[/embedyt]

Gundam Build Fighters GM’s Counterattack

The first new show follows our favorite group of Gunpla builders. Taking place 3 years after the end of the original series, we follow Sei Iori and his lovable friends.

Keep in mind that Build Fighters Try takes place 7 years after the original, so this is amazing news. The implications are enormous as we won’t have to see Sekai Kamiki and his trash crew at all. My hope is that we will get fights as exciting as the original instead of the overly colorful ones from Try. More strategy and intrigue await us!

By the way, that title? Amazing. It brings back memories from Char’s Counterattack that I thought I had forgotten. I absolutely cannot wait for this.

Gundam Build Fighters: GM's Counterattack — LOOK AT THEM!! Meijin Kawaguchi and Fellini are back!

Gundam Build Fighters Battlogue

The second series announced today is more of a bonus. Based off the summary, it seems to be more of an extra fan service measure. Don’t get me wrong though, I am looking forward to both of these new shows. More Gundam can only be good for the soul. We will get to see skirmishes between different Gunpla suits in different situations. Described as “Dynamic Dream Battle”, the possibilities are boundless.

If you stop and think, this means we could get to see alternate events to important duels in Gundam history.

Gundam Build Fighters Battlogue — I’m so excited right now!

I wasn’t expecting such great news on this day and now my whole week has been made. Oh and there was also some news relating to Twilight Axis that came out today. In my memory, this is the year with the most Gundam shows coming out.

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Deadpool to get Animated on FXX with Donald Glover

Jon Barr - TV Editor

May 10, 2017

As superheroes continue to conquer every screen and TV channel, Deadpool throws his head into the ring. Marvel announced on Wednesday that Deadpool is getting an animated series. The series will be on FXX, the home of many adult-themed comedy series. Marvel’s Deadpool will be one of many Marvel Television projects on Fox networks, including Legion and X-Men: Gifted. The series has been picked up for a 10-episode season, and will come out sometime next year.

As if the news wasn’t great enough, Marvel also announced the creative team. Donald and Stephen Glover will serve as writers and executive producers. Donald Glover, also known as Childish Gambino, has many projects under his belt. Most notably, Donald and his brother worked on Atlanta. The freshman FX series gained a lot of notoriety, and won big at the Golden Globes. Along with the Glover family, Jeph Loeb and Jim Chory will executive produce. There’s no doubt that the creative team backing Deadpool up is a force to be reckoned with.

The series will likely serve as something like an Archer substitute. The animated comedy series will be ending after its 10th season. Archer will be on-air until 2019, but FXX could use an early replacement. Marvel’s Deadpool will probably be similar to FXX’s flagship comedy It’s Always Sunny. Does that mean the two shows will cross over? Doubtful, but it won’t stop Philly fans from dreaming.

While we know the show runners, we don’t know who might be in the voice cast. It’s unlikely Ryan Reynolds will lend his voice to the animated series. Although Donald Glover is a phenomenal actor, we know Deadpool isn’t his hero of choice. However, it’s logical to assume folks from the film universe pop in for a cameo or two. Even Reynolds could show up for a quick one-off role. We know Reynolds loves playing Deadpool, and has little going on outside smart-ass assassins (or bodyguards).

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Veteran Actor Michael Parks Is Dead At 77 Years Old

Jonathan Bruce

May 10, 2017

Michael Parks is dead.

The character actor was 77 years old.

Filmmaker Kevin Smith took to Instagram to announce the thespian’s death. “He was, hands-down, the most incredible thespian I ever had the pleasure to watch perform,” Smith says.

“He elevated any flick or TV show he was in and elevated every director he ever acted for. I was so fucking blessed to have worked with this bonafide genius. But really, I was just lucky to have known him at all.”

Parks began his career in television during the 1950s and early 1960s. He is known for his roles in The Real McCoys and Then Came Bronson. In 1966, his first big film part was Adam in John Huston’s The Bible: In The Beginning.

Aside from acting, Parks had a recording career as a musician. While working on Then Came Bronson, he scored a Top 20 hit with the show’s theme song, “Long Lonesome Highway.” His talent can be seen on The Johnny Cash Show. During the making of Red State, Parks performed several hymns for the film. These became part of an album titled The Red State Sessions.

In later years, Parks got a career revival. He won the part of Jean Renault in David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. Despite being a ruthless criminal, Jean manages to be charming and soft-spoken. As the show progresses, his true nature comes to light, which leads to a shootout in the second season.

On the big screen, he found success working with Quentin Tarantino. He became known to a new generation of fans with his role as Earl McGraw in From Dusk till Dawn. Later, he appeared in Tarantino’s Kill Bill Volumes 1 and 2, Grindhouse, and Django Unchained.

In 2011, Parks starred as extremist pastor Abin Cooper in Smith’s horror film Red State. He later retimed with the director as a sinister mariner in 2014’s Tusk.

“My favorite memory of Michael is watching him and Johnny Depp act with and at each other, like a couple of dueling wizards, in their shared scene in Tusk,” Smith says. “Parks was in Heaven that day, sharing the screen with another brilliant actor and creating an unforgettable performance.”

Parks is survived by his wife and two children. The cause of death is not yet known.

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‘Future Quest’ #12 Ends On A High Note

Anthony Wendel

The most daring heroes and greatest minds of Earth and a distant solar system make their last stand against the World Ender. How can we survive when other more advanced worlds have fallen? Get ready for the cosmic finale that shapes the Hanna-Barbera action adventure universe forever!

Writing

This is what everything has been leading up to. An intense battle against Omnikron with everything on the line and every character giving their all to save the day. This battle isn’t clean and there casualties which is the best part of the issue. Having stakes in a fight really helps to make it truly worthwhile.

The issue manages to have a few emotional and meaningful moments. Two scenes in particular are worthy of praise. The first is when Zin and Dr. Quest have a mind meld which allows them to reflect on the past and we see the events which led to the death of Dr. Quest’s wife. Another happens as Jonny and Hadji also experience a mind meld and they see traumatic events of their own. Writer Jeff Parker finds a way to tie everything up in a nice package with a bow while at the same time delivering a very emotionally charged story. This truly was a gift and one of the best books to come out DC Comics in the last year.

Artwork

The art team of Evan “Doc” Shaner and Veronica Gandini truly put their all into this issue. The art work on the mind meld scene is distinct and memorable. The intense affect shots hype up the tension of the battle. One of the bests panels of the issue is a shot of Frankenstein Jr. deploying all his weapons in a moment which resembles The Iron Giant. They were really making sure to go out on top.

Conclusion

The series ends the way it began. Fun, adventurous, and helping to introduce a new generation to classic cartoon characters. Let’s hope this isn’t the last we see of the team of Future Quest. Rumor has it that there’s more, but if this doesn’t come true, this is still a fine ending to what has been a very memorable journey.

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‘Steven Universe’ Utilizes Atmosphere In The Good Lars

Anthony Wendel

Steven, Lars and Sadie get invited to a party with the Cool Kids.

This episode of Steven Universe dangerously teased with being at the same level of Onion Friends (the lowest rated episode of recent memory). Luckily it found a way to pull ahead at the last minute and become a bit more of worthwhile.

The episode started slow by being about Lars being good at cooking. He doesn’t like to admit he’s good at cooking because he’s afraid people will think he’s lame. This part of the episode is a bit lame on its own. Later though, as the party occurs Lars doesn’t show up and the episode finds away to save itself. As Steven begins to search for Lars it becomes more and more evident to the audience something is wrong. Lars isn’t simply skipping the party because he’s worried about his social appearance and instead something has happened. This is confirmed in the last few moments of the episode. Steven’s desperate search and the fact a major event seems to be happening soon helps to make this a better episode than it felt it would be. Way to save things in the last half of the last half of the episode and build the tension to what is on the horizon.

They also found a way to make one of the best meta jokes when Lars asks Steven how he got so mature. His response, “Between getting my shield and finding out my mom is a war criminal” is basically what happened between episode one and recent events in the series. Always good when the show is able to go meta once in awhile. Still there has been enough foreshadowing. Alright series, enough teasing. The next episode better reveal who the shadowy figures are stalking the citizens of Beach City.

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SilverHawks: A Forgotten Cartoon Ripe For A Cinematic Universe

Ruben Diaz

May 10, 2017

In the age of the entertainment remixes, we’re getting all manner of reboots, remakes, and re-imaginings. Coming soon is the Hasbro cinematic universe that will feature and connect five 80s classic cartoons: M.A.S.K., Visionaries, Micronauts, ROM, and GI Joe. My inner 12-year-old is doing flips and cartwheels across a meadow made of candy. My present-day self is writing this article about SilverHawks, a forgotten 80s cartoon that would make for as good a cinematic universe as any other.

Come with me, into a world of re-imagination!

Prev Next

1. The Story

SilverHawks is the lesser-known cousin to ThunderCats. The 1986 cartoon is something of a cross between Iron Man and Guardians of the Galaxy except everything is bird themed. SilverHawks and ThunderCats were so related that they shared almost the entire voice cast. The pacing of both shows and structure of stories were also very similar.

The Story Then
It’s the 29th century in the Galaxy of Limbo where organized crime is running rampant. A group of heroes is given metal bodies, including wings, and tasked with stopping crime across the galaxy. #NoPressure

The Story Now
It’s the late 21st century in the Galaxy of the Milky Way and Earth is in the midst of a now 20-year long occupation from an alien force. Deep within a secret lab, a team of scientists has been experimenting with superhumans and cybernetics. A breakthrough leads to the first of the SilverHawks Program.

Tagline
The battle to save Earth is set to soar!

2. The Heroes

In the original SilverHawks, there were six main characters. However, here were lower it to three with hints at two other Hawks who we never see or meet.

Phoenix played by Joseph-Gordon Levitt
Called Quicksilver in the show, I’m sure Fox wouldn’t allow it, so we change it to Phoenix. It suits the bird-theme better anyway. SilverPhoenix’s upgrades allow him to generate and control fire, but Jonathon Quick needs to learn to control himself first.

Osprey played by Priyanka Chopra
Trained from birth for the SilverHawks program, Osprey is a no-nonsense warrior. As Osprey, her upgrades make her super-fast for short distances. She uses two “talons” or short swords. Osprey struggles to understand were the warrior ends and human begins.

Merlin played by Carlos Valdes
The comic-relief of the group and also the brains of the outfit. Merlin’s upgrades gave him shades of blue similar to a Merlin. Merlin is small but a smart and fierce fighter who enjoys creating new gadgets and weapons for missions.

3. The Villain

Mon*Star played by Michael Fassbender
ThunderCats had Mumm-Ra and SilverHawks fought Mon*Star. In the cartoon, Mon*Star was some kind of muscle-bound feline criminal mastermind. Here, he’s a refined mobster, overindulging in everything. As the heroes close in on Mon*Star, that’s when we learn exactly how he keeps control by force. Mon*Star turns into the armored beast from the cartoon, like an evil Hulk, nearly unstoppable.

4. The Universe

The first SilverHawks film would be a standalone action flick that introduces the overall concept and the threat of Mon*Star but creates a smaller, more personal victory for the characters that sets Mon*Star’s plans for Earth back.

From there, the film would branch off into the three leads for three new movies.

In the one centered on Phoenix, the leader learns the history of SilverHawks project and fights Proto-Hawk, a Frankenstein Hawk, the first to ever survive, who lives in torment and tries to exact revenge on the SilverHawks. Phoenix presumably kills Proto-Hawk at the end.

For Osprey, her film takes her on a secret mission into the heart of Mon*Star’s empire where she must navigate the city of New Moscow to find plans for Mon*Star’s new weapon. The mission forces Osprey to confront her lack of humanity as she must blend in with the people of the city.

Merlin’s film finds him confronting a conspiracy within the SilverHawks where a group has developed a biological weapon that will kill 95% of humanoids on the planet.

The characters come together in a new trilogy that begins with Mon*Star stealing the plans for the bio-weapon, revealing it’s existence to everyone and fracturing the SilverHawks program in two. The heroes create HawkHaven for their operations while a new threat known as the Ravens arises.

In the sequel, Mon*Star has tested his new bio-weapon, wiping out one million people in New Venice over a 24 hour period. The heroes, now joined by Proto-Hawk, discover Stargazer, the originator of the SilverHawk program who made the discovery that leads to the group’s upgrades. With Stargazer, the team receives new power boosts and decide it’s time to take the fight to the heart of Mon*Star.

In the final film, the team is racing against time. Mon*Star has unleashed a super-virus that is spreading across the world. In three days, 90% of human life will be extinguished, leaving Earth to Mon*Star forever. In the vain of Fury Road, the entire film is a fight through Mon*Star’s capital territory.

5. Too Long, Didn’t Read

There you have it. SilverHawks, an 80s cartoon that few ever talk about re-imagined as a seven-movie cinematic universe. There’s room to grow, too. So, if Warner Brothers is listening, I’ll joyfully write the scripts for a low fee.

Did you like my re-imagining? More are coming, and I take suggestions. Got a cartoon you think I could re-imagine? Post it in the comments below.

‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’ Review: Lemonading And Laughter Equal A Great Third Season

Dewey Singleton - Film Critic

Learning from its past mistakes, the third season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt returns to the irreverence and frivolity that made this show a huge hit for Netflix.

Summary

This season picks up right as Kimmy (Elle Kempler) is receiving her GED and Titus (Titus Burgess) is off on a cruise ship living out his Broadway dreams. Lillian (Carol Kane) is running for city council so she can stick it to the man. Jacqueline (Jane Krakowski) is getting cozier and more intimate with the Snyder family (in particular Russ Snyder played by David Cross). Her dreams of earning the respect of her Native American family by getting the Washington Redskins to change their name are becoming more of reality. The unifying theme between all of their narratives is finding their direction. Kimmy is trying to figure out what her next step should be now that she’s graduated high school. When Titus’s “Broadway” gig falls apart, and his relationship appears to be on the rocks, how will he proceed? Can Jacqueline keep focused on her goals or will love just get in the way? Is Lillian’s (Carol Kane) new purpose in life, to stick it to the man going to give her life meaning?

What Worked

Robert Carlock and Tina Fey stayed away from trying to make any social statements this season and focused on making each 30-minute episode as fun as possible. Part of what made the first season such a treat was how silly each episode was. Even when it was evident that most of the first season was a statement on our judicial system as well as pop culture, at least we were in on the joke. In the second season, they seemed to be occupied with making statements about woman’s independence, Native American rights, and being empowered. While the third season is about the direction that each of these characters is headed in, they are doing it in the same exaggerated reality that worked so well in season one.

The show is making a concerted effort to highlight the comedic talents of Titus Burgess. In the six episodes that we were given to screen, Burgess has multiple instances where he’s singing and one case where his comedic stage talents are fully highlighted. The scene everyone will be guffawing about will be Titus when he went “Lemonading” on his boyfriend. One couldn’t help but wonder if he was just waiting for them to tell him to take it down a notch. I imagine when he smashed the window of his man’s truck that everyone realized that taking it down a notch wasn’t an option.

Jacqueline (Jane Krakowski) is back to demonstrating what it means to be an arrogant/naive socialite. We are no longer lamenting her divorce and wondering how she was going to make it as a single mother. Now it’s back to schemes involving cat roofies, fake boyfriends, and body sushi. On top of all of these shenanigans, she let’s slip that her alma mater has something in common with the 45th President of the United States. This is the character that made us giggle in season one, and she’s even funnier in season three.

The chemistry between the ensemble was top notch. I’m not sure if anyone of these actors (Ellie Kempler, Titus Burgess, Jane Krakowski, and Carol Kane) could individually carry a show on their own but together they are responsible for one of T.V’s must-watch comedies.

What Did Not Work

The storyline involving the forced marriage between Kimmy and Richard Wayne Gary Wayne (Jon Hamm) didn’t seem to fit into this season. Those scenes didn’t add much comedic value to the narrative. At this point, the whole story line with the Reverend had the whole “been there .. done that” feel to it.

Overall

The narrative, tone, and overall comedic value of season 3 of The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt are very reminiscent of how we all felt about the first season. While the second season dragged along, the third season is fast, witty, and above all else hysterical. It’s certainly binge-worthy as each episode is only 30 minutes and sometimes a little break from reality isn’t a bad thing.

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‘Snatched’ Amy vs Goldie Film Review – Episode 121

Matthew Sardo

May 10, 2017

Goldie Hawn and Amy Schumer’s Mother’s Day comedy, ‘Snatched’ hits theaters this week and we have a story for you! This was not your average press screening, the ladies came out in force, and did they cackle. Matt and EJ also take a look back at Hawn’s career and the evolution of the comedic female lead.

Strap yourself in buckaroos! Episode 121 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.

Places you can find the show:
iTunes
Blog Talk Radio
Stitcher

Reviews are greatly appreciated – How to Rate and Review a Podcast in iTunes

Thank you for listening!

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Superman Comics: DC Rebirth’s Biggest Beneficiary? (Action Comics #979)

Brandon J. Griffin

May 10, 2017

Rebirth did many things for the publishers characters and universe. It completely revamped almost all of DC’s line of comic books. Of all the changes, none have been more significant and warranted than the course correction for the “Man Of Steel.” Have Superman comics been the biggest beneficiary of DC Rebirth?

***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***

With Action Comics #979 this week, the Kents find themselves moving back to Metropolis. This is the latest change for Superman comics, bringing them closer to home and farther from the misguided days of The New 52.

In both Dan Jurgens’ Action Comics and Peter J. Tomasi’s Superman, the wholesome hero is restored to his former glory. No longer just a boyscout, Clark is now firmly cemented as the husband and father that he always should have been. The transition has been a smooth one.

Superman Reborn was a major step in addressing the past and future, condensing the continuity of old and new into what it is now simply the future. Sure, there are some gray areas and holes at the moment, but they should be addressed by the time Mr. Oz is discovered and sorted out.

The main point is that being a Superman fan is fun again. Superman comic books are full of mystery and sci-fi action, now complete with a whole lot of heart in the center.

Family appeal isn’t the only return to glory for Clark and company, the Superman rogues gallery has also been getting the treatment. Action Comics #979 this week sees a “Greatest Hits” team-up in Part One of “REVENGE.” Metallo, Cyborg Superman, Mongul, The Eradicator, and Blanque have combined forces to exact their revenge on Superman. That’s not the final roster of their team either.

Dan Jurgens is opening up an explosive new chapter in Superman’s Rebirth era. The evolution by devolution for Clark Kent will continue to be put to the test as the two major titles enter uncharted territory. Both books are also accompanied by some extremely powerful artwork as well, another major factor in restoring Superman fans’ faith in the character.

What do you think about Superman comics thus far? With title do you enjoy more? Are there any elements you miss about New 52 Clark?

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